The Truth:

 

It is dawn and Sophie is hanging with her mother out in her front yard. Her mother looks at her and smiles, “Do you love him?” 

Sophie is taken aback by her mother’s words. “Mom”, she could say nothing after that. “I saw you both yesterday when he dropped you home,” her mother says. 

Sophie sits up, looks at her mom. Her eyes are shining, her face is red, and butterflies are dancing in her tummy. She is bewildered about how to reciprocate. Her mother holds her hands tight, “I wish best for you, I am glad,” she pauses and her bright face turns dull.

“I hope that you know what you are doing, whom you are with, don’t attach yourself too much before you are familiar with him and his family completely, and do not get attached too much at all. You don’t know what life can show you.”

Sophie starts thinking about all the chaos she has seen in his family. Her mother sees her face and realizes that she might be confusing her and making her have a second thought regarding her new relationship. Her mother jiggles Sophie and says, “but I know my daughter is very brave. She always has a way to look for the path where she could find happiness.”

Sophie hugs her and says, “I feel happy being with him. When I am with him, I feel secure and like family.”

Sophie thinks for a while. Her mother notices and asks her what she was thinking. Sophie says, “Mom… we have had this property for so long and so did Damien guys. I wonder why dad never said anything about it, he never mentioned them.” 

Sophie’s mother is not surprised, it looks like she knows something. Sophie continues, “Mom, you knew, did dad discuss with you?”

Mother replies, “yes, I mean your dad didn’t come here often, he used to come once in a while. It’s ancestral property. He once did tell me that a family was staying next door but he never had a chance to get to know them.” 

Sophie is thinking something and her mother interrupts, “Sophie what’s going on in your mind?” Sophie looks at her mother and with a deep sigh, “Mom, I am sure there is some connection between us, our property is ancestral, so is Damien’s.” 

“It may be possible to have a relationship, but when children move from a place, and get busy with their lives, connections sometimes disappear. I mean we could have been their family friends back then who knows, perhaps history might be repeating itself. You are now good friends with them, a close friend,” she winks.

 

Back in the lady’s mansion, she is talking with one of her sisters, “I am worried about Damien and Diana. They have let themselves too much into human lives.” 

“The book,” the other sister says, “that book might be the solution we are looking for.” The lady stands up and says, “we need to find that connection with that girl’s (Sophie) family.”

The man with the coat and pants enters and joins the conversation. “Sister, I could find nothing at their house except one being.” A lady raises her eyebrows, keen to hear what he saw. The other sister asks, “whom did you see?”

The man settles down and looks up towards his sisters who were standing right across him. “I saw Damien at that house.”

Lady looks abruptly towards her sister and then back towards her brother. Brother continues, “yes, it was late at night and he was there.”

 

Back at Sophie’s house, Sophie is struggling with her thoughts as usual regarding what her mother said earlier about the ancestral property. She also worries about what happened at Damien’s place that night, and then who broke into her house last night. She is still outside and now it is dark, her mother calls her in for dinner. Sophie is about to go inside when she hears a rattling sound coming from behind the banyan tree, not far from her yard and very close to the road. She stops and tries to listen to that voice again. All she can hear is herself breathing and the breeze that she is feeling on her naked arms and face. She does not want to ignore it because of a break-in that happened last night. She walks towards the tree and then thinks like a smart girl that it might be dangerous for her to go towards the voice all alone. She stops and walks back inside. 

A hand comes out of the tree holding its trunk and two bright red dots peek out and look towards the house.

 

What was it? A member of Damien’s kind, or the one that attacked Sophie two nights ago?

 

Diane and Damien are having dinner. Rather than eat with them, Diane is playing with her fork and thinking about something. Damien interrupts, “you eat with a fork, right?” 

Keeping her fork on her plate, Diane looks at Damien.

“What do you know about that night, hun? [pause]… you are telling Sophie that we know nothing about what our aunt was talking about them being connected to us,” Daiana says. 

Damien starts to get mad, “stop.”

Diane continues, “no Damien, Sophie is willing to be with us even after knowing that it might be dangerous for her or for her mother.”

“Diane, I mean we have no idea she is connected to us, I mean it’s not even possible. Sophie’s ancestors might be friends with ours or in the worst case scenario they might be enemies. Who knows the truth? We are trying to find it, so why are you tripping about it?” Damien responds fiercely.  

Daine is not able to say anything but looks into Damien’s eyes and gets into tears. She is crying, holding her face in her hand. Damien drops the spoon, sits back, and continues, “unless you know something, but you are hiding.” 

Diane is now crying out loud, her voice laden with guilt and shame. It is so depressing that Damien could clearly hear that she was hiding something… something big that might be a help towards finding the truth.

Damien comes closer, “hey look up sister, speak what is going on, what is it that you know?”

Diane looks at him and she couldn’t stop crying but tries to speak, “Damien, I am sorry buddy.” 

Damien closes his eyes and says, “Daine you are telling me everything… NOW.” 

Diane could feel his anger… his dynamic anger. 

Diane tries to stop crying and starts to speak. “You know about Sophie’s dad’s accident?” she asks.

Damien- I know, what about it is there that I don’t Diane?

Diane- What do you know about it?

Damien- I found you near the car, unconscious. I tried helping him but I knew he was already dead. Then all I did was call an ambulance and pick you up. Sophie does not know this, which I feel terrible about. I will tell her whenever I am able to. Why do you ask?

Diane starts crying looking at him again, “Damien, that accident was my fault.” 

Damien pushes himself back from Diane and sits up straight. He cannot understand what to say next. “Your fault, how?” he mumbles. 

Diane- I can’t Damien, I need to speak the truth to you and to Sophie. 

Damien hushes her, “shush…” he puts his finger on his lips, “do not speak anything about this to Sophie, darn it first tell me the truth, and by telling me the truth I mean all of it… start from the scratch.”

Diane is telling her brother everything that happened that night when Sophie’s and her mother’s lives took a huge turn.

 

[That night]

It was the 14th day of November when Mr. Robert, Sophie’s father, was technically on some business trip down in Buford. He was not exactly on a business trip but was there to see for a connection with the family living next door. Mr. Robert was doing some research about the family that night. He was certain that something was different about them and that he was somehow related. Mr. Robert came out of the house one night and sneaked into Damien’s property. As he checked the house from front to back, he used his binoculars to look inside. Diane was up till late at night when he saw someone peeping into their building. Strikingly, she approached the window and smashed the curtains aside. She was looking at him and Mr. Robert did not have any clue that he was being watched from the other side of the window. After looking into the house or trying to look into the house Mr. Robert tucked his binoculars into his night robe pocket and headed back to his house. Diane drifted back to bed thinking that the man might have liked the structure of the building that he could not resist having a look at. At first, she thought he was just some normal man who liked their house. However, the next morning she did not expect to discover something that changed everything.

The next morning Mr. Robert answered the phone. He was on a business call at the moment. With the coffee mug in one hand and the sketching pencil in the other, he was drawing the structure of Damien and Diane’s house. 

Mr. Robert disconnected his phone call and dialed someone right after. Diane was going out that morning when she saw Mr. Robert and recognized his rob from last night. She parked her car at a distance from Mr. Robert and approached him. His back was towards his drawing board and Diane. Diane saw the sketch of her house and became concerned about something that was not right. She thought that he might be one of their hunters or that he is someone who knows about them and is trying to study them and expose them to the rest of the world. Maybe someone who might hurt them. She became extremely angry and grew closer to him when she heard him say on the phone that he might be June’s grandson, or who knows how he might be related. He said he was in Buford to find that out… to find another half of the pages where he could study all about his family’s past. Daine quietly moved backward and ran towards her car. Mr. Robert saw her running out of his backyard. He shouted at her asking her to stop and talk to him, but she did not stop unless she reached her car. Diane was just driving herself around and wanted to talk to Mr. Robert. She thought that there might be some misunderstanding and that Mr. Robert does not know who they really are. Just because both families had properties there for a while does not mean that they might necessarily be related or something. Diane could not hold it for too long. She wanted to know about what she heard earlier that day.

That evening, she showed up at Mr. Robert’s where he invited her in. At first, they talked about normal topics like what she was studying and where she was going to school. He then mentioned that he has a daughter of her age back in the city, and all those daily life stories. Diane asked him what exactly he was doing outside her house last night. Then she asked what was it about that sketch of her house. She also heard him talking on the phone. She wanted to know what he was talking about. She apologized that she did not mean to overhear, but she heard that he might be somehow related to her family. She told him that it was not possible. 

Mr. Robert smiled as he asked why this was impossible. Diane of course could not tell him the reason so she said that she knew everything and everyone from her family. If that was the case she would have known. 

Mr. Robert was still smiling and calm, unlike Diane, who was unrested. Before Diane could say anything further, Mr. Robert exploded the bomb by saying that he knew their truth, he knew who they were and he was still smiling. He was okay about it. He asked Diane to show him her true self. Diane was shocked and there were millions of questions running through her mind. She flashed up, she was angry, disturbed, anxious that him knowing about them could be dangerous for her and her family. She was breathing heavily and was unable to control her electric self. Mr. Robert felt astonished at the moment and wanted to capture the scene with his camera. He quickly took out his phone from his pocket and held it towards Diane. Upon realizing that he was recording her she screamed and flashed out of the door and exited. All Mr. Robert could cover was an electric figure shooting out the door. He was watching the video on repeat that entire evening. 

That night he was getting ready to head back to the city when he realized that someone was outside his house. He looked out from the window and saw Diane standing with an electric ball in her hand playing with it and waiting for Mr. Robert to come. He opened the window, asking if she was thinking of killing him with that ball of fire? Again… with a broad smile on his face like he did not mind that even if she wanted to do that. Diane made the ball vanish. Mr. Robert even praised her for how impressive that was. Diane said that she wanted to talk to him. Mr. Robert laughed and replied that she was planning to kill him. Diane stood quiet and nervous. Mr. Robert kept laughing and told her that he was joking about it. He came out of the house to talk to her, fearless and happy Mr. Robert was calling Diane a kid. Diane was shocked by his actions despite the fact that he knew about the powers that could end his life. Diane asked him why he seemed so cool about all of this and not terrified at all. 

Mr. Robert said that why would he be terrified of someone who is his own? Diane shockingly asked him how he knew that he was related to them. Mr. Robert denied answering that and said that she had nothing to worry about, he would not expose them. He was returning to his family that night and would come back again to answer her when it would be the right time. He was looking for some answers himself. Mr. Robert asked her to call him uncle if she was okay with it. Diane after listening to that felt very warm and loved for the first time after her parents. She told him that she never had someone to call her niece, even her own uncles were never there making her feel like she was a daughter. Mr. Robert knew everything about her family, which made Diane even more curious. Diane that night asked him to stop and not to leave, but he had his family back in the city he had to return to. Diane requested him to get rid of the clip he took. Mr. Robert without any questions took his phone out and said that just for her comfort and so that she doesn’t worry about it he would do that. He deleted the video in front of her. They said goodbyes and Mr. Robert headed back into the house to get his suitcase and laptop bag. 

Diane could not afford him leaving her because she was so touched by Mr. Robert’s calm nature, his warmth, and fatherly love towards her. Yes, he was able to win her heart within half a day. She stood there until he finally left by waving at her and asking her to take care of herself and that he would see her next time. She waved him back, saying bye uncle and wishing him the best of luck on the journey.

But little did she know that she was somewhere the reason for that journey to be his last.

While Mr. Robert was on his way back, Diane on the other hand was not able to let go of that feeling she had for the first time after so long. She did not want to lose that or lose him for that matter. She flew in the direction he drove. She moved as fast as electricity. Mr. Robert’s car’s headlights and rear lights started to act up. They switched on and off. Diane could see his car on the road. She could not control her emotions. She was so happy that she did not realize that her sudden appearance on the road might distract someone. She did not mean to hurt him, her intentions were very touchy but fate had something else for both of them. Mr. Robert saw in his rear mirror the flash of light coming towards him and then he saw his side mirror. He did not fear when Diane was sitting just 2 feet away from him. However, that light which was about 6 feet away and getting closer to him, he had no idea who or what that was at the time and got distracted. He hit the gas and slid out of control on the left curve where his car took a half spin. He tried to get control. He was able to get his car back on the road. Diane was scared that he would get hurt. She wanted to help him and without thinking it through, she all of a sudden came in front of the car to check on him. Mr. Robert this time could see that it was a person. It was impossible to see who it was because His headlights conflicted with Diane’s electric lights running through her body. She was trying to hold the vehicle so it wouldn’t slide off the road. Mr. Robert did not want to hurt whoever was in front of his car, so he veered sharply to the right… and off the road. Diane put all her energy into holding the car but she failed. The car was off the road, and Diane was trying to hold the car back when she fell off the road with the car. 

 

[Back in Damien’s dining room] 

Diane is telling Damien the truth, “I could not save him, Damien, I could not save my uncle, my only uncle.” Diane is in tears.

Damien is confused as to how to react. In addition to feeling Diane’s emotions, he is angry that she didn’t tell him sooner.

Damien hugs her and says, “do not tell Sophie anything right now.”

She keeps crying, “I miss him. Just that one day of conversation made me feel that he was someone to us. The way he speaks is similar to one of our grandfathers. While I was talking to him it seemed like I was talking to someone affiliated with us.”

She looks at Damien and continues, “he was just like our father.” 

Damien’s eyes fill with tears. “We are not telling her anything, promise,” he says.

Diane promises Damien and says, “but soon.”

Damien nods yes and exits the room murmuring to himself, “yes… SOON.”

 

What happens next? 

Should Damien tell Sophie everything sooner? 

What if Sophie finds out the truth from somewhere else? 

How are these two families connected anyway? 

Is Sophie not from the planet she calls her home?

Find out more in the next part of the novel… 

Till then, take care.

I appreciate you taking the time to read this part.