Chapter 27
Leo leads down me a path I've never been down before surrounded by trees, leading further and further away from the beach, to the point where the wind constantly down my back finally comes to a stop. Eventually we reach an old Victorian Gothic building, stretching back far behind into the trees."This is it," Leo sighs, signalling with his arms towards the door. I don't really know what I was expecting but this was not it.
"When was this built?" I ask. I'm not a genius but I'm sure as hell that this town wasn't discovered in Victorian times.
"Honestly couldn't give any more f*cks," he laughs a little before taking my hand and leading me inside.
I didn't think it were possible, but the inside is even more grand than the exterior. With pillars stretching right up to the tall roof and a grand staircase in the middle. The earthy tones of the place fill me with comfort. I follow Leo up to a desk, where he scribbles something on a piece of paper and then signs his name.
"It's beautiful," I murmur, my attention still caught by the stunning design.
"Not when you've lived here for years, it becomes more of a death trap," Leo gives me a small smile before leading me to the grand, wooden staircase that leads up so high I can't even see the top. As we're about half way up the stairs Leo suddenly stops me and I turn to look down at him on the stair below me.
"I think Nic is home, is that okay?" he asks. I nod. "Okay, follow me,"
Eventually we reach the top of the stairs and are faced with a long, narrow hallway, dressed in paintings and mirrors as far as the eye can see. It's bigger than I thought. As we walk down the hallway I notice each door is decorated with the names of the corresponding children with bright, bold letters, but as we go further along the bright colours turn to industrial greys. Leo seems to notice my looking.
"Those are the kids' rooms," As he says this I realise I can hear the faint sound of children's' laughs from behind me in the rooms. It's good that they're happy, I imagine it would be difficult in a place like this. Near the end of the hall I notice a door with small red letters reading 'Amy'. There's tape across her door and a big sign saying, 'NO ENTRY'. I can't help but feel it's my fault she's gone but I know I can't let it get me down because no matter how down I get, there's no way to turn back time. No way to save her.
"Leo!" a young voice calls down the corridor. I turn around and see a small girl, possibly eight or nine.
"I missed you too, squirt," I don't really know what to think but I find myself smiling at such an innocent interaction.
"Who's this?" Marie asks, pulling back from Leo, her big brown eyes scanning me as if I'm a danger.
"This is Esme," Leo pulls me forward towards the small girl. She blows one of the small, blonde curls out of her face.
"Is she your wife?" She bends over, her hands on her hips and without even having to think a laugh tumbles out of my mouth.
"Not right now, no," Leo laughs along with me.
"Is she good?"
"Yes Marie, she's good," Marie's stance relaxes and a smile finally comes across her thin lips. She nods, as if approving me. I admit I don't have a lot of experience with small children. After she nods, she pushes her heel down into the floor, spins around and skips back to her room.
"Who's that?" I ask as we finally reach Leo's door.
"Nic's sister," I didn't know Nic had a sister. Well, I guess I don't really know anything about his family. Feels rude to ask. Especially since their parents are nowhere to be seen. Leo opens his door and lets me in. The walls are cream with a wooden flooring. A double bed sits against one wall with a desk against another. On the desk lay many books, scattered around, pages falling out. Why would he keep them if they're broken? I squint my eyes and look a little closer before realising they're not novels at all. They're diaries. Each one with a different year on it. On his bed lay one with its pages sprawled open and a pen on top, must be this year. "Sorry it's a bit messy," Leo says, closing the door behind him. I walk towards the diary. "I didn't know I would have guests,"
"What's this?" I ask, finally reaching it. I already know what it is so I guess that's a pointless question but I'd rather him tell me instead of him thinking I'm nosy. As I go to pick it up Leo reaches quickly underneath me and snatches the diary into his hands. Does he not want me to read it? Is he hiding something? Surely, I'm just overthinking this. I look up at him and he laughs awkwardly.
"Private,"
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