Remembered

by Krista Street

  Jacinda put an arm around Amber’s shoulders, drawing her close.

  “How long will we stay there?” I asked. “In Montana?”

  “Until I can arrange a new location for us to live. I’m not sure how long that will take.”

  A noisy murmur erupted around the table. Some of us appeared scared, others stunned. The twins, however, looked excited. Throughout it all, Flint sat as still as stone, his face expressionless.

  I had no idea how long it took Father to build this cabin, furnish the laboratory, build the barn, and transfer all of the supplies and furniture that adorned our home, but I imagined it took a while. Months maybe or years. And as much as I wanted to venture somewhere else in the world and experience a new way of life, I didn’t want it this way. Not with our home destroyed, our way of life gone, never to return to again.

  Hot tears pricked my eyes. No, not like this.

  SUPPER THAT NIGHT was subdued. It was hard to look at our food supplies and not mourn how everything would be lost. Later, we all drifted off to sleep with scents of dinner and distant smoke in the air. It wasn’t until early in the morning that I woke to a tapping sound on the window. At first, I didn’t recognize it.

  The tapping grew louder. I blinked my eyes open. It wasn’t until I sat up and looked around that I realized the others had done the same.

  “Is that what I think it is?” Mica asked.

  Jacinda turned on the light. The soft wattage bathed our room in gold. “It’s exactly what you think it is.” She grinned.

  We all jumped out of bed and raced to the window. I grinned as the wind picked up and the rain fell faster. It beat against the window, soaking the pane and everything else it touched. Tiny rivers trailed down the mountain when lightning flashed, illuminating the yard. I’d never been happier to see anything in my life.

  “Do you think this will put out the fire?” Amber practically jumped with glee.

  “It’s hard to say,” Di said, “but it’ll definitely help.”

  Amber clapped. “So we won’t have to leave the chickens behind!”

  None of us could sleep after that.

  We skipped down the hall to get Father, Flint and the twins. Father hooked up the computer to the modem which bounced signals to a satellite via the dish. It kept losing connection, as it always did in bad weather, but after many attempts, we all grinned when we saw the forecast.

  Rain, rain and more rain.

  AT THE END of the week, with the fire crews still working and nature helping, the fire was completely extinguished. A week after that, Flint and I ventured to our cave.

  The charred forest could be seen in the distance, swathed in the moonlight as we sat at the entrance. I knew in a few years it would be green again. For now, I was thankful we still had our home. I leaned against his shoulder and enjoyed the fresh air once again.

  Flint put his arm around me. “Do you wish we could have left? That Conroy would have been forced to move us somewhere new?”

  I took a moment to respond. “No. I want to leave this place someday and actually live in the real world but not like that. It would break my heart if our home was destroyed.”

  He nodded although the slight tensing of his shoulders told me he wasn’t entirely happy with my answer.

  It was no secret, my desire to leave the cabin, to make my own life. Jacinda and Mica felt the same, as did the twins. Amber was quickly following suit. Di and Flint were the only ones content to stay in the secluded life Father had created.

  I knew it wore on Father, how most of us wanted to leave. Father was still convinced it wasn’t safe. He told us his outside contacts continually reported that O’Brien still had eyes all over the country – people paid to report if they ever spotted us.

  But it didn’t feel real. We’d never seen those men. We’d never experienced anyone pursuing us. I didn’t want to consider that Father may be making those sinister claims up, but I didn’t know. Maybe he simply wanted us to live with him forever, and he used O’Brien as an excuse to keep us hidden.

  The others had similar doubts about the gravity of our situation. Twice, the twins had left the cabin and hiked the two-day distance to Little Raven, the nearest town. The first time, they’d been gone for over a week. The second time, two weeks. Father had been worried sick the entire time, and despite his many attempts, he hadn’t been able to find them.

  However, Jet and Jasper both returned when the money they’d stolen from Father ran out. An excited light had shone in their eyes, though. Amber, Jacinda, Mica and I had listened eagerly to what they’d done.

  Di and Flint hadn’t.

  Sometimes, I wondered if the twins would have returned if they had enough money to stay living on their own. The one time I’d asked Jet that, he’d shrugged, his face serious. “I’d miss you guys,” was his only response.

  I took heart in that. Come what may, we were a family, and family stuck together.

  Flint made a disgruntled noise.

  I peered up at him, but he seemed lost in thought. Laying my head back against his shoulder, I stared off into the distance. Within a hundred miles there were cities, movie theaters, neighborhoods, schools, businesses, shops. A real life lived by real people. It was all so close, yet so far away.

  Maybe, just maybe, we could find a way to get there.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  20 years old

  Father was spending a lot of time in the lab, more so than usual. Ever since the fire, he’d changed.

  None of us knew what was bothering him. Flint thought he was simply shaken, that the close call was too concerning so Father immersed himself in work for distraction. The twins joked he was working for that place again, manufacturing new drugs to be used on children. Nobody found those jokes funny. Jacinda brushed it all off, saying we were overreacting.

  As usual, Di kept her lips sealed about whatever she and Father were doing in the lab. Amber and I both tried to sneak down there on several occasions to see what they were up to but quickly discovered, in no uncertain terms, that we were not allowed in the lab for the next several months. The lab door was continually locked.

  I groaned every time I thought about it. What are they doing down there?

  Thanksgiving came and went and Mica turned twenty-one. In December, Flint turned twenty-four and Di turned twenty-three. We kept getting older. With our increasing ages came a restlessness that had been growing steadily in me for the past year. I was twenty years old yet I’d done nothing with my life. I still lived at home. I still lived hidden from society, and no end of any of it was in sight.

  Some days it seemed the only way to change that was to take matters into my own hands. To do what the twins had done – leave the mountain and set out on my own.

  My heart sank. But I could never leave Flint. It was why I’d never done it.

  Despite Christmas, my favorite holiday looming, my restlessness hadn’t abated. When I was younger, Christmas felt like a different world and always made me happy. Father worked hard to transform our home into a festive abode, but this year, I just couldn’t get into it. It didn’t help that Di and Father were so distracted that they were late for our Christmas tree cutting.

  “What are they doing down there?” I paced outside the basement door.

  Flint merely grunted.

  He sat on a chair, scooted under a small table by the window. The laptop lay open in front of him. An online tutor Father had set up could be heard through the audio. I had no idea what they were talking about. It sounded like a bunch of computer mumbo jumbo.

  Flint’s education had taken a more sinister turn during the past two years. Whereas Father worked with me on harnessing energy, he set up tutors to teach Flint, Di and Jasper about computer hacking, lock picking and other nefarious endeavors. As for why Father thought those skills may be needed only made me shudder.

  I tried to tune out the tutor as I started pacing again. Sounds from outside permeated into the living room. The twins were sharpening the sa
w we would use to cut down the tree. Jacinda and Amber were gathering rope and the sled to pull the tree. Mica’s laughter carried through the yard.

  It was all so normal.

  I wrung my hands as my frustration turned into something else. As much as I tried, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was coming.

  Mica’s heavy stomps sounded in the entryway. The porch door banged closed. A moment later, she appeared in the living room. She wore a thick sweater, jeans and still had her hat on. “Where are Di and Father? I thought we were getting the tree today?”

  I joined her when she wandered into the kitchen. “I’m sure you can guess where Di and Father are.”

  “The lab?” She rolled her eyes. “Jeez, they’re in there every day now. Without any breaks too. Weren’t they down there until after midnight last night?”

  “Yep.”

  She opened the fridge and took out some cold cuts and cheese that Father had brought back on his last supply run. Tossing her hat on the counter, she grabbed the bread. “I’m starving, want a sandwich?”

  “No, I’m good.” I made myself stop pacing and sit at the table.

  “What do you think they’re doing down there?” Mica asked after taking a huge bite.

  I sighed and cupped my chin in my hand. “I wish I knew. I wonder that every day.”

  Mica frowned and looked out the window. Her eyes lit up. I followed her gaze. Jasper. Mica and Jasper had been together even longer than Flint and me.

  We waited another hour in the kitchen before everyone began asking questions about when we’d go. Flint finally ventured into the basement to see what was holding up Father and Di. He returned a minute later, explaining they’d lost track of time and would be up shortly. By shortly, I guessed over two hours.

  By the time we set out, it was late afternoon.

  Di apologized several times for keeping us waiting while we trudged through the forest. However, Father’s mind never seemed to leave the lab. He looked deep in thought as we trekked through the Forbidden Hills, a heavy frown on his face.

  Just before dark, we returned to the cabin.

  We spent the evening pulling out ornaments, tinsel and stringing lights. I tried not to notice how both Di and Father kept inching toward the lab. By ten o’clock, they’d managed to disappear without anyone noticing.

  Flint and I climbed up the ladder to get ready for bed while Mica, the twins and Amber stayed in the living room. Jacinda had retreated to the kitchen to warm up apple cider.

  If I hadn’t been so worried about what Father and Di were doing, I would have stayed with everyone else. However, I wasn’t very good company at the moment. What normally was one of the best days of the year had left me with a churning stomach. Father had never left our Christmas tree decorating early before.

  No matter what he’d had going on in the lab.

  Flint and I walked into his room and closed the door. He pulled me on his bed, his small twin bed groaning in protest over the added weight. Pale moonlight bled onto the floor, leaving everything in dark shadows and silvery light.

  He kissed me until my head spun. When he finally pulled back, it took me a moment to get my bearings.

  “What are they doing down there?” I pushed up on an elbow. “Father’s never left the tree decorating early before. He’s usually the last to turn out the lights.”

  “I know.” Flint’s voice was grim.

  “Do you think something’s wrong? Maybe Father’s sick, or Di’s sick, and they’re trying to find a drug to cure it? Something like that?”

  For a minute, he didn’t say anything, but he eventually shook his head. “I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure Di would have told me if she was sick.”

  I swallowed. “So do you think Father’s sick?”

  “That I couldn’t tell you.”

  My stomach plummeted. I couldn’t imagine a life without Father. He’d always just…been there.

  Flint’s arms tightened around me. The inevitable safe feeling he always evoked soon worked its magic. “No matter what happens, we’ll all be okay, and I’ll always be here to take care of you.”

  I couldn’t stop my smile. “I don’t need you to take care of me. I’m pretty capable.”

  Flint chuckled. “I know. But, maybe I need to take care of you, for my own peace of mind.”

  “That I can live with.”

  Flint fell asleep as we lay on his bed, our arms entwined. His heat warmed me, yet my worry continued. Something was wrong, very wrong.

  I could feel it.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Present Day

  The memories played through my mind, shifting back and forth. Everything was so vivid, so real. It wasn’t until my eyes fluttered open, and I saw Flint hunkered down beside me, the rest of the group and Father behind him, that I realized they’d been just that.

  Memories.

  My childhood. My family. The cabin – our home. Flint. Always Flint.

  My mouth parted as the enormity of what I’d remembered settled in. Flint and I had been in love for years. What I’d felt for him, all those months ago, on that first day we re-met in Pete’s entry way had been real. Something buried deep in my subconscious, that could never be destroyed, had recognized him. Father was right. Not even his memory drug could break our bond.

  I tried to sit up. Flint stopped me. “You need to lie still. Conroy and Di want to check you over one more time.”

  I relaxed back. Or tried to. A headache thrummed in the back of my mind. The more awake I became, the more it hurt.

  Brushing it off, I stared in wonder at Flint. Dark eyes, that mirrored my surprise and awe, stared back.

  “All of that was real? What we felt? What we experienced together?”

  “It was,” he said huskily.

  Jacinda kneeled beside me, smiling. “How are you, sis?”

  I grinned. Even though Father had told Jacinda and me that we were related, it hadn’t felt real. It was like being told you’d won the lottery. It seemed too good to be true, but now I had all of my memories. Memories of Jacinda being the only one I confided in for years, the only one who understood how I felt about so many things. She truly was my sister.

  I squeezed her hand. “You’ve always been my friend, not just my sister.”

  “Ever since we were little.”

  Father stepped forward and peered closely at my eyes, lifting my lids. Had I really been calling him Conroy for the past few days? I shook my head internally. He was my Father, not a stranger.

  “Do you feel all right?” he asked.

  The headache still throbbed at the base of my neck, but headaches were nothing new to me. I nodded. “Yeah, I feel fine.”

  He gave me the okay to sit up, and I again marveled at how surreal this was. It felt weird, fully understanding now who Father was. The memories of the past few days were still in my mind. Meeting him, calling him Conroy, not knowing who he was. But then memories of my lifetime were there too. He’d been a father figure to me for as long as I could remember.

  It was weird. Like I’d lived two separate lives, remembered both, and was only now understanding they were joined. All the love I had for Father was there again. I now knew why I’d felt the innate need to trust him when we’d reunited. He’d never hurt me, and he’d always been a father figure, even if we weren’t blood-related.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat as the headache moved to the back of my eyes. “Hi, Father.”

  He smiled, relief on his face. “Oh, my little, Galena. I really missed you.”

  I got up and wrapped my arms around him.

  His chin settled on the top of my head. I relished his smell. I remembered it now. Soap, aftershave, and mint. It felt so easy, so right to hug him like this. I’d been doing it my whole life.

  I squeezed my eyes shut against the tears that wanted to spill. I glanced up at him. “Are you glad we’re all back?”

  “As frightened as I am for what will happen now, I’ve missed you all
terribly. My life during the past six months has felt very empty.”

  I hugged him tighter. “Don’t do that again. No matter what happens, I want to remember you forever.”

  “I won’t.”

  I squeezed him one last time.

  He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “We should all go to bed. It’s been a long day.”

  I pulled back and for the first time since waking felt the tension in the room. For once, the twins didn’t look so cocky or sure of themselves. They stood apart from one another, their hands in their pockets. Jasper stood by himself, beside the couch, his gaze on the floor. He’d obviously woken before me. Mica stood behind him, her eyes shooting daggers at his back, while Amber was curled in a ball on one of the armchairs.

  I swallowed.

  Right.

  For years, Jasper and Mica had been together, but for the past few months, they’d been anything but a couple. Jasper had been with Amber. I couldn’t imagine what Mica felt right now. Part of me wanted to hug her. Another part of me wondered if she wanted space or someone to rant at.

  Before I could do anything, she uttered a disgusted sound and stalked from the room. Amber scampered up a moment later and disappeared in the opposite direction. A few sobs trailed in her wake.

  Jasper hung his head. Even Jet seemed at loss for words.

  Biting my lip, I entwined my hand through Flint’s. I felt sick for Mica. If I’d woken up, knowing all I knew about Flint and me, and then realized for the past few months he’d actually been with someone else… It felt like someone punched me in the gut just thinking about it.

  “Is she going to be okay?” I asked.

  Jacinda shrugged, her mouth down-turned. “Would you be if you were in her shoes?”

  Di crossed her arms. “She’ll find a way to deal with it. She doesn’t have a choice. What’s done is done.”

  As cruel, or perhaps as pragmatic as those words were, as always, Di was right. We couldn’t change the past. Whatever Mica, Jasper and Amber decided to do from here would be up to them, but their actions couldn’t be undone.