Page 27 of The Fighter
Dina’s Diaries
Raven
There were seven of Dina’s diaries in total. The first began on the evening of her tenth birthday, and the last one ended when she was fourteen, only three months before her death. As I was looking for any sort of clues to who might have killed Dina, it was a no-brainer to begin with the last diary. For the most part, it was small talk about her life at the manor, but on page fifty-three a detail caught my interest.
December 13, 2414
The manor looks so pretty with all the decorations, and I begged Mom to let me add another Christmas tree to the house. She said we already had four, but I argued that the library would look so pretty with a tree. Mostly because I was bored, and decorating trees is so much fun. The best part was that she said that I could ask one of the guards to help me chop it down and bring it inside. I asked old Kevin and he assigned the job to a new guard whom I hadn’t seen before.
The guard was young and much better-looking than any of the old guards. We walked side by side to find the right tree and it might have taken me a little longer than necessary, but I swear it wasn’t because I was trying to be mean. It was just that I was hoping that maybe he would speak to me. I hate the rule about guards not being allowed to speak unless spoken to because with me being too shy to say anything, it was awkward. If I had been braver, I would have asked him his name but the only thing I said was. “I like that tree.” He must think that I don’t care about anyone but myself and that’s not true at all.
Maybe I should bake cookies and spread some joy in the manor tomorrow. If I give him a homemade cookie, maybe he won’t find me so self-absorbed, but I suppose that I would have to give cookies to all the guards and not just him. Otherwise it would be weird – like I just made cookies for him. I wonder how I’ll find him since I don’t know his name and I’ve never seen him before. I can’t exactly go up to old Kevin and ask for the handsome guard with the red beard and the kind blue eyes, can I?
I scribbled down notes on my pad and then I continued reading the next page, where Dina made cookies and was disappointed that she didn’t find the guard anywhere. It wasn’t until five days later that he appeared in her notes again.
December 18, 2414
Today was the best day ever.
I found out the name of the new guard. It’s Scott.
He and Kevin escorted me and Magni to Mr. and Mrs. Carlson’s house, where we were allowed to use the indoor pool. Magni kept chatting with the guards and I learned that Scott has worked at the manor for three weeks now, but mostly outside. At one point I think he smiled at me, but I’m not one hundred percent sure because Magni was standing behind me so he might have been smiling at him instead. Scott is so handsome and for some reason, I get really shy around him.
I almost didn’t want to go swimming because I didn’t want Scott to see how small my breasts are in my bikini, but Magni threatened to throw me in the water with my clothes on if I didn’t go in. I know he’s only seven, but he’s strong and I know he could do it. That would have been so embarrassing. Now I wonder, though, what would Scott have done if Magni had thrown me in the water? Would he have interfered if I screamed for help? Or would he have laughed and found it amusing?
I wish I could ask if he’s planning to fight in my tournament, or just say something to him instead of behaving like a tongue-tied fool when he’s near.
I was hoping for more entries about Scott in Dina’s diary, but only two days after going to the pool with him Dina ended with a comment saying, “Dear Diary, there are no more pages for me to write on. Time to begin my next diary. Thank you for listening to my thoughts.”
Only, I didn’t have any more of her diaries.
Putting down the book, I speculated: could Dina’s death somehow be a crime of jealousy? What if Scott and she had fallen in love over the next months before her tournament?
I had no other choice than to pick up the diary from before the one I had just read. Unfortunately, it was nothing but thoughts and worries of a thirteen-year-old girl without any clues to my important murder case.
The third book was a disappointment too. With a sigh, I picked up the fourth diary and saw the first entry was made on January 2nd, 2412. Dina had been eleven years old back then, and the chance of her revealing anything about her murderer a little over three years before she died was pretty much nonexistent. Still, after reading through three of her diaries, I was beginning to really like Dina and I was curious to know more about her as a person.
She had humor, a big heart, and dreams that sadly never came true. All her thoughts about hosting large theme parties with her future husband and having guests show up in funny costumes made me smile. Her plan to name her future children Millie, Max, Maddie, and Marvin made me tear up a little bit, because here I was in the future and knew that she never got to experience any of that. If she had still been alive today, Dina would have been forty-eight years old. But because of her early death, she would always remain that young woman who had written about longing for friends her own age. The diaries spoke about her thoughts on being home schooled and lonely, with few girlfriends and very little contact with males that weren’t related. It made me reflect on how much better my own life was, and how lucky I was to have close friendships with Mila, Willow, Hunter, and others.
Lying on my bed, I read for hours and it was well past midnight when I got to March 18th, 2412. What I read gave me goosebumps and made me sit up to read it one more time.
I was so excited about my birthday this year, but this day turned out to be a birthday from hell. Dad was in a worse mood than ever. He snapped at Khan and Mom at dinner and said some awful things that made Mom tear up. I could tell Khan was hurt so I tried taking his hand under the table, but he pushed it away and just sat there all stiff and looking down.
Later when I wanted to check up on Mom in her room, I heard them fighting again and even though I know I shouldn’t have, I listened through the door.
Dad said something about being tired of people asking why Magni and Khan looked so different. “I’m fucking tired of the question.”
Mom answered, “I don’t believe anyone would ask you that question, Marcus.”
“Maybe not to my face, but people aren’t blind, Erika. Khan looks nothing like me and I see the question in people’s eyes.”
“He’s your son. You know he’s your son.”
“No, I don’t know that. Not after what happened.”
I couldn’t see Mom’s face, but I could hear her voice break when she spoke. “Marcus, please! You said that we would never speak of it. You said that no matter what Khan would be your son.”
When Dad didn’t answer Mom cried hysterically, and I wanted so badly to go in and comfort her and tell Dad that he was wrong. Khan might be darker than me and Magni, but that’s just because Mom’s side of the family have brown hair and brown eyes. She has told us so many times.
