Chapter 5 – The Strange Message

(Eve’s POV)

“Why are we leaving, Mommy? Why can’t we live here anymore?” Isabella asked, blinking her round eyes at me.

I swallowed hard, not because of the overwhelming emotions I had in leaving this place but because, in my mind, we already left. If this were a phenomenon of an illusion of a memory that could have happened before, then I would say this was the weirdest déjà vu ever.

“Because it’s not -”

“It’s not ours anymore, baby,” I immediately cut Jessy. “Get inside so your sisters can sit as well,” I said, kissing her forehead.

Jessy gave me a skeptical look but pursed her lips. I knew she had a lot of things to say, but she only lifted a brow, crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned on the car, watching me secure Isabella’s seatbelt.

When I was done, she cursed under her breath, rolled her eyes to show her annoyance, and followed her little sister inside the car.

Bethany rested her arm on my shoulders, forcing a smile as she leaned her head on mine.

“Eve, tell me when I have the permission to hurt Jessy. She always gets on my nerves.” She snarled hushedly and sneered.

“When she's our age, you'll have my permission,” I muttered under my breath, biting my lower lip immediately when I saw Rosie.

Rosie smiled but didn’t say anything when she entered the car, and when she got settled, her eyes pinned on the mansion like her other siblings.

I sighed, feeling sad about leaving, but how could one be sad when I got over it yesterday… Argh! Yesterday was a different yesterday.

“You okay? You’re cranky today,” Bethany glanced at me and moved away from me, peering her head and silently counting the children inside before closing the door as if we would miss one.

“I don’t know,” I murmured absentmindedly, walking toward the front seat and sighing deeply as I sat in the front passenger seat. “I just had this really weird dream and…” I pursed my lips, unsure how to explain the love bites.

“What’s that about?” She asked as soon as she was seated. “You don’t have to say anything, Eve. This whole thing happening to you is overwhelming,” Bethany muttered, starting her car.

I had to say something. Although she sounded as if it was okay for me not to answer, I still had to answer Bethany's question, or she would call Marga to force the truth out of me.

“I dreamt of Bob and… Callahan,” I said, putting on my seatbelt so she would not notice my anxious look.

Bethany chuckled and shrugged. “I think it’s my fault. You’re worried about this whole thing, and still, I kept blabbering about them yesterday.” She heaved a sigh, her eyes on the road.

I turned my head and stared at my best friend anxiously. “Beth, what if I made the wrong decision about leaving? Giving up the house? What if this Moira is bogus? What if I mess up tonight?” I glanced over my shoulder, looking at my children worriedly. “I have five children -”

“Hey,” Bethany glanced at me, smiling gently before returning her gaze to the road. “That’s already a lot of what-ifs, Eve. You worry a lot.”

“I have every reason to worry,” I breathed helplessly, blinking my tears away.

I could not afford to make a mistake, and I let my heart decide last night. No, I let desire rule my sanity. What if I got pregnant? What if… I bit my bottom lip, realizing it did not happen yet. I groaned, closing my eyes. If this were a dream, I would consider it a sign. Yet, what happened between Callahan and me, his kisses, bites, and…

“Eve, it’s normal to worry,” Bethany said.

I wished it would be that easy. My body jerked when her hand touched mine.

“Relax,” She laughed, squeezing my hand. “Remember what Marga used to say to us? If you have no control over something, it makes no sense to think much about them.” She pressed her lips together when I didn’t comment. After a while, she glanced at me. “Music?”

I shook my head and said truthfully, “I want complete silence.”

Bethany nodded, smiling understandingly as she said, “Complete silence it -”

“Hey! Return Marie to me,” Isabella cried at the back. “Mommiiieee!!!” screamed my daughter.

“Give it back, Cooper,” Rosie uttered resignedly. She didn't sound angry, but it was clear that she was disappointed.

When I looked over my shoulder, Rosie stretched her arm to reach for the rag doll.

“Theo!” Cooper laughed giddily, finding their situation funny and passing the doll to his brother. When he didn’t look at him, he joked about opening the window.

Isabelle’s eyes widened as she gasped, and a few seconds later, her wail echoed in the car. 

“For one moment, let’s have our peace! Give it back,” Jessy yelled, snatching the doll from him and smacking her brother’s head.

I groaned, closing my eyes and resting my head on my seat.

“Oh, there’s the silence you wanted,” Bethany chuckled, turning on the radio.

As if heaven were trying to kill me with a joke, Kelly Clarkson began to fill the car with the same song I had already heard. I sighed, reminding myself again that today was the 25th, not yesterday.

“Take a nap, Eve.”

“Just no stopping of the car, please,” I groaned, pressing my temple on the window. “If any of my kids want to pee, please stop at the gas station.”

“O…kay!” Bethany nodded slowly, her eyes on the road.

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes while thinking of how to confront Moira later.

***

“Eve, wake up,” Bethany muttered gently as she shook my shoulders. “We’re here… and… Umm…”

“Hmm…” When I opened my eyes, everything around me was a blur.

I winced, closing my eyes again. When I opened them, I blinked rapidly, hoping to snap myself out of drowsiness.

“Are you sure this is the right address?” Bethany asked, her eyes wide at the mansion.

I took a deep breath and glanced at the mansion. I sighed, rubbing my eyes, trying to shake off the grogginess and hoping it was a different house. I groaned and pressed my forehead on the window disappointingly, staring at the old and gothic mansion.

“Yeah.” My voice came out a whisper, and I could hear the deafening beating of my heart.

“Bethany, you’re supposed to take us to our Aunt Moira, not Morticia and her Addams family mansion,” Jessy chuckled.

Even if I didn’t look at them, I knew she unbuckled Isabella’s seatbelt and sat her little sister on her lap. Ignoring her, I unbuckled my seatbelt and opened the door, exiting the car. I gulped the cold air and shivered when the gate automatically opened for us. It was not the gate that frightened me but the thought of my dream again. I jumped back to the car, pressing my lips tightly to suppress a yelp.

“Are you sure people live here and not something else?” Bethany asked, her eyes scanning the surroundings as if looking for any signs of life as she drove slowly on the winding driveway.

“I’ve…” I swallowed hard, almost saying I had been here and seen the inside of the mansion already, but I paused and took a deep breath before I continued. “Yeah. Moira lives here.”

When Bethany stopped the car, I got out of the vehicle immediately. I walked toward the medieval, flamboyant main door, waiting for it to open while choosing a few from my millions of questions to confront Moira.

Theo stood beside me and held my hand. “You think the Beast lives here?”

My son’s eyes were on the solid, heavy entry door.

Cooper laughed briefly, standing on my other side. “Silly! The Beast lives in the palace, Theo. This is… this is a haunted house. Do you think there are ghosts here?”

Tears welled in my eyes, and as they exchanged their excitement about the place, my heart raced, terrified at what was happening. I swallowed hard, lowered my head, and squeezed my eyes shut when the door creaked open. Suddenly, I was not ready to meet Moira.

“Eve?”

My eyebrows raised, hearing a male’s voice instead of Moira’s excited shriek when she saw us for the first time.

Bethany stood behind me and chuckled. “Yummy! You didn’t me Moira’s an uncle, not an aunt.”

I raised my head, my eyebrows knitting, recognizing the man. “Wyatt?”

Wyatt smiled and sighed in relief as he approached us. “I was worried you’d freak out if you saw me instead of Moira,” he said, giving me the familiar bunch of keys. “Moira asked me to give you this.”

"Are you not Moira?" Bethany asked with suspicion.

His lips curved into a sweet smile as he extended his hand. “Wyatt, and you are?”

“She’s Bethany. Where’s Moira?” I raised my hand, touching my temple before Bethany could answer. “She’s supposed to meet us today.”

“Oh.” Wyatt’s eyebrows furrowed, and then he shook his head slowly. “I’m sorry, I don’t know exactly where she is now. Her secretary dropped these keys off to me earlier this morning, and thirty minutes ago, Moira called, asking me to lock her office and relay a message to you.”

“I hope the message is to say sorry she’s not here to meet Eve,” Bethany muttered, her lips pouting in disappointment.

Wyatt pushed the brim of his eyeglasses and grinned at her. “How did you know?”

Bethany sighed, rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest.

He looked at my children and smiled gently. “Your Aunt Moira said you can have each room on the second floor and…”

Hearing this message, my daughter approached me.

“Mom?” Her eyes were wide and sparkled with excitement.

When I nodded, she squealed excitedly, dashing toward her twin sister, grabbing her hand and Isabella’s and tugging them. Cooper and Theo did not wait for their invitation. They followed their sisters inside the old mansion.

Bethany let out a sharp, disapproving cluck of her tongue, and when I looked at her, my best friend’s brow furrowed, and her lips downturned.

“She should at least wait for Eve,” she sighed, rolling her eyes. “My best friend’s new here. How is she supposed to know the… the… everything about this place.”

Wyatt smiled sheepishly. “Er…” He pinned his eyes on me. “Moira said you knew where to find the map, whom to call when you need help, and…” His brows furrowed, and he lowered his gaze as he paused.

He was probably trying to remember her message.

“And?” Bethany asked impatiently.

He raised his head, looking at Bethany. “And she said she’s really sorry she couldn’t be here today.” Wyatt stared at me. “I apologize, Eve, but I’m here only to relay the message. She could not miss her flight with her boyfriend yesterday -”

Bethany stood beside me and asked confusedly, “Her flight’s today, right?”

“Nope.” Wyatt shook his head. “Their flight was yesterday, and you knew about it,” he said, gaping at me. “She left a strange message. Moira said -”

“Not to open the door?” My eyes grew more prominent as I asked in a whisper.

“Huh?” Wyatt blinked, confused at me, and then he shook his head. “She said good luck with your job tonight. Have faith it will end well and…well, yeah,” He rolled his eyes and scoffed. “You’re right about your guess. Do not open the door.”