The Evolution Trilogy: Hybrid, Complications & Return

by Vanessa Wester

When would she stop?

  As though drawn into a drunken stupor her mouth stopped sucking and she fell fast asleep. Peaceful, rested. He stroked her hair and then ran his hand down her face. She looked beautiful. He cradled her in his arms, lifted her off the floor and took her to his bed. She would not wake up for a while. If it was anything like what he had gone through, she would have a hell of a hangover when she eventually woke.

  He could not believe what had happened.

  It was either the most selfish thing he had ever done in his entire life, or the most inspired. When she woke up he would find out. All he could do was hope that he had done everything right. As far as he knew, he had followed his grandfather’s instructions perfectly.

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  Chapter 40

  Caitlin

  The corridor seemed never-ending – dark, foreboding. A series of large cinema screen size portraits hung on the walls. Caitlin could not make them out. Even though huge, they were out of focus. Nothing was sharp, in range. The only thing she knew was she had to keep on walking. She had to reach the light. The bright beam up ahead beckoned her forward. Her feet throbbed and she winced as each step ignited a fresh twinge. It felt like she had been walking for months. Barefoot, in a scanty nightgown, she could not understand what she was doing. It was strange. She was not cold, just restless and uncomfortable. Something was wrong.

  She could not understand why she was alone, she didn’t like it. Where had everyone gone?

  As she got close enough to touch the light a shadow to the right caught her eye. She did not want to look, something told her to fear, but it compelled her. Her eyes veered to the right, to the source, and made out a man. He was tall, dark, and mysterious. If only she could make out the face. The bright light in her face did not help. She shielded her face and peered on, now eager to see who it was. She took a step forward as he turned his face towards the light.

  His amber eyes glistened. His square face was strong, handsome and full of character. She liked the look of him. His eyes met hers and he smiled to reveal a set of sharp canines.

  Was that normal?

  He took a step towards her and she felt herself turn her head in response as he leaned in and aimed for her neck. She could not understand why she was not putting up a fight.

  Was she that weak? Was she that helpless?

  Her conscience screamed but she remained powerless. His bite felt like an injection, a form of mild pain. She started to float away, tired.

  As her eyelids fluttered open Caitlin wondered what the dream meant. She felt exhausted, like she’d swum a mile at full speed, and yet she was wide awake. To her surprise, as she opened her eyes she felt a surge of energy engulf her and tiny tingles all over her body made her alert, on guard. She was lying on a bed. That much she knew. The ceiling looked familiar. She was in the house, Steven’s grandparent’s house, but where was Steven?

  The answer to her question arrived in the form of Steven, as he took a seat next to her. His soothing voice should have comforted her. It didn’t.

  Caitlin was amazed at the speed with which she moved when she leapt off the bed and flattened her body against the wall. She narrowed her eyes and watched his every move.

  Steven stood up and reached out with his hand. ‘Caitlin, you don’t need to be scared.’

  It was an easy thing to say.

  ‘What happened?’ She allowed her eyes to survey the room. A clue, she had to find a clue. Her memory was misty, out of focus.

  ‘You changed Caitlin.’ His smile looked genuine and she felt a faint flutter in her stomach. She didn’t know if she should trust him.

  Her confused mind cleared and she remembered her decision. She had asked him to change her, hadn’t she? A part of her did not want to dwell on the past, she could not change it. She wanted to look forward. Yet, the decision weighed on her mind. What would she tell her family? Would she have to fake her own death? Was she supposed to just disappear? It was easy for Steven. His existence had been erased. She wondered if it would be wise to do the same for her.

  What they had done was impulsive. They had not thought about the implications. Had she made the biggest mistake of her life? She studied his face again.

  ‘Caitlin, talk to me. How are you feeling?’ He frowned, worry lines etched on his forehead.

  She wanted him to sweat it out. She did not want to lie.

  He took a step closer and she instinctively flinched and cowered in the corner, the love she felt for him had been replaced with fear. She looked around the room and tried to find an escape route. She needed to get away from him.

  Steven had done it. It was his fault.

  ***

  Steven tried to access the situation. Caitlin was obviously scared and confused. He could relate to that. He knew what it was like. He remembered how much he hated what had happened to him. The realisation of that thought hit him and he gasped. A moment too late, he watched helplessly as Caitlin lunged out of the open window. She flew out in a perfect dive. With no sedative dart he had no option but to follow. He was glad he did not have a dart; he would have struggled to bring her down forcefully.

  Hot in pursuit, he chased her out into the open countryside. He could barely keep up; she was camouflaged by trees and shrubs. After a few minutes he found it hard to believe he had not caught up with her. She was fast, too fast. A million thoughts raced through his head. The most pertinent being her intent. Was she on attack mode?

  He could not remember wanting to attack anyone. He just wanted to get away. Perhaps, this gave him a clue.

  The short cut Caitlin took answered his question.

  She was going back to her house. He could not believe how accurate her directions were. Her navigation system was now in tune with his.

  After twenty minutes, he stared up at the open window of the terraced house. It was five in the morning. He could risk it. He leapt up on to the ledge just as the window slammed shut. She stared; eyes narrowed, and scowled as she wagged her finger and grinned.

  She looked angry. What had he done?

  ‘Caitlin, let me in. We need to talk.’

  She put her face against the window and hissed. ‘Get away from me. You have done enough.’

  ‘What you are going through is normal. Everyone does it. It’s instinctive to run.’ Steven put his hands against the glass. ‘I love you Caitlin, let me in.’

  Caitlin cackled and gave a half smile. ‘You love me? Love is for foolish people. You made me a monster. I know what we are. Leave me alone.’ She shut the curtains in his face.

  He stared at the purple drapes and sighed. He was not going to wait. In an effortless manoeuvre he jumped off the window sill and made his way round the back. He suspected the back door would be easy to break into and he was right. The door to the kitchen gave way easily – it was no match for his strength.

  He tiptoed up the steps to Caitlin’s room and hoped for the best. It had been a joint decision; at least he thought it had. He had to keep positive.

  On the landing, he stopped and listened. He did not want to wake up her housemates. Eyes closed, deep in concentration he made out the sounds of deep sleep. The other sound disconcerted him. Caitlin was crying. Her bravado was larger than reality. Mind made up, he put his hand on the door handle and raced in. Before she could react he grabbed her from behind and placed his hand over her mouth.

  ‘Don’t scream. We don’t want to wake everyone up. If you promise to keep calm, I’ll let you go. What’ll it be?’

  The small nod sufficed.

  He took his hand off her mouth. It was wet from the tears on her face. Then he held her tight, the hold becoming an embrace. She shimmied in defiance, but he did not let go. He felt her defences drop and she stopped fighting. He eased his arms off her and she curled up on the floor like a ball. He stroked her back and was relieved when she did not flinch.

  The silence lasted for a few minutes.

  Caitlin rocked on the floor as Steven stroked her back
. Eventually, Steven decided to make her more comfortable. He picked her up like a baby and she nestled into his shoulder. Her fight relinquished. Then he lay her down on her bed. She closed her eyes and started to breathe deeply. She looked so beautiful when she slept. He could not believe how angry she had been and how much she appeared to hate him. He smiled as he recalled that he had been no different after his change.

  After some time he had to make a decision. He knew they could not stay there, it was too dangerous. He opened the door and picked her up again, now reassured she was in a comatose state. He made his way down the stairs and left out of the back door. He retraced their steps and made it back to the house half an hour later. His arms throbbed. Once in the house, he lay her down on his bed and spooned next to her, his arm around her waist. He wanted her to wake up next to him. She needed to be reassured he was not going anywhere. They were in this together.

  *

  A ray of sunshine peeked through the gap in the curtain. It announced the advent of daybreak. The sunlight happened to fall directly on Steven’s face so he woke up blinded and moved away from the spot. He turned and looked at Caitlin. If everything had gone to plan they now had a life together, they had a future. He hoped she would wake up in a more forgiving mood. He did not want to leave her, but breakfast might help. It would certainly help him.

  Downstairs, the kitchen was a mess. He looked in the fridge and was dismayed to see that all it held was some butter, jam and out of date milk. He poured it into the sink and winced as the smell overpowered. He made his way over to the shopping bags and started to unpack. It dawned on him that he was now responsible for the house. Guilt overwhelmed. If they had not come back to England his grandparents might still be alive. On the other hand, they had both seemed relieved to end their lives back in England. He had brought them back to the place they had once loved and called home. He could not feel sorry for that.

  Then again if he had not returned Caitlin would still be normal. There was no point dwelling on that. The deed was done.

  Twenty minutes later, an English breakfast consisting of bacon, sausages, baked beans, scrambled eggs and toast were neatly laid out on two large plates. He found a tray and put the plates, cutlery and hot drinks on it. Then he made his way up to the bedroom. He nearly dropped the lot when he saw the bed was empty.

  ‘Caitlin.’ He could not hear her, so he put the tray down and looked around. He noticed the draught and saw the open window. Surely, she would not have run away again.

  He moved over to look outside and heard her voice, she did not sound angry. ‘I’m on the roof. Come up here, the view is amazing. I can smell the breakfast. Bring it up, I’m starved.’

  She sounded normal enough.

  With a broad smile, he balanced the tray on one hand and made his way up the staircase to get easy access to the roof. On the second floor, he pried open the window which led to a sloping arched roof. He put one foot on the ledge and held on with one hand as he made his way over to where she was sat. Caitlin was wrapped in a blanket enjoying the view of the morning sunrise. The twilight hour had passed. Outstretched in front of them were the green fields of pasture, surrounded by a series of trees and shrubs. Different birds seemed to dart around in an effort to scramble together their own breakfast.

  ‘Here you go,’ he said, as he passed her the mug of tea, plate and cutlery. ‘Good morning. Glad to see you enjoying the view.’

  She flicked her curly hair off her face and gave him a wicked grin. ‘I’m enjoying a lot more than the view.’

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  Chapter 41

  A New Day

  Steven could not believe it, it seemed her breakdown was a thing of the past.

  ‘Thanks for making breakfast.’ She sipped the tea and hummed. ‘Yummy.’ She placed the mug on the guttering and started to tuck in. She looked childish as she dangled her legs over the ledge in a carefree and somewhat dangerous manner.

  He took a bite of his own and savoured the taste of bacon and beans. After he swallowed he downed half of his coffee. Wary, he kept an eye on her. So far so good.

  As Caitlin scraped the last of her breakfast off the bowl, she licked her lips and put it to the side. She leant back on her hands and shook her hair, the sun made it glisten. ‘I have never felt so energised before. It’s liberating.’

  ‘You’re lucky. You’re free, even though…’ He allowed himself a chuckle. ‘You kind of lost it during the night.’

  She clasped her hands to her face and hunched forward on her knees. ‘Oh God! Did I really run away from you? I thought it was a dream. How bad?’ She peeked at Steven from the corner of her eyes.

  He gave a haughty laugh. ‘When I changed I also tried to escape. I was sedated with a dart.’ The memory made him purse his lips. ‘Then I was forced to go back to the community.’

  Caitlin laughed at him. ‘Ouch. You still have to fill me in on that.’

  Steven flexed his arms over his head and placed his hands behind his head. When his hands came back down he reached out for her hand and squeezed. ‘By the way, you can get hurt. So, I’d watch it, don’t get too confident on the ledge. This house is old after all.’

  As if aware of the height for the first time she shuffled back. ‘I’ll be careful. You know, I was thinking about something.’

  ‘Should I be worried?’

  She smiled. ‘Maybe…how come you never gave in and let Ingrid seduce you?’

  He squirmed in the seat. Was he to be permanently tormented by Ingrid, the girl who changed his life? In a way, he owed her one. It was scary to think about what could have happened if he’d been in England when his change happened. He could have killed Caitlin. The thought was not a good one. ‘Ingrid never attracted me. Not that she didn’t try, nothing happened, I promise.’

  ‘I believe you.’

  Her casual tone put him at ease, until she spoke again.

  ‘You have a way of making women fall at your feet.’

  He choked and coughed. ‘You didn’t exactly fall at my feet.’

  ‘No, I threw all my pamphlets at your feet instead.’ She smirked as she twirled a strand of hair in her fingers. ‘And I let you change me. I think you seduced me too.’

  Her words hit him like an express train. ‘I didn’t force you to do anything you didn’t want to. Did I?’

  Caitlin shook her head and bit her lip. ‘You had me the first time I laid eyes on you. I’m just confused. I don’t regret that you changed me. I just have to get used to the idea and I have to get rid of some green eyed giants.’

  ‘Okay, so how can I help?’

  Caitlin ran a hand through her hair and looked up at the wispy white clouds. Then she turned and faced him, serious. ‘What happened in the Amazon, with the other girl? You said you had been with someone.’

  He didn’t understand the reason for the questions; it felt like she was insecure. Either way, he didn’t think it was a good idea to withhold an answer. ‘The other woman, Lucy, was no girl, and it meant nothing. Anyway, what’s this about? You know you’re the only one for me.’

  He stretched out his hand to reach hers as she moved them under her legs and rocked back and forth.

  ‘I’m just curious and a bit paranoid. Did it mean anything to her?’

  He knew he was going to sound defensive now. ‘It meant nothing to her, or to me. Look at the bright side. At least you didn’t have to hear me making out with anyone else. I heard you with Daniel.’

  She gulped and blushed. ‘Okay you got me. That did not end well either.’

  ‘So, are we going to sit up here all day?’

  ‘No. The breakfast was great. Thanks.’

  She passed him the plate and mug. He stacked it on the tray and passed it through the window. When he turned round he saw Caitlin had stood up. She leant forward and swayed as she allowed the light wind to caress her form.

  ‘What can I do now?’ It was an innocent, yet highly loaded question.

  ‘Anything
you like,’ he replied. He had no idea where the questions would go now.

  ‘Can I jump down? Something tells me I can. So, can I?’ she asked, an elfin expression on her face.

  ‘Yes, but I’m not sure the blanket will act like a parachute.’

  ‘Oh.’ She passed him the blanket to reveal her attire, an electric blue pair of jeans and tight V-neck blue and white striped sweater. She looked so normal. ‘Here I go.’ She jumped off the roof, flew up into the air and did a graceful somersault before landing perfectly on the ground below.

  Steven gulped. He had not expected her to do that.

  He could see her Cheshire cat grin as she waved him down in a challenge. Shaking his head, he waved his hand at her and signalled for her to come back up. At first she stared, put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips dumbfounded. Then he heard her ask. ‘Can I jump back up as well as down?’

  ‘Try it,’ he said, with a shrug of his shoulders.

  She took some steps away from the building and then ran towards it. When she was a couple of body lengths away from the wall she soared up and landed next to him.

  ‘What a rush!’ She teetered on the ledge, her face flushed, excited. ‘What else can I do?’

  ‘I’m still working it out for myself. Just try and remember that you can get hurt. That’s how I got my ticket out of the Amazon. I don’t know if it’ll be different for you, but only human blood can heal us if we’re injured. So, don’t try and push your luck or you’ll end up having to do something you might regret.’

  ‘Okay,’ she sighed, her eyes studying the ground below.

  To his relief, she looked up, gave him a cheeky smile and scrambled back into the house through the window. As he watched her a feeling of dread came over him. He didn’t think he was the best person to fill her in on an identity he barely understood.

  The decision to change Caitlin had been rash and unprepared. He had no idea how she was really doing, or how she was handling the decision they’d made. He liked to think they’d made it, but a shred of doubt remained. He could not help wondering if he had hypnotised her. Could he be sure she had changed of her own free will? There was nothing he could do about it now.