More Than One: A Novel

by Fowler, Monica

  I picked the letter back up and flipped it over. It had already been opened. I pulled the contents out and unfolded it. Just like I thought, there was another envelope inside with my name on it. There was also a note with Michael's name. I unfolded it and read what it said. Abigail Thompson was the woman's name. She was asking about Ash's health amongst other things. She wanted to know if Michael was okay and about his living conditions. She asked if he needed more money to be sent to him.

  I was astounded. Why was everyone keeping secrets from me? He said he wanted to help me, but he was lying, he was never going to help me figure things out. I'm so stupid for believing anything that he said. I should have known that this thing with him was too good to be true. And I should have been more worried about the fact that he wouldn't share anything about his life with me. That should have hit me upside the head; red flags should have been flaring, but it didn't.

  I was so caught up in the fact that he loved me and he was so nice to me. No one has ever made me feel the way he did and now I find out it was all a lie. He was using me.

  I heard Michael coming around the corner and I didn't care that he would find out that I was going through his things.

  “How do you feel about....” he was saying until he saw me holding the letter.

  “What is this?” I asked holding up the envelope.

  “What are you doing going through my things?” he asked snatching it out of my hand.

  “Well, apparently half of that is mine. One of the envelopes has my name on it.”

  He sat down and put his hands over his face.

  “Look Jamie, let me explain.”

  “Why should I? You've been lying to me this whole time. Why should I believe this time would be any different? Has anything you told me been the truth? You told me you loved me, was that a lie too?” I asked.

  “No Jamie, you know that the feelings I have for you are real.”

  “Then why all the secrecy? Why all the lies? We talked about this. I told you everything I've been going through and you said you didn't know anything, but that wasn't true.”

  I folded my arms across my chest to try and hold it together, but I was on the verge of a breakdown. First, I find out that Ash has been lying to me, and he's really a clone and now this. I wondered what Rach would tell me, that she’s a witch or something else mythical. Who can I trust?

  “Okay, I know how this looks, but I want to explain and this time I will tell you the truth,” he said.

  I leaned back and closed my eyes. I still didn't trust that he would be completely honest with me, but I wanted to hear what he had to say on the subject.

  “I'm listening,” I finally said.

  “Before I say anything, you have to promise me that this will stay between you and me.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it; danger, secrets, whatever. Just talk,” I said fuming.

  “This is serious Jamie. I could get into so much trouble if they find out that I'm telling you this.”

  “Who are they? And who am I going to tell, seriously?”

  He took a deep breath.

  “I work for a scientist. Actually I work for Ash's father.”

  I opened my eyes and focused on him. I knew this conversation was going to leave me totally confused.

  “Ash's father is a doctor and a scientist. I was going to school when I met him and he offered me an internship with him and his partner Dr. Lewis. Abigail Thompson, the one who has been sending you the letters, was the one who referred me to them.”

  “So, why was this supposed to be a secret?” I asked.

  “Because once I was in deep enough, I found out what they were doing was considered illegal, but there was no way for me to get out by then and even more, I didn't want to.”

  “What were they doing?” I asked, even though I knew the answer to my own question. Ash swore me to secrecy as well and I wasn't going to break my promise to him.

  “They were doing research. Research that could change the way we think about the longevity of our lives.”

  “I don't get it.”

  “The research was on clones,” he said and grinned.

  I guess he wanted me to take that all in, because he didn't say anything after that. What he didn't know was, I've already had the reaction he was expecting a couple of days ago with Ash. Before I could say anything, my phone rang. I looked at it and quickly realized I was later for work. It was Keisha. I answered the phone and told her I would be there soon. There was no way I was leaving until I got more information.

  “Clones? But you guys made me feel like I was stupid when I mentioned it before when we were all together.”

  “Yeah, because no one is supposed to know about it. But what Dr. Dean has discovered is amazing. Cloning can be done and he is the one who set the wheels in motion. Your precious Ash, he is a clone created by Dr. Dean.”

  My eyes got wide and he chuckled, apparently pleased with my reaction this time.

  “Ash is a clone? That's impossible. He is so normal,” I said getting bored with this conversation. I wanted him to tell me something I didn't already know.

  “Yes, he is a clone and that is why I was sent here to keep an eye on him. Through recent studies, we have learned that his health was going to start declining and Dr. Dean wanted me to watch out for any signs of his health changing and report back to him. Ash is very stubborn and hates coming home, so it is hard for him to keep up with what's going on with him. If there were something wrong, he would never tell his father. They don't get along,” he said scooting back on the couch with his hands stretched out over the top of the seat. “They have been working on a cure to save him and I'm here to make sure nothing happens to him before they find one.”

  “His health is fading? You mean Ash could die if they don't find a cure?” I asked. Ash didn't mention any of this to me. I wondered if he even knew.

  “Yes. The expectancy of the clone’s lifespan is twenty-one years. Ash is nineteen now and Dr. Dean suspects that he will be starting to feel the effects of the change soon. Him blacking out the way he did was not a good sign. It could mean that the process is speeding up and that would take time off his life.”

  I was starting to panic. The things I researched on the cloning process made me scared to think that Ash's life could be taken at any moment. He could die sometime soon if they didn't find the cure.

  “So, do you think they will find a cure for him?” I asked.

  “Yes. Dr. Dean and Dr. Lewis are geniuses in my opinion and they are dedicated to making sure Ash comes out of this alright. You shouldn't worry about that.”

  “Why twenty-one though, how did they come up with that age?”

  “The research showed that the growth of the cells in clones developed faster. Right now, he is nineteen, but if you looked at his insides on a scientific level, he's older. He just doesn't age on the outside as fast.”

  “Wow, this is a lot to take in. So, you say Ash and his father don't get along. Why not?” I asked.

  He laughed and I thought it was rude of him. I wondered how close Michael and Ash's father were for him to know all of this.

  “Well, Ash has always been a hot head. His father wanted great things for him and he was always going against the grain. Ash could have stayed in Rome, but when he graduated from high school, he applied for a college far away from home so he could get under his father’s skin,” he said.

  “Wait, Rome? Ash is from Rome and not New York?”

  “Yeah, I thought you got that.”

  “No, I didn't. Why didn't he tell me he was from Rome? That makes no sense.”

  “Well, it is another protocol that we must follow. New York is the place we always have to say we're from, security reasons,” he answered.

  “But the murders... they are in Rome. Tell me the truth, do you know anything about that?”

  “Well, of course I know about the murders in Rome, but I seriously don't know why you are dreaming about them, I promise.”

&nb
sp; I believed him. He's been honest so far. There had to be another reason why Ash didn't tell me he was from Rome. He opened up about everything else, why leave this out? He has to be hiding more information and I know it must be related to my situation. At least I think it is. How could I find out though?

  “There is something I'm missing in all of this. Ash is a clone, you work for his father. You guys are actually from Rome, which just happens to be the place the murders that I am dreaming about are taking place. This Abigail person, is sending me letters telling me to be careful. Where do I fit in, in all of this? Why is she sending me the letters?” I asked.

  “That part, I don't know for real. I'm just doing as I'm told by delivering the letters to you, but I don't know why she is telling you that. I guess that information is on a need to know basis and I might not need to know. Trust me, if I knew why, I would tell you.”

  “Okay, I believe you,” I said looking at my watch. “I have to go before Keisha calls back and curses me out. But we have to finish this conversation later. I still have a lot more questions to ask you.”

  “Sure. Just call me when you get off work. I'll be around.”

  “Okay,” I said and stood up to leave.

  He walked me to the door and then hugged me.

  “I know you are confused, but it will make sense soon enough. Just don't let it get to you like before,” he said.

  I looked at him and the calmness in his face sent a chill down my spine. Even after finding out the mystery, I still didn't know this man. He wasn't the guy that I first met and fell for. The secret was out and yet I still felt like I was in the dark. I backed away from him. I didn't feel safe with him anymore.

  “I have to go,” I said and bolted out of the door.

  I walked to my car and I couldn't turn around and look back at him. There was something about him that disgusted me. I thought about the way he said, Your precious Ash is a clone. It was almost like he wanted something bad to happen to him.

  I took out my phone and texted Rach and told her I needed her to be back at the dorm tonight. I explained how important it was. Screw all the secrets, I was going to tell her everything.

  The last couple of days have been full of surprises. Ones that I would never have thought in a million years could be possible. The way Michael and Ash opened up to me was disturbing for some reason. They acted as if what they were telling me was just so simple. Like I was supposed to take it in and just be okay with it. Why didn't they understand why it was bothering me so much? I told them all about my situation, but they refuse to see how they are linked in some way.

  I locked the doors to the store and got in my car. I checked my phone and saw that I had two text messages. Rach was telling me she was already in the room and Michael was asking me if I was okay. I know I told him I was going to call him when I got off work, but I didn't want to talk to him anymore tonight. I deleted his text and started the car heading to the dorm.

  I got there and ran up to my room. I came in, slammed the door, and started pacing. Rach looked at me like I was crazy and she wouldn't be far from the truth on that. It seemed like the more I got answers, the more lost I felt. I thought it was making sense earlier when I was talking to Michael, but it really hadn't. It just felt like another bad dream that I was wishing I could wake up from.

  “Um Jamie, what's going on with you?” Rach asked.

  I turned to her and grunted. I finally put my things down and flopped on my bed.

  “You will not believe the day I had. Actually, I take that back, the week I've had,” I said.

  “Michael still mad at you?”

  “No, that's not it. I mean, am I awake right now? Pinch me please,” I said walking over to her bed.

  She pinched me. “What’s going on? I've never seen you put on a drama like this,” she said moving over so I could sit down.

  “Listen, what I'm about to tell you is going to sound outrageous, but I swear to you it’s all the truth. I keep finding out things and it is literally driving me insane.”

  “Okay, I'm all ears,” she replied.

  “You know how I told you Ash has been trying to tell me something, but he could never find the words?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, it turns out that he is a clone.”

  Her expression turned blank and she kept blinking repeatedly.

  “What?” she said.

  “Believe me, it’s true. He told me the other day and he made me promise I wouldn't tell anyone, so you can't say anything.”

  “What?” she asked again.

  “Ash was cloned by a scientist from a baby boy who died in the hospital.”

  “That's not possible. Cloning humans can't be done. Are you sure you heard him right?”

  “Look, Rach, I know how this all sounds, but that's what he told me. Why would he say that if it weren't true? But that's not all,” I said taking a deep breath. “Michael hasn't been answering my phone calls, so I decided to go over there after class. He told me the reason he was avoiding me was because he was tired of me always putting Ash before him. Well, anyway, we discussed that and moved on. While he was in the kitchen, I found a letter that was addressed to him from Rome. The person who has been sending me the letters warning me was being delivered by him.”

  She looked dumbfounded. Her mouth was open wide and her body was stiff.

  “So, let me get this straight. Ash is a clone and Michael is some crazy lady's minion. Is that about right?” she said.

  “Pretty much.”

  I couldn't tell if she was believing any of this and what she thought about it if she did. The more I thought about it, I realized how it must have sound to her. Probably the same way it did to me when they told me.

  “I'm still in shock right now. This is too bizarre,” she said.

  “Tell me about it.”

  I went into detail about the whole conversation I had with Ash and then the one I had with Michael. Rach grabbed a piece of paper out of one of her folders and then turned to me.

  “Okay, let's think about this and try to analyze it from every angle and see what we come up with,” she said.

  “Alright. So, make columns and put Ash, Michael and my name in each of them and then we'll go from there.”

  “So, in your column we have nightmares, murders in Rome, and a file that was found in your dad's cabinet.”

  “Then put in Ash's column that he is a clone, he is from Rome, his health is fading, and that his father is a scientist. For Michael, put he is from Rome, he is an intern for Ash's father, has been delivering messages for Abigail Thompson, and that he is here to watch over Ash,” I said.

  “Okay, now how does this all connect to each other,” she asked.

  “There is something more that the guys are not telling me. I asked Ash if he thought it was possible that maybe someone was cloned from my DNA, and that is the person committing the murders and he said it wasn't possible. But I'm not so sure. What I need to find out is if my parents have ever been there or knows someone from there.”

  I got my phone and dialed my parent’s home number. I knew it was late and they were probably asleep, but I needed to know. There was no way I would have been able to sit here all night not knowing.

  My dad answered the phone and it sounded like he was still up. He asked me if there was something wrong and I told him no. I told him I got his email, and I apologized for my grades and for missing classes. I told him that I was making my grades up. He said he was glad that I was. There was silence on the phone for a minute while I was trying to figure out how to ask him.

  “Hey, uh, dad. Have you ever been to Rome?” I asked.

  “Why do you ask?”

  “No reason, just curious. So, have you and mom ever visited there or lived there or even know anyone from Rome?”

  “Well, we have been to Rome. We stayed there for a little bit before you were born. I was studying with one of the doctors there for a while. We went back once after you were born, but you wer
e too young to remember any of that.”

  My eyes got wide. There was a possibility that someone could have gotten some of my DNA.

  “Wow, that's really something,” I said. “Why didn't you tell me this before?”

  “It never came up before now and like I said, you were too young to remember any of it anyway. What's going on Jamie? Why the sudden curiosity in our travels?”

  “Nothing. I just wanted to know. So how are you and mom?” I said trying to change the subject.

  “We’re good.”

  “I saw the pictures from Hawaii. You guys must have had an amazing time.”

  “We sure did. I wish you could have been there.”

  “Yeah, me too. Well, it's late and I know you want to get to bed and I have an early class tomorrow. Tell mom I said hello.”

  “Okay, I will. Love you baby,” he said with a sigh.

  “I love you, too dad. Good night.”

  I hung up the phone and looked at Rach, who was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting.

  “Well?” she asked.

  “They used to live in Rome when he was working or doing some research with a doctor there. Apparently I've been to Rome too, but I was too young to remember.”

  “Oh my gosh, Jay. Did you ask who the doctor was?”

  “No, he was already suspicious about why I was asking. I didn't want him to grill me. I wouldn't know what to tell him if he did.”

  “So, your parents lived in Rome for a little bit and then they went back after you were born,” she said as she started writing. “This might be the final piece to the puzzle. What if the doctor he was working with was Ash's father? Then that means he could have cloned you and your parents don't even know about it.”

  “Yeah, but Ash said he was the only one. I know he is keeping something else from me, but I don't think it's that. I really feel like if I had been cloned by his father then he would have told me,” I said.

  “Yeah, you're right. Then what else is there? All the information is pointing to that. There is no other explanation to all this.”

  “Well, whatever it is, I'm going to find out all I need to know very soon.”