Select (Select #1)(72)

I found myself in front of the double doors of the public library, feeling like I must have floated there. It was almost empty inside, and I made my way to the bank of computers, taking the seat farthest from the one other person there. I typed in “Elizabeth Blackcomb.” I wasn’t about to do this on my phone.

The old computer took its time, and I had a second to come to my senses. I wanted out. Then, before I could stand up to leave, a row of images appeared at the top of the search results. I could see the correct Elizabeth Blackcomb was among them. She was my doppelganger. The eyes of the woman in the photo were the same shape as mine. Novak used to tease that they were Elvis’s eyes.

I scanned the results below and one stood out. “Elizabeth Blackcomb, government-sponsored remote-viewing program, research and experimentation in the use of psychic phenomena for intelligence gathering.” That was enough. I didn’t want to know any more. I got up and walked out of the library as fast as I could. I’d never be able to forget what I’d just seen.

Maybe the FBI had planted this, knowing I would eventually go looking. It was still possible she was one of us, that the group had rejected her for doing something wrong and it just so happened both of us looked different from everyone else.

But unfortunately, in my heart I knew those FBI agents had been telling the truth.



I sat down on a stone wall, staring at the ground like a zombie, while Angus paced in front of me, talking and skipping stones impressively across the glassy water. The sun was almost gone from the sky, and you could barely see the stones when they were five skips out.

I wasn’t going to tell Angus, but I was scared to be alone. Angus was cagey but excited to leave his house. He’d had to sneak out to meet me at the boat dock.

“So, what happened?”

I looked up at Angus and could see he was annoyed I wasn’t fully present and listening to him.

For a second I wondered what it would feel like to say her name out loud, to see if Angus thought I was a lost cause. “Nothing.”

“Oh, now I have to hear it.” Angus came and sat down beside me, stretching his legs out in front of him. He instinctively knew it was easier to talk if we weren’t looking at each other.

“Liv,” I said, then shook my head. That would feel good to talk about at least.

The way I said her name made Angus start laughing. He stopped when he saw I was in a shitty mood. “What happened?”

I couldn’t look at him. He was going to think I was so stupid for getting caught. “Liv is trying to make me look bad. She found out about…John.” I hated saying his name out loud.

“How?”

“She went into my room and went through my phone.”

“Julia…”

“I know, I know. And then I lost my temper. I’m worried she’s going to tell them, and that’s all Victoria will need to get rid of me.”

“Liv’s not going to do that.”

“I don’t know. We’re not close anymore. God, Angus, I just want us to leave and to know I’m included.” I sounded desperate.

“Ha! Tell me about it. I’m losing my mind, trapped in that house. Look: I’m like you now.” Angus unzipped his jacket and lifted his shirt, showing a rash all over his chest. He lowered his shirt and offered me his arm. “Hit me. Seriously. Hit me hard.” When I looked at him like he was crazy, he gave up and looked into the distance. “I can’t fucking feel anything anymore.”

I didn’t say a word, and Angus picked up that I was really scared. “I wouldn’t worry about it. Liv told me they’re too busy trying to find people to bring with us.”

“It’s ridiculous,” I said.

“Well, creatures will do pretty amazing things when their species is in jeopardy. Novak has fucked us. By keeping us so tight, this branch is dead,” Angus said.

“I get it in theory. No kids in seventeen years is a problem. Who knows? Maybe there’s something to his lost-souls theory and there are more of us out there.”

Angus shook his head in amazement. “Because of a theory Novak has? There aren’t people like us out there, whether you call them reincarnated souls or people with similar DNA. They don’t exist. He’s just going to abduct people who kind of look like us and seem better than average and try to mix our gene pool with theirs. Not that anyone will last a second with us. They’ll end up like Kendra.”

“He’s not going to abduct anyone! Jesus.”

“What do you think he’s going to do? He thinks they need full immersion to make this ‘transformation’ happen. Not to mention, we need to get out of here. At the very least they’ll be better off with us than with the rest of humanity,” he said.

I knew Angus was a snob, but that angered me—the thought that we would take away someone’s rights and think they were better off. I couldn’t help myself. “These people we hate so much? Has anyone ever thought they could be living special lives here?”

“Maybe one percent of them do. But one hundred percent of us live exceptional lives. At least those of us who are told we can,” Angus said bitterly.

“Angus, it will be different in a new place. We just have to get there.” I put my face in my hands, my nerves completely frayed.

Angus put his arm around me. “Stop worrying. She won’t say anything. She’s just being pulled between her powerful parents and her loyalty to you.”