Awakening (34 page)

Love,

Dad

Garrett glanced at the letters once more before stashing them in a box. He stood up, fingering the ring that was on his hand, admiring it. His mother walked into the room.

“Garrett, did you clean out the gutters like I-” Mary stopped mid-sentence as she noticed what Garrett was doing. Her face visibly paled. “Where? Where did you get that?”

Garrett hastily moved his hand down. “Get what?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t play dumb with me, Garrett. Where did you get that ring?”

“My father sent it as a sixteenth birthday present.”

“Take that off.”

He frowned at her. “No.”

“Garrett Stevens, I said take that off.”

His jaw jutted out in defiance. “It is Garrett Livingston, and I said I am not taking it off. It is part of my history. It is part of who I am.”

“You cannot wear that here. Any member of the Trust, anyone, will recognize that immediately and know who we are. Your father-” she spit out the word with contempt, “is sending a message by sending that. That ring puts us in danger.”

Garrett clenched his jaw. “Danger? He is giving me a family heirloom.”

“I don’t care. If you knew your father, you would not be so eager to wear that on your finger.”

“Well, I never got that opportunity, did I? You took me away from Dad. You never let me visit him or see him! He is a great man.”

“Your father is sick and egotistical. I would not ever use the word great as an adjective.”

“I hate you for taking him away from me.” Garrett turned away from his mother.

“That’s fine. You can hate me all you want. I expect that ring to be given to me by tomorrow morning, Garrett. If not, there will be severe consequences to pay.”

Garrett remained silent, staring at the blank wall. His mother turned and walked away.

Garrett’s teenage figure melted away into nothingness, but the room remained. Garrett glanced quickly at Caitlyn, his eyes filled with shame. “Those were the last words I ever spoke to my mother.”

Before she had an opportunity to respond, the room darkened. There were no spoken words in this scene, just Garrett getting ready to leave his home, packing up a single suitcase before lifting his window and leaving. It was heartbreaking for Caitlyn to witness, but she guessed it was harder for Garrett to recall.

The room swirled around them one more. They were outside a door, with an unsure Garrett looking at a letter and knocking on the door of a huge house. A butler answered the door. “May I help you?”

“I… I… I am looking for my father. Nathaniel Livingston? He gave me this address if I ever wanted to visit him. He is not expecting me.”

The butler’s eyes raised and he led Garrett inside without further questioning. He motioned for Garrett to remain there, while he went deeper into the house. Garrett could hear the murmurs of voices, but only a word here or there could be made out.

“…son… suitcase in hand…”

Silence and then the word, “sure?”

“positive… spitting image of you…”

Garrett could not make out the rest but within a minute, he heard two sets of footprints steadily reaching his ears.

The butler returned, with a man that Caitlyn was positive had to be the infamous Nathaniel Livingston. The hair and the build were the same, but what were most striking were the hazel green eyes.

Nathaniel Livingston looked at him briefly and then upon seeing the ring on Garrett’s right hand, smiled broadly. “Garrett.”

Garrett still looked unsure. “Dad?”

Nathaniel’s eyes began to water and he opened his arms. Garrett put down his suitcase and walked over to his father, giving him a large embrace. They stood there for a moment, when Nathaniel whispered. “I knew you would come back to me. I’ve missed you every day since you have been gone and I never stopped loving you.”

Garrett pulled away. “I… I left Mom. I wanted to get to know you and she wouldn’t let me. So… I ran away. Can I… can I stay with you?”

If possible, Nathaniel smiled even more broadly. “Son, I was hoping you would say that.”

The image darkened. It then seemed as if a hundred more memories from that time period appeared, when in reality it was probably only twenty five or so. His father for the first year or two was extremely loving; instilling a trust in Garrett and letting the father/son bond Garrett so desperately desired take over.

Garrett adored his father. He admired his strength, his drive, ambition, and his intelligence. His father mentioned frequently how he could not wait for his son to Awaken so he could truly teach him everything he knew. Garrett was taught and shown all the amazing things that Actuals could do; the potential that each person had in themselves; Caitlyn began to understand the place the Garrett came from with his thinking. Although she may still not agree with his thinking, she could understand how his father’s teachings would make him believe that.

It was all very magical and inspiring. Caitlyn was amazed at how charismatic Nathaniel Livingston could be. It was not until Garrett turned around the age of nineteen that his father’s true colors began to show.

What used to be lessons in what Garrett could be began to twist into lessons on how the Actuals were far superior to regular humans. Caitlyn hated seeing that Garrett had actually agreed with him on this point.

Young Garrett, although he thought them superior, still held a soft spot for the average human. He thought humans were still worthwhile, just that they were on their way to extinction. His father’s thoughts and notions became more and more insane as Garrett’s memories moved on. Garrett feebly tried to argue that we all started as humans, the potential was in all possibly. His father dismissed that possibility, stating that the normal humans would only continue to cause problems.

The final memory that Garrett showed of his father was one she would rather forget.

Garrett lay in his room, reading a book. His father burst into the room, the doorframe splintering as he shoved the door with enough force to knock it off its hinges. He held a note in his hand, shoving Garrett off the bed, his body landing with a loud thud on the floor.

“What the hell is this?”

Garrett eyed him and then the crumpled piece of paper in his hand. “Where did you get that?”

His father towered over him menacingly, making Garrett seem tiny in comparison even though they were the same height. “Doesn’t matter where I got it. I had told you when I first accepted you into this household that you were no longer to have any communication with anyone from the Trust.”

Garrett sat up, rubbing his head. “Dad, it’s just Isla. We’re friends. I wanted to let her know I was okay.”

“I don’t care who it is. You asked her to let your mother know you were alright.”

Garrett stood up, but kept his eyes securely on the floor in a passive manner. “I miss Mom. I was wrong to leave the way I did.”

Nathaniel’s tone became deceivingly sweet. “Do you regret seeing your father?”

Garrett eyes darted around the room, looking everywhere but his father. “No! I just know that Mom has been worrying about me since I left without as much as a note. I wanted to make sure she was okay. I love Mom.”

Young Garrett was not prepared for what happened next. Nathaniel flung back his fist and punched him square in the jaw. “Your mother was nothing but a dirty whore. The only thing she did right was bear me a son and then she proceeded to take you from me.”

A spark lit in the young man’s eye, defiance in his voice as he shakily stood up. “Mom is not a dirty whore. Don’t you dare say that.”

Nathaniel laughed. His laugh was cold and calculating, and his true persona came out. “No. I said was, son. It’s called past tense. Your mother, as your call her, is dead. She died from illness years ago right after you left. I think it was from a broken heart from her son leaving.”

“You lie! She is not dead! I hate you.”

“I don’t lie, Garrett.” His father turned from him, fingering some of the books that were on Garrett’s shelf. “If you are going to take over for me someday, you have to learn a few facts and it is time you learned them now. One, we are superior. We were made this way, we were made to be special and there is nothing wrong with feeling that way. Two, people are expendable. Whether it is friends, family, or just people in general. You need to be cold and calculating to be on top, Garrett. And finally, three, you may hate me Garrett, but never forget, you are exactly like me. In the end, you will turn out just like your father and live out his legacy the way it was always intended.”

“I will never be like you. I don’t have to live this life. I’ll leave, or worse, I’ll kill myself to make sure you don’t get the pleasure of having someone to hand your legacy to.”

His father turned and laughed at him. “Leave if you like, But remember this. If you leave, you will come back to me just the same begging for forgiveness and I will not be so merciful. And if you by chance happen to stay away long enough, I will come and get you, and let me assure you, the lesson I will teach will be much harder than you would wish.”

The scene turned into another, this one with Garrett standing with a suitcase, his head down in shame. Jonathan McPherson stood there with his hand on his shoulder.

Garrett looked up. “I was wrong to leave, Councilman. My father is evil. I know I do not deserve to come back to the Trust. My mother risked everything for us to come back here and I ruined it. But I am hoping that since you did so for my mother, you will show me the same forgiveness and have the Trust take me back.”

Jonathan’s voice was quiet. “I took your mother back because she wanted a better life for her son. A life that her son threw away.”

The remorse in Garrett’s voice was obvious. “I made a mistake. My father had sent me letters throughout the years; I thought he loved me. Like any teenage boy, they want to know their dad; they want that father figure in their life. So I left in search of it. And for the first few years, I was happy; but then his real side slowly came to light. Councilman, the things that he plans to do are atrocious. I promise, if you let me come back, I will be loyal to the Trust.”

“Do you agree with everything the Trust believes in?”

Garrett shook his head. “No. But does everyone who is a member believe every aspect? But I can promise you this. I don’t agree with what my father is planning. The Trust is the only thing that can stop him. I promise I will do everything in my power to help the Trust’s cause, if only you will give me a chance. Let me take my families place in the Tribunal.”

“We will need to think on this, Garrett. For now, you are to remain in neutral territory. I will make sure that you have protection from your father, at least for now. When a decision has been made, we will come to you. Is that understood?”

Garrett humbly nodded. “Yes. I thank you, Sir.”

Jonathan shook his head. “I would not thank me just yet.”

Caitlyn was beginning to feel dizzy from the changing scenes.

Garrett stood humbly in a large room that Caitlyn did not recognize. The various men and women that sat around him, similar in a manner to the Council chambers, looked down at Garrett imposingly. Each wore a ring on their finger and a sash around their neck, of various colors and embroidered with their family crest.

When they stood, Garrett instantly held his head down and got to one knee. His eyes never leaving the tiled floor, he began to talk. “Tribunal, I come here today humbly to ask for not only forgiveness for my actions, but also to ask to become a permanent member of the Trust. I want to restore my family’s honor once again to this Tribunal as the living heir to the Livingston family. I ask to be made Head of Household and help lead the Trust to victory against the Cine Tofa.”

A woman’s voice in a thick Scottish accent spoke up. “Garrett Livingston, please stand up.”

Garrett did as he was asked and eyed the impressive figures before him.

Her voice continued. “The Tribunal has made a decision. The Tribunal, after much deliberation, has agreed to allow you to stay in the Trust’s protection. However, you will not be allowed to be known as your true identity. As was agreed by your mother, you will remain Garrett Stevens, and will not be allowed to take your place as Head of Household. Your family’s seat shall remain empty as to a time when we feel, if ever, that your family deserves its place of honor again. Your family has broken not only our traditions, our ways, but has broken our people. Despite that, it was your father that caused that, the child must be burdened with the father’s mistakes and it is his responsibility to make up for those transgressions against the Trust. If you do not do so, then the burden falls to your child, or your child’s child. But it is a burden that you must bear and until then, no honor will be bestowed amongst the Livingston family. Do I make myself clear?”

Garrett’s face reddened and he wiped discretely at the tears that threatened to fall. It was apparent that it hurt him that he could not take his spot on the Tribunal. “Yes. Very clear.”

A man with a Spanish accent now spoke. “Good. We also have the condition that you are required to work for the Trust as the Trust sees fit, without argument. You may also be subject to random checks and searches. If you do not adhere or comply with these rules, you will be punished accordingly and harshly. Furthermore, you will not be granted the security access of a Descendant for obvious reasons. Is there anything further you would like to say?”