The Evolution Trilogy: Hybrid, Complications & Return

by Vanessa Wester

  ‘Maybe not for you, I wouldn’t mind going back home.’

  ‘It’s not my call. I can’t help you there.’

  ‘Fair enough,’ Steven half smiled and relaxed. Jensen seemed decent. ‘Seriously though, what’s it like living here?’

  ‘It’s great, don’t get me wrong. Sometimes I can’t help being curious about what’s out there, but I get it; our kind can’t integrate into normal society. After the change, I think we’ll get a better understanding of our true nature.’

  Steven stiffened, defensive, ‘I don’t understand how it could change who I am.’

  ‘None of us do, that’s why we need to prepare.’

  The conversation came to an end as they approached the second floor. It appeared deserted. There were rooms to either side, carved into the rock. It was difficult to see inside as they walked past, but Steven sensed a series of eyes watching as he passed. At the end of the curved hallway, an arched opening greeted them with the words we are here to help etched on the stone. As they eased through, an imposing handmade wooden table dominated the room. A stunning brunette sat behind it.

  ‘Jensen, what can I do for you today?’ she asked, a twinkle in her eye. Her long, chestnut hair swished to the side as she flicked her head. ‘You’re not skiving again, are you?’

  ‘Not at all, I am acting as a tour guide. We have someone new joining us today. This is …’

  The lady held up her hand to silence him and shot off her seat. An arm’s length away, she gave a broad smile and said, ‘Is this Emily’s son? Are you Steven?’

  ‘Nothing gets past you does it?’ Jensen joked.

  ‘Well, it’s not every day that I meet a cousin I knew nothing about, an outsider, someone who lived in the human world, but who is actually one of us.’ She extended her arms, and took Steven by surprise with an embrace and kiss on both of his cheeks.

  Steven was both stunned and speechless. He knew she had to have a Spanish side, only his step-mum’s family ever kissed him like that.

  She gave him a dazzling smile, ‘It’s amazing how much you look like Emily. It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Sofia, I am Ian’s daughter.’

  The statement made him nod as a half-smile eased across his face – it was good to be right.

  ‘It’s going to be important for you to remember where we all came from. It will be a big part of your teaching,’ Sofia continued, with one hand on her hip. ‘¿Hablas español?’

  ‘Un poco,’ he replied. He hoped she was not expecting him to have a whole conversation in Spanish, but he could hold his own for a little bit.

  ‘Hablas español, fantástico.’ She repeated the words and nodded, impressed, as she folded her arms and studied him.

  ‘What are you two talking about?’ Jensen asked, perplexed, ‘Are you talking Spanish?’

  ‘Our friend here talks Spanish like my family,’ Sofia said, ‘that’s very useful.’

  ‘Don’t you speak Spanish?’ Steven asked, as he turned to look at Jensen.

  ‘No, I learnt a bit, but we developed our own language,’ Jensen replied. ‘You will have to learn it too. It’s a cross between English, Spanish, Swedish, German, and Hebrew. It was developed to keep outsiders from understanding what we were saying in the outside world. English is the common tongue. We do actually have access to the internet, as backwards as we are.’ Jensen said, arching an eyebrow.

  Steven was beginning to regret having called them simple.

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  Chapter 31

  A Warm Welcome

  Sofia sat down again, folded her right leg on her left knee and crossed her hands together, deep in thought. ‘So, I guess we need to register you for classes immediately. No time to lose,’ she laughed, at a joke he did not understand. ‘Steven when are you due to change?’

  He thought about the question, perplexed.

  ‘Your birthday,’ she clarified.

  ‘Oh, right, the fourth of September.’

  ‘Right, well, since Jensen is due to change on the 11th August you will be in the same classes. This is your schedule.’ Sofia handed Steven a piece of paper, after the sound of a printer reeled it out from under the desk.

  It was weird for Steven to see such a normal thing happening in such an abnormal setting.

  ‘Just follow Jensen until you find your feet. Have fun,’ she beamed.

  ‘Okay,’ Steven looked at the sheet. He felt totally inadequate. He gave a quizzical glance in Jensen’s direction.

  ‘You ready?’ Jensen turned towards the exit.

  ‘Sure.’ Steven shrugged. He might as well follow and pretend he knew what he was supposed to do. He had no idea what the rest of the day had in store for him.

  ‘Look, it’s nearly lunchtime, so I suggest we skip the end of this lesson and go through the itinerary of the day over some food. You must be hungry.’

  ‘Starving. Sounds like a plan.’

  ‘I like that saying – sounds like a plan. I’ll keep it in mind. If it’s any consolation, I’m hungry all the time too,’ Jensen said, ‘Let’s eat.’

  After leaving the administration room, they turned into one of the smaller corridors, which widened into an arched doorway to reveal yet another room. Above the doorway, the words we all need fuel were carved into the stone. The most amazing aroma wafted into Steven’s nose. His mouth watered immediately and the sight of the goodies made his eyes widen.

  At the far end, he saw a table covered with exotic fruits. Next to them were huge clear jars filled with a range of coloured juices. All around the room an array of wooden tables and logs moulded into chairs created a homely appeal. It looked like a version of a school cafeteria – just a much more sophisticated one. No plastic chairs and wonky tables to greet him here.

  Like in the larger room he’d seen the previous day, a serving station in the corner housed the food. It was split into two sections, hot and cold. The hot food was piled into heated covered containers. The cold options comprised a variety of bread rolls, various delicatessen and salads.

  Steven was awed at the selection. ‘Where do you start?’

  Jensen gave him an encouraging shove. ‘Anywhere you want. Indulge.’

  Just as Steven took a plate from the neatly stacked section, he heard muffled sounds behind him. It sounded like a herd of elephants approaching. He turned around and saw the hungry herd approaching – students.

  ‘You better hurry, they’re a hungry bunch,’ Jensen smirked.

  The mixture of people coming through the opening was amazing. They all looked of school age, but the difference in skin colour allowed him distinguish some of their origins. You could easily spot the Hispanic colouring of the Santos family and the bleached blond look of the Swedish Clausen Family. All at once he was surrounded. Everyone grabbed a plate and headed straight for the food. What struck Steven was the fact that none of them had stopped to stare. They ignored him. He wondered if they had been told to do this. It seemed too obvious. Normally, the new kid would get attention.

  ‘Well, come on then, you better get some, before it’s all gone. We’re not going to hold back for you,’ Jensen remarked, his plate already full to the brim.

  Steven had a déjà vu moment; he was back at his cousin’s wedding the previous summer. It was always awkward when you had to blend into a situation you had no control over. Since no-one seemed to pry, he kept his eyes focused on the food and concentrated hard on choosing things he recognised.

  The first thing he took was a bread roll. It looked like any other normal white bread roll he could have bought at the supermarket. He added slices of what looked like ham and some mixed salad. The ham made him think of pigs and livestock. Another question for Jensen. He made his way over to the hot section. The containers were uncovered to reveal a selection of dishes. One looked like a mixed paella, the other a stew of some sort, and the third had sausages and hamburgers next to fried onions. Unsure on how much to take, he took a heaped spoonful of paella, a couple of sausages
, and a banana from a woven basket. He gave a quick glance at his colourful plate, impressed. With a glass of what he was sure was tropical juice he headed off to find a seat. Selection over, it was time to taste.

  Even though no-one was watching him, he felt self-conscious all the same. Most of the tables were already taken. He moved towards the back. Out of the corner of his eye he saw someone waving. It was Jensen and it looked like he had saved him a seat. He could see others sitting at the same table. This was going to be interesting. At least Jensen seemed to accept him for what he was. Jensen was beginning to make Steven feel, well, almost, normal.

  Jensen nodded as Steven approached, ‘Hey, you didn’t think I’d bail on you already, did you?’

  Steven took his seat, and replied, ‘I thought you might have had enough of me.’

  ‘Nah, not yet. Anyway, did the food selection meet your expectations?’

  ‘Pretty good. It’s like a glamorous version of a hall cafeteria.’

  ‘What’s a cafeteria?’ The question came from the girl to the left of Jensen. She looked Steven straight in the eye.

  ‘Erm, its catering provided for students that live on the university campus.’

  ‘What’s a university?’ the same girl asked, her curiosity sparked. She took a bite of her roll and chewed as she waited for his reply.

  Steven gave a half-smile. She sounded harmless. ‘I guess there’s a lot you don’t know about life out there.’

  ‘Obviously,’ another girl sitting opposite him said, her tone huffy.

  ‘Well I’ll answer your question first. Then, I’ll do the best I can to answer any other questions. I do have a request of my own.’ Steven looked around the table, and then continued, ‘You have to answer mine.’

  ‘That’s a deal,’ Jensen said out loud.

  Everyone else nodded; keen to be in on the arrangement.

  ‘But where are my manners? I have not even told you who everyone is. Well, you know who I am, but maybe you should introduce yourself first,’ Jensen said.

  Steven flinched. Jensen had just thrown the ball firmly in his court. Perhaps he had underestimated him. He hated being put on the spot. Steven thought for a few seconds about what he could say. He kept his eyes to the table as he began, ‘For the past nineteen years, I have led a normal life with ordinary humans.’

  A few of them raised their eyebrows.

  He took a deep breath and continued, ‘Ingrid tried to kill me. She was, let’s say, taken by surprise. I turned out to be like you.

  ‘Well, not exactly like us,’ Jensen said, with a smirk.

  Steven rolled his eyes. ‘Either way my existence has been erased and I was more or less kidnapped into coming here. Since, I’m half human, like Jensen just inferred, I have no idea what the change will do to me. Frankly, I would prefer to go back to the way things were. No offence to any of you, but this is all too weird. I mean, let’s face it, vampires are supposed to be a myth. It’s ridiculous.’ He burst into nervous laughter.

  Everyone around the table stared, dumbfounded; none of them laughed now. It surprised him when everyone started to sit up straight. All of a sudden, he got the feeling someone else was listening.

  A deep voice reverberated behind him, ‘And yet here you are, and here we are.’

  Steven turned, freaked out. Standing behind him was a man in his late forties, possibly even fifties. He was too old to be one of them. It did not make sense. He had a small, grey moustache and beard. It made him look like Robinson Crusoe. The man held out his hand to shake Steven’s.

  ‘My name is Jeff, or Grandfather, if you prefer it. I am Emily’s father and I was born in 1892. I should be over a hundred years old by now. Do I look that old to you? Ridiculous is a pretty strong word to describe something that is true. You are right about something, vampires are a myth. We are not like the creatures written about by Bram Stoker in his Dracula. We are, as you can see for yourself, very much alive. The question is what are we then? What do we call ourselves?’ He gave Steven an intense stare and waited in silence, almost challenging him to speak.

  Steven did not know what to say.

  The girls at the table broke out into a series of giggles, amused at his apparent ineptitude.

  ‘I guess the cat got your tongue. Be careful to air your views so willingly. You have a lot to learn. We’ll catch up some other time I’m sure. It was nice to finally meet the grandson I didn’t know existed.’ With that Jeff took his leave.

  Jensen gave a whistle of admiration, ‘He never, ever comes in here anymore. You must have made him think it worthwhile.’

  ‘Yeah, but I didn’t exactly impress him, did I?’ Steven was embarrassed. Something about his grandfather exuded importance.

  ‘Nah, if anyone had asked Jeff before he was bitten, I’m sure he would have said the same thing. We know enough to realise that the reason we live like we do is because we are different and unusual. I wouldn’t call myself ridiculous, though.’

  The girl who had first spoken to him smiled, ‘Anyway, my turn. I’m Susanna Abel. My parents are Benjamin Abel & Lina Santos. My grandmother, Catherine, is your aunt so we are second cousins. I have never left the community, and am happy to be oblivious about the outside world. I like living here.’

  Susanna gave Jensen a sideways glance, and blushed. If his suspicions were right, Susanna was the girl who made Jensen want to stay.

  ‘I’m Kayla Clausen,’ the other girl started, ‘I am Susanna’s first cousin, but I am not related to you at all. It gets quite complicated here when you look at the web that the families have created. My mother is called Beatrice Santos and my dad is called Jan Clausen. Jensen’s father, Dr Johannes Clausen, is my uncle. So, are you keeping up yet?’

  ‘No, I’m totally lost,’ Steven admitted, apologetic.

  ‘I’ll have to draw you a map of who’s who then, but I have to say it’s hard for the rest of us at times,’ Kayla laughed. She flicked her hair to the side and gave him a flirtatious smile, ‘The thing is, we are against cross breeding.’

  ‘What do you mean cross breeding?’ Steven was now completely baffled. Genetics had never been his strong suit.

  ‘Well,’ the younger boy sitting quietly opposite spoke for the first time, ‘It’s a bit like this. No-one wants parents, siblings, or first cousins getting together in your world, right?’

  ‘I guess it’s not acceptable practice.’

  ‘So the same applies here. It’s important that we know what our parentage is and that anyone we consider dating has no family connection whatsoever. At first, it was easier to maintain. Recently, it has become a problem.’ He paused, and checked around for anyone listening. Once satisfied, he whispered, ‘It’s hard to keep all the lines clear which is why you have made a lot of people think about things differently.’

  ‘Me? What have I done?’ Steven was at a loss.

  ‘Think about it,’ Jensen said, as he leaned in.

  Steven had no idea what they were on about now.

  Back to Table of Contents

  Chapter 32

  Lessons

  An uncomfortable expression came over the faces around him. None of them wanted to say aloud what they were thinking. Something about Steven in particular was taboo, something was unknown. When it hit him, he felt like a fool. In a loud voice, he exclaimed, ‘Of course, anyone here can mate with a human!’

  ‘Shush…,’ Kayla said, she looked all around her, and got closer. In a voice barely above a whisper, she continued, ‘We’re not supposed to even contemplate it as a possibility. What Emily did broke all the rules they implemented in setting up this place. You should not exist, let alone live here with us.’

  ‘We’re all a bit nervous about what you are,’ Susanna added, keeping her eyes down.

  Steven sat back and folded his arms. ‘Great, so is that why no-one around us is daring to acknowledge I exist.’

  ‘Exactly, you’re an anomaly,’ the boy added, with a superior expression. ‘Anyway, I have not introduce
d myself. I am Susanna’s brother, Gideon. I guess it’s too late to ignore you now.’

  ‘I guess so,’ Steven looked around the table. It struck him they were just as clueless as he was. They had no idea what was to become of them either. The conversation had got far too serious, too soon. ‘So, where do we have to go now?’

  Jensen, Susanna, and Kayla looked smug. Simultaneously, they said, ‘Maths.’

  Gideon laughed and got up, ‘I have a different class, so have fun! Steven, this might be a bit above you. Don’t let it get to you, okay.’ He winked as he walked away.

  Whatever was going on, it was not funny. Steven hated maths.

  ***

  Catherine Abel could not believe it. After forty years of teaching she had developed nerves. Under normal circumstances she would not be fazed over a lesson, especially not to adolescents. Of course, today was not like any other lesson. Today, she was going to meet her nephew. She had discussed the problem at length with her husband, Isaac, and they had come to the same conclusion. There was no question on whether to accept Steven. She would treat him like anyone else. It was not in their nature to reject anyone, especially when you took into account Isaac’s background. It would be two-faced to turn their backs on someone different, because of who they were. Isaac had seen enough discrimination in his youth. He would never reject anyone for being different, and neither would she.

  There were whispers that called Steven a dangerous hybrid, an unknown, a threat to their existence. She wondered if he could be a new possibility. There was so much to consider. It was hard to come to terms with the fact her sister, Emily, had conceived a son with a human. Yet, the problem remained. No-one on the council wanted anyone in the community to even consider living amongst humans as a viable option. It just couldn’t be. Everyone was unanimous. The only one who had ever objected had been Emily. However, since Emily had stopped attending council meetings after her disappearance, the issue had not raised its weary head in years. Now, it was back with a vengeance. These were not good times. Steven’s presence had opened a can of worms.