What Hides Within

Childhood

"Thanks for coming, man. I know it's a long drive." Eric grinned wryly and added, "I also really needed a beer."

David shrugged. "It's all good. It's just a few hours drive. It's a chance for me to meet my folks. And to... you know... see Carrie."

He took a long sip of his beer.

Eric looked at him intently. "So Carrie and you... you guys were really close growing up."

"Yea well, we didn't have siblings so she was the closest thing to a sister I had." David said.

"Was she happy?"

David looked surprised. "Yeah of course! She had everything going for her. She was great at studies, her parents were cool... she was always so sure about herself."

He chuckled, "I totally looked up to her, you know. I was this insecure kid. Things between my parents were not so great. And Carrie... she was always so strong. Always knew what to do. What can I say, she was my role model!"

Eric ran his hands through his hair. Yes, this was the Carrie everyone knew.

He had hoped David would know what Carrie had gone through. What had made that dark side of her.

"She had once mentioned that she pushed you... Do you remember that?"

David frowned. "Dude, we were kids then. Like eight or something. It was an accident. And nothing happened to me."

"Cause the car braked on time." Eric said flatly.

"What are you trying to say?" David said hotly. "Carrie is in coma and you are making accusations about her. What the fuck!"

Eric sighed. "Calm down, bro. This has been difficult for me. I'm just... I'm just trying to understand."

David took another long drink and looked away. "She had this temper, okay. And she lost it sometimes. But she was a good kid. She was there for me when I was going through a terrible time in high school."

"Temper... like what..."

"Well she once punched this girl at school. She didn't tell me about it. I heard her mum talking to mine. It was so out of character for her that her teacher didn't even correct her for it. They blamed the other girl for provoking her." David shrugged. "It's no big deal, it happens. I heard that girl left the school a few months later."

"So she was just a regular kid. She didn't have any issues..." Eric persisted.

David rolled his eyes. "No. She was absolutely okay."

Eric felt a weight lift off him. He took a sip of his beer.

"Okay. Thanks. I needed to hear that."

David visibly relaxed. "Chill out, man. She had a mischievous streak to her at times, but she was a quiet kid really. She would usually do her own thing."

Eric grinned, "Okay."

David gave a small laugh. "In fact I would have to nag her to play with me at times. She would always be scribbling in those books."

Eric looked up sharply. "What books?"

David looked surprised. "Her journals of course. She always had them. Did she stop writing?"

"Do you know where they are? Her old journals?"

David looked confused. "Yes, of course. She shipped a whole carton of them to me. Said you guys didn't have the space at home and her dad threatened to throw them out to clear out space at their home."

"Did you read them?" Eric asked urgently.

David laughed.

"Carrie was a fan of Nancy Drew mysteries when we were growing up. She dug secrets and codes and shit. All those journals are in some kind of number code. I couldn't read them if I tried."

Eric frowned. "Why would she need a secret code when she was in school? What secrets would a ten year old kid have?"

David shrugged, "I always thought she just did it for kicks, you know."

He took the last sip of his beer. "Although there is one thing."

Eric stared at him curiously. "What?"

"I had once snatched a journal from her hand. You know, just to mess with her. And before she grabbed it back... and punched my shoulder really hard, I must add... I thought I saw something."

Eric looked at him impatiently. "What was it?"

"I thought it was a handprint. In blood."