Once all the chatter was done, we took a seat on the floor near the fireplace. Ash's father stood up and looked around the room. It was like I was back in the classroom about to hear a lecture.
“I'm sorry that this visit is not on pleasant terms; there is nothing I can do to change that. Right now, I just want to right the wrong I've done,” he said looking at me. “Jamie, I know there is nothing I can say that will take back what you have endured, but if I could, I would. And son, I never meant to hurt you. This whole time, I thought what I was doing was to better you. I apologize to you, as well.”
Ash rolled his eyes and I just shook my head.
“Abigail, Mark, I didn't get a chance to tell you everything that was going on over the phone, so you might be in the dark a little. This will all make sense in a minute,” he said.
Ash leaned over and rested his head on my shoulder as we listened to his father tell Dr. Lewis and Dr. Thompson why we were there. He went through every account and even the suspicions we had. He talked about the murders and I closed my eyes and tried to black him out. I didn't want to hear about them anymore. When he stopped talking, I opened my eyes and everyone was staring at me.
Ash lifted his head up and looked at me, too. I felt like I had missed out on something important. I started to ask why everyone was looking at me, but my dad stood up instead and took the floor next to Ash's father.
“Like he said, my daughter has been having these nightmares and it is actually happening. What I need to know from you Abigail is what you talk about during her sessions? Has she demonstrated any odd behavior in the last couple of months,” he said.
All eyes were on her. She cleared her throat and then pulled out a thick folder.
“I've reported major changes in her within the last year. She seems to have a split personality of some sort. She is back and forth. What I mean by that is, she is a different person every session. One day she will be calm and receptive, and then on others she is erratic. Then there are days where she is drawn in and we don't get much accomplished,” she said closing the folder. “I've tried to talk her through the feelings she has, but nothing seems to work.”
“What feelings,” I asked.
“Well, she hates everything. She talks about wanting to end her life, but in my experience, people who talk about suicide rarely do it; but when the feeling festers, it is projected in the wrong direction. As far as the murders go, I don't think she is capable of doing such a thing. I do believe there is someone she is secretly keeping in contact with. I don't know how, but when she is under hypnosis, she talks about someone that is unknown to me. Now, maybe she has made this person up, but it still raises some concern from my view point.”
“So, why were you sending me the letters if you didn't believe she would do me any harm?” I asked.
“Because it was better to be safe than sorry. I couldn't have that on my conscious if something happened to you. If she is some how communicating with someone other than us, then there is no telling what could have come of it. She is not in a good place mentally right now,” she said.
“But why me? What did I ever do to her?” I said.
“She is jealous. I understand that you are dreaming about her thoughts and things that happen to her. Well, it is the same for Elizabeth. There have been plenty sessions that were based totally on you. She can see some of the things you can see, as well. All the love and happiness, the fun and freedom; that is a part of her. Imagine what she must be going through.”
I did imagine it a lot of times. I felt sorry for her, but I still didn't understand why she would want to harm me. I never knew she existed.
“So, why do you keep her here, locked up?” Ash asked.
His dad stepped in.
“We needed to run test on her. She is the first after all, and we needed to know what limits she had, her brain capacity for learning and things of that nature. There was no way we could have learned what we know if it weren't for her and we are still learning. There are bigger things at work here son, and you will benefit from it,” he said.
“What benefits and at what cost?” Ash asked.
“There is no cost because she will benefit as well. I know you're mad at me, but you have no idea how much I've risked for you,” his father said in a stern voice. “Your life depends on the decisions I've made.”
Ash was breathing hard and scrunching up his face. “My life... you told me I was going to be fine. Were you lying about that, too?”
There was silence in the room. I now knew that Ash had no idea that he needed a cure to survive. I thought the worst was over for him, but it was the exact opposite; it had just begun.
“Ash, we will talk about that later. We need to stick to the problem at hand,” his father said.
“There you go again blowing me off. You need to tell me now what is going on?” he yelled.
Before Ash's father could say anything, his mother grabbed his hand.
“Just tell him. There is no need for this to go on any further,” she said.
Ash's father softened and then turned back to Ash.
“You already know about your health, we talked about it the last time you were here. But what I didn't tell you was that your time could be cut short soon if we don't find a way to stop the aging process.”
“Aging process? Look at me, I'm fine,” Ash said spreading his arms out to show everyone.
“Not your outside, but your insides. Your cells are multiplying too fast and it is messing with your internal organs.”
Ash dropped his arms and his head. He looked like a sick puppy at that moment.
“How long do I have?” he asked.
“Two more years at best. But if we can perfect the cure we have, then you will be as good as new.”
“So, that's it? You’re using her as a lab rat to help me?”
“Don't say that, she is not a lab rat. Like I said, she will benefit from this, too. And once we know that we've averted the complications, then, we will let her live her life just as we've done for you.”
Everyone was quiet again and Ash went back to leaning on my shoulder. I wish I knew what he was thinking right now.
“I want to see her,” I finally said.
Dr. Thompson and Dr. Lewis looked at me. I was way past feeling scared and uneasy; I just wanted to see what they saw everyday for the last twenty years.
“And I also think that someone should take a look at those tapes you've recorded of her,” I said.
Ash's father nodded and stood up.
“Abigail, you should come with us and Mark, Martin, you can go through the feeds and see if there is anything there,” he said.
Abigail, Ash, and I followed Dr. Dean through the kitchen and my dad and Dr. Lewis turned off somewhere else.
We made it to a door that led down a long hallway. As soon as I was inside, I recognized it instantly. We walked in further and he opened the door for us to go in. It was like I was back in my dream, strapped to a table wanting to get out. My nerves started to get the best of me as I examined the scene from my nightmares.
Dr. Dean turned around before we could go any further and stopped.
“Abigail, I think you should go in first and talk to her. We will wait here. As soon as you feel like she is ready to see anyone else, then we will join you,” he said.
“Okay,” she said walking to the back of the laboratory. She went in the door and closed it behind her.
I started to feel nervous. Ash grabbed my hand and looked at me. Even after all he had found out today, he was still willing to be there for me.
The door opened and I took a deep breath as soon as Elizabeth stepped out of her room. My eyes got wide and my heart started to beat faster. She looked exactly like me, just as my father had said. She had the same hair, height, weight, and everything. It was like I was looking in a mirror.
She studied me as well, as she walked closer to me. The expression on her face scared me; she looked angry. She kept coming until she stoo
d about two feet away from me. We stared at each other for a long time without saying a word. I let go of Ash's hand and backed up.
“I can't believe it,” was all I could think to say.
Dr. Dean and Dr. Thompson came around to stand next to her and I tensed up. Dr. Thompson put her hand on Elizabeth's back and she turned to look at her.
Ash was standing there as if he were stunned. He moved forward and the clone looked at him. Her features softened when she saw him. He moved closer to her and she watched his every move.
“I'm Ashton,” he said extending his hand. She looked down at his hand as if she didn't understand.
He reached out for her hand and shook it.
“I'm Elizabeth,” she finally said.
I gasped when I heard her talk.
“This is Jamie,” Ash said pointing to me.
She looked at me and her face hardened again. Ash noticed it and moved closer to me.
“We're not here to cause you any trouble. We just found out about you and wanted to see you, that's all. I wish I could have met you sooner. It would have been a lot easier on me growing up,” he said.
“How so?” she said.
“Well, seeing that you were here before me, then it would have helped to ask you questions about how you went through it all,” he said grabbing my hand again.
“I'm sorry,” she said.
“It's okay. It's not your fault,” Ash said looking at his father.
She looked at him as well. We stood there for a minute before Dr. Thompson stepped up.
“I think that is enough of a visitation for today. I'm going to take Elizabeth back to her room and sit with her,” she said.
Elizabeth turned to leave. It was like she was a robot, reporting to the commands of her maker. She followed Dr. Thompson back to her room and they closed the door again.
Ash glared at his father.
“Did mom carry her, too?” he asked.
“No, Abigail did. She wanted to be apart of the process, plus your mom didn't want to at first. She didn't know if there would be complications and didn't want to risk it,” he answered.
I was still stunned. I hadn't moved or said a word.
“Jamie, are you okay?” Ash asked.
“Yeah, I'm fine,” I whispered.
“Let's go,” he said pulling me toward the door.
I allowed him to guide me back through the dimly lit corridor until we made it to the kitchen. I let go of his hand and found a chair to sit in. I stared into space while Ash went to the refrigerator. How could he eat at a time like this? How could he be so calm? He must have split personalities, too. He was holding it together too well.
My father rushed around the corner with Dr. Lewis on his heels. When he saw me, he quickly made his way over to where I was sitting.
“You were right,” he said.
“What? Right about what?” I said.
“Elizabeth. She has been sneaking out of her room. Every night she has left, coincides with the days of the murders,” he said.
Ash stopped looking in the refrigerator and turned to my dad.
“She has been what?” he said.
“We haven't watched all of the tapes, but from the ones we've seen, she has been leaving and the dates match up.”
I wanted to throw up. It wasn't enough that I just saw a girl that looked just like me, but when they confirmed my suspicions, it made me more nauseous. I leaned my head down on the counter I was close to and closed my eyes.
“What should we do about this? I mean, what if we’re wrong. Just because she is sneaking out doesn't mean she is the murderer?” Ash said.
“But what about Jamie's dreams? Everything has been right so far,” my dad said.
“And we can't go to the police without them finding out what is going on here. We will be implicated, too. What we need to do is keep a closer watch on her until we find the cure,” Dr. Lewis said.
“And then what? You'll kill her... this makes no sense,” Ash said.
“We are doing this for you Ash, don't you understand that?” Dr. Lewis pleaded.
“I understand very well,” he yelled and stormed out of the room.
I watched him leave and then closed my eyes again. My father and Dr. Lewis were talking amongst themselves and decided to go to the laboratory to talk to Dr. Dean. They left me there without saying a word before they went. My father was so engulfed in the mystery that was Elizabeth and my pain didn't matter at the time. I felt abandoned.
I went to the living room and ignored the stares that came from my mom and Mrs. Dean, and grabbed my cell phone out of my purse. I needed to talk to someone who hasn't witness everything I just saw and heard. I called Rach. She picked up on the second ring.
“Hey Jamie, how are things going?” she asked.
I just blew out a long deep breath.
“Jamie, what's going on?”
I rubbed my temples before I started talking. I told her everything that happened and she was horrified that I was right all along. She tried to comfort me by telling me that things were going to work out. But I couldn't see that. It didn't matter what I did to prevent it, I was still going to share thoughts with someone else. Someone who hated me. It was so surreal.
“Have you talked to Michael?” she asked.
“No, not since I've been here. Why?”
“He came over here a little after you left and I told him you were in Rome. I haven't seen him since,” she said.
“Oh no, he must be headed here. I didn't tell him we left. He's probably been looking for Ash, too, unless they already told him he was here,” I said. “Hey Rach, I have to go.”
“I'm sorry. I didn't know I wasn't supposed to tell him.”
“It's okay, he would have found out eventually. You know he is the babysitter. I'll call you later, okay,” I said and hung up the phone.
I ran in the house to look for Ash. He wasn't in any of the places I looked downstairs, so I went up to his room. I knocked at first, but there was no answer. I went in and he was pacing the floor. I looked around the room and it looked like a hurricane came through. There were holes in the wall and all of his pictures were on the floor along with his computer. When he saw me, he stopped walking and sat down on his bed.
I came in and shut the door. I sat down next to him and pat his back. What could I say in this situation to make him feel better? Tears were streaming down his face.
“Ash, I'm sorry this has happened to you,” I said.
“Happened to me... what about her? They act like she is nothing. How can I live with myself knowing they would sacrifice her to help me? I don't even know if I am going to live, but I don't want it at this cost,” he said.
“What do you want then?”
“I don't know,” he yelled.
I was speechless for a second. I remembered I came up here to tell him about Michael so he wouldn't have to suffer through another surprise, but it didn't feel like the right time. Michael would be here soon. I didn't want him showing up here and Ash have to find out that his father had someone spying on him. I figured it would be better coming from me.
“I know this is hard, but we will get through this together, I promise,” I said.
He rubbed the tears from his face stood up to start pacing again. I knew there was nothing I could say that would help his mood. Time was all he needed. I just sat there quietly just in case he needed to vent some more. I wanted to be here any way that I could. After all, he would do the same for me.
Chapter Twenty One
The sun was setting outside of the window I looked out of. Ash had finally calmed down enough to sit with me peacefully. I know he was still questioning his ethics, wondering if it was morally right to kill someone even if they weren't technically human. Maybe I needed to question mine as well, since I didn't know how I felt either way.
If I looked deeper into the events that had taken place today, I would probably want what was best for Elizabeth; which is whatever she wanted. Alth
ough, she hated me for no good reason, I still felt obligated to see her side of things. She had suffered so much and I couldn't blame her for being enraged.
Ash interrupted my thoughts when he got up and went to his bed to lie down. I noticed that he was always tired and I wondered if that was all apart of the health thing Dr. Dean mentioned earlier.
He closed his eyes as he laid back on his pillow and I decided to lie down with him until he fell asleep. This day has been hard on everyone and I think he got hit the hardest. When I sat down on the bed, he opened his eyes, then grabbed my arm to pull me next to him. I laid my head down on his chest and listened to his heartbeat, like I always did. I concentrated on the rhythm of it and it still shocked me that he was a clone.
“Can you wake me up if anything else happens?” he asked.
“Sure, just get some rest,” I replied.
He closed his eyes again and started breathing slowly. Before he could get to sleep, there was a knock on the door. I got up to answer it and it was his father. Ash sat up on the bed as he walked in and stood at the foot of the bed.
“Should I go?” I said still standing in the doorway.
“No, you can stay. This involves you as much as anyone,” Ash's father said.
I shut the door and sat down at Ash's computer desk. I know he said I was involved, but this seemed like a father-son moment and I didn't want to interfere.
“I talked to Elizabeth about the murders,” he said.
“What did she say?” Ash asked.
“Not much. I believe she had something to do with it, but I also believe Abigail's theory about her communicating with someone else is a big possibility, as well. We put her under and she mentioned someone by the name of Isaac. Does that sound familiar to either one of you?”
“No,” we both said at the same time.
“I don't recognize the name either. If she was the murderer or just involved in some way, I don't think she was in her right mind. I know what has happened to her the last twenty years couldn't have been easy. I just wanted to help you any way that I could. It is my fault that your mother couldn't have children. I didn't think she should be punished for my incompetence.”
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