The Returning Read online

  “Stop, please—I don’t understand. I didn’t do anything!”

  “Guards will come for you when it is time,” Sam said.

  “When it is time for what?” Elise asked as hot tears started to collect in her eyes.

  He turned toward her, his face made emotionless by the Genesis Serum pumping through his veins and making him the ever-obedient soldier. “When it’s time for your execution.”

  Her world went cold. Her mind numb. The word execution landed on her like a boulder, smothering her ability to think, breathe, act. She watched in frozen shock as the three guards rounded the corner and disappeared, leaving her completely alone with nothing but fear.

  5

  Elise rested her cheek against the cold concrete floor. Her mind was mush, her eyes dazed, her body numb. It could have been days since the CityWatch guards left her in this cell, or it could have been only hours. It was impossible to connect with time when her mind was captured solely by her impending death.

  She shouldn’t be so surprised. She shouldn’t be curled up on the floor as if this hadn’t always been a realistic outcome. She should have seen this coming. Her whole life had been one moment of uncertainty strung together with another, her mind hounded by questions she never got answers to, knowing nearly nothing about her past and being completely unsure about her future. Fear was as close to her as her skin, and dreams were her only escape.

  Remember who you are. The words were familiar, as was the voice at the back of her brain.

  I am Elise. I grew up in the Authority City. I am twenty. I am alone. My parents didn’t want me because I am broken. I am a danger to the community and myself because the Genesis Serum does not affect me. I am lucky to have survived this long.

  A strong gust of wind rustled across the cold floor and pulled at the ends of Elise’s hair, silencing her. Tears stung at the back of her lids. She had felt this wind before. Like the voice, it comforted her in the darkness of her dreams and gave her strength to continue through her uncertainty.

  No, remember who you are beyond what they say about you.

  Elise curled up deeper into herself and tried to push the comforting force away. She was headed to death’s door, for who knew what reason, and she wanted to lie undisturbed in her suffering and fear.

  Never run from fear.

  Walk through the fear.

  Only in facing fear can you let it go.

  Remember who you are.

  “Leave me alone,” Elise said aloud. She closed her eyes tightly to stop the tears from escaping. If this was to be her end, then let her go out the way she had always truly been. Powerless.

  An image filled her mind. A face she had come to know well. A teacher, a friend, a device her mind had created to keep her alive. Aaron, he called himself when she dreamed of him. A kind man with warm brown eyes and curly hair. The one she’d seen since she was little, who at times felt so real she questioned her own sanity. She tried to shake him loose, but her mind clasped on to him tightly.

  “Do you really want me to leave?” His voice echoed through the air around her head.

  Elise opened her eyes. She saw him standing inside her cell, leaning against the bars in the far left corner. His smile was bright even in the dark. She stared at him, bewildered. Was she dreaming? She got to her hands and knees.

  She didn’t answer his question and so he stayed. The sight of him in this prison made her chest ache. She wouldn’t dream anymore after she was executed. The thought struck her as both funny and sad. She would miss Aaron.

  “You need not fear death, my dear. Death isn’t final,” Aaron said. “Besides, you still have so much left to do.”

  “Why would they let me live this long, only to kill me now? Has it all been some cruel game that I was always just a pawn in?” Elise asked, still bewildered at having a conversation with a figment of her imagination.

  Aaron’s eyes filled with empathy. “They really are getting to you, aren’t they?”

  “Getting to me? They have gotten me. Look where I am!”

  “Try to remember our times together.”

  “The times I created you into existence with my mind?” Elise chuckled and swallowed a cry of anguish at the same time. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “What good will that do?”

  “It is in remembering that you will be set free.”

  “How? Are you going to save me?”

  He shook his head. “I have never been able to save you. All the power has already been given to you.”

  Elise dropped her eyes to the floor near her hands. Her mind was trying to protect her, as it always had. Reasoning away the never-ending questions. Why was she the way she was? Why had her parents hated her so? Why didn’t the Genesis Serum work on her? Why wasn’t she normal? Why did they keep her locked away? Why keep her at all? She shook her head as a new wave of emotion crashed inside her gut.

  “At least the questions will end,” Elise said. “Do you think there will be peace when it’s all over?”

  Aaron smiled and shook his head slightly. “It isn’t even close to being over. In fact, it is just beginning.” He walked to Elise and dropped to his knees beside her. His hand found her shoulder and his touch warmed her cold bones. This dream felt so real! She wanted to cry again, but there was nothing left.

  “The forces of darkness will try very hard to make you forget, because the darkness does not want the world to see the light. But try as they might, they will not be able to erase you. The truth runs too deep. It’s a strong pulse, full and electric, and when it touches others, they will see the light too.”

  “Why does my mind talk to me in riddles?” Elise asked the air more than the man beside her.

  He chuckled and gave her shoulder a squeeze. “You were called to this. The time has come for this city to be awakened.”

  “You aren’t making any sense.”

  “You’re chosen. Just as your mother and father were chosen before you.”

  Elise inhaled and held it, searching Aaron’s eyes. He’d never mentioned her parents before. Why would he be mentioning them? She searched for words but didn’t find them. Her mind was spinning in circles, her weakened pulse suddenly storming the gates.

  Aaron continued before she could utter a sentence. “They are coming. You have never been alone, and you have never been powerless. The remembering is important; don’t forget. Believe in who you are, and trust in the light. It will save you.”

  “Who is coming?” Elise asked, but Aaron was already standing. She grabbed for his leg, but her hand moved right through it. Like he was simply an image projected on the air. She looked at her hand in awe, and then somewhere in her mind she remembered that he was merely a figment. Of course he wasn’t solid.

  Elise glanced up to ask Aaron why he was tormenting her, but he was gone. Once again she was alone.

  September 3, 2265

  Elise,

  Today was a good day. My head is beginning to feel clear. As if I can finally see through the dark forest of sorrow to the clearing on the other side. I’ll admit, I start to feel guilty the moment any sense of peace fills my heart, but that guilt is just another dark forest path to walk.

  Today I find myself resting in the truth that you are safe, held in a love greater than the love I have for you, which can only mean it is unconditional. With love that powerful and secure watching over you, what should I fear?

  That’s the lesson I have been practicing anyway. To trust the overwhelming love I’ve experienced so many times. Someday I hope I can tell you all about the times I was lost and then found by that love.

  Yet even now, the memory of where I came from sneaks up on me at times, and I have to remind myself not to believe the lies that were fed to me. I fear those same are now being fed to you. Lies that your worth is measured and limited. Lies that you are weak and alone, when the truth calls you as powerful as the wind itself. When I feel these fears creep in, I try to remember the field where love always finds me in my dreams. The tall gol
den grass, soft as silk, swaying in obedience to the rhythm of the wind. Love is tangible there. You can feel it in the air and taste it on your tongue. It’s all you need; it satisfies all longings.

  I wonder if you ever dream of the field? Aaron continues to tell me that you are special. That you have been chosen for a task greater than any of us could understand, and that the power and ability you hold will change everything you touch. Do you have that power now? Do you even know who you are?

  I pray they haven’t stolen the fire you were born with, the strength that surely comes from your father and the grace I’m hoping you got from me. When I close my eyes, I see you. I wonder how you have changed. Is your hair still dark and full of curls? Are your eyes still warm brown? Do you dream of me? Do you remember me at all?

  And just like that, I feel the truth slipping. Life, my sweet daughter, is a cycle of remembering and forgetting. But don’t fret: the more often you practice remembering, the less often you forget.

  Your mother

  6

  Jesse moved quickly down the large hallway toward Elise’s room. He had been pacing madly for the last hour, ever since Roth had told him he planned to execute Elise. His heart struggled to keep up as his mind grappled violently for any solution. But Jesse knew the Scientist well enough to know that the man always got his way and never made mistakes. Even as his feet pounded across the marble flooring he knew her room would be heavily guarded. Or empty, with her secured in a location far from Jesse’s frantic reach.

  So this was it—she was actually going to die. For the last twenty years, Jesse had worked to keep Elise alive, to teach her, befriend her, somehow make her feel wanted. It had started as guilt, if Jesse were honest with himself. He’d taken the girl away from her family, stolen her life, only to find the Genesis Serum didn’t work on her. He’d struck a deal with Roth then to save her life at least, since he’d destroyed everything else.

  He knew caring for her made him weak. He’d even tried to keep her at arm’s length, but she pulled him in. He’d felt in awe of her early on, amazed by the rate at which she learned and dealt with her unusual life, as if she knew something the rest of the world didn’t. He’d watched her grow, fascinated by the peace and grace with which she carried herself. Eventually, he admitted to himself, his affection and respect had turned to romance. He hadn’t even realized how deep those roots went until Roth had said it out loud. He loved her. He hadn’t always, but he knew in this moment he did. And now all he wanted was to save her from the fate he’d cursed her with.

  He rounded the final corner and saw that the door to her room stood ajar, the lights inside off, not a soul in sight. He stopped. She wasn’t here, but then he’d known she probably wouldn’t be.

  Shame, guilt, anger, and desperation pummeled him. He was the reason this was happening to her, and he didn’t know how to save her. Without her, he’d be completely alone in this world. He wanted to save her. He loved her, yes, but he also wanted to save her because he didn’t want to be alone.

  She will never love you back. Roth’s words echoed through Jesse’s distraught mind, and he tried to shake them off. He was already alone, but without Elise, he wouldn’t even be able to pretend he wasn’t.

  The Scientist sat at his desk. A single lamp was lit in the corner of the room, and even that felt like too much. His head was under attack from an onslaught of pounding, and any trace of light only made it worse.

  It was still dark outside. After speaking with Jesse, he’d known there was no way he’d be able to go back to sleep. Then again, he didn’t sleep much these days. Or eat, or do anything that might take away from the continued need to gather and protect his power. The enemy was crouched around every corner. Those around him didn’t seem to see that the devil was breathing down their necks. But then, most people were blind idiots.

  There was a knock at his door and the Scientist called a command to enter. The door opened and a young, handsome man stepped through the frame. He was eighteen years old, his black hair slicked back across his skull, his olive face housing dark-brown eyes and a wide mouth, his torso slim and long like the rest of his frame. He walked with confidence, seemingly friendly and welcoming to those who didn’t know him, but to those who saw beneath the charming facade, he was anything but. He had been trained well, and for that Roth was glad. He was starting to believe that this boy might prove to be his only ally. “Nicolas,” the Scientist said.

  “You asked to see me,” Nicolas replied. He moved to stand just in front of the Scientist’s desk, his arms loose at his sides, the light from the window catching the angles of his face, reminding Roth how dangerous this boy could be. It was harder to believe something you found attractive would eventually slit your throat when your back was turned.

  “We need to move forward with what we have been discussing,” Roth said.

  “Has something changed since we spoke yesterday?” Nicolas asked.

  “I’ve ordered the execution of Elise. I believe there may be a move coming from Trylin Mountain.”

  Nicolas raised an eyebrow, trying to hide a smirk that Roth caught a glimpse of. He knew how much Nicolas despised Elise. The boy would gladly kill her himself if ever given the chance. The Scientist gathered that his disdain came from the affection Jesse had for the girl. Nicolas saw it as weakness, which it had become, and Nicolas hated weakness.

  “Trylin City has been quiet. I’ve been watching them as you requested,” Nicolas said.

  “Yes, but things are changing.”

  Nicolas didn’t look completely convinced. “Changing?”

  “There is a rising happening in the earth; I can sense it, and it threatens to cause us harm.”

  “You want me to march on Trylin, then?”

  “Immediately. We shouldn’t have waited this long.”

  Roth watched as Nicolas processed the information. Nicolas was as smart as he was cunning. For those qualities, among others, he’d been chosen for his role here in the Authority City. After disassembling the Authority Council early on, the Scientist and Jesse had quickly reestablished the boundaries under which the Authority would function. Instead of eight members, there were now only four, Jesse included. They had all been hand-selected based on their intellect rather than their bloodline. None of them had been given the Genesis Serum, as they were called to a high level of mental service, and they worked tirelessly as a single-minded unit to pull the Authority City from the dark ages.

  It had taken nearly eighteen months to make sure all people inside the city had received the Genesis Serum, and another five months of monitoring to ensure that what Roth had always dreamed of was now a reality. The new Council had then imposed more dramatic changes. They disbanded religion, as there was no longer any need for such nonsense. The Choosing Ceremony had been done away with. The Lints had been brought back into the city to live among everyone else. The CityWatch had been cut in half, as violence had been largely eradicated. Education had been changed to make math, science, and health required subjects for all children, regardless of gender. Gender, in fact, was basically a thing of the past. Besides the physiological differences, the Genesis Serum made them all equal.

  In the midst of all this beautiful change, continuing leadership had been addressed. Who would serve in place of the current Authority members upon their departure from office? A mandatory test had been issued to all children under the age of seven, and the four highest scores had been selected. Nicolas Horner was one of them. He and the other three had moved into the Capitol Building during their tenth year and had begun their mentorship.

  Nicolas had excelled from the start, securing the highest testing score and showing more promise for the presidential role than the others. The only problem was that in order for them to truly serve on the Council, they could not be given the Genesis Serum, and they were still young. Dealing with their oftentimes erratic emotions was the greatest test of all. Could Nicolas really be trusted as the Scientist hoped? With Jesse’s heart reflecting h
is feelings for the girl, Roth needed someone with a strong backbone to replace him in case their president failed. He saw potential in Nicolas, but was potential enough?

  Silence filled the Scientist’s office as the old man waited to see how Nicolas would respond.

  Finally the boy nodded. “And what does Jesse have to say about this?”

  Roth shook his head. “He is clouded currently, but he will return; don’t worry.” He caught the flash of disapproval on Nicolas’s face and ignored his own flare of anger. “You do not need to worry about Jesse. He will do as he is told, as always. Now I need you to act in kind. You need to understand the threat here!”

  “If I am honest, the threat is hard to see. Even if the citizens of Trylin were gathering to descend on us, they are barely a thousand strong. They couldn’t make it past the wall without being handled.”

  “The size of the threat is not always the danger; in this circumstance, it is what the threat represents—that is what we should fear,” the Scientist said.

  “And what is that?”

  “The past. The way life was before Genesis renewed it. Imagine all that has been accomplished being undone.”

  “That would be impossible.”

  The Scientist nodded. “Yes, I would love to believe that were true, but all great evolution must face the risk of being undone. That is what we are fighting against.”

  “If Trylin City is such a threat, then why does it even still stand?”

  Silence filled the room again, as even the thought of admitting he’d made a mistake filled the Scientist’s mouth with bitterness. He knew all greatness came from trial and error, but his failure to recognize the threat of the Seers and Aaron was tormenting him more than he’d ever admit. “The blame for that is mine, unfortunately. I underestimated their power,” the Scientist said.

  “And what power is that?”

  “Belief.”