‘That is because I am an excellent spy and outstanding Actor.’
At this point I started to laugh; here he was, my friend and confidant, my ‘Disembodied voice,’ who had led me to safety and saved my life twice in my short life-span! And I had been plotting this man’s demise and death since the first time I met him! My roar was soon followed by Kasen’s bellowing chuckles, and then Garok joined in and we laughed until our eyes watered and it began to hurt. It was the first time any of us had felt a situation deserved a hearty laugh in a long time. All the tension, the fear and desperation of the last few months, found release in our laughter and then we were still. I went over to Kasen and put my arms around him.
‘Thanks so much for what you did and are doing Kasen. It must be so hard living in the enemy’s camp.’
‘Yes it is, but it’s worth it when it creates moments like this one. It’s totally worth it.’ I stayed with Kasen for half an hour, and as we were talking, something he said earlier turned a light bulb on in my head.
‘Kasen, when you said ’the first one’, do you mean the Original? My uncle? You are brother to my uncle? My uncle, who is my father, who is your brother, so you really are my uncle! My god, you are my kin!’
My mother and father were dead, the rest of my clan were scattered or dead, all I had was my little brother and all he had was me. Now we had Uncle Dad and we had Uncle Kasen. I was glad that Zak was so young at the time, so I didn’t have to explain all the complications of his parentage. For now, my uncle was the same ‘Uncle’, and Uncle Kasen would simply be Kasen. Zak and I were part of a family again. I hugged Kasen tight and couldn’t wait to find Zak (living in my section with a lovely Vampire family, next door to me) and gurgle him the news.
I left Kasen and turned around to the direction I came, until Garok pulled me back. ‘What the hell?’
‘You have to meet the Sanguis first Aecia. Come on, they are the fifth cubicle down.’ He propelled me in that direction without waiting for any objections I might have, so telling Zak he had a new uncle would have to wait. When I walked into the fifth cubicle I didn’t know what to expect. How would I talk to these creatures? Did they have their own language? Could they understand us? The male Sanguis was huddled up in his bed in a foetus position. His skin was flaky and discoloured (and by discoloured I mean, brownish instead of blood red). H was obviously still recovering from his ordeal fighting with Anne, and was asleep. His timid mate was sitting in a chair next to the bed and something softened inside me when I saw teardrops were raining down her face. She shrank back when I walked towards her, and I could see she was frightened and unsure of my reaction to her.
‘I just wanted to meet you and thank you for saving Garok in the tunnels. Your mate too, he fought with Anne to save me in the forest.’
She raised her eyes to look directly into mine, and as she did, the strangest thing happened. Through my mind’s eye, as if I was watching a movie, I saw the Sanguis and her mate, standing behind the trees in the forest, near the well. I could see myself and Garok as we were wrapping the rope around each other before we attempted to scale down the inside of the well. I saw Garok being bitten by the critter and then it jumped to the next scene, where the male Sanguis is biting Garok in the tunnel and the chaos thereafter. It then jumped again to the events after that, with her helping Garok and her sick mate up out of another tunnel and back into the forest. Her mate was obviously seriously ill, which I know now is because he wasn’t biting, but sucking the critter’s poison from Garok, and Garok looked pale and drawn. The Sanguis incredible way of communicating, then showed me herself massaging her mate’s stomach, until he eventually wretched and brought up the vile, green, poisonous venom from the critter. Without a word, she had shown me that they were friends to us, both of them, the best kind of friends we could have.
I instinctively took her in my arms and hugged her tightly. I knew then that ‘actions speak louder than words’ and their actions spoke volumes. From that moment I realised that I was part of an even larger family. We were all so different and yet we were the same. The Watchers, Vampires, Clones, Humans and Sanguis were all connected by a belief that we could all live together in harmony. We were all prepared to compromise, and live in way that all our needs were met. Home Island is a prototype of what we hope will eventually be an entire civilization on the earth.
My Uncle (I still can’t call him dad, it seems like a betrayal to the dad who brought me up) heads a massive research department with a huge laboratory where they also synthesise the blood for the Vampires. Kasen and Garok head up the training department, where we all learn karate, judo, jujitsu and other defence techniques we will need as we rescue more Clones.
Sebastian and Orianna are now mated and are expecting a child of their own. They speak and write in fluent English and head up the marketing department, where they produce hundreds of leaflets and informative pamphlets designed to re-educate the families of Vampires out there. These people need to un-learn everything they have been taught to date about Humans and Clones, and discover the process that created the Watchers, Critters and Sanguis. In other words, they need to know the truth and be motivated to change.
As for me, I teach, with the invaluable help of Lupe who is quite simply a genius! She far surpasses me in intelligence, and she has a way with Zak and the rest of the younger ones that no-one could replicate. She is a wonder!
Then there’s Bill, head of the infirmary and one of closest friends. He and the rest of the Watchers split their time between the hospital, the continuing construction work involved in the extension of our underground home, and joining in the rescue of more Clones, which never ends for any of us.
The Sanguis, who we have now called Lillie (formerly Eve) and Harry, live up above, but they are part of us. They help with the farm up there, and the water collection and distribution. They love the greenhouses the most, for the moistness of the atmosphere in there soothes their sensitive, dry, red skin. They are happy.
I still have many questions friend. Uncle hasn’t yet told me about my ‘real’ mother as it seems too difficult for him to talk about her, but he will because he knows he has to. Then there is Anne! She is a question mark to all of us and we have no idea where she is or what devilish plans she may have. Our future is always a question because it is a monumental, continuous path of change, but it is as exciting as it is dangerous. And then there’s you; I don’t see you as much nowadays friend, but I know you are there. If I was in danger, or sad, or needed your courage and wisdom, you would always come. I am happier and more content than I have ever been. I have my Garok, Uncle, Kasen, Zak and oh everyone! I am not naive, there is a long way to go and it’s not going to be easy, but we have each other; with the love and the strength that gives us, we will get there, we will definitely get there.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
THE END
~*~*~*~*~*~*
‘
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Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Only Human Page 19