The Vault

12

Sitting at a chair beside his bed, Alice watched her father natter on to himself in a hushed tone. Although most of his words were incoherent babble, every now and then she caught a small, coherent combination of words about things like writing, the vault and his wife.

Soaking a sponge with cold water, Alice gently washed away the dirt from around his face. She watched him curiously as he seemed undisturbed from the soft brush of the sponge.

He appeared to be confused about something as he incessantly chattered on.

"The doctor says you will be okay after some rest, don't worry dad," Alice said compassionately.

Abraham seemed to nod amongst his erratic twitching and waving while he muttered.

"He knows what you are going through..." She continued.

After managing to get him out of his filthy shirt, Alice moved her chair towards the window and watched the night sky rapidly devour the setting sun. Her father continued to twitch away eccentrically behind her, lost somewhere in his own thoughts.

She looked down at the garden below, and watched the messy clusters of weeds and bushes fidget in the wind.

"No he doesn't," Abraham chirped out of nowhere.

Alice turned her head towards him, surprised that he seemed to have suddenly started addressing her.

"What?" She asked.

"You said he knows what I am going through." Abraham continued, before looking at her directly. "He doesn't know."

Alice let out an empty, half-suppressed laugh. Shaking her head at how he had randomly brought up something that was mentioned over half an hour ago, "He's a widower too," she answered uninterestedly, and turned her gaze to back towards the darkening night sky.

"No he's not," Abraham chirped once again after a few moments of quiet.

He reminded her of a young child impersonating a parrot with the quirky, off-beat tone to his voice.

"What do you mean now?" Alice said to him patiently.

"He's not a widower... I've met his wife quite a few times."

Suddenly, Abraham had Alice's full attention. She turned back from the window and looked at him once again.

"Where?" She asked.

"She visits the gardens, I've spoke to her a fair few times now," Abraham babbled on.

With a look of concern, Alice leaned closer to him.

"I know they are together because they have the same spectacular ring..."

A daunting chill ran through Alice's body.

"I ask her about your mother all the time, but she can't seem to help me." Abraham continued, and a puzzled expression cascaded over his face. "If I could just get a bit more time in the vault I'm sure I could work it out..." He stamped his fist gently onto his lap in frustration.

"You are not to go down there any more," Alice ordered.

Abraham's eyes fixated on hers, like he was locked in an eerie trance. "I know I can get her to explain what happened."

"Who?" Alice asked exasperated by his nonsensical riddle-like talk.

"The doctor's wife!" He said, semi-mocking her for being so far off the pace of his own thoughts.