Sleepers Part 1

Seekers Episode III

Chapter 3

David pulled into the driveway of a quaint little bungalow house. Painted a bright white, flowers poured out of all available space in the small yard. Vivid colors ran rampant among all the foliage. This wasn’t simply another safe house. This was someone’s home. Was this where he went every time he had left Cora’s apartment? She couldn’t picture him planting all the brightly colored plants. It didn’t seem his style. Perhaps that was why he picked it. No one walking by would be aware of the danger that lived within the walls of the building.

“This is where you’ll be living from now on.” He wasn’t asking if she wanted to stay there. It was clear there was no choice.

The wheels of her suitcases scratched along the pavement as he pulled them up the walk. A breeze tickled the tiny pipes of a wind chime hanging from the gutter. A tinkling sound danced in the air around them, mixing with the chirping of birds in the neighborhood. She found the whole place creepy and unsettling.

Stepping inside, the smell of food cooking assaulted her nose. Humming was coming from the room that opened off the living room. She gingerly followed David further into the house as he made his way towards the sound. She stayed with him until her eyes began to wonder over the trinkets littered about. It all seemed to be a mish mash of taste with no theme or reason for the placement.

“That didn’t take long.” The voice had a familiar sound, but the tone was different enough that she couldn’t envision the owner.

“Cora always packs light.” His body language had softened and relaxed. An oddity to her. One that made her wary of the person who caused it.

“Cora, this is Remi.” He had turned to face her while ushering the stranger forward. This was why he had asked about the Eve project.

The woman’s smile dimmed as she stared. Her brow puckered in a show of dislike for the changes Cora had made. Likewise, her stomach soured as she met the gaze of her mother’s carbon copy. At least in structure. Remi’s persona was reflected in her appearance. A golden blonde bob, eyes that displayed more emotion than deep thought, and her clothing was a bright bohemian style.

“Hello Cora. Welcome to your new home.” She had never considered any of the temporary residence homes before. That wasn’t about to change now. Remi was not her mother.

“Thank you for housing me.” Remi opened her mouth, but David took her hand, gently squeezing it. This caused the woman to stop before speaking. Whatever she had been about to say lost was now lost to silence.

“Hey mom, is she here yet?” The voice carried through the recently vacated kitchen. The sound of a storm door closing followed the question. The identity of the speaker was of little consequence compared to the title given to Remi.

“She just got in. Why don’t you come say hello?” The woman’s cheeks colored as she fidgeted beside David. Cora could guess at the relationship between the two. They weren’t subtle in their interactions. It also explained how her mother had gotten her hands on David’s genetics. It was the one foolish thing her mother had done.

Her gaze was drawn away from the pair as a young man strolled casually into the room. Jacob. The clone pair she had turned away from years ago. He was taller now and his hair longer as it curled around his ears. He was broader too. She apparently wasn’t the only one David had been putting through their paces.

He seemed to be the only one unfazed by the change to her looks. Leaning against the doorway, he bit into an apple as his eyes lazily drifted over her form. His reemergence provided a unique opportunity. How different were the two of them now? One having been raised in an environment of emotions surrounded by a sense of a ‘warm home’. The other partially raised by a near stoic mother and spending the majority of their existence in a sterile environment.

“I’ll show you to your room.” A mature response in comparison to the tantrums that he used to throw. She waited patiently as he took charge of the suitcases before heading down a hallway. She walked away from David and Remi without another word between them. She needed time to process how to proceed with the new norm. Usually, she was quicker at responding than that. The Eve clone along with her clone pair coming into her life were not things she had prepared for. It felt like one of David’s tests. She couldn’t be sure that it wasn’t. Perhaps he had suspected her future intentions and was making sure she was ready. Then again, with the relationship between Remi and David, it is possible bringing her in hadn’t been thoroughly thought out. Remi was quite possibly David’s weakness. Information she filed away.

“This is you.” Jacob stood in the open doorway of a room waiting for her to walk past him. She barely looked at him as she entered. “I’m across the hall if you need me.”

He left her standing alone in a room that had been set up to someone else’s taste. Bright yellows, light greens, and an abundance of lace were everywhere. It was a bedroom decorated with a daughter in mind. That wasn’t her. No matter what Remi’s expectations of the two of them were. She wouldn’t say a word and live within the parameters set for her. It didn’t mean she was accepting the role. Compliance wasn’t acceptance. If they believed her to be passive, it wouldn’t ruffle tempers and allow her more freedom in movement than if she was under strict observation. Her plans would have to be readjusted.