In that moment of serenity he took stock of his situation.
Was he foolish to think he could waltz back into Caitlin’s life and resume where they left off? It was extremely naïve of him to consider his life normal, especially when you took into account what he had just done. He could never be the same person he used to be. The need for blood grew, like an uncontrollable virus, and he was beginning to develop a taste for human blood. He liked how it made him feel.
The snow had started to settle on his shoulders so he brushed it off. He wondered if he could sweep aside his doubts and remain positive. He would not abandon Caitlin. They were meant for each other. It was worth a shot. They were worth a shot. He could not live with the regret his mother had experienced. When he leapt off the tree he wondered what his grandparents would think of his decision to use someone as a donor. He doubted they would object. After all, they wanted him to make a full recovery.
In the dark the house had a majestic air about it. Its vantage point helped. It sat on top of the hill basked in the moonlight glow, surrounded by countryside. One of the lower windows shed some light on the shrubs at the side of the house. It could only mean one thing; Jeff and Judith were still awake. Steven made his way to the sash window and peeked in. As he did, the window slid open in front of him.
‘Welcome back Steven. Is the front door not good enough for you?’ Jeff asked, a grin on his face.
Steven shrugged, slid in through the window and straightened up to face them.
As they studied him, Judith frowned and Jeff scowled.
‘Why Steven?’ Judith shook her head.
‘Why what?’ he asked confused.
‘We know you’ve had human blood, don’t lie to us. Have you killed someone?’ Jeff was blunt and straight to the point.
‘No, no, of course I haven’t killed anyone. But…’
‘Oh no,’ Judith sighed, easing her arm into Jeff’s for support.
‘But, what,’ Jeff interrupted as he patted his wife’s arm. ‘What excuse could you possibly have? We trusted you.’
‘Look, I didn’t kill anyone. I just …’
‘Just what?’ Jeff stressed, impatient. ‘If you drank someone’s blood you broke the rules. We should have been there. What happens if she behaves like that girl in Manaus?’
‘I’m sorry okay. I know it was stupid.’
‘Damn right it was stupid,’ Jeff huffed.
After a few minutes of silence, Judith spoke, ‘Jeff, it’s done. Let’s hear what he has to say. He does need it to recover after all, regardless of how risky it is.’
‘Fine,’ Jeff said, as his shoulders relaxed.
They simultaneously turned towards the fireplace, took a seat on the sofa and waited in silence. Steven paced the room. He could not understand why he had acted so impulsively. Finally, he sat down on the old fashioned armchair opposite them and placed his fingertips together as he leaned on his hands. ‘Okay so I recognised the girl at the pub. Her name is Julia, Caitlin used to know her. She couldn’t remember me so I played along for fun. I don’t know, I guess I liked seeing her in a different light. We were alone when it happened.’
‘Too right,’ Jeff guffawed.
‘But I stopped before I’d done her any harm. She’ll be fine right?’
‘You are sure she was alive?’ Jeff asked.
‘Positive.’
‘Okay, we’ll have to check on her. We’ll do it tomorrow. Let’s get some sleep,’ Jeff said, as he helped Judith up.
‘Are you feeling okay?’ Steven asked. He realised something was amiss, Judith did not look well.
‘No, I’m not doing so well. But, we’ll talk more tomorrow,’ she replied, the smile on her face forced.
As he watched them leave the room guilt overwhelmed him. At the back of his mind a thought lingered. Was it his fault Judith was unwell?
The patterns on the ceiling formed irregular and interesting shapes as the curtain moved. The cool breeze wafted through the barely open window making goose pimples form on his arm. Steven lay on the bed and stared at the display. He could not sleep. He kept thinking of the blood, Julia’s blood. It had a different taste from the girl in Manaus. It seemed blood was not just blood. Was it possible some blood tasted better than another? He knew human blood satisfied in a different way to animal blood, and he had noticed a difference between the tastes of different animals. He never thought humans would taste different too. It was like trying out different flavour ice-creams – all good, just different.
His only regret was the lack of guilt. It was only Julia. She made him want to take the risk. If something had happened to her, honestly, he would not have been sorry. He knew it was wrong, but it was different to feeling remorse. For the first time in a long time, he was ashamed of his behaviour. He knew it had been wrong; he just wanted to do it again. The lure of the adrenaline kick was overwhelming.
He was beginning to understand why his mother had turned to the dark side. It reminded him of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars, one of his favourite series. A good person can turn to evil in a quest for power. He laughed at the thought – he was such an anorak when it came to science fiction.
***
Julia woke up dreamily and remembered the eyes that had captivated her. She blushed as she realised she had fallen asleep. With a sigh, she covered her eyes with the back of her hands. She could not remember anything after they kissed. Groggy, she got up. Lightheaded and off balance she turned on the light to look around. There were no signs of a burglary so he couldn’t have drugged her for money. And she was definite that nothing had happened so he did not use her for sex. But, something made her think that he had come to her apartment for a reason.
What that reason was she had no idea. She could not ask him, he had obviously left. She ran her hands under her thick wavy hair. As she did she brushed against her neck and felt a sharp stab of pain, just like pins and needles. She made her way over to the mirror and tried to angle her head to look, whilst holding her hair back, but she could not see clearly. It looked like some sort of love bite. Annoyed, she brushed her teeth, grabbed her pyjama’s and put them on hastily before making her way towards her bedroom.
As she drifted off she groaned. There was nothing she hated more than to be marked by a man and yet, even though it was against her nature, she wanted him to do whatever he had done again. His eyes danced in her mind as she went to sleep and dreamt of going to find him.
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Chapter 13
Attraction
When Steven went into the bathroom to shower he paused to actually look at it properly for the first time. It was a bathroom suite worthy of being a museum piece. The bath was inset into the wall surrounded by a mosaic depicting a fish swimming in a pond. The sink was huge with a set of brass taps that had seen better days. The toilet was in a separate room between the sink and shower. Steven had not seen anyone cleaning; even so, it was obvious someone had. The fresh scent of vanilla and magnolia lingered.
Hidden within the alcove of the bath was a set of shower handles and a large round shower head. It was a shame the water pressure was so weak, he had been so hopeful the other day, before he turned it on. Maybe, he could convince his grandparents to upgrade the boiler. Then again it would mean they’d need someone to come to the house. He could wait.
Refreshed and revitalised he sauntered down the stairs and wondered what his grandparents had bought at the supermarket. In a way, he wished he’d gone with them. He wanted to stock up on his favourites. He missed Marmite.
‘Good Morning.’ Judith’s voice was croaky. Steven wondered if he would find out what was going on.
‘Morning,’ he replied. ‘I’m sorry about last night.’
‘No you’re not, I can tell. It felt natural to do what you were designed for. Just be careful, you don’t know what your limits are yet. But, let’s talk later okay.’ She barely got the words out as a cough took hold.
Steven frowned. ‘You’re not feelin
g better? What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing for you to worry about now, it’s just an adjustment, that’s all.’
‘Adjustment?’
‘Don’t trouble your grandmother with questions, you have enough to answer for already,’ Jeff snapped, as he walked in from the dining room. ‘Come and have something to eat.’
Steven felt like a child. His hand had just been well and truly slapped away from the cookie jar. Obediently, he made his way to the dining area. The table was laid out with toast and the usual condiments, boiled eggs, a range of small cereal packets. He whistled in admiration. ‘This is great.’
‘We heard you taking a shower so we got it ready.’ Judith beamed, as she slowly made her way in and sat down.
‘She always loved mothering her children, you’re lucky,’ Jeff grumbled.
Steven resisted the urge to ask him what his exact problem was. Instead, he sat down and helped himself to an egg and toast. The egg was warm so he cut into the shell with his knife and dipped the bread into the runny yolk. After devouring the remains he helped himself to a packet of corn flakes and poured on some milk.
‘Hungry?’ Judith asked, as a laugh coaxed its way out before the cough took hold again.
‘Just a bit,’ he admitted, a frown now set upon his face. ‘Okay, so are you going to tell me what’s going on?’
‘We will tell you when you need to know!’ Jeff snapped. Was he angry or upset?
‘Calm down Jeff,’ Judith interrupted. ‘He needs to know. I think I have to feed soon, that’s all,’ she said, her voice subdued.
Jeff pursed his lips, but Steven continued and rephrased the question. ‘Has anything like this happened to you before?’
‘Well, no, I guess not,’ she replied.
‘Do you need human blood?’
‘We don’t know.’ Jeff’s shoulders drooped. ‘Out of interest, how do you manage to stop yourself from killing? You’ve consciously done it twice now. It appears that you can control yourself.’
‘Surely, others have done it?’
‘Very few of us have been known to stop once we start. The victim usually dies. But no-one we know could do it straight away. They had to teach themselves to stop by reading the signs. You just know when to stop. It’s insightful.’
Steven thought about this and cocked his head to the side. ‘I’m the first to know when to stop naturally. Do you think that’s because I’m more human?’
‘Who knows?’ Jeff said, with a quick shrug. ‘The point is can you teach Judith?’
‘It’s worth a try.’
‘No, it’s not!’ Judith retorted. ‘I won’t do it anymore, I told you Jeff.’
Immediately, Jeff’s hand was on her shoulder. ‘No-one will force you to do anything, but,’ he paused. ‘Won’t you please reconsider?’
‘No,’ she replied, as though determined.
Steven sensed there was more to this discussion. He thought it wise to change the conversation. ‘Shall we go and check on the girl?
Jeff turned to face him and then paused, eyes narrowed. A moment later his expression relaxed. ‘Good idea, I’ll come with you. Judith, try and rest, please.’ Jeff took hold of her hand and kissed her forehead.
‘I’ll take it easy,’ Judith replied.
She did not look good. When they got back Steven intended to find out more. He didn’t want to think about what could happen if Judith did not feed. It was obvious she needed human blood, the sooner the better.
***
Steven enjoyed the ride on the Bentley. They certainly didn’t make them like this anymore. It was a shame they’d have to get a different car. This one was way too conspicuous for the locals.
‘By the way, I had a look into your paperwork. I don’t think it will be too difficult to make Steven Thorn reappear. It would be easier to use your middle name with people you meet, just in case.’
‘Simon?’
‘It’s a good name.’
‘Great. Can’t say I ever liked it much. But hey, it’s better than nothing. It would be nice to get my identity and qualifications back.’
‘You don’t need a piece of paper to tell you that you’re smart.’
‘No, but it helps if I want to get back into university.’
Jeff huffed, amused. ‘I guess nowadays qualifications are important. Not that they weren’t in my day just that the measure of a man was more by his brawn and tenacity than by his intellect, even though intellect helped my case.’
Steven had no idea what it must have been like in the roaring twenties. It was nearly one hundred years ago. He rose to the bait. ‘It’s not that those qualities are not important anymore, just that for certain career paths qualifications are important.’
‘Oh, I see. You mean to study Law.’
‘Exactly, Law, you remember then.’ Steven was impressed. His grandfather paid attention. He only mentioned his interest when he first arrived within the community. He recalled the fact he had not made a great first impression. It felt surreal. Steven wanted to believe that his time in the Amazon Jungle had been a dream. It was wishful thinking.
Jeff drummed his fingers on the beige leather dashboard. ‘Your great grandfather was also passionate about the law. He had a real sense of right and wrong. He died for his conviction, during the First World War. Right and wrong had nothing to do with it then, it was carnage.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Steven had not even stopped to consider his great grandparents.
Jeff carried on, obviously lost in his own thoughts, ‘People always said I was like my mother. She was always interested in new developments whilst maintaining a passion for the rights of workers in industrial sites. She was particularly interested in the suffragette movement, to my father’s horror. I searched for the impossible, I dreamed of the ultimate invention. That’s what motivated me.’
‘Is that why you created the new civilisation?’
‘Yes. In a way it was an experiment. A flawed one if I’m honest. Necessary though, without trials it is not possible to seek the best solution.’
‘The community works to an extent, doesn’t it? I mean the people I got to know, Jensen, Susanna. They seem happy enough.’ The stilted pause made Steven uncomfortable. ‘We don’t have to talk about this.’
Jeff clenched his hands into fists. ‘No, we don’t. But, you should know that I’m not proud of certain things, your mother for one. I let her down. She was not happy, never was. Nothing we did could ever change things. Then she had you and she gave up on the only motherhood she has ever known. As a father I know how that must have hurt. You can’t understand how much she loves you, if she was prepared to abandon you. I am sure she was trying to protect you.’ He hesitated for a few seconds. ‘What did I do to protect her? I coveted her, smothered her – I killed my little girl. The only thing left is what she has become.’
Steven felt sorry for Jeff. ‘She can’t be that bad. I have no idea what she plans to do. You never know, she might not kill.’
‘It’s nice to think so. Unfortunately, she is past that now. All we can hope is that she stays in the shadows,’ Jeff paused. All serious, he continued, ‘Promise me something.’
‘Sure.’ What could Jeff want from him?
‘If you see her, tell her I love her. Tell her I’m sorry for what happened.’
‘You’ll tell her yourself someday.’ The last person Steven wanted to see was his mother. Whatever Jeff said, Emily meant nothing to him. He tried to sound positive for Jeff’s sake, not for Emily. He didn’t hold on to a lot of hope for her.
Jeff fell silent again and looked out the window.
‘Shall we park here and walk the rest of the way?’ Steven suggested.
‘Sure.’
Of one thing they were in agreement, they needed to blend in.
The street where Julia lived was different without a layer of white snow. The temperature had not held and most of it had melted away. A cafeteria opposite the block of flats provided a good vantage point.
Steven took a seat as Jeff ordered the drinks. The table gave a perfect view of the entrance to the accommodation block.
‘Now we wait. It’s still early,’ Jeff said, as he placed the tea in front of Steven.
‘Or not,’ Steven retorted.
The wait was not going to be long at all. Julia was walking out of the main door. She paused on the pavement and then stared right at Steven, eyes locked in some form of recognition.
‘Stay sitting down,’ Jeff snapped.
As the pedestrian lights turned green she practically jogged across the road. She was coming over.
Jeff had a change of heart. ‘No, don’t stay sitting down – go. Go, now!’
Steven got up and looked around, ‘Where?’
‘Toilet, be quick.’
As Steven scampered off, he caught sight of Jeff grabbing a newspaper from the adjacent table. He had no idea what Julia wanted, but whatever it was he was not planning to find out.
***
Jeff heard Julia enter the cafeteria. It could be a coincidence. Somehow, he doubted it. With a casual glance he flicked a page of the newspaper to see what she was doing. She was by the counter, eyes fixed on his table.
‘Can I help you?’ the waitress asked, ‘Latte, as usual?’
He could hear the hesitation in her voice as she replied, ‘Y-Yes, my usual.’
‘Take a seat, I’ll bring it over.’
‘A seat,’ Julia muttered. She walked over to Jeff and stood next to the chair Steven had just been in. She turned to head for the toilets.
‘Can I help you?’ Jeff asked, as he put the paper aside. Now was as good a time as any.
She stopped and stared, confused. ‘No, I mean, yes. No, no, of course you can’t help me,’ she said, a nervous laugh followed.
‘I might. Are you not well? I’m a doctor.’
‘Really?’ Her eyes alighted.
‘Please, take a seat.’
Julia looked nervously from side to side. ‘Thanks.’
He could see a smile surface as she sat down. She could smell Steven – he knew she could. He had seen this before. Not in a victim, in animals. When they are close to a familiar scent animals relax.
The Evolution Trilogy: Hybrid, Complications & Return Page 40