The Stelter City Saga: Ultranatural

by Stefany Valentine Ramirez

  “So then who are you?” one of the reporters finally asked.

  “My name is Lee. I’m actually from Tarrillian City.” She replied. Aside from her voice the whole store was so silent, when a bag of chips clattered to the floor, it almost seemed to amplify. As her eyes scanned out through the crowd, Lee caught sight of the only movement near the entrance of the store. Since nothing else was going on, Lee watched as the top of a knitted flower hat wove its way through the crowd. “Sorry,” Lee said breaking the silence, “I guess it was a bit sketchy that someone who looks like Lotus was walking around in a hood in shades.”

  “So was it you on the cover of the newspaper?”

  Lee’s face went aghast as she glanced up at Ace. “Newspaper? What newspaper?”

  There was a slight fumbling around as someone snatched up a paper and handed it forward. Lee caught the thing clumsily as it came her way and gazed at the headline. If her face could go any redder, it did and her stomach flipped with sick embarrassment.

  Ace rubbed his brow with disbelief. “How did they get that?”

  Lee hardly heard what he said. “This is on the cover of every newspaper?” she asked, her voice flooded with embarrassment, “All over Hawaii?”

  No one answered her. For a lingering moment, the entire store remained silent. Then finally, when someone had the courage to speak up, they called her by her name. Her real name. At the time Lee tore her eyes from the paper and scanned once more through the sea of faces, she had no idea that was the name given to her at birth. In fact, the only reason why she looked up was because she heard Lee.

  “Hey, Lee.”

  It was a soft voice that managed to ring out through the still stunned store. But Lee managed to catch the movement of the girls lips as she peeled back her hat-wig and sunglasses. A gasp went through out the crowd as golden hair tumbled down Lotus’s shoulders.

  “Haileigh.” Lotus gasped dropping her disguise and shoving her way to the front. As her arms grasped around Lee, tears rolled down her eyes and the flashing lights commenced with the uproar.

  Chapter 8 More Questions than Answers

  ~Lee had thought the crowd was rambunctious before, but she had never seen anything in her life that could compare to the paparazzi’s reaction then. Elbows smashed into faces, expensive cameras drew blood as they collided with those scrambling forward for a better view. Even the flashing lights had grown so intense, it was as if they weren’t even flashing and the whole room had just turned into a steady beam of light.

  Lotus Stelter was hugging her- someone Lee had never met in her entire life, but for some strange reason, Lee had felt like she had a connection to the heiress. From the first time Lee was told she resembled Lotus, Lee had secretly adored the celebrity. In a sense, having Lotus wrap her arms around her was a pleasant surprise, like having the coolest kid in school request to be lab partners.

  Lee didn’t know what to do. Her arms hung lifelessly by her sides as a stunned expression plastered to her face. How had Lotus even known her name…? Then it hit her. Obviously the celebrity knew something Lee didn’t and as the seconds ticked by, they seemed to slow down as Lee fit all the seemingly invisible puzzle pieces together. Lotus knew her name. They looked alike- or alike enough to fool the Hawaiian citizens. What more did Lee need?

  When the realization hit her, her arms couldn’t wrap around Lotus fast enough. Lee has spent so much time wondering who she was that it never crossed her mind to think that maybe she belonged to a family. Ace, for the first time in months no longer dominated her mind because Lee finally had that one thing that had been missing. She didn’t know it in her mind, but she felt it in her heart and in every inch of her body. Lotus didn’t even have to say a word.

  Ace didn’t know what to think. He knew the whole situation with Lee’s mistaken identity and the swarm of paparazzi was completely bazaar, but seeing Lee willingly wrap her arms around a complete stranger made absolutely no sense. It was as if Lee knew this person, and as the crowd continued to rage, Ace felt more confused than ever. For a moment he even considered that Lotus was someone else, perhaps a gang friend from Tarrillian City he had mistaken. If so, then why was the crowd growing more and more rambunctious?

  Since all Ace did was take up aisle space, one of the eager photographers shoved him in the chest. Ace stumbled back into the throng of people, unwillingly being forced away from Lee by those clawing their way forward. “Lee!” he called.

  Even over all the commotion and with her embrace locked onto Lotus’s; Lee heard his voice and her eyes swam through the crowd to meet his. Ace planted his feet and ducked as a rod with a mic attached to the end swung his way. He didn’t know what to say, however the look on his face conveyed how he felt perfectly.

  As if Lotus had eyes in the back of her head, she loosened her grip from Lee and spun around. For the first time, Ace held eyes with the heiress as his back collided with the handles of a Coca-Cola fridge. As Lotus and Lee stood side by side, holding his gaze, even he could hardly tell the two apart. Aside from the color of Lotus’s eyes, they seemed only slightly smaller than Lee’s, and her lips were fuller. Except for that, the resemblance was so startling, even Ace saw the invisible puzzle pieces. “Ho…ly…” then he finished with a word he had never said in front of Lee.

  Lotus glanced back at Lee as she blinked away the last of her slightly runny make up. She was about to say something, then a microphone sailed to her mouth. “Lotus!” exclaimed the journalist. “Is this your sister?”

  Lotus ignored the man. Her hand slid off Lee’s shoulder before clinging tightly to her fingers. “We need to get out of here.” She hissed and with that, she began plowing her way through the crowd.

  “Wait,” called Lee, but Lotus didn’t stop. “What about Ace?” When she glanced back, Ace was edging his way around the perimeter of the throng.

  Lotus almost seemed to fight the crowd like a bear swatting away flies. But even as they emerged through the front of the store, the paparazzi continued to form themselves around the Stelters. “You might want to start getting used to this.” Remarked Lotus as her strides grew longer.

  The paparazzi followed them out the door as they raced down the street. But at least out here, Lee could catch her breath. She spun around and gazed at the flock of fans. Most of them had fallen behind due to the fact that they had to chase with heavy equipment. Once the girls were able to break through the crowd and speed down the sidewalk in a full sprint, Ace had caught up to them.

  “Who are you?” asked Lotus as the crosswalk light conveniently signaled their right-of-way.

  “He’s by boyfriend,” Lee remarked once they reached the other side and Lotus continued to hurry down the street. “His name is Ace.”

  “Oh,” muttered Lotus, her voice only slightly winded. Her Toyota was in sight now and she clicked her keys. The three of them reached a door with synchronized timing and slid in. Lee had taken the passenger seat and nearly crumpled the small scrapbook as she flopped down. “What is this?” she asked.

  “It’s a scrapbook.” Lotus replied her voiced laired with tension, half from trying to escape the paparazzi, the other from automatic despite aimed at Ace. Even though Lee liked him didn’t mean Lotus had to. “It’s just some stuff I’ve collected since the fire. Where have you been Hail-“

  “Fire?” Inquired Lee as she gazed at the blank black cover. “What fire?”

  “Don’t you remember, Hails?” Lotus huffed as she sped off down the road. “The fire in Tarrillian, and we all thought you and Lambert died.” Her eyes fell on Lee’s bewildered sunburnt face. “Where have you been all this time? How did you know to come to Hawaii? I have so many questions for you Hails, I don’t even-”

  “Hails?” Lee repeated. “Why do you keep calling me that? My name is Lee. That’s what you called me back at the store, isn’t it?”

  Lotus was so caught up in the moment that she nearly disregarded a red light. When she slammed on her breaks, everyone in the car jerked forward
and watched with horrified expressions as a semi-truck missed them by feet.

  Lotus studied Lee’s face as the car rocked back. “No… I called you Haileigh and you looked up. That’s your name. Haileigh Grace Stelter. I have your birth certificate in that.” She gestured with her head to the scrapbook.

  Lee glanced down at the wallet sized book in her hands. Between the covers, she could count three separate laminated pages and her fingers trembled as they traced along their edges. There was a birth certificate in here, evidence of who she was, and perhaps there would be clues to the life she couldn’t remember. For a moment all Lee could do was stare at the small thing. To reveal what lay beneath was only the first step in finding her origin. Her fingers traced over the cover. “I didn’t know my name was Haileigh.” She finally remarked after finding her voice. “I don’t remember anything. My very first memory is waking up in an orphanage at the age of twelve.”

  “You were thirteen when the fire happened.” Remarked Lotus. “You’re nineteen right now and your birthday’s in August-” Her voice was cut off by the annoyed honking of the person behind and Lotus glanced back to shoot daggers before pushing on the gas.

  “I’m nineteen!!?” Lee gasped. She couldn’t contain her excitement and curiosity any longer. In a flash, Lee had ripped open the first page.

  The Christmas picture took up an entire page and Lee had to turn the book horizontally to see it correctly. The first thing her eyes feel on was the kind eyed man with fare white hair and deep green eyes nearly identical to Lee’s. His smile was so welcoming, crow’s feet folded across his temples from the corner of his lashes and his smile shined brighter than anything Lee had ever seen as if the picture was taken in the middle of his laughing. Lee felt a tug in her gut and her finger traced over his suntanned wrinkles, longing to be closer to a man she didn’t even know.

  “Dad…?” her heart swelled. With so much heartbreak and sorrow that followed the loss of a loved one, the joy and admiration that came with the discovery of one was unfathomable.

  “He’s never home.” Lotus grumbed. Her tone seemed so displeases; Lee couldn’t understand how a man could cause Lotus to despise him so. “Ever since the fire he’s been different.” Lotus continued.

  “The fire that I supposedly died in?” questioned Lee finally tearing her eyes from the image.

  They had driven out of Honolulu and were now somewhere Lee had never been before. The car sped along a stretch of road beside the ocean. There was nothing but lush tropical trees climbing up beside them and an endless stretch of white sand and ocean on the other. Across the dark blue horizon, the Heleow towers decorated the edge of the world. But when her eyes shot forward through the windshield, the entrance of a tunnel greeted her.

  At the base of a jagged Oahu mountain was the start of the oceanic tunnel leading to Heleow. At first, Lee had no idea where they were headed, but when the darkness enveloped them, she didn’t have to ask. Two lanes of traffic was all that could fit in the concrete tube and as the car took a slight plummet, Lee could see through what little offered light that they were the only car under the mountain.

  “Alright clearly something is not matching up.” Began Lotus. “You were in the Stelter Mansion the night of the fire, and now you’re telling me you woke up in an orphanage not even knowing your own name.”

  Lee gave a light laugh. “Looks like we’ve got some catching up to do, sissy.” She remarked with a grin.

  Lotus couldn’t help but to smile back. She remembered Haileigh always having that effect on people. She always had this glow around her that made everyone else smile. Maybe that was one of the reasons she had a boyfriend. Lotus had almost forgotten about him. With a startled cry she glanced at the rear view only to have Ace’s eyes gazing back at her. “Who are you again?”

  “Ace.” He replied. “I can’t believe you’re Lee’s sister. The resemblance… it’s freaky.”

  “So that’s what you go by?” Lotus asked turning back to her sister, “Lee?”

  Lee shrugged, “That’s what the headmistress at the orphanage called me. It’s cool that I have a real name now. I cannot believe I’m a Stelter…” Her voice fell and up ahead Lee could make out a bright ring of light at the end of the tunnel’s plummet. “But what if I’m not?” she asked quietly.

  Good point. Lotus had been too caught up in the moment to even think about that. Just because they looked like sisters didn’t mean that they were. But Lotus felt it; like finding that missing piece to a tea set. Even if Lee wasn’t her blood, Lotus would treat her as such.

  “We have a DNA lab in Heleow if you really want to know.” Lotus began. “But I know you’re my sister. After all the crap that’s happened in my life, I’ve finally got my sister back. I feel it. But if it makes you happy, I’ll stop calling you Haileigh. From now on you’re Lee.”

  For the first time, a lingering silence followed. It wasn’t too terribly awkward thought since for the most part everyone was too busy gazing at the next strip of tunnel. Suddenly, everything became transparent and through the thick tunnel glass, Lee could make out the vast blue ocean. Barnacles and algae clung to the wet side of the clear tube making her feel as if she was headed for Atlantis.

  As Lee’s entire mouth went numb, her eyes glued out the window and watched as the water danced in silvery lines against the fare tawny sand beside her. The water was so clear; it was as if she wasn’t even under water. In fact there was nothing distinguishing the liquid space aside from when Lee cast her eyes up, she could see the surface as a thin sheet of clear aluminum rolling up in small hills then collapsing into miniature valleys. The bottoms of boats yards away bobbed along the surface as their anchors held them in place. Schools of fish drifted along everywhere. Some of them far away looking like flocks of small birds and others swam along the glass close enough for Lee to count their gills.

  “Unbelievable…” Lee muttered when she was finally able to find her voice.

  Lotus beamed, “And you’re not even in Heleow yet.”

  Up ahead, Lee watched as the fare brown sand dropped into a vertical black cavern full of jagged rocks and possibly caves for sea monsters. But the tunnel continued to travel in a straight line as steel beams held the path up like a bridge drowned by the sea. Lee thought back to Stelter Bridge in Tarrillian City with its high wires and elegance. But this Stelter bridge lacked all that glamour. It was as simple as a plastic straw balanced between two books and submerged under water.

  “There’s not much of a view here.” Lotus said as her eyes remained glued out the blue tinted window. “Just wait until we get to the penthouse. I suppose that’s where you’ll be staying?”

  “With you?” Lee gasped for the first time pulling her eyes from the scene. “In a penthouse?”

  “I know you’re my sister.” Replied Lotus, “Of course you’re going to live with me. I’m not sure about your little boyfriend though.”

  “He doesn’t have a place to stay either. We came here from Tarrillian City- actually we came here to find answers for Ace, so this was an unexpected turn of events.” Lee spun around in her seat and glanced back at him. From Lee’s angle of the back window, the water around them seemed to brighten the color of Ace’s eyes. Or perhaps the color wasn’t brightened; instead it was his entire visage that seemed to be glowing. He smiled at Lee and mouthed I love you.

  “I love you too.” She whispered back then spun around to face Lotus.

  “Answers?” Lotus asked, “Answers to what?”

  Lee didn’t know where to start. Letters, superpowers, lost identities, and one night that collided them all together…“It’s complicated,” she finally stated.

  “Come on, Hail- Lee, spill. I’m dying to know what my sister’s been up to for the past six years.”

  Lee wanted to spill. In all honesty she did, but pinpointing a good place to start seemed impossible at the moment so she changed the subject. “And I’m dying to know what my life was like when you were in it.”

 
; Lotus kept her eyes out the window. Without her long dark lashes and smoky makeup, Lee could pinpoint every shade of blue in her eyes. They were so unlike Ace’s. When his matched the twilit sky, Lotus’s seemed to shimmer like the water surrounding them. “Happy,” Lotus finally answered as her gaze remained locked to the road. “I was really, really happy when you were in my life. Even though we are four years apart, growing up we were best friends. It seems like we had mutual friends too but… I can’t remember. I know they are there, but every time I try and put a face to a memory… it’s like hitting a brick wall. I guess it’s because I’ve been keeping these things out of my mind. I haven’t thought about you in so long because it only reminded me that I was all alone. But now your back. It’s nice to know that you never really left. Wait- why don’t you remember? Do you think you were traumatized after the fire?”

  Lee glanced up thoughtfully and sighed. That could have been a possibility, but she didn’t remember waking up smelling like singed hair. “I have no idea…” she finally remarked.

  Ace cleared his throat in the back seat, “I’m not really sure if this means anything, but I’m putting the pieces together and something’s not adding up. There was a fire?” he directed that question towards Lotus.

  “Yeah,” she sighed. “We had a home in East Side. I had just gotten nominated for a Grammy and I couldn’t get any sleep that night so I went for a stroll in our garden. I remember staring at the statue of an angel then I heard the explosion. After that everything’s a blur.”

  “We had a garden?” Asked Lee.

  “We’re the Stelter family. We have everything.” She remarked with a laugh. “I think I have a picture in that scrapbook if you want to see it.”