Until the Night Turns: Chapter 4

The Mural (Edalyn)

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Edalyn’s conversation with her godfather hadn’t gone the way she expected. When she told him that a stranger with unusual abilities had confronted her in the park, he sounded unconcerned, which was completely out of character. He refused to listen to her describe the man’s speed and agility and declared he was probably just mentally unstable, and that she should avoid that trail in the future.

His casual reaction made Edalyn angry. This was the man who made her change her phone number each year for her protection. The same man hired a security company to install state-of-the-art surveillance cameras in her apartment complex. The owners gave him permission freely, for who would turn down such a generous investment in their asset? Her godfather had always been overly protective of her, so why was he so laid back now?

There was only one brief moment in the call where he seemed to give away real concern, and that was when she suggested she call the number to see for herself if the stranger was sane or not. Her godfather immediately dismissed that idea, declaring it was dangerous to entertain a delusional stalker, but Edalyn felt like he knew something else. Something he didn’t want her to know. 

While she reluctantly made the promise, she wasn’t certain if she would keep it. The blonde stranger was the first person she’d ever met who had abilities similar to her own. If he wasn’t a conman or a stalker, maybe he did have the answers she sought. Edalyn put her cell phone away and drove home. Once she was back inside her apartment, she went to her living room to look at the portrait hanging above her grey corduroy couch. It was a photo from her parents’ wedding day. Her father was holding her mother tightly around the waist, kissing the side of her face as she laughed for the camera. Behind them was Edalyn’s godfather, a hulk of a man compared to her parents. He wore a faint smile on his lips as he glanced down at the happy couple in front of him. While he was smiling, there was a look of concern in his eyes and Edalyn never knew if it was a reaction to their silliness or a deeper concern for their match as a couple. Her godfather always spoke highly of both her parents, but she always had the sense that he knew more about their stories than he shared. 

Edalyn’s biggest question had always been: where did her abilities come from? No one in her life had the answer. Her grandparents were completely ordinary people, and, to the best of her knowledge, so were her parents. No one knew much about her father’s family, but her mother’s side had family trees extending back to both Iceland and Scotland. As a kid, Edalyn invented a story that she was descended from a long line of Scottish witches and that her powers had just skipped over a few generations. If she ever had the patience to look into her genealogy, she might even be able to prove such a theory. Was it a coincidence that the stranger on the trail claimed to have the very answers she’d been seeking all her life? Or was he truly a delusional stalker?

As tempting as it was to call the number, Edalyn knew she had to trust her instincts. The man on the trail raised alarm bells. She didn’t know if she could trust him or not. All she could do was be patient for answers, but if her godfather didn’t take her seriously within the week, she promised herself she would take matters into her own hands. 

She tore her eyes away from the portrait and started preparing for her gig that night. The Margins Pub was her favourite place to perform because she had a loyal following of both locals and university students who flocked to the pub for the affordable food and drinks. Most nights she enjoyed an enthusiastic crowd, especially on the monthly open mic nights. That night’s gig was one of those sessions where the open mic was preceded by short sets from Edalyn and a rotating list of other musicians.

The Margins Pub wasn’t fancy, but it was welcoming. Their mission was to provide a social gathering place where everyone was welcome, especially people who felt like they were on the margins of society. From the outside, the building didn’t look like much compared to the other businesses along 4th Ave West. The facade was plain white stucco with two windows and a double glass door entrance. In contrast, the inside featured decor so unique, it rivalled both the food and entertainment. Every inch of the white walls, from the wainscotting to the ceiling, was covered in ornate picture frames featuring headshots of celebrities, random family portraits from the early 1900s, and landscape oil paintings. Even though Edalyn stared at the walls every week, she noticed new things all the time.

Edalyn arrived at The Margins Pub an hour before the show, giving herself enough time to eat dinner. The place was half full, but there was room for her to sit in her usual spot at the bar. She claimed the stool furthest from the door and set her guitar case on the ground. Her two favourite servers were working behind the bar that night: Matthew—who was mixing drinks for customers—and Rhonda—who was busy at the grill. As Edalyn sat down, she overheard Matthew proudly telling a guy with voluminous brown hair and a gold earring about his special cocktail of the week. 

“I call it the Sunshine Mule. It features gin from a local distillery, ginger beer, and a splash of freshly squeezed orange juice,” Matthew told the guy as he carefully combined the ingredients. He’d noticed Edalyn when she walked in, gave her a wink, then returned his attention to his customer.

When she first started coming to The Margins, she politely refused to try Matthew’s creations because she couldn’t drink alcohol and manage her visions at the same time. The few attempts she made to drink, she was overcome with visions so strong that she couldn’t tell vision from reality. People assumed she was a lightweight with alcohol, but to Edalyn, it felt more like the alcohol removed the barriers of what she saw. After just one drink she no longer needed to touch an object or person to see their past, and that power scared her. But, to Michael’s credit, as soon as he learned that she didn’t drink, he started mixing mocktails for her. Soon, his mocktails were added to the official menu, and were competing in popularity amongst the guests.

Matthew was like an easy-going big brother. He was a kind and gregarious person who never failed to cheer Edalyn up, no matter how hard her day was. He was also the first to step in on the rare occasion a guy couldn’t take the hint that Edalyn was not interested. 

If Matthew was her big brother, Rhonda was her cool aunt. She was closer to the age Edalyn’s mother would have been, but her outgoing personality and incredibly accurate bullshit detector quickly made her Edalyn’s most trusted confidant. Rhonda was the only person in Edalyn’s daily life who knew about her powers.

When she saw Edalyn sit down at the bar, she wore her signature devilish smile.

“What can I make you, my little witch?” Rhonda asked as she plated a chicken wrap and salad for another customer.

"The Mediterranean platter,” Edalyn told her.

“Got it. What have you been up to? Running marathons again?” Rhonda teased.

“I’ll have you know I had a very interesting run today,” Edalyn told her.

Rhonda’s eyes lit up with interest. “How so?”

Edalyn motioned for Rhonda to lean in. “I met someone like me.”

Rhonda’s eyes grew wide.

“How exciting. Were they attractive?” Rhonda asked.

“Kind of, I guess. He’s too old for me, but I have his number if you want it,” Edalyn teased.

Rhonda handed the plate of food she’d prepared to one of the other servers, then leaned in closer.

“Tell me more,” Rhonda insisted.

“He said he knew about my abilities and that he could tell me why I have them. I just need to call him when I’m ready for the answers,” Edalyn explained. “It was a weird encounter.”

Rhonda looked at her expectantly. “So, are you gonna call?” 

“I dunno,” Edalyn admitted. She looked around the room nervously, but there was no one who resembled the blonde stranger in the pub.

“It’s just, while I believe his claim, I don’t completely trust him. Something about him felt…uncomfortable,” Edalyn whispered.

“I’ll keep an eye out for him. What’s he look like?” Rhonda asked.

Edalyn described how he was very tall, long in the face, with amber-coloured eyes, and white blonde hair. 

“Did he have any markings or scars?” she asked, setting Edalyn’s plate on the bar. 

Edalyn smirked. She knew Rhonda loved a man with tattoos.

“None that I could see,” Edalyn told her.

“Well, one can hope,” Rhonda said with a wink. “I’ll keep my eyes peeled for this hunk tonight.”

“Thank you.” Edalyn felt more relaxed knowing Rhonda had her back.

“No problem. Now, wait ‘til you hear my juicy gossip. Turns out Matthew’s new boy toy is actually my cousin,” Rhonda squealed. She continued to tell her story while Edalyn ate, pausing only when the front doors opened and a group of people walked in. At the head of the group was a man in his thirties with short black hair, thick eyebrows and a goatee. It was Mo, the emcee and organizer of the open mic events. His arrival was the signal for Edalyn to get ready to play.

“Hey Matthew, hi Rhonda,” Mo said cheerfully as he walked past the bar. When he spotted

Edalyn, he came over and leaned on the counter beside her. “And what are we having tonight, Edalyn?”

It was well known amongst the other performers that Edalyn couldn’t cook to save her life, and they enjoyed running bets on what dishes she’d be spotted eating each night.

“The Mediterranean platter. The food is outstanding tonight, Rhonda,” Edalyn declared.

Rhonda gave her a thumbs up with her left hand while flipping falafel on the griddle with her right. 

“Okay, Riley owes me a pint,” Mo called out to the group. Riley mockingly punched Mo in the arm and gave Edalyn a grin before following the others to the exit to the patio. “Edalyn, I want to see you and your guitar out back in five minutes.”

“Yes, Mo.” She ate the last cube of feta cheese, drank a glass of water, and then hurried outside with her guitar.

Edalyn enjoyed sitting inside The Margins, but it was the outdoor space that initially drew her to the venue. The back patio was a large square area boxed in by three cement walls. One belonged to the back of the pub. The other two were formed by the larger buildings on either side. The remaining edge of the space featured a tall, wrought iron fence that separated the seating area from the garbage and loading zone. The zig-zagging patio lights and giant potted ferns made the space feel like a magical escape amongst the surrounding concrete. On one side, a small platform was set up with a mic standing, ready for her performance.

“Edalyn, you’re up first, then Riley. After that, we’ve got the open mic portion. Hopefully it’s better than last week.” Mo glanced at his oversized silver watch. It had so many little features on it, Edalyn had no idea how he actually kept time, but he was always punctual and expected everyone else to be too.

Edalyn moved to the side of the stage to open her guitar case and begin tuning. She slipped the strap of her guitar over her head and scanned the faces of the few people already seated at tables. She was relieved to recognize them all as regulars—no blonde strangers were anywhere to be seen.

As Edalyn tuned her strings, she gazed up at the large mural on the wall opposite. It was a magical-looking forest with giant knotted trees, a rushing stream, and flowers in all colours. It was so vividly realistic that she often imagined jumping inside the painting like Bert and the kids did in Mary Poppins. Aside from the rich detail and skilled artistry, Edalyn had a greater reason to feel attached to the mural. Her late mother had painted it. Helen had spent weeks on the patio painting the scenery, making it her largest commission ever. Two days before the fatal car crash, her mother finished her masterpiece. 

After the death of her parents, Edalyn went to live with her grandparents in Saskatchewan, but she had a picture of her mother standing by the mural in her family photo album. The owners of the bar had snapped the image the day she finished and had mailed the family a copy. Edalyn used to dream of the day she could return to Vancouver to see her mother’s work in person. Now, she was there so often that all the servers knew her by name. Playing at The Margins made Edalyn feel connected to her mother; it didn’t matter whether she had an audience or not. 

Mo stepped up to the mic and began introducing the plan for the evening. More people came outside while he spoke. As Mo finished introducing Edalyn, she approached the microphone, greeted everyone, and began to play. When she finished her first song, she scanned the patio again. To her relief, everyone seemed to be having a good time, and there was still no sign of the stranger. 

She announced her second song and began to sing. While she played, she gazed at the crowd, savouring the thrill of performing, until she spotted someone unusual. It wasn’t the blonde stranger from earlier, but another very tall man standing in the shadow of one of the ferns. He was leaning against her mother’s mural, watching her intently. When Edalyn’s eyes met his, the patio started to spin, and the mural on the wall started to move. The giant trees stretched out their roots to surround her, and the crowd faded away, except for the tall man. He was dressed all in green with red curly hair cascading down his shoulders. He seemed to be reaching out for her. Then everything went dark.

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Up next: Chapter 5 - The Vision (Erlend)