Prescient

Chapter 17

It had been days since Noels and my intense, revealing conversation on my front doorstep and he had not been back.

My revelation had done the trick.

And I'm glad it did.

It made telling the secret worth it because I'd never told anyone about my cursed gift before; I'd never even considered talking about it to anyone. I hadn't even spoken to my parents or my aunty about it in detail.

They knew.

I'd told them when I'd seen or dreamt horrible things and then those horrible things came to pass, so of course, they knew. Although, I'd never came right out and said it. Never voiced it aloud.

Now I had and in a way, it was somewhat cathartic.

Nevertheless, Noel wasn't bothering me anymore so as I said, it was worth it.

Part of me felt sorry to a certain degree. Sorry that I'd put all that on him and been so horrible to him. Maybe even a bit sorry that I'd just forced away possibly the only person who would have given me the time of day despite my inconvenient, unbearable personality flaws.

But it was for the best.

Best for him, best for me.

I was better off alone.

In the few days since Noel's visit, I'd barely slept at all.

What little sleep I'd had was cloaked in darkness and haunted by Kaylah's voice – nothing different there. And still, no more information that may be useful.

I'd been trying to tell myself I had to do something more. I felt like everywhere I turned I was staring at another brick wall.

Every end of every road I took was dead and I couldn't force myself to leave the house. Even though I knew I had to keep trying.

I had to talk to Tyler.

I had to talk to Kaylah's mum.

First I'd have to find out what her name was. I only knew her as Kaylah's mum, although it wouldn't be too hard. All I needed to do was head to the library, jump on a computer, and Google Kaylah's name. I'd find an article that mentioned her mother's name, surely.

You'd think so.

No.

I probably would have if I'd spent a bit more time looking, however, I only scanned over two articles. I don't have the patience.

The Mother.

That's who she was to the people who wrote those particular articles I read. She wasn't named at all in those.

So I just had to wing it.

So, after finally dragging myself out of the house with my pad, pen, and keys in my possession, I headed to the library.

I half expected to see Noel pop up as I left, but he didn't make an appearance.

At the library, I checked over the articles to no avail and then headed for Kaylah's house.

The walk was a long one and I was skin soaked by the time I arrived, so I sat down under the shade of a tree down the road from Kaylah's house, to cool off for a few minutes.

Once I got up again, I almost turned back the way I came.

Even though I'd made an extra effort to look the part this time, with an ugly business-like shirt from the op shop and a touch of make-up on my face, talking to an adult was going to be a lot harder – more risky – than talking to some air-head teenagers.