As she debated what course of action to take next she heard a noise at the edge of the forest close to where their camp was. She thought it was Kaley finally returning. “Where have you been? I was starting to worry.” She turned in the location of the noise and she saw The Creature standing there looking at her. She stood there for a moment in shock. The Creature stood there naked except for a small piece of material around the waist.
It was clearly humanoid and not an animal. “Where is Kaley?” their eyes locked and the creature motioned for Rachael to follow then disappeared back into the woods. Rachael took off after her at full speed. They ran for a few minutes or so when the Creature stopped and pointed to the bottom of a Canuck tree. “Kaley!” Rachael yelled as she ran to her side. “Calm down, I think I’m ok. I was having pain in my abdomen but it’s gone now.” Kaley explained. Rachael continued to check her out. “We need to get you back to Arklow to see a Doctor.” Rachael said sternly. “No Rach, calm down. I’m ok, just a little embarrassed. I think it was a gas bubble in my intestinal tract. I just want to sit here for a few minutes to make sure. Come sit down with me for a few minutes please.” Kaley said gently. Rachael reluctantly did as Kaley asked. “She helped me, you saw her right?” Kaley asked. “Yes honey I saw her, she guided me here to you.” Rachael said taking Kaley’s hand. Kaley put her head back against the tree trunk. “Where is she? I want to see her… talk to her… thank her.” Rachael looked around. “I don’t know.” Rachael said. In a loud voice Kaley said. “Please friend come forward I want to thank you. Please let me see you. We won’t hurt you. You helped me; I won’t ever let anyone hurt you I promise.” A minute passed and a noise could be heard just out of sight. Eno partially stepped out from behind a tree trunk. Kaley almost gasped. The Creature looked very much like she could be a member of Kaley’s family… almost.”
Chapter Three
Dori’s Cove
A rider came barreling into the compound, jumped off her horse and ran up to the leaders’ homestead. She knocked loudly on the front door. When there was no immediate response a second series of loud knocks was applied to the old weathered door. “What the hell is going on out here? If you break my door with that infernal pounding… oh Amy what’s the problem?” Nicola asked friendlier this time but her brows were still knit tightly together. She looked past Amy down the dirt track that passed for a main street in the settlement. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary she turned her attention back to Amy. “There’s a carriage headed this way ma’am. It’s Kaley, she’s come home.” A broad smile appeared on Nicola’s face. Kaley was Nicola’s eldest daughter who had left the community as had several of the other young people. The only difference was that Kaley hadn’t run away because of the isolation of the community, she had followed her heart. Kaley had been the first to return with her partner for regular visits.
When a child left, usually as a teenager or young adult they were often driven by the desire to explore or escape the stigma of this northern settlement. Dori’s Cove was the place where the original research station had been located. It was where Conrad Drummond had performed his experiments and eventually gone mad. Eventually his madness had no boundaries at all and he experimented on human DNA. Conrad was long gone now and several generations had passed since his disappearance into the forest but the stigma of his madness had lingered over the community. No one wanted to endure the condemnation of the rest of the colonists on Marcus II. Their humiliation was deep seeded and they felt their only option was to isolate themselves from the others. The residents of Dori’s Cove remained very much as they had for over a hundred and fifty years.
That’s why some of the youngsters left because they didn’t want to carry that particular burden any longer. The first few who went south to find a new life for themselves did find some resistance among the other colonists but eventually individuals like Kaley had broken down the barriers. She was readily accepted by all who met her. Unfortunately the people of The Cove had a hard time accepting that fact. They still had a deep scar within themselves that could not be seen outwardly. Their ancestors believed they should have done something to stop Conrad. It was almost too much for them to bear. They had come to this planet to do no harm to any living creature and they had failed miserably. “Amy, how does she look?” Nicola took another quick look down the road. ”I don’t know ma’am, I haven’t seen her but she is with Rachael and they should be here within the hour.”
Nicola was very pleased that her daughter had found someone who loved her so much and the whole family had grown to love Rachael. Mind you it had taken some time for Nicola’s natural instinct to be weary of strangers to be replaced by trust and eventually love. Rachael represented the Leadership and she was a member of the “Royal” family but Nicola had found her sincere and honest and genuinely interested in helping the northern community to thrive without forcing anything on them. That was not the only deciding factor. Kaley loved her deeply and that was good enough for her. Kaley usually came to visit every month or two and stayed for at least a few days. Their last visit had been a celebration and that had been the day Kaley and Rachael had told the family they were pregnant. Not many children were born to Dori’s Cove residents so each and every one was cherished. Nicola hurriedly prepared for her daughters return. They didn’t have much but it would be an occasion. ~
Eno continued to travel north keeping up easily with the carriage. She moved effortlessly along and sometimes finding herself ahead of the surrey. Her path was parallel to Kaley’s and within sight of the river. This place looked familiar but she knew it had been many years since she was last here.
Eno was happy because she finally had a friend and wasn’t alone in the world anymore. She was a little scared but this is what she had wanted for a long time, she was tired of being alone. She would pursue this friendship even if it meant being unsure and uncomfortable. She needed companionship and she just knew Kaley would be her friend… her true friend.
A rider on horseback approached the carriage. Eno’s heart raced. She didn’t know if this was a good thing or not but Kaley had said this was the village where she was born. The rider seemed to greet Kaley with friendly words and gestures. Eno breathed out a sigh of relief. She was not only worried about her own safety but it mattered to her that Kaley and her family were safe as well.
By the time they arrived at The Cove they were quite the convoy. Many of the young people of the village had come out to greet Kaley and Rachael. Kaley felt like the prodigal daughter returning. She was so happy. She had found out who was following them and she was home in the loving arms of her family. “Kaley honey, I’m so glad to see you! You look fabulous.” Nicola crowed. Rachael leapt out of the surrey and helped her wife down. Nicola enveloped Kaley in a bear hug squeezing her tight. “Ok ok Ma you’re squishing the baby.” Kaley exclaimed. Nicola stepped back concerned. “I’m sorry Kay, I’m just so excited! Welcome home… you too Rachael.” She stepped forward and gave Rachael a warm hug. “Come sit on the porch, take a load off.” Nicola guided Kaley to her covered verandah. “I’ve been sitting for hours Ma. What I really need is a washroom and to stretch my legs.” Kaley said. They headed toward the house arm in arm.
Rachael stayed with the surrey supervising the unloading of supplies she’d brought from Arklow. The Cove was so isolated Rachael took the opportunity to bring in supplies from the south every time she made the trek north. She also knew there would be a celebration upon Kaley’s arrival and she brought some baked goods as a special treat.
Nicola may have been the unofficial leader of The Cove but you would never know it by the state of her dress and the home she lived in. The entire community was nothing more than half a dozen run down multi-generational homes. No new construction had been undertaken in The Cove for several decades and the homes that were there suffered greatly from neglect. Not because people were lazy or didn’t care but because they spent virtually all their time scraping a meager living out of the land. They also suffered
from a low birthrate and having teenagers leave hurt the whole community.
The Cove may have been isolated but they weren’t uneducated. They had botanists, biologists, geneticists and several other sciences. The community hurt because they refused to ask the other colonists for genetic material to add diversity to their gene pool. How could they possibly ask after what had happened in the past? It hadn’t been them personally who had experimented with human DNA but that made little difference to them. They would rather their community die out taking their shame with them.
Kaley’s marriage and pregnancy as well as her return to The Cove injected new hope into the community. Rachael had witnessed the level of pride taken in the village and its surroundings had increased since her first visits to The Cove. It was a slow process but it was progress.
By the time Rachael made her way to Nicola’s house after securing lodgings for the team and carriage a large crowd had gathered. Kaley always brought presents especially for the children and that made her a minor celebrity in and of itself. Rachael smiled broadly and the look on Kaley’s face was priceless. She looked happier than she’d been in a very long time. “Come here and sit by me Rach, Ma’s made tea and muffins.” Kaley patted the seat beside her. Rachael leaned over and kissed Kaley on the top of the head. She handed Kaley the parcel that they had brought for their immediate family members. “Alright everyone, give Kaley some time to settle and have a private conversation with her Ole Ma. You’ll have lots of time to bend her ear later. She’ll be staying for a while, now shoo.” Nicola made a motion with her hands as if waving flies away from something sweet. Turning to Kaley she said. “Kay you look tired, why don’t you go inside and take a nap on my bed.” Nicola offered. “No thanks Ma I’m fine, I just want to sit here and listen to the birds and watch the activities of The Cove. This is restful for me.” Kaley said smiling. Nicola turned to Rachael. “Can’t you do something to make her rest… if not for her then for your babe?” Nicola pleaded. Rachael straightened. “You know I can’t make her do anything. She’s her mothers’ daughter. If she is getting too fatigued I trust she will take a nap.” Rachael looked at Nicola apologetically. Nicola nodded knowingly. She had tried to get Kaley to do things all her life to no avail. “So Rachael, what brings you to The Cove?” Nicola asked.
At this question Rachael had to look apologetic again. “I’m sorry Nicola but business has brought me here. Aunt Catherine asked me to have a discussion with you about the future of the community here.” Rachael said. Nicola took a deep breath and seemed about to kick off an argument but she stopped in her tracks when Kaley reached over and took her hand. Nicola stopped and looked at her daughter. “This isn’t the time for such discussions. I’m here to visit with my beloved daughter and her spouse. The only plans I want to talk about right now is the location of the new home we’ll construct for when the two of you return to Dori’s Cove to live and raise your child.” Nicola said smugly. Kaley stepped in. “Ma I don’t think that is in the immediate future. Whatever happens we will be coming here as often as we can. It might not be for a while after the baby is born and not until the baby and I have been cleared for such a long journey. In the mean time you can come visit us and stay at our house. Aunt Loki is there right now preparing the house for the baby. She seems to be enjoying herself very much.” Kaley said cheerfully. Nicola turned to Kaley. “When did this happen? What on Marcus would possess my sister Loki to go to Cambridge Landing? How long has she been there?”
Nicola shot off all her questions in rapid succession without letting anyone answer. “She showed up shortly after our last visit. She said she heard the news and wanted to help out. She said she wanted me and my baby to have family close.” Kaley confided. Nicola scoffed. Kaley gave her mother a stern look. “Please Ma be nice. It’s been wonderful having her with us. I can’t tell you how surprised I was to see her show up in town riding her burro. I thought she was a hermit. I can’t remember the last time I saw her in any town never mind in The Landing.” Kaley gently squeezed her mothers’ hand again.
Rachael watched as the two women went through their ritual conversation. She found it interesting to see this woman who was so much like her wife. They both had the same platinum hair and alabaster skin with violet eyes. They were not unique in The Cove in fact she was the one who was unique. “I think I need that nap now.” Kaley said. Rachael took her hand and led her into the house.
While Kaley rested Rachael took the opportunity to walk around the community to see what was different since their last visit. Rachael hoped desperately that Nicola and the Elders of the community would accept help from the greater colony. She could see so many ways that their assistance could benefit. Their food production could easily be increased without very much effort. If they created an aqueduct system similar to what they had at The Landing they could grow enough food to support a much larger community.
At dinner the excitement continued with many people vying for some of Kaley’s attention. To her credit she spent at least a small amount of time with each and every one of them. When dinner was complete Rachael tried to broach the subject with Nicola of at least stabilizing the town if not making formal attempts at growth. Kaley said she needed a walk. She snuck off into the forest to get some tree therapy and to check on her friend.
Kaley took one of her favorite routes through the underbrush. She would have preferred to climb up into the trees but her size was an impediment at this point. She walked quite a way making sure she wasn’t followed. “Are you there my friend?” She called. Almost immediately the Creature stepped out into the clearing. “Hello, I need to know what to call you. I’ve told you my name. I can’t keep calling you The Creature. What’s your name?” The Creature wasn’t used to speaking. It wasn’t something she did very often and it wasn’t necessary out in the forest. She took a few steps closer and then a few more, circling slightly to keep an eye on her surroundings. When no answer was forthcoming Kaley tried again in a quiet voice. “Can you speak?” Kaley decided to sit down. Maybe sitting she wouldn’t appear so intimidating. The Creature came within a dozen feet and crouched down, still a little weary but curious. “It’s good to see my family. Do you have family out there somewhere?” Kaley asked. The girl shrugged. Kaley took out a small reflective surface from her bag. “You look like me. Maybe we’re related.” She showed The Creature her reflection. They sat there for a few minutes in silence. “I don’t even know if you understand what I am saying.” Kaley said.
Kaley knew she didn’t have much more time before someone would come looking for her. “I have to go soon. Oh I almost forgot I brought you something.” She went into her pack and brought out a muffin wrapped in a kerchief. She held it out to The Creature. The Creature tilted her head. She looked around to make sure nothing was going to jump out at her. She moved closer and reached out her hand to receive the muffin. Kaley hadn’t seen The Creature this close before. Kaley broke off a small portion of the muffin top and gave the rest to The Creature. The Creature took the muffin and stepped back a few paces. Kaley put the small piece of muffin into her mouth and chewed. The Creature took a small bite of the muffin. Kaley saw her smile and take another bite. “You like that don’t you? I’ll remember that for next time.” The Creature smiled. Kaley noticed that she was slightly dirty but otherwise looked to be in good health. She looked well fed and her eyes, teeth, gums and hair all looked healthy. All in all Kaley thought she looked in good shape.
As she scrutinized the Creature she heard a sound. “Eno” “Did you say something?” Kaley asked. “Eno” The Creature repeated. “Eno, is that your name?” Kaley smiled broadly. Eno smiled back and nodded. “Well I’m pleased to meet you Eno. Normally when I meet someone I give them a hug but I’m not sure you’re ready for that.” Eno moved in, slowly closing the distance between them until she was only inches away from Kaley. Kaley opened her arms and scooped her into a tentative embrace. As she realized that Eno was not just allowing the hug but enjoying it she gave a norm
al warm embrace. She heard Eno sigh. When they pulled apart they both had tears welling up in their eyes. Kaley held her hand gently while looking into her eyes. “Thank you Eno for trusting me and more importantly thank you for helping me yesterday. I could have really needed help. Thank the stars it was a false alarm.” Kaley heard a rustling and a voice calling her name far off into the woods coming from the direction of the village. Without looking away she smiled. “They worry about me. Would you like to come home with me?” Kaley asked. Eno suddenly had a frightened look on her face. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to. Someday I want you to come visit me at my house but it doesn’t have to be today. I’ll come back out to visit you tomorrow ok?” Kaley tried to get up. Eno held out her hand and easily supported Kaley’s weight until she was standing comfortably on her own. “I’ll see you tomorrow Eno.” She started to walk toward the voice but before she got too far she turned back to wave but Eno was gone. ~
Chapter Four
The talk with Nicola hadn’t gone very well. Rachael decided it would be best if she included Kaley in the next discussion. Rachael knew the help that was being offered was something that would benefit The Cove and all its residents. She wanted to make some progress and hash out some details that were mutually agreed upon leaving the more contentious issues for another day. So far there wasn’t anything that they had agreed on. Nicola was not open to any discussion, period.
Kaley asked Nicola to join them in the living room. “Ma I know the last talk you and Rachael had didn’t go well.” She held up her hand to silence any protests from her mother. “Rachael and I have often talked about what would make Dori’s Cove a better place and we’ve been given permission by Catherine to offer our assistance to implement our ideas. What I need from you right now is the opportunity to present our ideas without interruption. The other piece I want you to remember is that we want some of these things so that our child and any future children will be able to live here in a safe modern environment, a place with a future.” Rachael looked at Kaley and nodded. She knew Kaley could say things to her mother in a way she would hear and listen without automatically dismissing them outright.
The Creature - Book Two of the Marcus II Series Page 4