Human Blend

  HUMAN BLEND

  by

  Lori Pescatore

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright 2009-2011 Lori Pescatore

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Preface

  She vowed to be more careful this time. She would not seek anyone’s help. Lesson learned. Laney fought back the tears that threatened to fall as she remembered what happened to the last person who tried to help her. She would not make the same mistake. She was on her own, at least until they found her again.

  She had traveled as far east as she could, zigzagging along the way to throw off anyone who might be trying to follow. She knew they would never stop looking for her. She was too “valuable” to them, as they put it.

  Chapter One— On The Run

  She had attempted to run away once before, but they had tracked her quickly. She shuddered when she remembered the consequences to those that had tried to help her. She closed her eyes and fought back the tears that threatened to flow. Her head bounced slightly against the window as the bus labored on its journey. A distant memory took shape behind her closed eyes.

  In this memory, she was an observer.

  A child was being hidden in an attic. There was a commotion going on in the distance. A man was speaking to the child. “Laney, you must hide here until it is safe. Maybe a day, or two, then go to Uncle G’s house. He will protect you,” the man kissed the child on the head and locked her in the attic.

  Laney watched in fascination as to what happened next.

  Up in the attic, the little girl was hidden behind a stack of boxes. There was shouting down below. The sound of things breaking shook the house. A shout, a gunshot, then silence. Voices came again, closer this time. “Find her.”

  Laney watched as the little girl shivered with fear.

  The attic door broke open. A man with a gun poked his head through, looking before climbing up. He found the little girl behind the boxes.

  “Hello, Laney. Time to go,” he said.

  “No!” the little girl stubbornly said.

  “Your daddy told me to come get you,” the man lied.

  “No, I have to see Uncle G,” she said.

  “That’s right. Your daddy told me to take you to him,” the man said.

  “He did?” she asked.

  “Yep, now come on. We don’t want to keep him waiting,” the man conned.

  Laney watched the little girl go with the man.

  Her eyes suddenly opened and she found herself being shaken gently by an elderly woman. “Dearie, this is the last stop,” the woman informed her, smiling gently with her eyes. “I hope you have a nice visit with your family.”

  “Thank you. You have a nice visit with your grandson as well,” Laney replied. The woman had sat next to Laney for most of the trip and talked proudly about the grandson she was going to visit. She was thankful the woman liked to talk more than listen so that the only lie she had to tell was why she was traveling to Virginia.

  Once she exited the bus and retrieved her bag, she stretched to take the stiffness out of her limbs from the extremely long ride. She took a moment to review her thoughts on her new life.

  Her plan this time was to keep as small an existence as possible, to not draw any unnecessary attention to herself. This would prove something of a challenge; people were always drawn to her. She had been called beautiful since her early years. She did not know how old she was. Looking at her, one would guess her to be about sixteen. She knew better. Laney did not age the way “normal” people did. This much she knew. Why? That was something that she had gotten tired of asking herself. She had asked them once and paid a heavy price. She learned to never ask them questions.

  She shook off the unease she felt anytime her mind crept back to the hell she had endured. She carefully tucked away those memories that could never be forgotten and placed her duffel bag on a nearby bench, absorbing her new surroundings. Marion, Virginia. Population: 6,048. Home of ‘Mountain Dew’. She took in the information from the welcome sign, posted nearby. A cool drink would taste good right about now. She pulled a rubber band from her jeans and finger-combed her recently dyed blond hair back into a pony tail. She took off her hoodie and tied it about her waist. It was warm for May. She felt in her other pocket for her money. Well, technically, it wasn’t her money. When escaping this time, she made sure she knew how to retrieve some of their money. She felt no guilt in doing so. A bulk of the money they had was because of her. She had been told that by one of the men who had been assigned to protect her. Protection. Ha, Laney thought. They were more like prison guards.

  Retrieving her duffel bag from the bench, she slung it over her shoulder and began to walk down Main Street. “Why is the center of nearly every town called Main Street?” she mumbled aloud to herself. A small smile played on her lips. This feels nice. Just walking down the street, no one forcing me to… she trailed off in her thoughts. I thought I tucked you away, she chided herself.

  She refocused her attention on the small town in which she found herself. The streets were bustling on this bright and sunny Saturday morning. Looking down the street, she could see a busier area. As she got closer, a wonderful sight greeted her. It was an open-air marketplace in the middle of a parking lot. It was filled with tables that contained a variety of things including produce, flowers, and food. Food, and the smells; wonderful smells. Her stomach growled in need. She had been focusing on getting as far away as possible. Stopping for food had been overlooked.

  She let her nose lead the way. She made mental notes of vendor tables she would like to look at more closely after her hunger and thirst had been sated.

  Her nose took her to a portly man and his grilling station. Laney marveled at how he managed to grill various items without burning or overcooking anything. The line was long but moving quickly. Finally, it was her turn. “What can I get for you, young lady?” The man’s voice was just as big as his person.

  “I don’t know,” she stammered. Laney had been so busy watching him cook, she had not decided which delicious-looking item she wanted. “What do you recommend?” she asked.

  The man had a friendly smile. “Well, that all depends on what you are in the mood for,” he replied. “There is heart attack on a bun, ulcer in a blanket, or my personal favorite, dead man on a stick,” the man chuckled. He pointed out the burgers, hot dogs and shish kabobs in order.

  Laney laughed at the man’s descriptions and said, “Well, I think I am gonna have to go with the dead man,” she decided.

  “Fine choice, my lady,” he answered as he wrapped paper about the bottom of the stick and fanned the edge.

  “Do you have any bottled water?” Laney asked, accepting the carefully wrapped stick.

  “On a day like today, you betcha,” he said, wiping his forehead with his arm. “That’ll be six dollars,” he stated, placing the water bottle on the counter. Laney pulled a twenty from her pocket and waited for the change. She noticed a plastic cup with some coins in it and deposited a dollar bill before picking up the water bottle.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “Have yourself a nice day,” the man replied before moving onto the next person in line.

  Laney wove through the crowd, her stomach growling in protest over the extra wait. She found a clear grassy area and sat. She placed the water bottle between her legs and quickly twisted off the cap and took a drink. Sh
e released an audible sigh as the coolness coated her throat and stomach. She then began eating the tasty meat on the kabob. Now it was time to do some people watching.

  A good blend of age groups were present in the marketplace, from the elderly to the very young. Here and there were groups of teens laughing easily amongst themselves. A sadness dwelled in her heart as she watched them; she had never had that experience. She had never known what it was like to just kick back and hang with friends. “Don’t go there,” she sang lightly to herself.

  She was almost done with the kabob when the inevitable happened. A group of boys had been whispering and looking in her direction when one of the braver teens shuffled his way toward her. He kept looking back at his friends, appearing to chastise them for the encouraging words spoken too loudly as he approached her.

  “Hey,” the boy said, as he looked down at her.

  “Hey,” Laney squinted up at him. The midday sun was directly behind him.

  “Mind if I sit down?” he asked.

  “Sure,” she replied.

  He sat down crossed legged next to her, allowing Laney to finally see his face. He was cute, as far as she could tell. He had dirty blond hair, spiked lightly on top, stylish. He wore a green T-shirt and jeans. “You must be new in town,” the boy said.

  “What gave me away?” Laney asked.

  The boy smiled for the first time, “Most people don’t walk around with duffel bags, and I sure as hell would remember seeing someone as pretty as you before. My name’s Austin, by the way,” he finished.

  She smiled as genuinely as she could, before telling the first of the many lies of her new life.

  Before reaching her present location, Laney had traveled through some larger towns and cities. She was not only trying to create confusion to anyone following, but to also secure some pertinent items she would need. A new identity being at the top of that list.

  Her years spent with them had shown her some of the seedier side of life. She did what she was told most of the time but managed to listen even more. Their dealings with somewhat underground activities and shady characters taught her what she needed to do. She knew what areas to look in, and the questions to ask to get what she needed for a new life. With the help of some sleazy characters, Laney created a new self: Julie Miller. She obtained a birth certificate, social security card, and a passport bearing all necessary information she would need to begin anew. She made herself eighteen for two reasons. One, she needed to be of age to rent a place to stay. Two, there was no way she would pass for older. So begins the life of Julie Miller.

  “I’m Julie,” she said wiping her hand on a napkin she had gotten at the grilling stand. She then extended her hand in greeting to Austin. Julie was prepared for the jolt she always felt whenever she shook hands, or touched another person’s skin. During that momentary contact, Julie could assess a person’s well-being. If she perceived a problem, she could restore the person to a healthier state. Although, in doing so, she became afflicted with the problem, albeit momentarily. She was able to restore herself, as well. Julie didn’t understand how she came about this special ability, but it came in handy on more than one occasion when they were unhappy with her.

  She released his hand, satisfied that nothing life threatening lurked inside the young boy’s body at the moment. “You are very perceptive. I am new in town,” Julie said, taking a sip of her water. “In fact, I need a place to stay. Is there an inn or motel nearby?” she asked.

  “Well, just up the block is a hotel. It’s real nice. I also know there are a few lodges just outside of town,” Austin described, seemingly glad she would be sticking around. “Are you, like, back packing or duffel bagging it through?” he asked.

  Julie laughed, “Well, I’m not sure actually. I’m trying to get a feel for the place,” she answered honestly. She liked what she saw so far, and the people seemed really nice. Her main concern was going to be whether she could stay out of sight of them.

  “So does that mean if you like it, you might stay?” Austin asked, optimistically.

  Julie could see the hope in his eyes. She didn’t want to lead him on, but she could use a knowledgeable person to show her around. “It is a possibility,” she said with a wink. Austin beamed brightly. “Do you have time to show me some of your town?” Julie asked.

  “S-sure,” the boy managed to choke out.

  Julie glanced over at his friends. “Oh, but I don’t want to take you away from your friends,” Julie said.

  “Really, it’s no problem. We were just hanging out,” Austin said, quickly.

  Julie chewed on her lip. She didn’t want to take Austin away from his friends, but she didn’t feel like being alone at the moment. “Um, okay. I’m just gonna throw out my trash, and I’ll meet you at the front of the marketplace,” Julie relented.

  She gathered her trash and looked up. Austin stood with his hand out. Gentlemen still exist, she thought. She took his hand as he helped her to her feet. They stared at each other for a moment before Julie pulled her hand back. What are you doing? she admonished silently. Julie managed a smile before she turned away and scowled at herself. She knew better. He is just going to show me around, that’s it. Nothing more, she told herself. She disposed of her trash in a nearby receptacle. She didn’t look back toward Austin and his friends.

  Julie made her way up to the front of the marketplace, arguing with herself along the way. She had made a promise to not involve anybody else in her new life. I just want somebody to talk to, spend time with, she reasoned. She hated this weakness she felt. Her thoughts were interrupted as Austin was beside her once again.

  “So, where do you wanna go first?” he asked, clearly very happy to be helping her.

  Julie shook off her fluctuation and smiled, “How about you show me that hotel in town.” She wanted to get rid of the duffel bag that seemed to scream tourist.

  “Okay, it’s just a block and a half up this way,” Austin said and gestured for her to follow. They began to stroll casually up the street.

  “So how long have you lived in Marion?” Julie asked.

  “I was born here, actually,” Austin answered. “I will probably die here,” he said, his mood darkening.

  Julie was surprised at the negativity she felt coming from Austin. She tilted her head to the side when he looked at her.

  “Sorry,” he apologized. “It’s just that my mom owns the laundromat in town and expects me to, like, take over the business someday. Not my dream job,” he finished.

  “What is your dream job?” Julie asked, curiously.

  “I… never mind. You’ll laugh,” Austin muttered.

  Julie put her hand on Austin’s arm, stopping him. “I won’t, I promise. Tell me,” Julie pleaded, softly.

  “I want to teach. I want to be a teacher,” he said.

  Julie smiled, “That’s a great profession. Why would I laugh at that?”

  “My mom thinks it’s stupid. She said they don’t make any money,” Austin recounted. “I just feel like I would be good at it, ya know? I was a camp counselor the last two summers at Hungry Mother,” he stated.

  “Hungry Mother?” Julie asked.

  Austin smiled, “Yeah, that’s the name of our park here. There is a story behind it,” he said, but elaborated no more.

  “Don’t leave me hanging!” Julie said with a laugh.

  “It’s an old legend,” Austin laughed. “But, here we are,” he motioned to the front of the hotel.

  “I wanna hear it, later,” Julie smirked. Austin grinned playfully before following Julie inside the building.

  Upon entering the hotel, Julie was struck by the beauty of the three arches that lined the far wall above the staircases. The multi-tiered chandelier that hung in the center was a gorgeous black, wrought iron design. The flooring was a checkerboard black and white pattern that flowed to the red carpeting of the stairs.

  “Wow!” Julie exclaimed, looking around the lobby.

  “Told ya it was nice,”
Austin said.

  “Nice isn’t the word. It’s breathtaking!”she proclaimed.

  “It was originally built in the 1920’s. It was restored a few years ago,” Austin stated. Julie turned to look questioningly at Austin. “My great-grandfather was part of the construction crew that built it,” Austin explained, seeing the curiosity in her eyes. “I grew up hearing his stories about it over and over,” he testified.

  “Looks like I found the best tour guide,” Julie said, smiling.

  There were a few people milling about in the lobby. Julie made her way through them to the front desk.

  “Hello, and welcome to the General Francis Marion Hotel. How can I be of assistance?” the woman behind the counter asked.

  Julie looked at the woman’s name tag. “Hi, Patricia. I’d like to inquire about a room for a few nights. Can you tell me what you have available?” Julie asked.

  “Certainly, for two adults,” The clerk started to quote.

  “Oh, no, just one,” Julie corrected her.

  The woman looked up at them and then rephrased herself. “One adult, would you like full, queen, king, or suite?” she asked.

  “I don’t need much room, a full is fine,” Julie said.

  “It’s seventy five a night plus tax. How long will you be staying?” Patricia asked.

  “I would like three nights, please,” Julie requested.

  The clerk handed Julie a form. “Thank you. Please fill out the top of this. Will you be paying cash or credit card?” the clerk asked.

  “Cash,” Julie replied, filling out the paper quickly. Patricia took the form and entered Julie’s information and printed out a copy. She circled the amount Julie owed. Julie counted out the money from her pocket and paid in full for the room.

  “Thank you, Miss Miller. Your room is number 205. Would you like me to call you a bell hop to show you the way?” the clerk asked.

  “No, thank you,” Julie answered.

  “Okay, then just take the stairs to your right and at the top of the stairs, make another right. Your room is the third door down,” the clerk instructed. Julie took the room key that Patricia handed her. She was surprised that it was an actual key instead of a card that most hotels seem to be so fond of using. “Enjoy your stay,” the clerk said before continuing on with another task.