Page 62 of The Vanishing Place

“Adam! Adam!”

He ran up the stairs, following the sound of his sister’s screams.

“Adam!” she yelled again.

Dinah’s voice was too loud and too frightening. Adam didn’t want to get too near to it. He didn’t want to see what was behind her door. Something horrible and not allowed. But he kept running.

“Adam, I need you to unlock the door.”

“I’m not supposed to,” he panted.

“Please. Please,” she begged. “Something’s wrong. Something’s wrong with the baby.”

A horrible sound erupted from his sister—a squeal of fear and pain, like when Dad kicked the neighbor’s dog—and Adam covered his ears.

“Stop it. Stop it ,” he said.

But Dinah got louder. She kept groaning and screaming and crying.

“Stop making those noises,” he shouted. “You’re scaring me.”

“It hurts,” she sobbed. “I think I’m dying. I think the baby’s dying.”

Adam pressed up against the door.

“Please…please, Adam.”

He wasn’t allowed to open the door. Dad and Daniel had gone fishing, and Adam was in charge. But he didn’t want Dinah to die. Dad would be angry if he let Dinah die.

Dinah spluttered and howled, and Adam started to shake. He dug into his pockets for the key, then he prodded it at the keyhole. He couldn’t keep his hands still with all the groaning. But eventually, the key turned and Adam fell into the room.

Dinah was on the floor, balled up, and her skirt was wet, like she’d peed herself.

“Thank you, Adam,” she panted. “Thank you.”

Adam didn’t like looking at her when she was like that, all wet and gross.

“Something’s wrong,” she moaned. “I need you to get Cameron. I think the baby’s coming…but it’s…it’s too early. The baby’s going to die.” She screamed again and clutched at her fat belly. “It’s too early.”

Dinah rocked, wet and disgusting and sweaty, then she groaned.

“Stop doing that,” Adam snapped.

“It hurts too much. I need you to get Cameron.”

Fear froze Adam’s legs and muscles.

“Please,” Dinah screamed.

He couldn’t move.

She pushed herself up, planting her hands in a disgusting puddle of something, then she took a big breath.

“Please,” she said again. Less scary. More like Dinah. “I need your help, Adam. Can you do that for me?”

He nodded.

Then he sprinted from the room.

—

The waiting room in the medical center smelled like soap and plasters.

Adam gripped the squeaky white cup that the nurse had given him.

The liquid inside was purple, Ribena maybe, but he hadn’t touched it.

He’d wanted to ask the nurse what it was, but she had run off.

There was only one nurse and one doctor in the clean-smelling building, and both of them were in the room with his sister. Cameron was in there too.

Not a place for kids .

The waiting room was empty, apart from a reception lady with loose skin and hair on her face.

Adam had looked at her once, but he wasn’t going to make that mistake again.

The doctor’s door was closed, but Adam could still hear his sister moaning.

He curled his legs to his chest and squeezed his shins.

Dinah had never screamed like that before.

It was a bad sound, and Adam wanted it to stop.

What if Dinah died? What if Dad locked Adam up as punishment?

He held his hands over his ears, dropping the cup and spilling the purple liquid across the floor, but the animal sounds still snuck through. He hummed and rocked back and forth. Dinah wasn’t meant to make those noises.

Stop it. Stop it. Stop it .

He bit into his tongue, the blades of his teeth sinking into the squishy flesh.

He had to do something.

—

“You can come in now, Adam.” The nurse was smiling. “Mum and baby are well.”

“The baby got out?” he said.

“Yes.” She took his hand. “The baby got out.”

Adam hesitated. “Is there a big hole in Dinah?” He shook his head. “I don’t want to see the hole.”

“No hole. Your sister looks just like your sister. She just needs to rest for a while.”

“Okay,” he muttered.

He followed the nurse in. Dinah was sitting in the bed, and Cameron was next to her. They were both grinning, lips stretched wide, staring at a tiny creature.

“Come on, Uncle Adam.” Dinah looked up and smiled at him. “Come say hello.”

Adam shuffled over to the bed and peered into the bundle of blankets. The thing wrapped up inside was super small and ugly.

“We’ll leave you in peace,” said the doctor as he walked toward the door. “Congratulations.”

The thing didn’t look right. It was purple and covered in white goop. Like an alien. And its eyes were all smooshed up.

“What’s wrong with its head?” Adam frowned. “It’s all squashed.”

“Nothing, mate.” Cameron patted Adam’s back. “It’s just a baby.”

“Babies are kind of ugly.”

Dinah squeezed Adam’s hand. “You can touch her,” she said.

He shook his head. No way was he touching it. He kept shaking his head as he reached out and pushed his finger against the baby’s tiny palm. The baby moved as Adam’s white skin touched purple, and a warmth filled him up. Then the baby twitched its little hand, squeezing his finger, and Adam smiled.

Maybe it wasn’t super ugly.

“She loves you already,” said Dinah.

Then Adam remembered, and he felt sick.

“Adam…” Cameron held his arm. “Are you okay, buddy?”

“I…I…” Adam looked from the baby to Dinah. Then he scratched at his arms, his skin itchy and tight. “You were screaming and yelling and I…I thought they were hurting you,” he stammered. “I thought that you were dying. I got scared.”

“I’m fine,” said Dinah. “I’m fine. I promise.”

Adam felt ill in his tummy. Bad Adam. Like his insides wanted to spill out. “Dinah…” He scuffed the squeaky floor. “I did something…”

She frowned and Adam looked away. “Adam?” she said, sounding frightened. “What did you do?”

“I thought they were going to kill you,” he said. “I just wanted to help.”

Dinah stared at him.

He burst into tears. “I asked the lady with the hairy face…I asked her to phone Dad.”

“No!” Dinah cried out, a feral sound, and her body started to heave. “No. No. No.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Tears streamed down Adam’s face.

“ I hate you ,” she screamed.

Adam stumbled back, his stomach and chest pulsing hot. “I’m sorry. I—”

“Get out,” yelled Dinah. “Get out!”

But Adam couldn’t move.

Dinah shoved the baby at Cameron. “Please, you have to take her. You have to get out of here.”

“Dinah…” Cameron was shaking.

“Please,” she begged. “You have to get away from here. My mum’s friend…remember, at the funeral, she promised if ever I needed help or—”

“Dinah, I can’t.”

“Please.” Her voice was clogged with tears. “Please, you have to get her away from him.”

Adam stared at the tiny baby, unable to look away, and his heart hurt.