The Luminosity Series (Book 1): Luminosity (20 page)

“Wait… what do you mean we used to live here?” I
asked, out of breath.

“You were born here.”

“But—”

“Back in the day, Evan’s mother and I were neighbors.
You were friends with Evan when you both were just four years old. He lived
next door to us.” My eyes swelled at the sound of Evan’s name. I looked up at
her, tears spewing like lava onto my bloodless cheeks.

“Don’t...” I put one hand on my forehead in denial.

“It’s true, Aubrey,” she said, pulling the picture I
had folded into fours out of her hand to show me. I snapped it from her
fingers. “When we moved back here with new identities, Evan’s father noticed a
resemblance in you to Andrew. You always resembled him, but… there was no trace
of our former identity, no way to prove it. I made sure of that. It wasn’t
until the days leading up to Mark’s climbing accident that Evan’s mother Tracy
grew more suspicious of you.” My head shot up in terror at her words. “You
ending up with Evan again had me on edge. But to see you two together again… it
gave me hope there’s more to life than this... that maybe they can’t take away
what’s meant to be. Knowing how much he cared about you, I entrusted him with
our secret after you left town,” she said, blinking.

I forced my eyes closed. I had always sensed something
familiar in Evan, and it wasn’t until this moment I understood what it was—the
past. It had gone unfinished, not once, but twice. The first time when I went
into hiding at age five, the second when I disappeared after the announcement.
Like an unyielding cycle, it wouldn’t stop until I discovered why. Now, the
truth had been unveiled. He knew who I was all along.

“But how could you… bring him into this… mom…?” I
choked though my teeth as she leaned over to hug me. She pushed me closer into
an embrace, unaware of just how angry I was.

“I’m so sorry for keeping this from you, Aubrey…” She
sobbed uncontrollably. “But your father sacrificed his life for the chance we’d
survive this catastrophe. All your life, I watched you grow up, knowing you’d
never live an ordinary life. The day of the announcement, I—I was relieved,
because I realized your father’s efforts hadn’t been for nothing. It gave me
reassurance that he was out there somewhere, that someone was fulfilling his
legacy, fighting for justice. That maybe there’d still be a chance for you... for
Andrea... for Evan…” She shook her head in tears. My body trembled, the horror
of it consuming me, swallowing me up all over again.

“So Evan’s known about this this whole time?” I
panicked.

“Since last year, yes, but according to the social
security administration, the Ellis family died in a house fire. That fire was
our cover...” she said, wide-eyed.

“What if he tried to blackmail us?” I shrieked,
breathless as my heart shattered at the idea.

“He made me a deal,” my mother sighed. My mood
pivoted. I shuddered in fear as everything fell into place—the things he said
about his family—how I had no idea how messed up our situation was.

“What kind of deal? The government knew we lived here
before, mom. Someone could have been tracking us! What if it was him?” I cried,
glancing at the paper in her hand.

“Aubrey, it isn’t possible. The name written on here
is only a false alarm. They—they must have forgotten to delete the other social
security number. It’s just a duplicate identity. A glitch. It means nothing. I
found these letters at the postage depot downtown when I went to pick up our
mail, so I snatched them before anyone could get their hands on them. Look. It
even has the old Cedar Ridge address on it.” She flashed the paper in front of
me, and that’s when the outrage finally caught up to me. “We’ll just have to
wait for the other letter. That’s why I didn’t give it to you. Please
understand—”

“You lied! This entire time, you and Andrea lied to
me! Even when I asked about dad, you—you kept this from me!” I spit out in
disgust, inhaling deeper.

“The only way to protect you
was
to hide it,
Aubrey,” she warned, grabbing my arm. I looked at her, my face distorted with
fury as I snapped it away from her grip, tearing myself from the bed.

“Protect me by staying ignorant? From not knowing the
truth? Do you have any idea who you sound like?” I nodded my head in a
sickening grimace.

“Aubrey, this is different. I—”

“Just get away from me!” I ordered, taking a few steps
backward before barreling through the hallway.

“Aubrey, stop!” She chased after me in a panic. I
dashed down the stairs, slipping into my boots and jacket. I flew through the
front door, past the porch before hurtling myself into the car, slamming the
door as my hands shivered, the need for air becoming too much to keep up with.
My mother trailed me, screaming for me to return as I turned the ignition. My
foot struck the gas pedal, spinning the tires in full force. And for the first
time in my life, I discovered my instinct to run away had been right all along.

♦  ♦  ♦

I parked the car on an abandoned road in Cedar Ridge.
Neither my mother, nor the guards would find me at the blades. Pulling myself
up to the top of the wind turbine, I watched the sun set over the horizon that
evening through a stream of tears. I hadn’t gone up there since the night I
made up with Evan. Clutching the compass, I sneered at my reflection before
slipping it into my pocket. A numbness tingled me, thinking about the secrets
she confessed—the lies and cover-ups. My father. The glyphs. The pictures. Evan
was just another piece in this perplexing puzzle—a maze I’d never find my way
out of.

A cool breeze whipped across my face, sending my hair
back, forcing me to open my eyes. My head rested against the chilled railing.
It seemed late, but I didn’t know what time it was. The only thing moving were
the unforgiving auroras overhead, weaving through the empty sky in an artistic
illusion—like phantoms in the night. I must have fallen asleep.

After looking down, I lifted my head up, jolting myself
backward out of fear. After realizing how high up I was, my unsteadiness
returned, the tears stinging my cheeks once more.

Before I could wipe them away, footsteps clanked
against the ladder, a trail of light beaming upward from the opening.
Terrified, I remained still. And when the light flashed in my direction, I knew
it was too late for me to get away from him.

“There you are,” he said, recovering from his climb. Evan
rushed over to me as he hooked himself to the rail, setting the flashlight down
as I stared forward with an empty spirit.

“Your mom came to my house earlier, worried sick after
she said you ran off! What’s going on? What are you doing up here by yourself?”
He looked frightened of my motionless demeanor, my eyes cold and empty, avoiding
him. “Aubrey, what happened? Is everything okay?” he asked, analyzing me in
alarm.

“No... It’s not okay. All this time, you knew who I
was,” I said through gritted teeth.

“What?” Evan asked, impatient with me. I eyed him
cautiously.

“First your parents, and now you too. Why? Why did you
pretend like you didn’t know the truth?” I burst out.

“Aubrey...” He swallowed, letting his shoulders back.

“Tell me, Evan… just tell me this wasn’t a scheme to
use me as bait into qualification,” I snapped. He raised a brow.

“Whoa… hold on. You need to slow down.” Evan winced.

In that second I shot up steadily, grabbing the colony
qualification letter I had tucked into my pocket, unfolded it, and shoved it
into Evan’s chest. Confusion tormented him as he stared at the paper, shining his
flashlight on it as the wind shifted. The glow of his eyes darted from left to
right across the page, his eyes blinking, the confusion rising while my
emotions drummed through my head.

“You... qualified...” Evan said, releasing a breath.

“No. Aubrey Rae
Ellis
qualified,” I said in a
brittle voice, tearing the letter back from him before turning away. Startled
by my actions, he remained stagnant. “How long were you going to wait before
you turned us in? Just tell me,” I demanded, turning to face him again,
heartbroken by the sight of his glossy eyes.

“Look, I wasn’t going to say anything,” he said,
swallowing.

“Bullshit,” I croaked. “There was a huge reward out
for my father, and any information would give you instant access into a
colony!”

“Aubrey, I promise you I’m not lying…” Evan said, the
words sliding through his teeth.

“It’s okay. You win, Evan... All this time, you wanted
to save yourself, not me,” I said, bursting into a hopeless rage as I collapsed
against the four-foot rail. Evan tried to pull me up, but I shrugged him off,
refusing to let him stop my sudden tantrum.

“Will you just listen? I promised your mother I’d keep
you safe…” he said with a wince. I stopped where I stood, the wind swirling my
hair into my face as I swiped it away. Only then did I allow him to see my
tears.

“Please don’t lie, Evan. Don’t...” I sobbed. He took a
step forward as I hooked myself to the ladder.

“After my dad died, my mother became obsessed with
this Andrew guy. She knew of his involvement in the government’s defense
operations, and even blamed him for my father’s death. After you left that
year, I demanded your mom tell me who you really were. So she did. That’s how
she found out my mother was still suspicious of you. So I made her a deal to
keep you hidden,” he said above the wind.

“Why should I believe you?” I was on my hands and
knees.

“Because it’s the truth.”

“But you knew the danger of being associated with
this,” I said as the breeze calmed. I forced my eyes closed as he kneeled down
next to me.

“I chose to get involved… because I knew I’d never be
able to walk away from you, regardless of the truth,” he said. His chest rose
and fell at a rapid rate.

“Who else knows about this?” I asked, shaking.

“No one, I swear,” he said, placing his hand on my
back. I shook my head.

“You should have told me, Evan. You should’ve at least
said something! Maybe I would have known a long time—”

“I didn’t say anything… because I didn’t want to lose
you again, and neither did your mother,” he interrupted.

“But... Ev...” I sighed, wiping a tear away.

“You have to trust me, Aubrey... I kept quiet to
protect you. I made your mother a promise I’d never be able to break,” he said.
Evan’s eyes were wide, his body trembling as he held the flashlight up.

“I’m the daughter of a government-wanted man. They’re
going to find me. Someone is onto my family... someone’s been on to me from the
beginning. It’s the only explanation for why I found that compass,” I panicked.

Frankly, I didn’t care if he knew anymore. I was too
exhausted not to trust him. I unhooked myself from the ladder and stood up,
sniffling from my sudden outburst. Noticing how unstable I was, Evan steadied
me by holding onto the sides of my arms.

“Please let me help you, Aubrey. You can hide out at
my house.”

“It’s too late.”

“No it’s not. I won’t let it be.” Evan got angry. I
didn’t want to believe he was being truthful, but something told me I had no
other choice but to trust him now.

It was nearing early morning when Evan and I snuck
back to his house. In front of the fireplace, the light from the flames flickered
in the dark, reminding me of our night outside the wall. I glanced at him in
remorse, revealing to him the photo of us as kids. At first, his eyes denied
it. Then, fear accompanied the confusion.

At times, I caught him shaking his head in disbelief,
in a deep spectacle of curiosity. Other times, he seemed exhausted upon
learning of our lost past. While regaining his trust, I realized I’d forever
depend on him to hide my secrets. Still, how or why we ended up together after
all those years was as much of a mystery to him as it was to me. But now, as we
arrived upon the brink of our future, he was convinced it happened for the very
reason now unfolding before us—to lead us closer to the truth.

In the days to follow, Evan helped me explore my true
past—diving into the old envelopes I stole from my mother’s closet. From that
night on, I stayed with him, refusing to confront my mother. Why she didn’t
confess my family’s secret to me was justifiable, yet everything came as such a
shock I didn’t how to face her after that day. And in those flashes of
confusion and fear, the enormity of cover-ups we had endured since childhood
exploded.

After agreeing to recover evidence of her suspicions, Evan
snuck to his mother’s house after laboring at the fields. He returned later
that evening, hungry to plunge into the sequence of documents he found tucked
away—secrets hidden in an antique bookcase—a place the guards would never think
to look. And although she was right to be skeptical, she still had no idea I
arrived home after leaving that year—a secret Evan kept for me since returning.

Relieved he found the proof we were seeking, an array
of old newspaper write-ups and pictures rested before us—content his mother
must have scanned or copied from the internet before the collapse. It pertained
to my father’s so-called conspiracy theory and the trail of lies the media
released. Along with the articles were close-ups of my family and I, our faces
circled in permanent marker. My mind raced as I sifted through them until I
came to a photo of all of us. The editorial was titled
“Local Arsonist
Escapes”
in bold print across the top of the page. By now, my breathing
hastened while my eyes shot back and forth, reading the text underneath the
photo.

“Andrew Henry Ellis, father of
Andrea Renee Ellis, Aubrey Rae Ellis, and husband of Abigail Jane Ellis.”

Struggling to find resemblance to myself and the
little girl, I glared at it. It became apparent now more than ever that I
looked more like my father. And as I peered closer, the last paragraph in the
article stood out.

“The whereabouts of Andrew Henry
Ellis remain unknown after allegedly escaping police custody following a fatal
house fire at his home in the small mountain housing community of Cedar Ridge.
Investigators tell us his wife Abigail and their two daughters, Andrea and
Aubrey, have been confirmed dead. If you have any information on Andrew Ellis,
please contact local law enforcement immediately.”

I blinked as Evan looked up, resting a hand on my
shoulder to comfort me. Flashes of flames, smoke, and ash became a vision,
taking me to that moment in my subconscious parallel where Evan stood amidst a
burning house. What the dreams meant was obvious now. I really was a ghost,
living life by a different name. My death was another cover-up.

“Aubrey…” Evan sighed. I snapped my eyes back open.
“It’s okay. We’ll get through this,” he said. I inhaled deeply and nodded.

We sorted through photos for what could’ve been hours.
Observing his reaction to our unknown past, I sensed his despair as he
confirmed the boy in those photos was him. And in the seconds it took to let go
of our denial, the memories rewound us back to normal life again, when we were
just ordinary kids, growing up in a small town, before our lives became a war
for survival and a race for time.

A tear escaped my cheek as the strain built on his
face. I wiped it away, avoiding his expression. Now, he sifted through the
photos faster before his fingers froze, his eyes enlarging as he analyzed the
picture. It was his fifth birthday party. His parents smiled, standing behind
him outside with balloons as he blew out the five candles on his cake. I was by
his side amongst two other boys, including one who resembled Aaron.

Once he flipped to the next photo, his shoulders sunk.
It was a clearer image of us looking at the camera in a cheerful grin. The
darkness of the girl’s hair, her pale skin, and her distinct hazel irises was
all the proof he needed. He set the photo down in defeat as we both gazed upon
the floor.

“There was always something different about you I
couldn’t understand. But my parents never spoke about my childhood either. I
just assumed it wasn’t a big deal. When you and your mother moved back here, I
knew I’d seen you before, but I thought I was crazy,” Evan shook his head in
defeat, sliding a palm down his face as he sighed. Troubled by the idea, he
stood up, chucking the pictures onto the floor before storming out to the
patio. I followed. He leaned against the railing, looking up at the auroras, a
gentle breeze sending the sheer black curtains billowing into the air behind
him. Putting one hand on his shoulder, I tried to get him to turn around, but
he wouldn’t budge, the tension enough to stun me. I took in a deep breath, the
frustration overwhelming him as my guilt resurfaced.

“Evan, I’m... so sorry.” After he turned to hug me, I
cried. He pulled away, still grabbing onto the sides of my arms as he shook his
head.

“Don’t, Aubs. None of this was your fault. So don’t
you dare blame yourself for this mess.” He gave me a painfully serious look, examining
me in sympathy.

“It’s just that... I was right to run. It would’ve
been better for you if I left you behind,” I said, looking past him.

“No,” he said, wincing before pulling me closer in
desperation. My head now rested up against his neck. “You still don’t get it,
do you? We’re both a part of this, and because you came back, we have a chance
to change it,” he said.

I took a deep breath and looked down, closing my eyes
at the sound of his angry sigh. The truth had been uncovered. And had I not
returned to town, we’d have never discovered our true selves, our dark past, or
the lies we were living during the darkest time in history. Now, more than ever,
I understood his purpose in my life. And I understood mine.

He led me to the backyard, our hands overloaded with
the photos and articles. Standing in front of the fire pit, I welcomed the
heat. Within our silence, the flames shot up from the ground, building higher
into the air. Evan stood forward in satisfaction, waiting for me to set the
past on fire, but I was hesitant—afraid to do what needed to be done. He inched
toward me, staring at the envelope that read
“To Abigail”
in my father’s
handwriting. A tear came as he attempted to grab it from me, but I couldn’t let
go of it. Not yet.

“It’s the only way…” he said under his breath. I
shivered in guilt as the shock came over me.

“This entire time… I assumed he was dead.”

“It’s okay.”

“It still doesn’t make sense…”

“Aubs—”

“Your mom kept this stuff this entire time. Why? Why
didn’t she turn my mother in?” I asked, shaking my head in tears. Evan
swallowed.

“She almost did. Right before you left.”

“What?” I cringed.

“After my dad died, her suspicions about his death
became an obsession. A month later, the rumors came out. She was hysterical, in
and out of therapy for months. She held onto these documents hoping one day,
she’d be able to use it as leverage, that saving our family would make up for
his death. I thought she was losing it, Aubs… so I flipped out. I warned my
mother that if she did anything to hurt you, she’d never see me again,” he
snapped.

“No.” I shook my head with quivering lips.

“After the publication, she wanted to expose the truth
about your family because she understood what was at stake. Survival. She knew
we couldn’t buy our place within a colony. Revealing your secret was her only
ticket to survival. That’s why we need to get rid of this evidence. Now.” He
blinked fast. I heaved, letting him slip the documents out of my hands, tossing
them into the flames.

As the fire crackled, the glowing ashes rose higher. I
closed my eyes. I was back within that moment again, my arm wrapped up in a
twisted position, trapped inside my burning, overturned vehicle, Evan screaming
my name from a distance. Then, I was at the hospital, being rushed into
surgery, armed police guards restraining him behind the barricades in the
hallways. The trauma became a form of time travel, plummeting me through a
series of regrets and images of horror. Yet hope was prevalent in those
moments. Much like the day of his father’s funeral, when even amongst sorrow
and loss he saw what purpose remained.

When my focus returned, he continued to feed the fire,
sending each photo into it one at a time until they vanished. Standing beside
me, he grabbed my hand and swallowed in relief as our history transformed to
ashes. I turned my head to face him, giving him a serious look as my vision
blurred.

“Thank you,” I said, aiming my focus away from the
fire.

“Sometimes in order to move forward we have to stop
looking back,” he said.

He was quiet as we stood behind the glowing embers, the
remnants of our forgotten childhood now withering away, disintegrating into
nothing. Evan was right. We couldn’t keep reflecting on the past. But now, our
history became a reason to fight.

A few seconds passed while I looked up again. The sky
was a beautiful entity, reminding us of our terrifying, fear-driven lives. The
colors screamed out that night, making it impossible to ignore. And as the
photons swayed, I found the purpose my mother once spoke of.

“I still can’t believe this is happening,” he said. I
focused my sight on him, fearful to see his expression. “Sometimes I wonder
what our lives would have been like if this never happened. Think of all the
places we could have gone, the things we could have seen. Knowing we had a
future at all would’ve been enough for me,” he said, now looking me in the eye.
I denied his glance as the tears came.

“Don’t…” I said in a breathy voice, closing my eyes.

“Don’t what?” he asked under his breath. By now,
Evan’s expression was distant.

“Don’t talk about us like we don’t have a future…” I
stared at him numbly.

“We might not, Aubrey...” he said. I sat in silence.

The teal lights became more abundant, this time
enchanting the entire night sky like low-lying clouds. The brightness
illuminated the ground beneath our feet, everything glowing in a blue
luminescence. The vision became infinite, repeating inside my head. I clenched
my eyes shut as the onset of sorrow came.

“Just promise me you’ll survive this.”

“I can’t promise that...” he said tensely. It was then
I recalled the first night we spoke since my return. I had uttered those exact
words.

“There’s no purpose for any of this if you don’t make
it.” I looked up. After gazing at the sky, he blinked hard.

“You know… after this all happened, I used to wonder
what purpose I had left. But even after I learned who you really were, you were
more to me than just a secret, Aubrey. That’s why I went after you. Protecting
you was the only thing left that was important enough to fight for. And it’s
the only reason I’m still here,” he said, staring upward, studying the stars
before looking down. When he looked back, his eyes grabbed a hold of me,
hypnotizing me before turning away. Everything inside me shattered. “You can’t
forget how important you are, Aubrey. Even if we’re forced to say goodbye,” he
said. By now, the fire had downgraded to a fading flicker.

That night, as Evan slept, I listened to his tired
breathing in my ear. I faced him as his hand gripped me, still forcing me
beside him. His forehead rested on my long strands draped along the pillow. The
softness of his hair brushed up against my cheek as the teal light from outside
peeked through the blinds, lighting the room dimly. I wanted the fear to be
over, but the uncertainty we faced became its own nightmare—an impending event
we couldn’t avoid much longer. And as I lied awake beside him that night, I
knew I couldn’t leave him behind again.

♦  ♦  ♦

The next morning, I woke to tapping on the door. I sat
up in the bed. Dawn was setting in as I blinked away the sleepiness and
disorientation still lingering in my eyes. Evan was already downstairs by the time
the front door creaked open, his faint mumbling echoing through the house until
it downgraded to a whisper. I peered outside the bedroom as soon as her frantic
tone emerged. Kylie.

Out of curiosity, I tiptoed out into the upstairs loft
that wrapped around the entire second story, overlooking the entry way. When I
reached the area above the doorway, I brushed up against the wall, eager to
pick up on their conversation.

“She’s having problems. You need to talk to her,”
Kylie said.

“What is it this time? Begging for me to forgive her
again? Forget it, I’ve already given her too many chances,” he said.

“No… Ev… something is wrong. She’s losing her mind.
And I think you know what this is about,” she said.

“Well, she should’ve thought about that sooner.” Irritation
lingered in his voice.

“You were at her house… I saw you sneak in through the
back and take a bunch of files out of the bookcase last night. What was in the
files, Evan?” she asked.

“This doesn’t concern you, Kylie… and you’d be better
off not getting involved,” he said, shaking his head.

“That’s where you’re wrong.” She pulled out several
sheets of paper folded up inside her bag, Evan’s eyes broadening upon snatching
them from her.