Chapter Text
[October 24, 2014: Walmart, Dulvey, Louisiana.]
"Aren't you sick of wearing my shirts as dresses? Don't you want clothes of your own?"
"Yeah," Eveline said.
Zoe tossed a couple of packs of underwear and socks into the cart. “We’ll need some of these.”
As they browsed the girls’ clothes section, a woman nearby put a finger to her ear and whispered something, seemingly to no one. One of the BSAA’s many guards that they had posted around the store, Zoe thought. They were not very good at being inconspicuous. The woman wore casual clothes, but she was still wearing heavy duty boots. Whether they were there to protect Eveline or to protect others from Eveline, Ζoe wasn’t sure.
“Zoe? Zooooooeeeeeeeeee.” Eveline tugged at her shirt.
“What? Oh, sorry.”
“What should I get?”
“Well, what kinds of clothes do you like?”
“I don’t know,” said Eveline with a frown.
Zoe started to pile random clothes into the cart. “Well, we’ll just have to try them all and find out what you like.”
They got to the dressing room and Zoe handed her a few things. “Try these on, and then come out and tell me how you like them.”
Eveline nodded. She went in, then came back out wearing new clothes and a disgusted look on her face. “I do not like these.” She tugged at the waist of her jeans.
“What’s wrong with them?”
“They feel bad on my skin.”
Okay, so she didn’t like jeans. She picked up a pair of sweatpants and handed them to her. “Okay, what about these?”
Eveline tried them on. “They’re okay. I like dresses better. These make my legs trapped.”
Zoe wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but Evie seemed to like the baggier shorts she tried on next.
"Blue is my favorite color," Eveline announced, wearing a blue dress.
"Okay, so we're getting this one?"
"Yes."
When they had gone through the clothes and found what Eveline liked and didn’t like, they moved on to get her some new shoes. She had been wearing the same dirty boots since they found her.
“Oh, you have got to try these,” said Zoe.
Eveline looked skeptical, but slipped the tennis shoes on her feet.
"Now walk."
She took a step and gasped when she saw them light up. She stomped around the aisle and back to Zoe, who was grinning.
Zoe boxed them up and they bought another pair of tennis shoes. Eveline refused to get any nice shoes, claiming they hurt her toes, but Zoe didn't see any point in pushing. It wasn't like they were going to be allowed anywhere she'd need them.
[November 15, 2014: Baker farm, Dulvey, Louisiana.]
"What's all that noise about?" asked Zoe, sipping on her coffee.
Jack sighed. "Eveline remembered that she's going to the doctor tomorrow and she's pitching a fit."
"Mama's still up there?"
"Yeah. We're taking turns." He turned the page of his newspaper. "To be honest, I'm on her side. I understand that she needs medical care because of her condition, I really do. But how do we know we can trust these people? I don't like it one bit. And the poor girl has every reason not to trust doctors."
Zoe nodded. It was difficult to know what was the right thing to do. "Let me have a crack at her."
"Go for it. By the way, she's already lost TV privileges, if she asks."
"Got it."
Zoe made her way into Eveline's room and found it a mess. Toys were strewn about and she had vomited mold in the corner.
"Not going!" Eveline shouted as she stomped around the room.
"My turn, Mama. Let me talk to her."
Marguerite nodded, then whispered to Zoe, "Make sure she doesn't hurt herself, but don't give her the attention she wants."
When she left, Eveline stopped her stomping. "What were you whispering about?"
Zoe pointed at the pile of mold. "Clean that up and I'll tell you."
Eveline glared at her, but gave in to her curiosity. She stuck her hand in the pile and it reincorporated into her body.
Disgusting, thought Zoe, but she corrected herself. This was Eveline's normal.
"Now you have to tell me."
Zoe sat on Eveline's bed. "She told me not to let you hurt yourself. Are you going to do that?"
"No."
"That's good," she said. "I know you don't want to go to the doctor, but these ones aren't going to hurt you. I promise."
"I don't care. I'm not going."
“Evie, the only reason they let you live with us was because we have to take you to the doctor once a month. Otherwise you would be at the doctor all the time.”
"If they didn't give you those shots I could make you let me stay home."
Zoe was shocked. "Eveline!"
Eveline looked immediately sorry, but the damage was done.
“You can't say things like that." Zoe wasn't sure what else to say. She'd have to talk to their parents about this.
"If you want to be left alone, I’ll leave you alone. We’ll talk later.”
Zoe went downstairs. She found that Lucas had joined Jack at the kitchen table. She sat next to him and resumed drinking her now-lukewarm coffee.
"You know, she doesn't act her age. She acts like a five-year-old," said Lucas.
Zoe gave him a light shove. " You act like a five-year-old."
He swatted her arm playfully, but shook his head. "I mean it. She was created artificially. We have no way of knowing how long she's actually been alive. Maybe they wanted her to look like a ten-year-old."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. We know next to nothing about her. The BSAA's still looking."
"Yeah." Lucas resumed typing away on his laptop.
“Eveline said something… concerning. She said that she wished she could use her powers to make us let her stay home.”
Jack’s brow furrowed. “She has the power to make anyone do what she wants, but she’s a child who still doesn’t understand right from wrong. We have to teach her.”
“She has to understand consent,” said Zoe.
“How is she supposed to understand consent if hers is being violated? She’s going to have a fucked-up worldview if everyone around her uses force to get her to do what they want. Yes, even the BSAA doctors. To her, they’re no different.”
Zoe sat, contemplating this for several minutes. Then, she stood up. “I have an idea.” She grabbed the car keys off the table and texted the family groupchat as she walked to the garage. Heading out. back in 30.
When she got home, she found Marguerite walking down the stairs. “Have you seen Evie?”
“What, is she not in her room?”
Marguerite shook her head. “I can’t find her anywhere. I don’t know where she could be.”
"I think I do," said Zoe. "I'll talk to her." She went into the pantry and opened the hatch. She peeked her head in. Yup, she was right. "Scoot over, I'm coming in."
Careful not to hit her head, Zoe sat by Eveline. "This place is a lot smaller than I remember."
"I'm still not going," said Eveline. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were wet, but she seemed to have calmed down.
"You're a lot like me, I think."
Eveline shook her head. "Nobody's like me. All the girls like me are dead."
Zoe was caught off guard. Of course this was weighing on her, she scolded herself. She should have seen it. A few weeks ago they found the bodies of Dolores and Dahlia washed up on shore. The BSAA had taken them to do God knows what and it clearly shook Eveline deeply.
She chose her next words carefully. "You're right, Evie. I'm sorry. But I want you to know that I love you very much. We all do, Daddy and Mama and Lucas. We would do anything to protect you. Do you know that?"
Eveline nodded, avoiding eye contact.
Zoe patted her pockets and pulled out a box. "Hey, I got these for you."
Eveline took the box from her and examined it. "What is it?"
Zoe wondered about this. She wasn't sure if the scientists at The Connections ever used these on her since she didn't… well, bleed.
"They're band-aids. You can use these when you're hurt. They're like stickers for your body."
"I like stickers," Eveline admitted.
"These ones have animals on them," Zoe said, opening the box and pulling one out. "Stick it on me."
Eveline put it on her arm, then held out her own. "Do me, do me."
Zoe stuck the band-aid to her arm. Eveline examined it, clearly deep in thought.
After a moment, she rested her arm back at her side. "Thank you. I want to be alone now."
Zoe nodded. "Alright, darlin'. Come out whenever you're ready." She left.
When the family was having dinner, Eveline emerged from the kitchen, bleary-eyed and messy.
Jack patted the seat next to him. "I'm glad you could join us." She sat down, and he scooped some chili from the crockpot into her bowl.
She began to eat silently, but spoke up after a minute. “I’m sorry. I’ll go.”
“We forgive you, Evie,” said Marguerite. “Your fears are our fears, and we will do everything we can to make you feel safe.
[November 16, 2014: Baker farm, Dulvey, Louisiana.]
Marguerite was shaken awake by a dark figure looming over her bed. She gasped.
“Mommy?” It said. Oh, it was just Eveline.
Marguerite yawned. “Evie, sweetie? What’s wrong?”
“I can’t sleep.”
Marguerite shifted in bed and lifted up her blanket. "Do you want to sleep with me?"
Silently, Eveline crawled into bed and nestled into Marguerite's body. Marguerite was overwhelmed with nostalgia, remembering when Lucas and Zoe were young and slept with her when they had nightmares.
Eveline fell asleep almost instantly, but it took Marguerite a while to go back to sleep.
As they were getting ready the next morning, Eveline was quiet, staring into space and speaking only in one-word sentences. When they got to the appointment, however, her demeanor changed. She screamed and kicked when any of them came near her, and bit two hands.
The doctors were whispering about restraining her, but Marguerite objected. “That would make it so much worse for her. She’ll struggle harder next time. Just let me talk to her.”
Marguerite calmed her down enough to get her shots and for the doctors to take their samples.
"It's all over, alright?"
Eveline nodded, breathing heavily. She glared daggers at the doctors and placed a band-aid on her forehead. Marguerite took her to get ice cream.
[November 17, 2014: Baker farm, Dulvey, Louisiana.]
Eveline, Marguerite, and Lucas came out to the backyard when Zoe and Jack were finished setting up. They had found two large, flat rocks and placed them vertically into the ground, making sure they were stable.
Everyone gathered around. Eveline seemed unsure of what she was supposed to do, so Jack gestured for her to come to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and he held her close.
Zoe broke the silence. “We don’t have bodies to bury, but we can make sure they are not forgotten.”
“Dolores and Dahlia’s lives mattered,” Jack said. “They were people, and they didn’t deserve to be thrown out like trash.”
“May their memories be a blessing,” said Marguerite, but she wasn’t quite sure what that meant for these two. Their memories would only bring pain.
One by one, the Bakers placed small stones on each of their graves. Zoe held out her hands, offering two to Eveline. She took them and did the same, then returned to Jack's side.
“I… I wish we could have been friends,” said Eveline. “I wish you got to have a family like I do.”
They stood around the graves for a few moments. Eveline looked somber, but she wasn't crying.
Lucas was the first to leave. Then Zoe, then Marguerite. Jack stayed with Eveline, who stared intently at the graves.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“It’s not fair,” she said. “It’s not fair that I got to live and they didn’t. It’s not fair!”
He sighed. “I know it’s not, Eveline. Those people did horrible things. Those girls shouldn’t have died. But listen to me.” He looked down at her, and she looked up. “I’m so glad you’re alive. You deserve to live, too. Do you understand?”
She nodded, and he patted her back. “Good. Let’s go inside and help your mother make dinner.”