The Evolution Trilogy: Hybrid, Complications & Return

by Vanessa Wester

  Emily turned and walked away. It was a manoeuvre Anna recognised well. She always did that when she did not want Anna to see her expression. ‘Has Ian been talking to you already?’

  ‘You know he has.’

  ‘So, what did he say?’

  ‘I don’t think so,’ Anna shook her head. ‘You tell me first.’

  Emily continued to study the wall. ‘I guess he told you they found a boy like us in England.’

  ‘Yes, a boy in his late teens.’

  ‘Nineteen years of age.’

  It was time to cut to the chase. ‘Coincidence, or not?’

  Emily turned around, her eyes glazed, ‘Not, unfortunately not.’

  Throwing her arms up in despair, Anna shrieked, ‘For goodness sakes, Emily. What were you thinking? You conceived a son with a normal human.’

  ‘I didn’t do it on purpose,’ Emily pouted. She always did that when she did something wrong.

  ‘Some accident. Ian knows the boy is yours. Let’s face it you’re the only one that disappeared twenty years ago. Slight giveaway.’

  ‘You have to help me,’ Emily pleaded, as she rushed towards her and grabbed her hand, ‘I don’t want them to bring him here. Ingrid could have… she could have made a mistake. What if she changed her story?’

  ‘Why would she do that?’ Anna suspected Emily had something else up her sleeve.

  ‘She always listens to you.’

  ‘Me, what does that have to… hang on a minute. You want me to lie for you? Is that your grand plan? Please tell me you can do better than that.’ Anna gulped, and backed away whilst she slipped her hand out of Emily’s grasp.

  ‘No, no. You don’t have to lie. I will do it.’

  ‘Lying is one of your specialties,’ Anna grunted and rolled her eyes. She took a seat on the corner chair. The request for a favour was coming up. ‘What do you have in mind?’

  ‘I–I was thinking, if–if you cover for me, I can pretend to be you and go to talk to Ingrid,’ Emily stammered, as she eased closer. Her eyes were wild, desperate. ‘You have to do this for me. I know I should have told you many years ago. Truth is I was scared. You know they won’t let me leave again. Please you have to help me. You’re my twin sister!’

  Anna got up and paced up and down the room, mulling it over. ‘This is dangerous and risky. You know I want to help you. If I do, you must promise me that you will return and not do anything stupid. If you don’t come back, I will suffer the consequences,’ she hissed, shaking her head. Emily had let her down before.

  ‘You can cover for me. You know we can look identical. I just have to cut my hair to look like yours.’ Emily squared up in front of Anna and put her hands on her shoulders. ‘This is my problem. I have to fix it before it gets out of hand. He is my son after all. We have to put Ian off the scent,’ she stressed, determined.

  Anna noted the use of the word we. Now she was in on it. ‘So, will you bring him back home?’ Anna narrowed her eyes.

  Emily walked away and took a seat. With a sigh, she added, ‘I don’t know if he will want to come here. I have no idea what he’s like. I’ll try, but I would not blame him if he said no. I would said no if I’d had the chance.’

  ‘If Ingrid could not kill him the chances are he is one of us. He has no choice. He has to come. You know that don’t you?’

  ‘I know, I know.’ Ruffling her hair with an exasperated look, Emily continued, ‘Look, I don’t want to take him away from his life yet, he still has some time left before the change. I’ll figure out what to do.’

  ‘It’s not a question of figuring it out. The time has come. He needs to be prepared and has to come here with us.’

  ‘Okay, okay, I’ll bring him back,’ Emily surrendered, her hands raised. ‘You’re the best sister in the world you know that.’

  ‘Yes, well. Someday, it might be reciprocated,’ Anna grumbled. She was so weak when it came to Emily. She would go to the moon and back to help her sister have a better life.

  ***

  Emily sat in the taxi on the M3 in high spirits. London Heathrow had been manic. Now she had some time to reflect. Today she would see her son again. The journey had been long. All she could do was hope it was not too late. The sound of a dance song belted out from the radio station. With a strong beat and pounding bass, it made her want to dance. It was liberating to be free again. Away from the restraints they imposed. If circumstances were different, she would now be looking back on her past surrounded by children, grandchildren and possibly even great grandchildren.

  What a dream!

  Then again, for all she knew, she would be dead by now, having lived a lonely and meaningless existence. She still found it hard to believe that in real time she was eighty nine years old – she did not look older than twenty. Emily was convinced her life was nothing but a sick joke. All she could do was to try to figure out the best way forward.

  It was unfortunate Ingrid stumbled upon Steven. She had never expected his father, Paul, to stay in Southampton. The last time she had checked they were living in a different place. Unless, Steven was the one who had returned by choosing to study in Southampton. That would be a strange coincidence. It was not that she had forgotten about Steven, but she had lost track of time. It was easier to ignore the fact that he was going to be twenty soon. That age would change everything, especially if he was like them.

  A dangerous thought crossed her mind. If she failed to return, they would never find her. She could go anywhere in the world. She brushed the thought aside and focused. She had promised her sister. The thought of letting her down again was not something she could contemplate. It was time to grow up.

  As the car entered Southampton, via the A33, the satellite navigation system tracked down the destination. A further twenty minutes followed through windy roads, surrounded by beautiful countryside. Finally, a majestic house perched securely on the steep hill came into view. The house looked old now, but it was a reasonable size with a large driveway and a few acres of land. They had been careful to ensure no developments occurred close by.

  ‘Stop here,’ Emily shouted, as the car reached the bottom of the hill.

  ‘I don’t mind going up to the top,’ the driver called back, in a cockney accent.

  ‘Don’t go to the top,’ she insisted.

  ‘Alright lady,’ he huffed, pulling over to the side.

  ‘Here’s the fare,’ she said, as she handed over four fifty pound notes. ‘Keep the change.’

  ‘Great, thanks a lot,’ he replied, his eyes wide, excited.

  When she started to get out of the car, Emily hesitated for a moment. It would be so easy to give in to temptation. She needed some energy. She just could not afford to drop her guard here. With as much control as she could muster, she walked up the hill and did not look back as she heard the sound of the engine fade away. Reminding herself of Anna’s traits and habits, she made her way up to the front door. Even though it had no bell to announce her, she knew they would already sense her presence.

  As the door flew open, Ingrid held up her hands. A huge grin spread across her face. ‘Anna, it’s great to see you. You just couldn’t keep away, could you?’

  A wave of relief swept over Emily as she realised she had managed to fool Ingrid with her altered appearance. ‘Ingrid, I hear your trip is proving eventful. You have to tell me all about it, but first, I’d love a cup of English tea.’ She knew Anna loved tea.

  ‘Of course, come in, they’ll all love to see you. I guess you heard about what happened?’

  ‘Yes, let’s talk about it inside.’

  The house had a grand hallway, leading to a large winding staircase. A beautifully framed mirror hung in the corridor giving the illusion of depth and space. Next to the staircase, the hallway led to a series of rooms. Emily followed Ingrid to the heart of the house where the kitchen was housed. It had a massive Aga, surrounded by beautifully handcrafted oak worktops and matching cupboards. As the kettle boiled, Emily reflected on the last time
she had stayed in the house. Back then, she had been so carefree and reckless. When she met Paul she did not hesitate at the chance to start a new life.

  ‘Are you here to tell us about Steven?’ Ingrid asked, her voice light, casual.

  Since Ingrid had her back turned as she poured the tea, Emily winced. Her son’s name – it was hard to hear. Fighting hard to keep it together, she added, ‘Kind of, do you have any sugar?’

  ‘Of course, would you like one or two?’

  Even though she hated sugar, she knew Anna had a sweet tooth. ‘Two please, got to have a few vices in life.’

  ‘Always the same Anna. Have you attacked one of the bakeries yet and bought your favourite jam doughnuts?’

  ‘Thank you for reminding me.’ Emily cringed internally – the thought of eating anything that sugar-coated made her feel sick.

  Just then, a brunette with thick, curly hair entered the kitchen and embraced Emily, ‘Anna, I’m so glad you came.’

  Emily hugged her back; she knew Anna would have done the same. ‘Good to see you too, Lana.’ Anna was married to Lana’s brother, Juan, and they had always been close, so she had to keep up the façade.

  ‘It’s good to see you too, but, before the others come, I need to discuss something with you privately.’ She was not used to having people like her, as they did Anna, so she decided to get straight to the point. If she was not careful, she would give herself away with uncharacteristic actions.

  ‘Ingrid has fraternised with a human that is under my protection. I’m sure she is aware he is like us. Otherwise, he would have died when she attacked him. I know this is a lot to ask, but,’ she hesitated, ‘this is going to sound terrible, but, I need you to tell Ian you made a mistake. If anyone finds out he exists you will put his life in danger. I can’t tell you more, but you need to trust me. If you want to talk about this, I must insist that you come and see me, and only me.’ She knew she was pushing it – she had no choice.

  Ingrid and Lana glanced at each other.

  ‘That’s a lot to take in, Anna. What exactly do you want us to do?’ Lana asked.

  ‘Steven needs to believe this is all a hoax. Ingrid you will tell him you were set up to scare him, say it was all a sick joke. He must believe you. Tell him whatever he needs to hear.’

  ‘I think I can do that. What if he does not listen?’

  ‘Make sure he does,’ she snapped, before changing the conversation briskly, ‘When are you all due to go back home?’

  Lana glanced at Ingrid for a fraction of a second. Emily started to panic. They did not like her tone. She would have to relax.

  ‘We’re planning to head back tomorrow,’ Lana replied.

  ‘Right, well. We better get a move on,’ she smiled. ‘Sorry if I’m stressed out. This situation is, well, difficult.’ Emily shrugged her shoulders, trying to act normal.

  ‘That’s a novel way to look at it,’ Ingrid guffawed.

  ‘Ingrid, you have to come with me. I need to grab some of those jam doughnuts,’ Emily joked, in an attempt to sound at ease. ‘I’ll bring her back soon, so that we can all leave together.’

  Before she could refuse, Ingrid’s father, Eilif, walked in. ‘Have you solved the mystery?’

  Emily held back the urge to reply in anger. Instead, she adopted her most soothing voice, ‘There is no mystery. The boy means nothing. I’ve checked him out and Ingrid made a mistake. Something else must have gone wrong.’

  ‘Ingrid, is this true?’ He seemed surprised at the revelation.

  Emily held her breath. She needed Ingrid and Lana to play ball.

  ‘If Anna thinks so, then I must have made a mistake. Maybe, I–I just could not kill him for another strange reason,’ Ingrid chuckled, uneasy.

  Eilif laughed aloud and gave his daughter a hug, ‘Don’t be silly, I rarely ever kill any humans either. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one in the family that likes to stop.’

  Emily shuddered internally – she had never been able to restrain herself from killing once she had started. Perhaps she was the monster.

  Back to Table of Contents

  Chapter 11

  The Cover-Up

  It had been one of those nights, a lot of tossing, turning, lying awake, going to the toilet, and having a drink of water – everything but sleep. When Steven finally dozed off, it was practically time to wake up. His head throbbed as he turned off the alarm. Woozy, he made his way to the small window and looked out. It was still dark, yet the street light sufficiently illuminated the puddles – rain, lots of it. It was tempting to get back into bed, but the clock read eight o’clock in the morning, which meant he had to get a move on since his lecture started at nine. He could have skipped the first one, convinced no-one would even notice his absence. Unfortunately, boarding school had drummed routine into his core.

  He shuffled over to his en suite bathroom, scratched his head and yawned. At the mirror, he raised his chin and brushed his hand over his stubble – he would shave today. After a shower, with a towel wrapped around his waist, he applied the shaving foam and eased his razor across his neck. He rinsed the razor in the lukewarm water and got ready to continue. When he lifted his chin he came face to face with the mark. It had faded to a dull purple colour, but it was still there. He frowned as he finished the job. There was nothing he could do. Life moved on.

  Breakfast over, Steven zipped up his brown leather jacket and put on a black cap before he started his regular route to the university campus. He zigzagged along the path in an attempt to avoid the puddles. There was nothing he loathed more than rain. As he forced his way through the onslaught, a voice made him freeze on the spot.

  ‘Good morning, Steven.’

  Ingrid.

  ‘Oh, it’s you,’ he groaned.

  ‘I came to apologise.’

  ‘What are you sorry for?’ he snapped, ‘Is it the fact that you kiss me and always leave, or that you tell fanciful stories?’

  ‘Both,’ she admitted, dropping her hands against her sides.

  Even though it was raining hard, he had to stop to face her. ‘What on earth are you talking about now?’

  ‘I haven’t been straight with you.’ She curled a wet strand of hair in her hand. ‘I honestly don’t know how you got the wound on your neck. I wasn’t trying to drink your blood,’ she laughed. ‘It was just a wind-up. I thought it was funny when you started talking about vampires and stuff – as if, right? I’m heading back home now since our holiday is over, so you won’t see me again. I’m sorry if I upset you.’ She sounded like she meant it, yet alarm bells rang in his head.

  Steven shook his head in disbelief. ‘Great, your conscience is clear. So, it was all just a story,’ he laughed aloud, as he folded his arms in a defensive position.

  ‘Yes, it was all a story. Goodbye, and sorry again,’ she muttered, as she turned to leave. The look on her face was sad and confused. Something made him want to call to her, but he resisted the urge. She was sick in the head. What kind of weirdo would make up such a lie? He continued on his route. Not once did he turn round to check she was gone. Ingrid was history. It was over.

  ***

  Ingrid had done what Anna had asked. She did not like it, but she had been forced to do a lot of questionable things in her time. Even so, something continued to niggle. She just could not put her finger on what it was.

  Anna gestured to her mug as Ingrid sat down and shook her head in disgust. ‘Coffee can have such an incredible taste. It’s amazing how you can get it so wrong. There are definitely some things that are not worth experiencing. And others that are – don’t you think?’

  ‘I guess,’ Ingrid replied.

  ‘If we could resist human blood, it would be so much simpler. We could integrate if we could resist. It would be difficult to hide the fact we don’t age, but still.’

  ‘Integration is not an option, is it?’ Ingrid stared at Anna and wondered where this was coming from. She had never talked to her about integration before.

>   ‘Of course not, I’m just chatting,’ Anna smiled, ‘so, what attracted you to Steven?’

  ‘I needed to feed and I happened upon Steven. Something about him drew me in. I was planning to make it look like a freak accident, but as soon as I bit him and started to feed, I felt strange. The blood tasted wrong. He still fainted as they all do, but I couldn’t kill him. I was not sure at first why, but,’ she paused, ‘now, I guess you told us the answer.’

  Anna leaned in and seemed to study Ingrid, ‘So what are your thoughts?’

  ‘His blood repulsed me since we can’t feed off our own – you said he’s one of us. So, I reckon he doesn’t know who he is.’

  ‘He has no idea,’ Anna nodded.

  Ingrid pursed her lips. ‘The thing I don’t understand is why? Why would anyone let one of us live here? I have always been brought up to believe that all of our kind are accounted for and contained. Tell me why I should keep your secret? Isn’t it too dangerous to let him live here – out in the open?’

  Anna shook her head. After a long pause, she looked up at Ingrid, as though concentrating. ‘Steven will have to join us eventually. His mother is one of us, but his father is human. We’ve been protecting him because we had no way of knowing if he’d become one of us. That is, until you found him.’

  ‘A hybrid! How? Who is his mother? Can I know?’

  ‘Not at the moment – I’d rather keep her out of the picture. You can understand the potential repercussions if our kind found out that it were possible to mate with humans.’

  ‘But wouldn’t that be a good thing. Think of the possibilities. Like you just said, we could integrate back into society.’ Ingrid’s eyes widened at the prospect.

  ‘You would still have to kill humans to stay alive. There’s no such thing as integration for our kind.’

  Anna sounded so bitter. Ingrid had never heard her sound so angry, if that was the right word to use.

  Ingrid shook her head. ‘I would never choose to kill humans unnecessarily. Does anyone even know what a hybrid will be like?’