The Evolution of Alice by David Alexander Robertson Read Free Book Online Page A

thoughts were interrupted as “piano riff” played from his phone. He answered, and Nicky continued with their conversation as though there had been no interruption.
    “You’re aware of it, aren’t you? That you take on other people’s illnesses and, like, create the symptoms? Before Jeff got sick it was your head, and before your head it was your heart. People are actually sick, Ed. You know that, don’t you?”
    “I still have my headache, actually.”
    “And do tumours last seven years?”
    “I don’t actually know the answer to that. Maybe benign ones do.”
    “Edward, you only have one common symptom, and that’s
worry.
You’re at least aware of
that
, aren’t you?”
    “Yes,” he said, in an attempt to end the topic right there.
    “Well, anyway, it doesn’t do anybody any good. Not you or me or anybody, to worry like that. Have you eaten your sandwich?”
    “No.”
    “Please eat the sandwich, Ed. Okay?”
    “Okay, I’ll eat the sandwich.”
    “Fine, that’ll have to do. And don’t forget to take the pictures, please.”
    He looked at the camera and nodded his head as though she could see him.
    “Take some pictures from different angles, too, just to see what works best.”
    “I should have brought a wind machine.”
    “Ha. You know, it’s real pretty out there. Take some of the whole cemetery, too. Wouldn’t it be nice to get buried out there one day?”
    “I don’t want to get buried at all. You know I’m claustrophobic.”
    “Ed, I swear …”
    As Nicky started to talk, Edward noticed something on the opposite side of the road ahead.
    “Is that?” he said.
    “Is that what?” she said.
    “Hang on,” he said.
    As he got closer, he could see it was a young girl, alone, dressed in a light jacket and blue jeans, and a pillowcase full of something hanging over her left shoulder. She was walking toward him. He pulled over to the side of the road when he was directly across from her and stopped the car.
    “Honey, there’s a little girl out here. What do I do?”
    “A little girl, like a little
girl
? Or a teenager?”
    “Like, a little girl. Like nine or ten or something.”
    By this time the girl had stopped walking and was staring over at Edward. He rolled down his window and rested his arm on the door.
    As casually as he could, he said, “Hey there, what are you doing?”
    The girl didn’t respond. She pushed her hair away from her forehead and placed her bag on the ground.
    “Ed, what is she doing?” Nicole said.
    “I don’t know,” he said. “She’s just standing there.”
    “Did she say anything?”
    “No, she didn’t say anything. She’s staring at me,” he said.
    “Say something else. She’s probably nervous.”
    “Hey,” he said to the girl. “How you doing?”
    “Edward, don’t talk like The Fonz! God!” Nicole said.
    Regardless of how he talked, the girl didn’t do anything. She kept standing and staring, her pillowcase resting at her ankles.
    “I think I’m going to go,” Edward said as his foot began to ease off the brake.
    He waved at the girl very deliberately, as though he was testing if she was blind. No response.
    “Edward!” Nicole said. “You can’t just leave her there. Where are you?”
    Edward looked around. Trees upon trees lined the highway as far as the eye could see. He didn’t think there was anything where they were.
    “Nowhere,” he said.
    “Is there a house nearby? Is there
anything
nearby? Where’d she come from?” she said.
    “There’s nothing. I told you. I don’t know where she came from,” he said.
    “Well you can’t just leave her there, Ed. You can’t just leave her
nowhere
.”
    “What do you want me to do then? Whatever I do she’s going to think I’m some kind of pervert.”
    “Get out of the car and just walk up to her, slowly,” she said, and then added, “but keep your distance, though.”
    “Yeah?” he said.
    “Yes, Ed, some monster could pick her up. You have to see if you can bring