Lisi Knows Something

The knock was soft and cautious – too cautious as to be Julius.

Eva wondered why anyone would bother knocking when she was locked in. Surely the person must have seen the deadbolt was securely in place on the outside? If someone honored this simple rule of decency, then she should also react politely, even though she was so angry that she wanted to curse everything and everyone.

Before she could answer, there was a second knock.

“Eva?” a soft female voice asked cautiously. ”Are you awake? It's me, Lisi.”

Eva was puzzled. Why did Julius' daughter-in-law want to see her? They had hardly had anything to do with each other so far. But at least the young farmer's wife was not a threat. Perhaps she could even become a friend at some point, or at least offer help and support.

Suppressing the tremor and annoyance in her voice, Eva called out softly, “Yes. Just a moment, I'm getting dressed.”

She quickly took the undergarment out of her backpack and threw it over herself. She pulled the thick wool socks onto her feet to ward off the cold a little.

“Come in!”

The wooden latch was pushed back and the door swung open. Lisi stepped over the threshold. She had folded her hands in front of her apron. Her face was pale, a loose strand had stolen out from under the headscarf she wore over her hair. The wonderful scent of fresh bread hung in her clothes and instantly filled the small room. But the thought of a warming fire, which she brought with her, was just an illusion.

Lisi shivered. “It's cold in here,” she said.

“Yes, I know. What is it?” Eve's remark sounded more bitter than she had intended.

Lisi bowed her head. She seemed guilty and couldn't look Eva in the eye. She wrung her hands before speaking haltingly.

“I'm supposed to see if you're ready and escort you to the elders.”

The young woman seemed almost like a shadow as she stood there. Silent, immobile, almost disembodied. Only a constant shivering indicated that she was alive.

“I'm... I'm sorry,” she **** out.

“Thank you. But don't be. It's not your fault.”

Lisi's head jerked up and for a fleeting moment the two looked at each other. Again, Eva was amazed at how much she resembled her sister-in-law Grete and her niece Leni. The similarity was too great to be a coincidence.

“Lisi, can I ask you something?”

The farmer's wife's jaw clenched. She blinked, her eyelids fluttered. Was it fear that showed in her expression? Then she **** a smile.

“Yes, of course.”

Eva chose her words carefully.

“What's going on in this house?”

“Oh, it's old. And crooked. It creaks and groans all over. The wood, you know?”

“I don't mean the building,” Eva pressed on. And when there was no answer, she explained, ”I don't want to get you into trouble. I just need to know if I'm imagining things. If I'm starting to go crazy.”

“You're not crazy.”

The words were so quiet that they were almost inaudible.

Lisi's eyes dropped back to the floor. The brief moment in which Eva thought she could establish a connection with her had vanished.

“Lisi, please,” Eva stood up and took a step towards the other girl, ”if you know something, you have to tell me.”

But Lisi had already retreated. She stood in the doorframe, one hand on the latch.

“Get ready. I'll be right back to pick you up.”

“I don't have a clean dress,” Eva interjected, ”Can you please get me something to wear?”

Lisi nodded, turned around. Then she was gone. The chamber door slammed shut, but the scraping sound of the latch did not come. The exit was open.

“She knows something,” Eva said to herself, ”she knows everything.”

She couldn't talk about it yet. But the seed was planted. And a seed that sprouted could even break through rock.