taught her something. Though the thoughts and plans were there, she wasn’t made of the same material. Her makeup wasn’t one of intense cruelty, of murder. It was bad enough the deaths of the people she’d been forced to kill while she was incarcerated playing on her mind. She’d decided not to add another two murders to the count. Sure enough, they were bastards. But hadn’t she stooped to their level? Even just by marking them? Resolutely, she’d decided. Life imprisonment was sufficient punishment.
“We’re here,” her copilot said, startling her out of her thoughts.
Excitement bubbled within her as she left the ship. Infused with energy, she headed for Ixilam, her feet flying toward the first row of houses.
Though Brinta’s population was much bigger than Anat’s, its cities larger, it still wasn’t anything like Earth. Ixilam was rural. Her parents had farmland there, even if her father had worked in the city as a scientist.
My pony will be long gone, she thought dismally. She had to ask directions several times, but after walking for about half an hour she found Namak Street. It had changed quite a bit from what she remembered. There were a lot more houses now.
Walking down the street, she looked at the numbers. Theirs had been number 79. Her parents had drummed her address into her from when she was old enough to talk. Her heartbeat sped up as she neared the home from her childhood. Tall shrubs and trees hid it from view. She opened the gate and walked toward the house, her heart hammering against her ribs. Tears burnt, but she refused to cry.
Midway up the path, she stopped. There would be strangers living in the house now. They wouldn’t appreciate her invading their space.
Haven was about to turn and leave again, when the front door opened.
“Can I help you?” a female voice said—a voice she remembered, a voice that caused her heart to almost stop at first, then to swivel and run towards its owner.
It couldn’t be. But it was. “Mother?” she said in a quivering voice laced with emotion. Before her stood her mother. Older, but still beautiful and almost as Haven remembered her. “Mother?” she said again, in a soft voice.
Her mother stared at her, her face chalk white. “It couldn’t be. Haven? Haven, is that really you?” Haven noticed her sway, grasp at her forehead and quickly stepped forward. She was the same height as her mother. Wrapping both arms around her, she supported her for a few moments, but soon both of them sagged to the ground.
“It’s me, Mom. They told me you and Dad were dead. You were pregnant when they took me, so I came back to look for a sibling.”
Tears streamed down her mother’s cheeks as she looked at Haven. “I can’t believe it. After all this time! The officials who took you told us to forget about you. Later, we were contacted and told you’d died while undergoing experiments.”
“None of that will happen ever again. We’ve eradicated management of the Drakhar Mine and the government.”
“You were involved in that?”
Her mother’s voice was still shaky and she kept studying Haven as if she were an alien.
“Sweetheart, we were so proud when you were chosen for the special program. We never realized—”
Haven placed a finger against her mother’s lips. “Sh, I know. They were bastards. I’ve got so much to tell you. Dad?”
“Oh, geez, your father. He’s out back.”
“The baby?”
“I lost the baby. I have to go and get your father. He—”
“We’ll both go.” Haven helped her mother to her feet. Arms around each other’s waists, they walked through the house she remembered as if it were yesterday. Not too much had changed from when she was little. The kitchen was still as cozy as ever.
Her father was on his knees tending one of his vegetable patches when they approached. He looked up and froze. The small spade dropped from his hand. He paled then jumped to his feet and embraced them both.
When Haven managed
“We’re here,” her copilot said, startling her out of her thoughts.
Excitement bubbled within her as she left the ship. Infused with energy, she headed for Ixilam, her feet flying toward the first row of houses.
Though Brinta’s population was much bigger than Anat’s, its cities larger, it still wasn’t anything like Earth. Ixilam was rural. Her parents had farmland there, even if her father had worked in the city as a scientist.
My pony will be long gone, she thought dismally. She had to ask directions several times, but after walking for about half an hour she found Namak Street. It had changed quite a bit from what she remembered. There were a lot more houses now.
Walking down the street, she looked at the numbers. Theirs had been number 79. Her parents had drummed her address into her from when she was old enough to talk. Her heartbeat sped up as she neared the home from her childhood. Tall shrubs and trees hid it from view. She opened the gate and walked toward the house, her heart hammering against her ribs. Tears burnt, but she refused to cry.
Midway up the path, she stopped. There would be strangers living in the house now. They wouldn’t appreciate her invading their space.
Haven was about to turn and leave again, when the front door opened.
“Can I help you?” a female voice said—a voice she remembered, a voice that caused her heart to almost stop at first, then to swivel and run towards its owner.
It couldn’t be. But it was. “Mother?” she said in a quivering voice laced with emotion. Before her stood her mother. Older, but still beautiful and almost as Haven remembered her. “Mother?” she said again, in a soft voice.
Her mother stared at her, her face chalk white. “It couldn’t be. Haven? Haven, is that really you?” Haven noticed her sway, grasp at her forehead and quickly stepped forward. She was the same height as her mother. Wrapping both arms around her, she supported her for a few moments, but soon both of them sagged to the ground.
“It’s me, Mom. They told me you and Dad were dead. You were pregnant when they took me, so I came back to look for a sibling.”
Tears streamed down her mother’s cheeks as she looked at Haven. “I can’t believe it. After all this time! The officials who took you told us to forget about you. Later, we were contacted and told you’d died while undergoing experiments.”
“None of that will happen ever again. We’ve eradicated management of the Drakhar Mine and the government.”
“You were involved in that?”
Her mother’s voice was still shaky and she kept studying Haven as if she were an alien.
“Sweetheart, we were so proud when you were chosen for the special program. We never realized—”
Haven placed a finger against her mother’s lips. “Sh, I know. They were bastards. I’ve got so much to tell you. Dad?”
“Oh, geez, your father. He’s out back.”
“The baby?”
“I lost the baby. I have to go and get your father. He—”
“We’ll both go.” Haven helped her mother to her feet. Arms around each other’s waists, they walked through the house she remembered as if it were yesterday. Not too much had changed from when she was little. The kitchen was still as cozy as ever.
Her father was on his knees tending one of his vegetable patches when they approached. He looked up and froze. The small spade dropped from his hand. He paled then jumped to his feet and embraced them both.
When Haven managed
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