Ascension Watchers

by Amy Proebstel

  Without waiting another second, he whirled around and stalked out of the room, down the stairs, and out the front door. The sound of it slamming behind him barely satisfied his mounting rage. Behn was disgusted by his own body’s response to Juila, how his base instincts had taken over, not allowing his good sense to prevail. Actually, he thought, if Juila hadn’t tied our life-lines, then neither of us would be regretting so many of our actions. This is all her fault! I can’t believe I actually thought I was in love with her. Gross!

  Behn gunned the engine to start it, burning off the tires in a satisfying squeal in his haste to leave the estate and his cousin behind forever. The car pitched sideways, causing Behn to have to scramble with the wheel to keep the car on the curved driveway. He never considered lifting his foot from the accelerator until he realized the gate would have to open before he could get away. Once clear of the final impediment, he again opened the throttle and drove without even paying attention to the direction he traveled.

  It was not until he realized he had arrived at the same nature preserve where he and Juila had committed their cardinal sin that he abruptly stopped the car. With the engine still running, Behn pounded the steering wheel with his fist several times before he rested his forehead against the top of it and began crying in great, heart-wrenching sobs. He had already been planning his future with Juila, as crazy as that sounded. Never had he imagined he would not be able to create the life he had dreamed. This day had gone from terrible to worse, from discovering his mom’s abduction to finding out he had committed incest.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Debbon had reluctantly left Manzanit late the night before, still without having Rasa emerge from her private chambers. Several times he had found himself sitting at his patil, poised to send a message to her, only to delete the message and wait for her to contact him. Surely, if there were any sort of problem, Ulwin would have let him know. No, he had to remain patient, something which he still had to work on anyway.

  To occupy his mind, he continued to research Vinia and her children. The idea of her being abducted by someone from Earth meant he had to decide some matters rather quickly. His son was already scheduled to return in only a couple of days, which gave him one less worry. However, his son’s presence probably protected Vinia’s children from possible harm since Willian had trained extensively with his birth crystal and could manage any difficult situation which might arise.

  An idea occurred to him, which made him wonder what took him so long to come up with it. Already, Chelesa had put her life at risk to go talk with Willian which further proved his point. It pleased him to no end to decide to install a patil in Valentina’s house so the girl could maintain contact with Willian or himself. Not only would this solve Willian’s problem of wanting to be with Valentina all of the time, but it would also give him peace of mind to know the girl could ask for assistance if she needed anything.

  Because this would be a device used in another dimension, Debbon himself would have to be the one to set it up. This served a double purpose of getting to visit Earth for himself while also allowing him to see where Valentina lived. She had seemed like a nice enough girl, but he would like to speak with the people who had been raising her, find out if they had the proper morals necessary for raising the future wife of an Elder.

  Just as he began turning away from his patil, a video link request popped up on the screen. When he tapped it, Rasa’s image appeared, looking radiant and elated. “Rasa, I was worried.”

  “I’m sorry, Debbon, but the most amazing thing happened yesterday.”

  “Does this have to do with Senjin’s visit?”

  “Yes! How did you know?”

  “Lucky guess. Tell me!”

  “Senjin brought me back my samara!”

  “He was the one who stole it?” Debbon leaned forward, hardly believing what he heard.

  “It wasn’t stolen. I can explain it all later, but the important part is that I’ve claimed my samara, and now it’s safe here with me.” Rasa practically beamed with pride over her accomplishment.

  “Well, at least that’s one more thing we can take off the long list of items that need to be handled yesterday! Congratulations, Rasa. I’m really happy for you.”

  “Debbon, please know I’ll assist you in whatever way I can to help you locate yours. I’m sorry for the way I gloated over getting mine, it was terribly insensitive of me.”

  “Nonsense, Rasa, you have every right to express your joy. I’ll just have to wait a little longer before I can share the same experience. No worries.”

  “Where are you going to start?”

  Debbon shook his head slightly, pursing his lips at the same time. “I have no idea, but I’m certain Jehoban has it all planned out for me.”

  “I’ll keep praying for it as well.”

  “Thanks, that means a lot.”

  “So…I should probably get back to my duties. I still have to do the District meditate this morning.”

  “I’ll let you get to it then. And, Rasa…I’m really happy you recovered your crystal, and I look forward to hearing the whole story once we both have time.”

  “Thanks! I’ll let our group know it’s been found.”

  The screen went blank as Rasa disconnected the call from her end. Debbon had been speaking the truth about being glad for her, but it did nothing to alleviate his concern about becoming one of the last people to receive their samara. His instincts told him his turn was coming, yet his mind kept telling him something had happened to his samara, and he would never get it.

  Shaking his head in anger, he realized this type of idea was exactly what Lucinden would want him to believe. He would not give in to the evil man’s scheme, he would remain strong in his belief in Jehoban’s plan for his future. He would find his samara.

  Chapter Seven

  AMANDA WAITED A couple of days to let things cool down a little before she arranged a trip to Roanoke. She did not bother sharing her plans with Juila because it was apparent her daughter was struggling enough with her feelings for Behn. Of course, he was not making things easier for her since he refused to even talk with her at school. She wished she could smooth things over for the two of them, but she supposed it was a good thing Behn was willing to be the strong one to keep their relationship strictly plutonic now that they knew they were cousins.

  Her arrival at the colony did not go unnoticed as several people waved in welcome as she stepped off of the beach path into the clearing of the town square if a broad dirt patch could be called such. Vinia, herself, was seated out on her porch, playing with Danika. Amanda was pleased to see her sister looking so happy to be home, the outcome could have been so much worse. At least with Vinia in Tuala, she was safe from the likes of Dr. Gascon.

  Vinia looked up at the motion seen in her peripheral vision, and she rose, smiling, to see Amanda had come to visit. She stepped off of her porch, shielding her eyes from the bright sunlight as she no longer had the luxury of shade. “What brings you here, Amanda? Is everything okay? Did something happen with the kids?”

  Amanda almost lost her nerve to reveal her true reason for coming until Vinia’s final question about the kids decided her next words. “I’ve actually come to talk to you about a situation with our kids. Do you have some time to talk? Maybe Ozian could watch Danika?”

  Vinia looked at Amanda’s face with alarm and answered, “This sounds serious.” She turned around, walked back to the porch, and picked up Danika. “Come with me to Ozian’s house, and I’ll ask if he can watch her.” She began walking without waiting for Amanda’s reply. “You know, Danika and Ozian got pretty close with their time alone together. It’s actually pretty wonderful to see how much they enjoy being with one another. It certainly eases my mind about getting married to know they get along.”

  “I’m glad,” Amanda murmured, realizing that Danika was her niece for the first time as the little girl watched her from over her mother’s shoulder. She followed along, mentally catalogin
g the different ways she could discuss everything with Vinia. There was no way to say any of it without leaving her sister feeling lied to and betrayed her whole life, much like Amanda had felt herself when she had finally been told about her ‘dead’ twin sister.

  Ozian was more than happy to watch the toddler when he was asked. “I was just going to begin making some reed furniture. The branches are all done soaking, so they’re good and soft. Maybe I’ll teach Danika to make something for herself. What do you say, Danika, do you want to make a chair with me?” He looked intently at the girl’s face while he tickled her stomach playfully, no longer even noticing the two women standing on his porch staring at him. Danika nodded her head dramatically. Ozian looked up and said, “Go ahead and go, I’ve got this!” He took the girl into his arms and went back inside his house.

  “It looks like they’re fast friends,” Amanda stated as they gaped at one another in surprise.

  They both burst out laughing, Amanda’s sounding more like nervous relief than genuine joy. All the same, it was good to begin on a good note, she was certain the mood would be quite different as soon as she got done with sharing Copa’s story.

  On the way back, Amanda noticed a new structure being built on the far edge of the town. Pleased to see the town had begun to think of their future, she asked, “What’s that going to be?”

  Vinia looked to where Amanda pointed and said, “Oh, that? Callan is building a kiln to teach the youngsters how to blow glass.”

  “Who’s Callan?” Amanda thought she knew everyone’s name, who lived in the small village.

  “He and his wife are staying here for a bit to teach us some new skills. It was Elder Debbon’s idea to help us become more familiar with how the rest of Tuala lives.” She skirted around Callan’s real reason for being there, feeling slightly uncomfortable with her explanation even though all of it had been truthful.

  “I think Elder Debbon’s onto something there. It seems Callan has certainly got his hands full with all of his helpers!” Amanda could not contain her smile as she saw all of the kids and women who flocked around the handsome stranger, eager to do as he instructed them. “It’s probably a good thing he’s already married!”

  “There were a few disappointed women when that fact became known!”

  Vinia became the proper hostess as they entered her house. “Would you like anything to eat or drink?”

  Suddenly losing all of her prior sense of levity from their previous conversation, Amanda sobered and replied, “No, Vinia, please let’s just sit. What I have to share is not only complicated but also devastating to so many people you included.”

  “Now you have me scared. Are you sure my kids are okay?”

  “Yes, Vinia, they’re fine…well mostly. Please let me tell you what I came to say, and then you can ask me questions when I’m done.” Amanda seated herself at the kitchen table and waited for Vinia to join her.

  “I’m listening,” she urged as soon as she sat across from Amanda. “Please don’t keep me waiting, I’m worried enough as it is.”

  Amanda nodded and took a deep breath. “Have you ever wondered why you and I look so much alike?”

  Vinia smiled and answered, “Well, actually, I did think it was mighty strange. Is that what this is about? Are you and I actually cousins? I think that’d be amazing to actually have living relatives again.”

  Amanda smiled dimly. “We’re a little closer than cousins, Vinia, we’re identical twin sisters.”

  “Oh, Amanda, you had me going there for a second! Seriously, how are we related? My father wasn’t from around here, so maybe he had brothers or sisters?”

  Amanda shook her head sadly. “Let me tell you what wise-woman Copa shared with me, and then you can tell me what you believe.”

  “Okay,” Vinia humored her.

  After what felt like forever, Amanda stopped talking when Vinia finally realized the truth of the story and broke down crying, head lowered into her hands.

  “How could this have happened?” she mumbled through her palms. “How could they have lied to me my whole life knowing I wasn’t their child? I was never meant for this world, and yet it’s all I’ve ever known.”

  “Your parents never knew,” Amanda consoled even though it became quite apparent she no longer heard her. Amanda let Vinia wallow in her pity for a couple of minutes before she dealt the final blow. “This is sad for us, Vinia, only because we’ve been robbed of so many years, or anons, as you’d call them. The real tragedy is now between Behn and Juila. They know they can’t be together because they are so closely related. Juila broke up with Behn, and he’s not been taking it very well. He won’t even speak with Juila at school anymore.

  “I know they can’t be together in the way they imagined, yet they are still family. Do you think you could talk to him and maybe smooth things over a bit? The two of them were friends before they started dating. It would be better for both of them if they could at least have that relationship back, don’t you think?”

  A strange expression passed over Vinia’s face as Amanda explained the problem they had to face together. She had never imagined the time would come where she would have to revisit her past mistakes. Amanda had no idea what she was asking of her with her seemingly simple request. She whispered, “I’ll do what I can.”

  “Thanks, Vinia. It’s all any of us can do in these strange circumstances. Now I have another question for you.”

  “What’s that?” Vinia asked with a sense of dread looming over her.

  “Do you want me to tell our parents that you’re alive and arrange for you to meet them?”

  “Our parents?” Vinia echoed in astonished wonder. She had lost her parents so many anons before that she never even appreciated how much she missed them until she realized she had never actually met her real parents. She had an opportunity to begin again with her birth parents, much like her own children had done with their adoptive parents. Suddenly she was scared of what they might think of her. If they disapproved of her or her choices in life, would it be better to not ever know them at all?

  “Mom has been mourning you our entire lives. Imagine how happy she’d be to know you were still alive!”

  “What about your dad…our dad…has he mourned, too?”

  “Of course, only Mom has felt worse since she always blamed your death on herself because she was told you were stillborn. She got it in her head that her body had killed you, and she could never forgive herself.”

  “That’s just silly!”

  “We both know that, but her grief was so strong, she wasn’t thinking straight.”

  “Okay, go ahead and tell them. I’d hate for her to have to feel guilty for another moment longer than she needs. Besides, I’m curious to know what they’re like. I haven’t had parents for anons, so it’d be pretty amazing to get a chance to start over. Do you think they’ll like me?”

  “What’s not to like?” Amanda stood up abruptly and walked around the table. She waited for Vinia to stand as well, before giving her sister her first hug, welcoming her into the family. “I can’t wait for us to get to know one another better. Just imagine, our parents now have four more grandchildren!”

  Again, Vinia winced at Amanda’s reminder of her children. There were so many changes in store for all of them, and she wondered how they were all going to fare after everything was said and done.

  “I’m going to head home now. If you want to talk, message me through the patil. I’ll let you know how things go with our parents.” Amanda smiled broadly at even being able to say ‘our parents’ with Vinia.

  Something instantly sparked inside of Vinia as her belief finally came fully to life, she heard a strange dialogue in her mind. It was almost as if a constant stream of consciousness had activated. She shook her head and rubbed her temple with her index finger. “That’s so strange.”

  Having felt the exact thing, Amanda nodded her agreement. “What is that?”

  Amanda’s verbal question was an echo
of what had been within Vinia’s mind. Her eyes grew large as realization struck.

  At the same instant, Amanda looked into her sister’s eyes, exactly the same as her own, and they both knew the twin-link had been established between them. Just like Juila and Jena could hear one another’s thoughts, so could they. The only thing which had been separating them had been ignorance. Once they both knew the truth and believed it to their core, it was as if instinct had taken over and joined them together as if they had never been parted.

  Amanda giggled like a little girl at their new bond. She enthusiastically hugged her sister. “This is going to be amazing!” Amanda never even knew she had not said it aloud, yet Vinia heard her loud and clear.

  Amanda pulled away and spoke, “Okay, I really am leaving now. I love you, Vinia! I’m sure we’ll be seeing one another soon once I speak with Mom and Dad.” Feeling lighthearted for the first time in several days, Amanda left her speechless sister behind and practically floated back to the telepod on the beach. So strong were her thoughts of joy and wonder that she never heard her sister’s fear of never having a private thought again.

  Her trip home was short, as always, which was good considering how much she actually had on her mind. It was a good thing Riccan had created the telepod to be self-sufficient, considering her thoughts had only been half-heartedly on her travel, which would have been catastrophic in a standard telepod requiring the operator’s full attention. After she powered down the telepod, she mentally reached out to tell her sister she had arrived safely.

  It only took her a second to realize the connection had not held between the dimensions, which disturbed her slightly. Her own daughters had managed to keep their connection even when they were separated by distance and dimensions. Of course, they had been using their link since drawing their first breath, so it would stand to reason it would be stronger. Amanda convinced herself that, over time, her own link would grow in strength to include Tuala as well as Earth.