“I hate that place,” Diane spat.
Amanda chose to ignore her mother’s commentary and continued, “I thought I would feel some sort of peace or closure by being near my sister. I was wrong. I left there feeling more empty than ever before, and I vowed never to go back there.
“I have to admit that I was angry at both of you for keeping her memory from me all of those years, but I also understand it was really hard on both of you too. Especially you, Mom, since you felt us both living inside you for all those months. I wanted to tell you that I’m no longer angry, and I wanted to give you both back the peace you deserve.”
“What are you saying, Amanda? How can we find peace in this?” Chris asked plainly.
“Because I know something which will change everything.”
“What?” Diane asked, looking up at her with red, puffy eyes. “How could the loss of a child ever not hurt?”
“Because you didn’t lose Virginia, she was taken.”
“Yes, I know God took her back, but I still wanted to be her mother.”
“No, Mom, you’re not hearing me. Virginia is still alive.”
“What?” “How?” Chris and Diane asked in unison.
“There was a prophecy…” Amanda related the story as it had been told to her. This having been the third time she told the story, she felt better able to pay attention to her parents rather than focusing on getting the details correct. She could see the denial shift into hope until finally turning into elation at having their prayers answered.
“So this Vinia woman you’ve talked about before, she’s our daughter?” Chris asked, trying to wrap his head around it all.
“Yes. I already told her everything I just shared with you. She wanted you to know the truth, and she also wants to get to know you both.”
Diane’s tears were flowing freely down her cheeks, her eyes sparkling with a light Amanda had never seen before. Reaching over to take her mother’s hand, she asked, “Are you okay, Mom?”
“I’ve never been this happy. Amanda, you have no idea what this means to me…to us! Our family has been restored!” Her smile radiated her feelings of love and renewed hope.
Chris could see something in his daughter’s expression which troubled him. He asked, “If you’ve known about this for a few days, why did it take so long for you to tell us? Why did you wait until today?”
Amanda bit her bottom lip nervously. This was the part of the conversation she had been dreading the most. Her mother always worried over everything, this was surely going to make her upset. “I was afraid. I didn’t know how you would take the news, it seemed like such a tall tale, but you’ve believed me with even more fantastic stories, so I don’t know why this would be any harder.
Amanda shifted gears as another point popped into her head. “You know the twin link that Jena and Juila share? They can hear each other’s thoughts.”
“Yes, it’s pretty amazing,” Chris agreed.
“As soon as Vinia accepted what I was telling her, something similar happened between us. It’s not nearly as strong as what my girls share, but I think, over time, it’ll strengthen.”
Diane’s last lingering doubt over the veracity of the story dissolved with this final detail. She knew Vinia was her lost daughter, and her heart felt full, almost to bursting, with the happiness of a possible reunion. “When can we go see her?”
“You can’t go see her, Mom, not without having your own birth crystal.” She held up her hand to stall her mother’s complaint. “Vinia said she would come here when she has the chance. She has a lot going on right now, but she’ll make time soon.”
“When will you be seeing her again?” Diane asked, hoping to arrange a meeting swiftly.
“Tonight, in fact,” Amanda answered, looking down at her watch. Her time was growing short, and she had to deliver one last bit of troubling news. “I wanted to talk to you about that as well.”
“Go ahead then,” Chris prompted.
“Dr. Gascon kidnapped Vinia on the first of this month.”
“What? How did that happen? Did that vile doctor figure out how to cross over to Tuala?” Chris’ mind went in several different directions, all of the outcomes were rather dire.
“No, Vinia was visiting her three children here on Earth. Their adoptive mother turned her in to the doctor. It was just coincidence that she happened to locate Dr. Gascon to get her. As soon as we found out about Vinia being missing, Riccan went to Creedmoor and took her home to Tuala. She had been missing for four days, and we need to discover what Dr. Gascon might have found out from her.
“We’re going over there tonight with Elder Daven to have him unlock her memories. Depending on what we find out, we might end up staying in Tuala until we know it’s safe for us to come back to Earth.”
“Safe? What’s really going on, Amanda?” The joy in Diane’s eyes had been replaced with fear as she began to understand what her daughter was saying.
Amanda wished she did not have to deliver this news, but she knew her parents would be safer if they had all of the details. The only way they could prepare would be giving them full disclosure. “When Riccan rescued Vinia, he had gone in with an invisibility shield. They never knew he was there, but he heard and saw some alarming things.”
“Just tell us straight out,” Chris prompted.
“There were men there from a place called AFOSI, and Air Force special task force. Somehow they had found out about Vinia, and they were going to take her into custody. We don’t have all of the details, but we do know that once the government is involved, we are all in danger. We need to know how much Dr. Gascon might have learned before we can create a game plan for all of us. Unfortunately, this means everyone in this house is in potential danger as long as we remain ignorant.”
“I see,” Chris murmured, tipping his head back as he began to flip through various scenarios in his head.
“What would we do if these AFOSI people were to come here?” Diane asked urgently, already looking toward the door as if they were ready to barge inside. Diane grasped Chris’s hand harder, looking at him to keep them safe.
“Lie,” Amanda answered bluntly.
Chapter Nineteen
SOFIA DISCOVERED SHE had walked farther away from anyone and everything during her several frights the previous day, and it took her quite a while before anything began to look familiar. She kept the water to her left as she walked along the beach, thinking the horizon would most likely be the best compass she could find to keep her from becoming hopelessly lost.
She came along what she believed to be the trail leading into the village, yet it turned out to only lead to a coconut grove. After retracing her steps until she returned to the openness of the beach, she continued walking, still planning what she would say when she finally arrived in the village. The pendant bumping against her chest with each step made her feel self-conscious, enough so that she finally shoved the stolen necklace under her shirt so it would not draw immediate attention to any passersby.
The next path she felt certain would be the one to civilization, she walked confidently at first until she started to think it should have ended long before. “Oh well,” she spoke out loud, just to hear someone’s voice amid the bird calls and rustling leaves. “I came here to see Jon’s world, so I might as well find out where this leads before I get whisked back home.”
Just before deciding to turn around, she heard voices, one male and one female, although she had yet to see anyone. They seemed to be arguing about something which made Sofia hesitant to step out and introduce herself. Sofia edged closer, realizing there was a large open space where there were no trees ahead; she figured the people were probably near that area.
“Why did you bring me all the way out here?” the male voice asked.
“Because you seemed so troubled, Behn. I thought the sacred waters would soothe your mind.”
Sofia clasped her hand across her mouth as she realized she had accidentally found Behn. She debated
between presenting herself immediately or listening in on their conversation to discover what had been bothering Behn all week at school. Her curiosity won out, and she kneeled on the ground to continue eavesdropping.
“I could’ve gone to the beach if I wanted soothing,” Behn lashed out.
“No, Behn, this water’s different. It works best if you bathe in it.”
“I didn’t bring a suit.”
Sofia could hear the bitter surliness in his voice.
“You don’t need one,” the girl said brightly.
“What are you doing? Put your clothes back on, Fraya!”
“Don’t be such a prude. I’m going swimming, are you going to join me or just sit there staring at me?”
“I wasn’t staring. Fine, it’s kind of hot out here anyway.”
Sofia heard soft noises and almost called out in fright as Behn’s shirt landed on the top of the bush under which she had hidden. Several seconds later, a loud splash sounded as Sofia imagined Behn had jumped into the water before laughter and playful sounds came from farther away. Time seemed to stand still as she listened to the banter, hardly believing Behn could have been so angry at home as to want to leave, and yet now he did not seem to have a care in the world.
It took Sofia a moment to realize she no longer heard any water sounds, but rather something different, a rhythmic slapping sound which she could not place. She edged away from the bushes and got her first view of the pristine pool in which the pair had been swimming. Not seeing anyone, she walked toward the water and looked to her left, where she saw more of her friend than she had ever wanted to.
“Behn! What are you doing?” Sofia clapped her hand over her eyes to stop seeing her best friend’s boyfriend having sex with some unknown girl he must have just met.
“Sofia! How’d you get here?”
“Who’s she?” Fraya asked, more annoyed than anything to have her plans for seduction interrupted.
“Get up and get dressed, Fraya, this was a mistake. I need to go back to the village,” Behn stated, no longer happy or playful.
“I could believe that last time, Behn, but not this time. You wanted me, and you took me,” Fraya declared hotly.
“I said it was a mistake, Fraya. Don’t you dare say anything about this to anyone or else…” he growled back at her.
Sofia kept her hand covering her eyes, although she felt Behn brush past her to retrieve his discarded clothes. Knowing he stood behind her, Sofia let her hand drop so she could look at this girl who had obviously been making a pretty successful play for her friend. She stalked forward, hands on her hips, looking down at the girl who had made no attempt to move or get dressed. “What game are you playing at?” Sofia asked in a loud, angry whisper.
“He’s mine, and you can’t have him,” Fraya hissed back, her eyes narrowing as she assessed her rival.
“I don’t want him, but he’s not yours either. Be careful with this game you’re playing because you’ll never win him, least of all this way.” She glared down at her one last time before turning her back on the voluptuous, naked girl.
“Then you obviously know nothing about men,” Fraya called out to her, laughing at her own success.
Sofia stomped over to Behn and grabbed his arm angrily. “Since when did you start whoring yourself out? What about Juila? Are you well and truly done with her?”
Behn rounded on her, his eyes hard and cold, as he ripped his arm out of her grasp. “This is none of your business, Sofia. I don’t have to answer to you, or Juila, or anybody for that matter. What I do and who I do it with is my concern and nobody else’s.” He grabbed her by the arm and began towing her through some scrub brush before coming out onto a different trail than the one Sofia had been following.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amanda felt lighter after telling her parents the truth about Vinia. When Riccan said he was ready to head over to Roanoke, Amanda felt relieved to be getting away from their troubles on Earth to find answers in Tuala. The kids, including Valentina and Jon, who had arrived several hours earlier to visit, already waited in the telepod. Amanda secretly believed their visitors preferred being away from their house and their mother in particular.
“When will Daven be getting there?” Amanda asked, meeting Riccan at the bottom of the stairs to walk out with him to the garage.
“Oh, he’s already there.”
“Really? Did he have other business as well?”
“No, he just thought Vinia would be more relaxed without a large audience watching.”
“I can see his logic. So, do you think he’ll be done by the time we arrive?”
“It’s hard to say, but the longer we stand here talking…” he teased.
“We’re not standing here, we’re walking out to the telepod. Unless you wanted to translate me to the garage instead,” Amanda challenged.
“Don’t tempt me!”
They were laughing as they entered the telepod, instantly realizing the kids were too sober for their own good. Riccan sat in the pilot’s seat while Amanda sat next to him up front. They had decided the kids were too preoccupied to make safe pilots, plus they could all visit with one another in the main cabin while Riccan piloted them to their destination. Only a couple of minutes elapsed before he softly set the craft down on the powdery sand in Roanoke.
He tapped the button on the console to open the cargo door, letting the fresh sea breeze flush out the stale air from within. Amanda stood from her chair first and led the way out of the telepod, soaking up the sun and panoramic view while her friends and family disembarked to join her.
Having been so preoccupied with her own worries, she only now remembered to ask about Sofia. “Did any of you end up hearing from Sofia last night?” When all she got were negative shakes of their heads, she worried that Jon might have had some validity to her being taken by the AFOSI people. She snagged Riccan’s arm as he approached her and leaned in to whisper, “When we get home, we should see what we can do to locate Sofia. I don’t like it that none of the kids has heard from her, it’s not like her.”
“I agree. Maybe I’ll time our return so I can get an earlier start on it. Would you mind?”
“No, I think that would be a good reason for the risk.”
“It’s not much of a risk with the systems in place on this craft, you know.” Riccan leaned into her playfully, hoping to lighten her mood before they arrived at Vinia’s house. They followed the kids on the path, feeling hopeful about what they would discover once Daven finished his work with Vinia. When they saw the cabin door open, they assumed the interview had been completed, and their steps unconsciously quickened.
The kids had already moved inside, yet Davin and Vinia were not there. Amanda looked around in wonder and asked, “Where are they?”
Valentina volunteered, “They went to drop Danika off at Ozian’s house.”
“Why was she here?”
“Apparently, they finished quite a while ago, and Danika wanted dinner. They just got done eating when they saw us coming.”
Amanda sat at the table, still thinking. “I wonder why they both went.”
“I think Mom wanted to talk to Daven in private,” Jon offered, taking a seat across from Amanda.
“He’s right,” Vinia affirmed from the front door as she moved inside her house, looking around to see all of her family together.
Amanda’s head swiveled around in surprise at seeing her sister appear so fast, surprised to note the mind-link had not activated the moment they had landed as she had supposed it would. More than a little disappointed, Amanda asked, “How did your session go? Were you able to recall everything, so we know where we stand on Earth?”
Daven answered for her, “I don’t believe the doctor got any useful information from her. She mostly talked about the people here and what she’s done for the community. There were a couple references to Behn, but nothing which would lead the doctor to do anything with it.” Turning to face Vinia, he asked, “That about sums it all
up, don’t you think?”
She nodded, not trusting her voice to be steady at Daven’s spin on her admission regarding Behn. One more person now knew her most painful secret, another person who could accidentally talk about it offhandedly.
She felt as though she should just come clean, but something kept her from speaking out. Looking over at Valentina and Jon, she knew she did not want to see them look at her with the same hurtful expression as Behn had done when she had told him. She felt like such a coward, the worst kind of mother, selfish, really.
“So, if we’re all still safe from Dr. Gascon, then why take Danika over to Ozian’s house?” Jon asked.
Vinia looked over at her son and said, “Because I wanted to talk about Behn. He’s been pretty angry since he’s been here. I don’t know him very well, but he’s been really argumentative and hostile. I’d hoped he would come to terms with the situation in his life and decide to go back home, but I just don’t think that’s going to be the case. Will it cause a problem if he decides to stay here for good?”
“He has to come back,” Valentina blurted, suddenly scared to go home without him. “I mean, we still have to finish high school.” She knew her excuse sounded lame, but she had to say something.
“Let’s give him a few more days for him to start missing his friends,” Riccan spoke for the first time, thinking he knew how Behn felt.
“I don’t think he’s missing anything,” Jon mumbled, remembering the previous day when he had caught him messing around with the girl on the trail.
“What was that, Jon?” Juila asked, leaning into Jon’s shoulder to lend him support during this troubling time in all of their lives.
“Nothing important,” he replied, feeling his cheeks beginning to flush as he imagined what Behn had been doing and feeling guilty for not saying anything to Juila about it.
“Where is Behn?” Riccan asked, leaning against the doorframe and folding his arms across his chest.
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