The Memory Thief by Leonie Agnew

Author:Leonie Agnew [Agnew, Leonie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780143775737
Publisher: Penguin Random House New Zealand
Published: 2013-04-08T00:00:00+00:00

11.

When the sky sours to the colour of lemons, I watch darkness spreading and press against my shell. I break free on my third try — stone dust falls like a cloud — and I head straight for the aviary. There’s no point looking for Stella, I imagine she’ll stay inside her house like last time.

But I’m wrong. Turning the corner, she’s standing there in jeans and a puffer jacket, arms folded. She’s staring at me, not moving. Autumn leaves rustle along the path, blowing around her ankles, and the redwoods roar above us, twisting with the dark wind.

I take a deep breath. ‘You shouldn’t go into the rhododendron gardens, not at night. The same goes for the aviary, nothing past the redwood grove or the South African gardens, okay?’

She blinks; whatever she came to say gets pushed back for a moment. ‘Why not?’

‘I can’t tell you.’

But if we never talk again, at least she’s been warned. I owed her that much. Stella’s staring and I hear myself asking, ‘Why were you looking for me?’

I sounded too hopeful and she snaps, ‘Why do you think? You ran off so fast, I — I need to hear you say it. I’m right, aren’t I? You took my grandfather’s memories, didn’t you?’

‘Yes. I think so.’

Her fists tighten, screwed into balls. ‘Good. At least it’s not some stupid brain disease.’

I blink at her. ‘You think that’s good?’

‘You took away his memories, but I don’t think you remember doing it. Now you can give them back. Fix him.’

I’ve got an urge to walk back down the path, but I force myself to stay put. ‘I can’t.’

She folds her arms. ‘Of course you can.’ She points towards her house. ‘Go inside and make him better again. Do it.’

‘No, I told you — I can’t.’

Stella stares at me and her hands open and close, like she’s trying to find something to grab onto, her fingers scraping the air. Her face squeezes, and the lips burst open. ‘Why?’

‘Why can’t I fix him?’ I shrug. ‘I don’t know how.’

‘No — why did you do it?’

I can’t answer.

‘What?’ she demands. ‘You were hungry? Well that’s not a good reason.’ She stomps forward a single step and shouts, ‘You know why!’

Inside me every heartbeat slaps my ribs. What’s going on? I can’t think of a single word. Turning away, I stare at the shrubbery. Lilies grow between the tree roots, their thick stems like long fingers, clawing at the air with curled, white nails.

‘Fine, I’ll tell you why.’ Stella leans forward, almost spitting. ‘Because you’re a monster who attacks helpless old men. That’s the truth. Just admit it!’

It’s beating harder now. ‘Stella, stop.’

But her voice rises higher. ‘You’re an evil, messed up freak …’

‘Shut up!’ Words explode from my chest like the Leith in flood, dragging debris and mud. ‘You want to know why? I ate him because he was there. I ate him because I need to eat or I’ll die. That’s what I do!’

Her mouth drops open. Silence comes out.

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