Installment number 15

I walked to reception and tried to look to see if Tim was there. I didn't want to run into him and have to talk my way out of another trip to Errol's. He wasn't at the reception desk. I walked through to the excit quickly. Just as I was almost out, I heard him call my name. I just walked faster and hoped he didn't follow me. When I was out of the building and out of sight of the reception desk, I ran round the corner of the building, and snuck looks back to the door. Tim stood by the doorway for a short while, looking puzzled, then went back in. I set off into the village and to the shop. I needed that pendant. My brain was so full of contradictions at the moment, that I didn't even stop to think why I needed it, but I needed to leave with Elena today and I needed to take that pendant with me.

I got to the shop and walked in. The woman behind the counter nodded to acknowledge me, but said nothing.
"The pendant, the one I was looking at the other day..."
"What about it?"
"Tell me how I can have it."
"I don't know what you mean."
"I'm leaving Ogmore-by-Sea and I need that pendant. I don't know why, I just know I do."
"I told you. It's not for me to give to you."
"Then who?"
"Y'know... one of them."
"Like Janet or Elena."
"Yeah, one of them."
"I'm leaving town with Elena today, can I take it with me?"
"You can take it. If she wants you to have it, you can keep it."
I tentatively picked up the pendant, half-expecting the woman to stop me. She didn't. I walked out the shop without saying anything more.
I was tempted to put the pendant on as I left, but didn't. I just returned to the guesthouse. Tim was in reception when I returned, but I just walked past and waved away his questions. I headed straight to my room and put all my stuff into a bag, then went to Elena's room. There was no answer when I knocked, so I let myself in. I sat down on her bed. The lack of sleep the previous night had caught up on me and I lay down and let myself drift off for a while.

"You're coming home then?" Kelly asked me.
"Yes. I'm going to come home and go to the police and tell them what I did."
"Good. Then they can punish you and hurt you the way you hurt me."
"I didn't mean to hurt you, baby. It was a mistake."
"Do you remember what your mother told you when you were a child? Not meaning to do something is no defence. You didn't mean to spill red wine on our brand new sofa, but you didn't exactly take precautions not to. Being careless with poison? That's a pretty big mistake."
"I know. I know, darling. I'm going back. I'm going to prison. I can't make it right."
"No, you can't, and I'll be here every day to remind you of what you did."
"But you said... you said it would be ok if I came home."
She stared right at me, and her eyes began to glow bright white and got bigger and bigger until the whole room was glowing bright white, and I opened my eyes to bright sunlight coming in through the window.

"Morning, sleepy," Elena sat on the chair opposite the bed.
"Oh... hey. You weren't here. I fell asleep."
"I gathered."
"Sorry."
"It's fine. Are you ready to go."
"Yes."
"Anything you want to tell me?"
"What?"
She picked up the pendant that had been in my hand when I fell asleep and now lay next to me.
"Oh, the woman in the shop said I could have it."
"It's not hers to give," Elena started to look really angry.
"No, I mean, she said I could take it, and if you said it was ok, that I could keep it."
"Do you know what it is?"
"No, I just really wanted it."
"Why?"
"I don't know," I shook my head, "I really don't know. I just saw it and I knew I had to have it."
"It's not just a trinket, Fi."
"What is it then?"
"I... I can't really tell you. Just be careful with it, okay?"
"Yeah, okay."