The Luminosity Series (Book 1): Luminosity Page 18

  I forced my eyes closed. I had always sensed something familiar in Evan, and it wasn’t until this moment I understood what it was—the past. It had gone unfinished, not once, but twice. The first time when I went into hiding at age five, the second when I disappeared after the announcement. Like an unyielding cycle, it wouldn’t stop until I discovered why. Now, the truth had been unveiled. He knew who I was all along.

  “But how could you… bring him into this… mom…?” I choked though my teeth as she leaned over to hug me. She pushed me closer into an embrace, unaware of just how angry I was.

  “I’m so sorry for keeping this from you, Aubrey…” She sobbed uncontrollably. “But your father sacrificed his life for the chance we’d survive this catastrophe. All your life, I watched you grow up, knowing you’d never live an ordinary life. The day of the announcement, I—I was relieved, because I realized your father’s efforts hadn’t been for nothing. It gave me reassurance that he was out there somewhere, that someone was fulfilling his legacy, fighting for justice. That maybe there’d still be a chance for you... for Andrea... for Evan…” She shook her head in tears. My body trembled, the horror of it consuming me, swallowing me up all over again.

  “So Evan’s known about this this whole time?” I panicked.

  “Since last year, yes, but according to the social security administration, the Ellis family died in a house fire. That fire was our cover...” she said, wide-eyed.

  “What if he tried to blackmail us?” I shrieked, breathless as my heart shattered at the idea.

  “He made me a deal,” my mother sighed. My mood pivoted. I shuddered in fear as everything fell into place—the things he said about his family—how I had no idea how messed up our situation was.

  “What kind of deal? The government knew we lived here before, mom. Someone could have been tracking us! What if it was him?” I cried, glancing at the paper in her hand.

  “Aubrey, it isn’t possible. The name written on here is only a false alarm. They—they must have forgotten to delete the other social security number. It’s just a duplicate identity. A glitch. It means nothing. I found these letters at the postage depot downtown when I went to pick up our mail, so I snatched them before anyone could get their hands on them. Look. It even has the old Cedar Ridge address on it.” She flashed the paper in front of me, and that’s when the outrage finally caught up to me. “We’ll just have to wait for the other letter. That’s why I didn’t give it to you. Please understand—”

  “You lied! This entire time, you and Andrea lied to me! Even when I asked about dad, you—you kept this from me!” I spit out in disgust, inhaling deeper.

  “The only way to protect you was to hide it, Aubrey,” she warned, grabbing my arm. I looked at her, my face distorted with fury as I snapped it away from her grip, tearing myself from the bed.

  “Protect me by staying ignorant? From not knowing the truth? Do you have any idea who you sound like?” I nodded my head in a sickening grimace.

  “Aubrey, this is different. I—”

  “Just get away from me!” I ordered, taking a few steps backward before barreling through the hallway.

  “Aubrey, stop!” She chased after me in a panic. I dashed down the stairs, slipping into my boots and jacket. I flew through the front door, past the porch before hurtling myself into the car, slamming the door as my hands shivered, the need for air becoming too much to keep up with. My mother trailed me, screaming for me to return as I turned the ignition. My foot struck the gas pedal, spinning the tires in full force. And for the first time in my life, I discovered my instinct to run away had been right all along.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  I parked the car on an abandoned road in Cedar Ridge. Neither my mother, nor the guards would find me at the blades. Pulling myself up to the top of the wind turbine, I watched the sun set over the horizon that evening through a stream of tears. I hadn’t gone up there since the night I made up with Evan. Clutching the compass, I sneered at my reflection before slipping it into my pocket. A numbness tingled me, thinking about the secrets she confessed—the lies and cover-ups. My father. The glyphs. The pictures. Evan was just another piece in this perplexing puzzle—a maze I’d never find my way out of.

  A cool breeze whipped across my face, sending my hair back, forcing me to open my eyes. My head rested against the chilled railing. It seemed late, but I didn’t know what time it was. The only thing moving were the unforgiving auroras overhead, weaving through the empty sky in an artistic illusion—like phantoms in the night. I must have fallen asleep.

  After looking down, I lifted my head up, jolting myself backward out of fear. After realizing how high up I was, my unsteadiness returned, the tears stinging my cheeks once more.

  Before I could wipe them away, footsteps clanked against the ladder, a trail of light beaming upward from the opening. Terrified, I remained still. And when the light flashed in my direction, I knew it was too late for me to get away from him.

  “There you are,” he said, recovering from his climb. Evan rushed over to me as he hooked himself to the rail, setting the flashlight down as I stared forward with an empty spirit.

  “Your mom came to my house earlier, worried sick after she said you ran off! What’s going on? What are you doing up here by yourself?” He looked frightened of my motionless demeanor, my eyes cold and empty, avoiding him. “Aubrey, what happened? Is everything okay?” he asked, analyzing me in alarm.

  “No... It’s not okay. All this time, you knew who I was,” I said through gritted teeth.

  “What?” Evan asked, impatient with me. I eyed him cautiously.

  “First your parents, and now you too. Why? Why did you pretend like you didn’t know the truth?” I burst out.

  “Aubrey...” He swallowed, letting his shoulders back.

  “Tell me, Evan… just tell me this wasn’t a scheme to use me as bait into qualification,” I snapped. He raised a brow.

  “Whoa… hold on. You need to slow down.” Evan winced.

  In that second I shot up steadily, grabbing the colony qualification letter I had tucked into my pocket, unfolded it, and shoved it into Evan’s chest. Confusion tormented him as he stared at the paper, shining his flashlight on it as the wind shifted. The glow of his eyes darted from left to right across the page, his eyes blinking, the confusion rising while my emotions drummed through my head.

  “You... qualified...” Evan said, releasing a breath.

  “No. Aubrey Rae Ellis qualified,” I said in a brittle voice, tearing the letter back from him before turning away. Startled by my actions, he remained stagnant. “How long were you going to wait before you turned us in? Just tell me,” I demanded, turning to face him again, heartbroken by the sight of his glossy eyes.

  “Look, I wasn’t going to say anything,” he said, swallowing.

  “Bullshit,” I croaked. “There was a huge reward out for my father, and any information would give you instant access into a colony!”

  “Aubrey, I promise you I’m not lying…” Evan said, the words sliding through his teeth.

  “It’s okay. You win, Evan... All this time, you wanted to save yourself, not me,” I said, bursting into a hopeless rage as I collapsed against the four-foot rail. Evan tried to pull me up, but I shrugged him off, refusing to let him stop my sudden tantrum.

  “Will you just listen? I promised your mother I’d keep you safe…” he said with a wince. I stopped where I stood, the wind swirling my hair into my face as I swiped it away. Only then did I allow him to see my tears.

  “Please don’t lie, Evan. Don’t...” I sobbed. He took a step forward as I hooked myself to the ladder.

  “After my dad died, my mother became obsessed with this Andrew guy. She knew of his involvement in the government’s defense operations, and even blamed him for my father’s death. After you left that year, I demanded your mom tell me who you really were. So she did. That’s how she found out my mother was still suspicious of you. So I made her a deal to keep you hi
dden,” he said above the wind.

  “Why should I believe you?” I was on my hands and knees.

  “Because it’s the truth.”

  “But you knew the danger of being associated with this,” I said as the breeze calmed. I forced my eyes closed as he kneeled down next to me.

  “I chose to get involved… because I knew I’d never be able to walk away from you, regardless of the truth,” he said. His chest rose and fell at a rapid rate.

  “Who else knows about this?” I asked, shaking.

  “No one, I swear,” he said, placing his hand on my back. I shook my head.

  “You should have told me, Evan. You should’ve at least said something! Maybe I would have known a long time—”

  “I didn’t say anything… because I didn’t want to lose you again, and neither did your mother,” he interrupted.

  “But... Ev...” I sighed, wiping a tear away.

  “You have to trust me, Aubrey... I kept quiet to protect you. I made your mother a promise I’d never be able to break,” he said. Evan’s eyes were wide, his body trembling as he held the flashlight up.

  “I’m the daughter of a government-wanted man. They’re going to find me. Someone is onto my family... someone’s been on to me from the beginning. It’s the only explanation for why I found that compass,” I panicked.

  Frankly, I didn’t care if he knew anymore. I was too exhausted not to trust him. I unhooked myself from the ladder and stood up, sniffling from my sudden outburst. Noticing how unstable I was, Evan steadied me by holding onto the sides of my arms.

  “Please let me help you, Aubrey. You can hide out at my house.”

  “It’s too late.”

  “No it’s not. I won’t let it be.” Evan got angry. I didn’t want to believe he was being truthful, but something told me I had no other choice but to trust him now.

  It was nearing early morning when Evan and I snuck back to his house. In front of the fireplace, the light from the flames flickered in the dark, reminding me of our night outside the wall. I glanced at him in remorse, revealing to him the photo of us as kids. At first, his eyes denied it. Then, fear accompanied the confusion.

  At times, I caught him shaking his head in disbelief, in a deep spectacle of curiosity. Other times, he seemed exhausted upon learning of our lost past. While regaining his trust, I realized I’d forever depend on him to hide my secrets. Still, how or why we ended up together after all those years was as much of a mystery to him as it was to me. But now, as we arrived upon the brink of our future, he was convinced it happened for the very reason now unfolding before us—to lead us closer to the truth.

  22 REBORN

  In the days to follow, Evan helped me explore my true past—diving into the old envelopes I stole from my mother’s closet. From that night on, I stayed with him, refusing to confront my mother. Why she didn’t confess my family’s secret to me was justifiable, yet everything came as such a shock I didn’t how to face her after that day. And in those flashes of confusion and fear, the enormity of cover-ups we had endured since childhood exploded.

  After agreeing to recover evidence of her suspicions, Evan snuck to his mother’s house after laboring at the fields. He returned later that evening, hungry to plunge into the sequence of documents he found tucked away—secrets hidden in an antique bookcase—a place the guards would never think to look. And although she was right to be skeptical, she still had no idea I arrived home after leaving that year—a secret Evan kept for me since returning.

  Relieved he found the proof we were seeking, an array of old newspaper write-ups and pictures rested before us—content his mother must have scanned or copied from the internet before the collapse. It pertained to my father’s so-called conspiracy theory and the trail of lies the media released. Along with the articles were close-ups of my family and I, our faces circled in permanent marker. My mind raced as I sifted through them until I came to a photo of all of us. The editorial was titled “Local Arsonist Escapes” in bold print across the top of the page. By now, my breathing hastened while my eyes shot back and forth, reading the text underneath the photo.

  “Andrew Henry Ellis, father of Andrea Renee Ellis, Aubrey Rae Ellis, and husband of Abigail Jane Ellis.”

  Struggling to find resemblance to myself and the little girl, I glared at it. It became apparent now more than ever that I looked more like my father. And as I peered closer, the last paragraph in the article stood out.

  “The whereabouts of Andrew Henry Ellis remain unknown after allegedly escaping police custody following a fatal house fire at his home in the small mountain housing community of Cedar Ridge. Investigators tell us his wife Abigail and their two daughters, Andrea and Aubrey, have been confirmed dead. If you have any information on Andrew Ellis, please contact local law enforcement immediately.”

  I blinked as Evan looked up, resting a hand on my shoulder to comfort me. Flashes of flames, smoke, and ash became a vision, taking me to that moment in my subconscious parallel where Evan stood amidst a burning house. What the dreams meant was obvious now. I really was a ghost, living life by a different name. My death was another cover-up.

  “Aubrey…” Evan sighed. I snapped my eyes back open. “It’s okay. We’ll get through this,” he said. I inhaled deeply and nodded.

  We sorted through photos for what could’ve been hours. Observing his reaction to our unknown past, I sensed his despair as he confirmed the boy in those photos was him. And in the seconds it took to let go of our denial, the memories rewound us back to normal life again, when we were just ordinary kids, growing up in a small town, before our lives became a war for survival and a race for time.

  A tear escaped my cheek as the strain built on his face. I wiped it away, avoiding his expression. Now, he sifted through the photos faster before his fingers froze, his eyes enlarging as he analyzed the picture. It was his fifth birthday party. His parents smiled, standing behind him outside with balloons as he blew out the five candles on his cake. I was by his side amongst two other boys, including one who resembled Aaron.

  Once he flipped to the next photo, his shoulders sunk. It was a clearer image of us looking at the camera in a cheerful grin. The darkness of the girl’s hair, her pale skin, and her distinct hazel irises was all the proof he needed. He set the photo down in defeat as we both gazed upon the floor.

  “There was always something different about you I couldn’t understand. But my parents never spoke about my childhood either. I just assumed it wasn’t a big deal. When you and your mother moved back here, I knew I’d seen you before, but I thought I was crazy,” Evan shook his head in defeat, sliding a palm down his face as he sighed. Troubled by the idea, he stood up, chucking the pictures onto the floor before storming out to the patio. I followed. He leaned against the railing, looking up at the auroras, a gentle breeze sending the sheer black curtains billowing into the air behind him. Putting one hand on his shoulder, I tried to get him to turn around, but he wouldn’t budge, the tension enough to stun me. I took in a deep breath, the frustration overwhelming him as my guilt resurfaced.

  “Evan, I’m... so sorry.” After he turned to hug me, I cried. He pulled away, still grabbing onto the sides of my arms as he shook his head.

  “Don’t, Aubs. None of this was your fault. So don’t you dare blame yourself for this mess.” He gave me a painfully serious look, examining me in sympathy.

  “It’s just that... I was right to run. It would’ve been better for you if I left you behind,” I said, looking past him.

  “No,” he said, wincing before pulling me closer in desperation. My head now rested up against his neck. “You still don’t get it, do you? We’re both a part of this, and because you came back, we have a chance to change it,” he said.

  I took a deep breath and looked down, closing my eyes at the sound of his angry sigh. The truth had been uncovered. And had I not returned to town, we’d have never discovered our true selves, our dark past, or the lies we were living during the darkest time
in history. Now, more than ever, I understood his purpose in my life. And I understood mine.

  He led me to the backyard, our hands overloaded with the photos and articles. Standing in front of the fire pit, I welcomed the heat. Within our silence, the flames shot up from the ground, building higher into the air. Evan stood forward in satisfaction, waiting for me to set the past on fire, but I was hesitant—afraid to do what needed to be done. He inched toward me, staring at the envelope that read “To Abigail” in my father’s handwriting. A tear came as he attempted to grab it from me, but I couldn’t let go of it. Not yet.

  “It’s the only way…” he said under his breath. I shivered in guilt as the shock came over me.

  “This entire time… I assumed he was dead.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “It still doesn’t make sense…”

  “Aubs—”

  “Your mom kept this stuff this entire time. Why? Why didn’t she turn my mother in?” I asked, shaking my head in tears. Evan swallowed.

  “She almost did. Right before you left.”

  “What?” I cringed.

  “After my dad died, her suspicions about his death became an obsession. A month later, the rumors came out. She was hysterical, in and out of therapy for months. She held onto these documents hoping one day, she’d be able to use it as leverage, that saving our family would make up for his death. I thought she was losing it, Aubs… so I flipped out. I warned my mother that if she did anything to hurt you, she’d never see me again,” he snapped.