The Eye Of The Ankh #Wattys2016

Chapter Twenty-Five

After school I went to Ethan's. He told me he had to go shop for something and wouldn't be home right away.

I parked in the same spot I always had and got out, my hands shaking uncontrollably. I'll blame the cold, I thought as I walked up to the front door. I knocked and Emily answered.

"Oh, hi, Alice." She smiled. "Ethan isn't home right now. Won't be for a while."

"Oh, that's okay. I, uh, actually came to talk to Tate. Is that okay?"

"What about?"

"It's for this project in Social Studies. We have to ask basic questions to three different people of three different ages and study the responses."

"Oh, I'm sure Tate would be overjoyed. Come in,"

I'm relieved that the lie worked.

Tate was playing with toys up in his room. Emily explained what the project was and said she'd be downstairs if I needed anything. She left his room, leaving the door open.

"May I sit down beside you?" I asked Tate.

He gleamed at me. "Of course!"

I took a deep breath. "Okay, I need you to answer these questions the best you can, and if you want me to stop, I will."

"Okay."

"Does anyone in your class ever do anything to you that you don't like?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are they ever mean to you? Push you around, exclude you at recess maybe, or say rude things to you?" My stomach felt hollow asking a six year old this. At six, the only thing a kid should have to worry about is what toy to play with.

Tate nodded.

"How many kids treat you this way?"

Tate put down the toy he was playing it, a race car, and counted on his fingers. "Five." He showed me his hand, all five fingers held up.

"Does your mom know?"

Tate shook his head, messing with the car less enthusiastically. I took a deep breath. "Does Ethan?"

Tate nodded. "I tell Ethan everything that happens at school, so it's like he was there with me that day. He tries to share about his day too but I get too confused to really understand and be there with him like he's there with me."

I guess I followed. By telling Ethan about his day, it was like Ethan was there at school with Tate. Maybe protecting him from the bullies?

"What type of things do you tell Ethan about the bullies?"

"I tell him how much I hate them and wish they'd all just go away. Ethan understands."

"Have you ever told Ethan that you wanted them to die?"

Tate looked up at me, glassy eyes open wide. "I never want anyone to die. The mean kids are just confused about their feelings. Mrs. Johnson says that they don't like their homes, so they act out. I don't know what she really means, because everyone likes their home."

I nodded. There's so much out there Tate has no idea about.

"Do you think Ethan would always stick up for you?"

Tate nodded. "Always."

I smiled. "Thank you for all your help, Tate, I really appreciate it."

Tate gave me a hug. "I know the questions aren't for school. I hope that the mean kids at your school stop being mean to such a nice girl like you."

I started to cry then.

Ethan walked by the door. "Oh, hey, Alice, Mom didn't tell me you were here." He leaned on the door jam.

I wiped my eye. "I'm done anyway." I gave Ethan a kiss on the cheek. "See you tomorrow," I walked out of his house, something heavy settling in my stomach.

I have to do it, don't I?

How can I?

"You have until March." Hugo reassured. We were sitting in the coffee shop where we first talked about Eota.

I nodded. "But that's only a week."

He nodded. "You have a week, then,"

A few minutes went by in silence. Then I laughed. "Kind of ironic when you think about it. We're a group, that does nothing more than time travel and murder, yet our emblem is an Egyptian symbol that means life."

Hugo smiled. "Someone's been doing their research."

"And Amenta, it means underworld. Naos is a shrine, sanctuary."

"You don't like your name? I think Amenta is a beautiful name." Hugo said, a soft smile on his lips. He took a sip of his coffee.

"I like it, it's just... interesting... that I, one who kills, is named for the underworld. And you are a shrine."

Hugo set down his cup. "Don't think about it too much, you'll hurt your head."

I pushed him playfully. "I'm just thinking out loud."

"Shh, Alice, shh. Enjoy your tea."

I took a timid sip, worried the tea would still be too hot. I frowned. It was cold.