Genes, page 29
“No, no, no. Please stop.” I shifted and stirred, but I couldn’t wake up.
Something clinked, metal on metal. My wrists. They hurt. Then a cool breeze brushed my face, replacing the blazing heat. I sighed with relief.
I shot my eyes open. The mattress shifted at the bottom edge. I jerked back. Gene sat inches from me, a wicked grin on his face.
“Hello, sister. Did you miss me?”
My stomach somersaulted. “Get out. Get out of my dream.”
“Who says I’m in your dream? Maybe you’re in mine.”
“You would say that, wouldn’t you?”
He leaned closer. “Maybe it’s not a dream.” Then he was gone.
Dim light filtered through. I opened my eyes. The ceiling spun and the panel lights cleaved into one. I moved my hands to cover my eyes but I couldn’t. My right hand had been cuffed to the bed.
Am I dreaming?
I yanked at it and whimpered from the pain. Okay, not a dream then. I should have been able to easily break the cuff. So I reached for Helix within, but I felt nothing.
Sometimes Helix came fast and easy I didn’t feel it, but this time I knew something was wrong. I tugged at my cuff, but pain ripped through.
What to do now?
I sat up, but I had to scoot toward the wall because of the chain. “Is Mr. Novak there? Who’s watching me? Coward. Show yourself.”
As bold as I tried to be, saying the name Novak made my skin crawl. He not only gave me the creeps, he’d tried to kill me. Here, unable to pull up Helix, I’d never felt so vulnerable.
The door slid open. A woman with dark, shoulder-length hair and a long white gown entered. She was the woman I’d followed. She ...
“Mom?” I swallowed, my pulse out of control. “Mom?” I rose to my knees.
The woman peered up, looking straight at me, but she didn’t seem to see me. She seemed to be drugged or in a daze. Getting a full view of her face, I shuddered a breath as my heart lunged to my throat.
The woman standing in front of me was my mother. My mother. My mother who I had been told had died from a rare disease. They had lied to me. They were ISAN. ISAN had lied to me. ISAN had stolen my mother. ISAN had stolen my life.
ISAN is going to pay.
I wanted to run to her but I couldn’t.
“Mom. Look at me,” I said frantically.
She stared but said nothing. She didn’t even blink.
Why was she here? There were so many questions. I needed to get to her before she left.
“Come sit with me, Mom. Look at me.” I raised my voice, saying anything I could to get her to break out of her stupor.
When she began to back away, I panicked and rattled my chain to make that awful sound. She didn’t even flinch. My heart deflated and then I second guessed myself.
Maybe she wasn’t my mom and just looked like her. Maybe I didn’t remember her as well as I thought. Maybe it was another hologram.
The door slid open for her. No. Don’t leave. Even if she wasn’t my mom, her presence gave me comfort.
Footsteps echoed.
I watched the woman retreat another step, but she stopped when an arm nestled around her shoulder.
“Well, hello, sister. Seems like we’ve switched positions.”
Blood drained out of me. Gene being here only meant ... what did it mean? How had he escaped? What had happened? What about the rebels? My friends? Rhett?
“How are you here? Let me go.” I wanted to tear that smirk off his face.
“Sorry, I have orders.”
Prick. I said nothing. I wasn’t going to play his game.
“Well, I see Mother has found you.” He looked at her fondly and stroked her hair.
I focused on Mom and my insides quaked. Emotions I didn’t know how to process flushed through me. I opened my mouth to speak but closed it instead. What could I say? There was so much to say, but I didn’t want Gene here.
“What’s wrong with her?” I said.
All these years. All the time lost.
I wanted to scream but I had no voice. I wanted to sob from the happiness of finding Mother, but I had no tears to shed. Utterly shocked, I couldn’t process any of this. It felt like a dream. Perhaps it was.
“Let me talk to her,” I said, my voice calmer.
“You can try, but I don’t think she can hear you right now.”
The mockery of his tone made me want to wring his neck.
The door opened. I knew those clicking steps as if they were my own.
I held my breath when a man in a tailored, dark suit walked in. He was debonair and polished perfection from sleeked-back hair down to his spit-polished shoes.
“Ava. It’s nice to see you again.”
Mr. Novak, despite his warm tone, sent shivers down my spine.
His lips spread into a smirk. “The family is finally together at last. Exactly how I planned it. Though I’m afraid I have to cut the family reunion short, but I promise, they’ll be back soon. Right now, it’s bedtime.”
Breaths left me in short spurts. He couldn’t ... how did he ... no!
Before I could say another word, a tiny needle popped out of the wall and stung me. All three faces blurred. My body weighed a ton, but I felt light as dandelion petals, drifting away. It all seemed to happen so fast, and yet somehow slow.
My back hit the mattress. I desperately fluttered my eyes to keep them open but it was hopeless.
Mr. Novak’s face appeared over mine, shining with adoration. His smile appeared genuine, but it was all a ruse with lies and promises to do his worst.
He had me now. Right where he wanted me. I’d fallen into his trap ... so he thought.
No, Novak. You fell into mine. I will find out what you are doing here—all of it.
“You. Had. My. Mother.” It took all my effort to get the words out.
Novak caressed my hair, his lips tugging into a smirk. “You will understand soon, but for now, you must sleep. You’ve been a naughty girl, Ava, but don’t worry yourself. I forgive you.”
I wanted to break his every bone. “What. Did. You. Do. To. Me?”
“Just feeding you all the protein drinks you missed. You will be submissive. You will do as I say, or there will be consequences. But I know you will cooperate. I have so much to tell you. So much I have planned.”
I will never I wanted to say, but darkness loomed around me. And just before my body shut down, Novak leaned closer and whispered.
“Goodnight, pumpkin.”
About the Author
Mary is an international bestselling, award-winning author. She writes soulful, spellbinding stories that excite the imagination and captivate readers around the world. Her books span a wide range of genres, and her storytelling talents have earned a devoted legion of fans, as well as garnered critical praise.
Becoming an author happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she had in high school. After realizing she wanted to become a full-time author, Mary retired from teaching after twenty years. She also had the privileged of touring with the Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children’s chapter book: No Bullies Allowed.
Mary resides in Southern California with her husband, two children, and two little dogs, Mochi and Mocha. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry.
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Mary Ting, Genes
