Emily kept a smile pasted on her face. It was important to act like a teacher even though, in a lot of ways, she considered herself to be a pupil. She had seen the girl grow up, and knew her parents were two of the finest hunters she had ever met. ‘That’s excellent,’ she praised.
‘Anyone else?’ Emily asked, scanning the room. It was hard to keep track of all the new additions.
Although the only two members of the community that could not reproduce were her parents, the reproductive ability of the rest of the community appeared endless. The community reminded her of a rabbit warren – forever expanding. Of course, it had no control mechanism or natural predator. The young were the most vulnerable until they changed, but they had designed their home well. Only a few had died since they had arrived. That had been at the beginning, before they had been prepared. Now, there was a very limited chance of them being attacked. Even diseases had been wiped out by the development of vaccines. They had thought of everything. They had defied the odds and prospered.
As Henrik started to explain how he was able to perform complex calculations in the blink of an eye she felt her thoughts drift away. She wondered what Steven was doing right now. Henrik stared at her, waiting for a reply, and she focused, ‘Just like your great-grandfather, Morten, good for you.’
A grumble at the back of the room made her tense.
‘Speak up, Antonio,’ Emily demanded, ‘What’s on your mind?’
‘The only special skill I want to have is the knowledge to get out of here,’ he said with a smirk, as he folded his arms over his chest.
Ian’s son was showing signs of her rebellious streak. Emily sighed. It always came up. ‘That part of your training will be covered another day. We’re not capable of living out in the open. It’s too dangerous.’
‘Not for me, it’s not,’ Antonio continued, ‘let them try to take me on.’
‘Like I said, you’ll discuss that further in another class.’
It was frustrating for Emily to have to lie. She knew exactly what he meant. Yet, his father was responsible for bringing someone else to this prison – her son, Steven. It vexed her. She took out the necessary equipment and focused on the lesson. She split the pupils into two groups. Then she left them with their assignment and stared into the distance.
Immortality, it had seemed like such a dream when they first discovered they were not aging. For her it was a living nightmare. She did not want to live forever. The thought of living indefinitely had lost all of its appeal. It was her dream to live a normal life, where she would grow old. She could not help feeling hard done by. She was responsible for teaching the new ones the beauty of what they had become. Someone was having a joke at her expense. Her life was a sham.
***
The sight from the balcony was impressive. It looked directly upon the heart of the rainforest. Anna knew she was lucky. Since she was one of the first to arrive, she had one of the few rooms located on the periphery of the volcano. As the numbers in the community had increased, the rooms had been created where there was space, so outside light was not always guaranteed. Anna sat on her favourite rocking chair, looked out, and waited. It was only a matter of time before Emily would turn up. As the door opened, Anna turned around and smiled, ‘You took your time.’
‘I had to teach – and calm down.’
‘You certainly lost it with Ian. You always let him get to you.’
‘Our younger, brat of a brother.’
‘You two never got along.’
Emily made her way over to the chair next to Anna and sat down. ‘I miss the room I used to have, it was just like this. Now, I’m in the dungeons.’
‘Your room is not that bad, and hey, you only have yourself to blame.’
‘I guess,’ Emily fiddled with her fingernails, ‘so, what’s he like? Is he okay about being here?’
‘I have to be honest. He’s barely talked to me, he doesn’t seem happy to be here.’
‘Great.’ Emily frowned and balled her hands into fists.
‘Do you want me to leave, so that you can talk to him when he wakes up?’
‘I don’t know.’ Emily bit her lower lip as her hands relaxed. ‘Do you mind staying?’
‘Not at all,’ Anna replied. She turned to face Emily and half smiled. It was the first time Emily had ever admitted that she needed her, in a roundabout kind of way.
Chapter 29
Meeting Mum
The sound of two women talking woke Steven up and he realised it sounded like Anna – only two of her. Sitting up, he stretched his arms in protest. He wanted some time alone. Unable to stall the inevitable confrontation, he made his way through the curtain.
Anna got up from her chair to greet him, ‘You’re awake.’
‘Just about,’ he replied. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his mother, Emily, frozen to the spot, her hands on her knees.
‘Steven, you need to talk to your mother. Will you speak to her, please?’
Steven could not answer.
‘Steven. Please talk to her.’ Anna was insistent.
Was his mother such a coward? He was not going to be scared. With pursed lips, he nodded.
‘I’ll wait here,’ Anna said, as she moved out of the way and indicated towards the balcony.
Steven wandered over and stared out into the Amazon. He did not look at Emily. She had to speak first.
After a few minutes had passed, Emily finally broke the silence, ‘This is quite a view, don’t you think?’
Steven hummed in agreement, before he asked, ‘How long was I out for?’
‘You’ve been asleep for a long time, but I only just got here. I suspect you must have slept for over twelve hours.’
‘Really? I don’t usually sleep longer than eight hours.’
‘Your body is preparing for the…’ she stopped, and hesitated.
‘Change,’ he said. He was sure he knew more than she expected.
‘So, they told you about it.’ She shook her head, pain etched on her face.
‘Yes, they told me.’
‘It should have been me, I’m sorry,’ she apologised, ‘I–I should have found a way to prepare you for wh-what will happen.’
‘Yes, you should.’ Her pathetic composure made him feel sorry for her. He wanted to be angry. ‘Why didn’t you come to get me? If you are so sorry, you should have done the job yourself, instead of sending your brother.’
‘I didn’t send him. He went without my consent. It’s no excuse. I should have told you. I am a coward. If only Ingrid had given me more time.’
‘What does Ingrid have to do with it?’
‘She told Ian’s wife, Carmen, about you. She’s the reason Ian knew you existed. But, it’s not her fault. I should have told you when she found you.’
‘You knew she found me and you did nothing. Why didn’t you just tell me the truth? It would have been different then. Now, my life is ruined. I was happy.’
‘What do you mean?’ she asked, agitated. Emily turned to look at him for the first time. ‘Didn’t you choose to come here? What did they do?’
‘Well, where do I start?’ Steven was angry now, in fact, he was livid. ‘They kidnapped my girlfriend, erased my existence, left me homeless and penniless, and then told me I was going to become a killer. What else was I supposed to do?’
With a face of utter horror, she spat, ‘They did what?’
Emily got up and started to pace. She mumbled to herself and fidgeted, as she clasped her hands together. Steven watched and felt bewildered, as his anger subsided. She looked crazy, erratic. Something about the way she acted made him realise there was something not quite right about his mum.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she said, as she stopped and looked at him again. Calm once more.
He could not look at her, so he stared at the floor, ‘Sorry doesn’t help me now, does it?’
‘No, I guess not.’ In a voice stricken with pain, she continued, ‘I know I’m not your idea of a good mothe
r. Just, if you can, try to understand that I left you because I loved you. I never wanted you to have this life. I hoped you would not be like me.’
‘You really are my mother?’ Steven whispered as his anger subsided, ‘it’s so hard to believe.’
‘Again, I’m sorry. Yes, I am your mother.’
Steven did not want to feel any affection for this woman, but her demeanour broke him slightly. He could not even begin to contemplate what she had gone through. He stared blankly and neither spoke for a few minutes.
Footsteps broke the silence. ‘And I’m really your aunt,’ Anna said smiling, as she eased into the balcony. ‘What do you say to some food?’
‘Sure,’ Steven agreed.
‘You could go for a swim later?’ Anna gave a cheeky grin.
‘Both sound good,’ Steven replied. If he could swim away from here he’d be glad to go.
Anna put her arm through Emily’s and led her into the room. They looked so alike and yet were so different. Emily looked, well, broken. He had a feeling Anna was the rock.
*
The sound of a waterfall took Steven aback. Nothing was normal here. Anna had led him to the entrance of the bathing area and left him with a set of clean clothes. Through the rock formation, he was face-to-face with the most breathtaking sight he had ever seen. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
‘Incredible,’ he whistled, in admiration.
The waterfall cascaded from the top left hand corner of the cave into a pool of water that bubbled and frothed in response. To the side of the pool was a huge lake that stretched out for about one hundred metres. It beckoned Steven to swim in it. The only problem was he had no swim suit. Apparently, they didn’t use swim suits. That would take some getting used to. Confident no-one would join him, he started to undress. It was supposed to be empty at this time of day. After he was sure he was alone, he stripped and jumped into the pool. The relief as the water hit his body was immediate.
Just as he was beginning to get comfortable, he heard a splash behind him and was caught unaware. It was too late to make a quick exit. He braced himself, kept calm, and considered his next move. If he swam for the lake he would expose his bare bottom to whoever had joined him. It did not bother him. It just made him falter for a moment.
‘Hey, are you enjoying the water?’ It was a female voice, typical. Worse still, he was sure it was Ingrid. He doubted she would ever take the hint and leave him alone. At least, the visibility underwater was poor, he was camouflaged.
‘I was told no-one swam at this time of day. The last person I expected to see was you,’ he remarked, his tone bitter and disappointed.
‘It’s nice to see you looking more alert.’ She swam breaststroke in his direction.
He kept his eyes in the direction of the waterfall, only too aware of the fact she was getting too close for comfort. As she continued to approach, he said, ‘Is it normal for everyone to swim naked in the same pool?’
‘Yes,’ she said, as she continued her effortless glide, ‘But I had a feeling you’d be here when I saw Anna walking in the other direction, so I thought I’d say hello.’
‘You thought it was a good idea to get into the water at the same time as me, knowing I would be naked?’ He turned to face her. If she was not embarrassed he had no reason to be either. Her tenacity had to be admired.
‘I have been bathing naked with other women all my life. On the odd occasion, I have been in here when men were around, but no-one is bothered. Does it make you uncomfortable?’ she asked, unable to hold back a snigger.
Her expression was flirtatious. Something told him she was not going to give up easily. Her breasts remained hidden under the surface, but his imagination was starting to wander. It had been a while.
He gulped, and continued, ‘Well, if I’m being frank, yes it does. I have never been swimming naked with women, or men for that matter.’
‘Interesting, Adam and Eve have a lot to account for don’t they?’ Her words hung in the air as she nosedived under water and disappeared.
He had no idea what she was up to now, but he did see her behind. It was firm. He looked from side to side trying to figure out where she was. A minute later, she surfaced behind him.
‘Quit playing Ingrid. What do you want?’ Steven snapped. The game had run its course.
‘You,’ she replied, with a straight face, ‘I’ll wait as long as it takes. Have a good swim.’
Steven felt his jaw go slack. He watched her dive again, this time he could not help studying her form. She was very attractive. He could not help reacting. He swam to the side and held on to the rock, before he saw the water break at the entrance. That was one hell of an underwater swim.
He kept his head down and swam over in a fast front crawl. When he got to the entrance Ingrid was already out. She wore a long red dress, soaked from her wet body. It clung to her form, making him take another unwanted gulp.
‘See you around, Steven. I’ll be waiting until you change.’ She waved and gave him a breathtaking smile, a twinkle set in her eyes. Then she was gone.
In response, he sprinted towards the pool. He stopped, slightly out of breath, at the other end. He shook his head and groaned out loud. It was only Ingrid after all – the one responsible for his misery.
He hated being sexually frustrated.
***
Emily paced up and down, anxious to speak to Steven. After Steven had told her what had happened, she had resisted the urge to go and punch Ian’s lights out. Her younger brother took too many liberties. What he had done was unforgivable. Some day she would get her revenge. Footsteps brought her back to reality.
She braced herself and smiled as Steven walked in through the door. ‘How was your swim?’
‘Interesting,’ Steven paused, ‘Although, I have to say, I didn’t realise this place was so liberal.’
‘Liberal? It is many things, liberal is not what I’d call it,’ she scoffed.
‘Ingrid came into the water to join me, naked. I’m sure she knew I was there before she got in. Where I come from, swimming naked with people you barely know is liberal.’
‘Did she?’ Emily gave a wry smile. The thought had crossed her mind already. Ingrid was after Steven. It explained why Ingrid had defied her and told Carmen. ‘Nothing happened did it? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.’
‘Now you sound like a mother. No, nothing happened.’
‘Don’t trust Ingrid,’ she warned.
With a loud guffaw, he sneered, ‘You don’t need to tell me that. She wanted to kill me. Talking of trust, no-one has told me what happened between my dad and you.’
She avoided the obvious, and said, ‘We had you.’
‘That part I knew,’ he sighed. ‘Seriously, why am I here now? You could have brought me with you when you left my dad. It would have saved me from all of this aggravation.’
It was a stab at her already open wounds.
‘I hoped you would be normal. I didn’t want you to be like us. I never wanted you to live in this circus.’
‘Don’t you like it here? Everyone else seems to think this is the best place in the world.’ Steven’s voice was laced in sarcasm.
‘Its fine,’ she lied. She walked over to a large wooden chair, draped in a thick animal fur, sat down, and covered her face in her hands as she considered her options. She did not know if she could keep up the charade.
Chapter 30
Back To Being A Student
A few minutes of silence passed as Emily’s throat felt bone dry. It hurt to admit the truth. ‘I was not destined to live here. I was looking forward to an independent life before the attack happened. Did they did tell you about the bats?’
Steven gave a slight nod of the head and stood straight. ‘Yes.’
‘I just wanted to be free from everyone telling me what to do. I wanted a life of my own, away from my parents, away from war. My dad was like a mad scientist. I did not want to be a part of that. Al
l I wanted was a new start. When the attack happened everything went wrong. Now, I was the mad scientist. I was like Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I had no say anymore. I was trapped in a body I did not want.’ She took a deep breath. ‘When I eventually managed to make my way back home…’
‘To Southampton,’ he interrupted.
‘Yes,’ she snapped. Her calm composure melted. ‘I didn’t want to leave. I fell in love with your dad so I just decided – what the heck – I’m staying. I was due some happiness, I deserved some.’ She stopped and stared at the wall. ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry about everything.’
‘Then I came along and ruined the dream,’ Steven added, as he dug his hands in his pockets.
‘No, it wasn’t you,’ she gasped. ‘You’re the best thing I ever did.’ She had to fight to keep tears at bay.
‘So what then? Why leave so soon? You could have stayed for a few years.’
‘I couldn’t stay anymore. I would have been discovered. I couldn’t resist,’ she sighed, embarrassed at the admission.
‘Resist? Oh,’ he paused, ‘you were killing people. Is that it?’
‘Yes. When I had you, I thought my heart was going to burst. I was so happy. But, it was short-lived. I knew as soon as I saw you that I had to protect you. The only way I knew how, was by leaving. I–I thought I’d done the right thing,’ she stammered, her resolve crumbling.
‘What about me? Why didn’t you bring me here?’
The look he gave her nearly crippled her composure. ‘Like I said, I hoped you’d be normal.’
His face hardened.
‘Look, I’m not here to mull over the past. We can’t change it. Can you just explain to me what is going to happen and why it’s better that I’m here? That’s what I can’t get my head around. I got over not having my real mother around years ago.’
The comment stung more than she expected.
Emily faked enthusiasm, and smiled, ‘You have to go to school.’
‘School! What do you teach? How to become a vampire?’
His features had softened again as he let out a small, but significant laugh. It made her hope. Perhaps he did not hate her after all.