She gave a half smile. ‘What do you mean?’
‘We were kissing and then I woke up. Did anything happen?’
‘You must be hallucinating. You spilt your drink on me and then I did not see you again, until now,’ she laughed.
‘Really, that’s weird.’ He shook his head in confusion. ‘I’m sure you came back to my halls of residence.’
‘But, if you’d like me to kiss you and come back to your room, I’d be happy to oblige,’ she teased, interrupting his line of thought.
‘Erm, it’s okay. Thanks for offering.’ For once, he wished he was not so damn polite – she was definitely lying. After putting a few squirts of ketchup on his bacon roll, he took a large bite. He was starving. He chewed quickly, got the first bite down, and then took another larger mouthful.
‘Don’t let the dust settle,’ she giggled.
‘Yeah, I don’t know what’s up with me this morning. I feel weird.’
‘It happens. You know when you start to make things up; it indicates the first signs of madness.’
‘You have a strange sense of humour,’ he scoffed.
‘I have to go, but I’ll see you around,’ Ingrid said. She downed her juice, got up and made to go.
‘Okay then, I’ll see you.’ As he watched her leave, he could not help admiring her form.
The boy came up to clear the table as Steven picked up a local newspaper left on the rack.
‘Is she your girlfriend?’ The boy was in awe.
‘No.’
The boy collected the plates and whistled as he left.
Steven appreciated the fact Ingrid was attractive. He just did not know why he could not trust her. It could have been a dream. The problem was it felt real.
Casually, he flicked through the pages. There was nothing much of interest, other than the usual advertisements and local stories. A sports article showed how the athletes had fared at their latest meet. Everyone looked so pleased with themselves. He remembered the countless swimming competitions he had taken part in. There was nothing like swimming up and down a pool to drown out crazy ideas.
He was about to put the paper down when the main article on the front page jumped out at him. The heading read ‘teen suicide was tragic and avoidable.’ Usually, he did not read articles about death, especially when the person that had died was close to his age. However, he was drawn to read it, the death of Georgina still lingered on his mind. The article revealed that the suicide victim was a boy, aged seventeen. He had been found lifeless in his room, after an apparent drug overdose, a note left behind said he was sorry. He pushed the newspaper aside and stared at the floor. It was just a sad story of another wasted life.
***
The lifeguard had been working at the leisure centre for a month. She was getting tired of watching the water for the looming accident and had been practicing a gaze that wouldn’t make her look totally gormless. “Talent” was the only thing that kept her awake on most evenings. She was pleasantly surprised to see the tall, dark and handsome student exit the changing area. Finally, something worth her while.
A total of five people graced the pool with their presence. Two of them happened to be in the fast lane. The lifeguard watched him dive in at the deep end, before storming ahead. In no time at all, he managed to catch up with one of the swimmers. After five minutes, he seemed to ease into his stroke. He was very fast.
A scenario popped in her mind. He might ask her on a date. Dreaming was free.
After watching him go up and down the lane a lot of times, she started to lose interest. Finally, he stopped and climbed up the side of the pool to leave. She stared in shock as she wondered what that was. As a matter of caution, she hopped off the seat and walked over.
‘Hi, sorry to bother you, but I think you should get that checked out. I thought you were bleeding from a distance,’ she explained, whilst she pointed at his neck.
He put his hand to his neck, and tried to turn to get a better look. There was no way he could see from that angle.
‘Thanks, I’ll check it out now,’ he said, and then rushed in the direction of the men’s changing room.
Now wouldn’t have been a good time to remind him running was not allowed on poolside.
She resumed her position and wondered what that strange mark was. She could have sworn it looked like some sort of love bite. She gave a sly smile as she wondered who the lucky girl had been.
***
Paranoid, Steven checked the changing room for occupancy before he made his way over to the mirror. He had a red wound on his neck, just below his ear. Getting closer he noticed that the edge of the mark was purplish. It looked like a bruise. It reminded him of the effect left on his arm when he had donated blood months earlier. Moving closer, he noticed two tiny pinprick points. Shivers ran down his spine and he recoiled. It looked like a bite mark – the kind of bite mark normally associated with vampires.
Why would he think of vampires?
As far as he was concerned it was just a gory story, something made up to explain the macabre. Or, something to make children laugh – he always liked watching Scooby Doo. Yet, the marks, they looked remarkably familiar. Creative makeup used to convey the perfect movie scene. Only, this was not a movie. The marks were real and they were on his neck.
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Chapter 9
Revelations
The street was practically deserted as he made his way back to halls. The eerie silence did nothing to settle his mood. Ingrid had lied. She was the only person who had got close enough to bite him. Ingrid claimed they had not been together, but Steven was convinced she was holding something back – his dreams were never that vivid.
As he lifted his head to cross the road, he froze. Ingrid was coming out of the shop, carrying a plastic bag full of what he assumed were groceries. She caught his eye and smiled. After checking it was safe to cross, he made his way over.
‘Ingrid,’ he said, adopting a casual tone. He had to try to act normal.
‘Steven, it’s nice to see you. Have you been working out or something?’ She pointed at his wet hair and the towel he had strategically placed around his neck.
‘I’ve just been swimming to get my mind off things.’ He was tempted to say more, instead, he added, ‘We need to talk.’
‘Again? I am popular today,’ she scoffed.
‘I think you left a few things out earlier,’ he said, his right hand in a fist on his rucksack straps.
She frowned and then replied, ‘I don’t think so, but okay then.’
He could not believe she still feigned ignorance.
‘I’ll walk with you. I’m not in a hurry to get back.’
The words tumbled out of his mouth. ‘Did you give me a love bite last night? If you want me to refresh your memory, look at this.’ He pushed the towel aside and revealed the mark. ‘I just want to know what happened.’
Ingrid gave a hysterical laugh. ‘Nothing happened with us. I didn’t do that. Whatever it is, it looks like you got lucky with someone else.’
Steven felt his free hand go into a fist. Through clenched teeth, he spat out the accusation, ‘Don’t lie to me. I remember us kissing. You went towards my neck before I blacked out. It was you.’ He grabbed her hands and searched in her eyes. He could see her eyes flinch; he had caught her off guard.
‘Let me go,’ Ingrid said, her voice powerful and in command if slightly irritated. She shook her wrists out of his grip and gave him a firm push.
Steven landed on his backside with a thud. It hurt. She was very strong – too strong.
‘Who are you?’ he asked. He looked up and tried to make eye contact. With the street lighting he could only make out her silhouette. Her profile was not attractive anymore. It was scary – even for him.
In a deep voice, she calmly replied, ‘If I answer your question, it will change your life. You should forget the mark for now.’
The words sunk in gradually. He did not want to mainta
in the weaker ground. He got up quickly. At least he was taller than her, it gave him some comfort. ‘What exactly do you mean by for now? And do you mind letting me in on how you are so strong?’
‘I can’t explain anything logically to you.’ For the first time, her tone wavered.
Just then he felt his energy levels drop as he lost his balance for a second. He straightened up. It could have been the swim, perhaps dehydration? Or just general frustration? Ingrid made no sense at all. ‘Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just too tired and hungry to try to figure it out. When you want to tell me the truth then come and find me.’
He mustered up every ounce of energy he had left and broke into a run. After a few minutes, it became a steady jog. He had to get away from her. He had to get back to the comfort of his room. The cold evening air on his face brought some sanity back to his state of mind. He slowed down further and maintained a steady walking pace.
The voice ahead made his hairs stand on end.
‘Are you avoiding me now?’ Ingrid’s tone was assertive, almost threatening. She leant against the tree in front of him with her arms folded across her chest. ‘What would you say if I was responsible for the bite mark?’ She surveyed him with amusement.
Steven stopped and watched her, unsure on what to say. He could not figure out how she had managed to pass him. ‘So, it is a bite mark? Are you going to answer my questions honestly from now on?’
‘I can’t make any promises.’
Steven frowned. He was beginning to think that getting a straight answer out of Ingrid was impossible. ‘Did you do something to make me pass out? Yes or no, it’s a simple question.’
She stared into his eyes and nodded. It was a piercing look that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Reticent, he continued, ‘What exactly did you do?’
‘What do you think I did?’
The question was a challenge even though allusive – again.
‘Stupid as it sounds, the mark would make me guess that…’ He stopped and shook his head. ‘This is stupid, but it looks like the kind of mark made if you were trying to drink my blood. It’s just ridiculous, isn’t it?’ He rubbed the wound on his neck.
‘Yes, ridiculous, isn’t it?’ Ingrid repeated.
‘What are you not telling me?’ he sighed.
She looked away and glanced at the cars going by, lost in thought. A long minute later, she said, ‘I can’t do anything to harm you. The mark was an accident.’
‘Wait a minute, does that mean that you would have done something to me, but you couldn’t? Can you cut to the chase and just tell me already?’
Irritated, she flicked her head back to face him. ‘I can’t tell you anything that I don’t understand myself.’
‘Fine,’ he muttered. He wondered where to go from here. His short time studying Law had made him appreciate that if she was a key witness, he’d have a hard time getting anything out of her. ‘Okay, time for a direct question. Did you bite me?’
She held out her hands. ‘Why does it matter? No harm was done.’
The suspense was killing him. He raised his voice. ‘I’m just trying to find out who the hell you are. At the moment you’re making no sense at all.’
‘Let’s just say that I’m not like everyone else and keep it at that. I’m sorry that I’ve confused you. You really have to let this go,’ she reiterated, the Cheshire grin back on her blemish free face. He imagined a lot of men would faint at her feet. He was not under her spell. Her expression was completely insincere. She was doing nothing to win him over.
He lowered his tone, and took a deep breath, ‘Are you normal?’
‘Me, normal? Never,’ she cackled.
He had no idea if she was joking. His shoulders slumped. ‘Seriously, who are you?’
‘You know that already, I’m just Ingrid.’
‘Fine, you want to play it like that. Okay, so answer me this. Do you know me from somewhere? I can’t help feeling like the reason I bumped into you was not an accident.’
‘I have never met you before in my life,’ she replied, a half-smile on her face.
Just then it hit him. She might know something about him, something about his past. Why had he not seen it before? She had even known his name. ‘But you know something about me, don’t you?’
‘Not really, but there is something about you I find familiar. I have to admit that. Honestly, I don’t know why.’
She sounded truthful. ‘What is it that makes me familiar?’
‘Look, you remind me of someone I know and the truth is we have something in common, something that makes us different to other people.’
He was not sure if he wanted to know what she was talking about. For all he knew, she could be crazy. ‘What is it?’ his voice sceptical.
‘I can’t tell you.’ She looked at the floor. For one fleeting moment, vulnerable. At last, her defences were starting to crack.
‘So let me ask something even more insane. Are you or we according to you, even human?’
Choking involuntarily, she laughed, ‘Of course, we’re human.’
He relaxed his shoulders and then tensed again as she added, ‘Mainly.’ The cheeky smile was back again. Ingrid was the weirdest person, or whatever she was, he had ever met.
‘What does that mean?’ He paced up and down. He needed some momentum to think.
‘I know that if I tell you I bit you, you’ll think I’m something stupid like a vampire – which I’m not,’ she said, as she raked her hands through her hair, ‘look, I give up. I never lie to our own. The truth is that I wanted human blood.’
‘Be serious,’ he gasped, his jaw slackened. In a quiet voice, he asked, ‘What are you?’
The way she stood tall, remaining calm and collected, was starting to get on his nerves. The answer she gave did nothing to put him at ease. ‘Look, a lot of stories have been written and it makes it hard to explain. The point is, you don’t believe in vampires, do you?’
He laughed aloud, nervous, ‘Not usually, but these circumstances make me use my imagination. Look, if it was human blood you were after, what was wrong with mine?’
‘Your blood was no good for me.’
‘Why?’
‘You don’t have normal human blood.’
‘This gets more ridiculous by the minute. So what do I have, alien blood?’
‘No, it’s like mine.’
‘What the… what does that mean?’ He ran his hand along his head and scratched his brow, his pacing still frantic. Just then, he froze, and narrowed his eyes to face her again. ‘Is that why you said that you never lie to our own, am I related to you?’
‘I can’t explain it now.’
‘You are so infuriating. TELL ME WHAT’S GOING ON!’ As she remained still, refusing to retaliate, he added in a softer voice. ‘And you say you’re not a vampire?’
‘No, I am not a creature of the night. And neither are you. Look, I can’t tell you any more, just that we are different to other people and I don’t know why you don’t know anything about it.’ She paused. Then she talked aloud, lost in her own thoughts, ‘I have to try and find out. I’m sorry to have started you on a path that leads nowhere. If I can answer your questions, I’ll come and find you. But, I can answer your last question. Of one thing I am certain, we are not related.’
In a split second, she got within breathing distance and kissed him on the lips with force. Too shocked to react, he closed his eyes and remained still, fixed to the spot. When he opened them again, she was gone.
‘Ingrid,’ he hollered. No-one replied.
His head pounded with questions that could not be answered logically. As much as he didn’t want to know about his past, he realised that perhaps it was the only way to get some answers. Maybe his biological mother left for a valid reason after all and he should try to find out about her. His dad never talked about her. He had no pictures or evidence to show she even existed. As far as he knew, she had vanished. Ingrid had
opened a can of worms. He just could not figure out if it was all in her imagination.
Of one thing he was certain, looking into the past had consequences. He did not want to hurt his dad. Yet, he did not want to remain in the dark. He was caught in a Catch-22 situation. It was easier to believe Ingrid was insane. Unfortunately, his logical mind had picked up a few things that were not normal – her strength, her speed, her beauty. She was not what he called ‘run of the mill’. And if she had said the truth, neither was he.
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Chapter 10
Emily
It was hard for someone like Anna. All of her life she had lived as a pair. Even though she had her own life, a husband she loved, her children – all of which her sister, Emily, had none – she never stopped being a twin. She hated being identical. Looks were nothing to go on. They had totally different personalities. Emily insisted on bending the rules, all the time. If what she had heard was true, this time her sister had gone too far. Yet, even though she knew her sister was going to be in a lot of trouble, it was inconsequential. She would be compelled to help her again.
She blamed herself.
In hindsight, it was obvious Emily had been hiding something. There was no other reason for her disappearance all those years ago. Still, she found it hard to believe her sister had actually hidden a son. A son conceived with a normal human. It was a ludicrous notion. What had Emily been thinking? How could she be so irresponsible? Emily always managed to bypass rules, as though it was inbuilt. Either way, even for her this situation went too far. She had endangered them all by being so incredibly reckless.
Anna tucked her short black hair behind her ears, and braced herself as she approached the door. She closed her hand into a fist, knocked and waited.
Emily threw the door open and embraced her sister. ‘Anna, I’m so glad to see you.’
Anna eased back and folded her arms over her chest. ‘What have you done now? What’s going on?’
The Evolution Trilogy: Hybrid, Complications & Return Page 7