Cumberland (Not A Dream Book 1) Page 4

  I opened it up and seen inside piles of papers and stacks of boxes. I looked at Olivia and she said, “Well, we got our work cut out for ourselves.”

  We began our search, without any luck. A couple hours have passed, and all the boxes were unpacked, and unorganized. I looked around to see if we missed anything. I noticed a poster on the back wall. I walked over there and turned my head to Olivia who was sitting cross-legged on the floor, “I don’t remember him having this poster before.”

  “Take it down, and see if it is the map.”

  I did so, carefully, and didn’t see how it could ever resemble a map. I flipped it to see the back of it and noticed a folded up piece of parchment paper. I took it off and unfolded to see a page that seemed to be ripped from a book. I asked Olivia, “Can you hand me my grandpa’s book please?”

  She quickly handed me the book. I looked through it quickly, and I found a slot where a page used to be and placed the ripped out page in the spot where the book had a page missing. It fit perfectly. I flipped the page, as if it was still intact with the book, and I noticed the map was on the side I had not seen yet.

  “We need to find Mason,” I demanded.

  She looked at me, with her phone in her hand, “Already ahead of you.”

  She continued to talk on the phone, “Mason, it is me and Olivia, we need to talk….” She paused. “I got your phone number from friendsconnect.com; it was on your profile…” She paused again. “Great, meet you there.”

  The phone clicked to signal a disconnection, and I asked, “What did he say?”

  “He said, ‘I need to talk to you guys’.”

  “Odd. Where?” I asked.

  “The park,” she answered.

  “That is just down the road,” I pointed.

  We left the storage shed, and then looked down the road and seen him already there at the park bench. We approached him in haste, and he said instantly, “I know you know something about Cumberland. I need you to let me go with you.”

  I asked, “How did you know about that?”

  He answered, “My father is there. The man that raised me is not my true father.”

  “How do you know?” Olivia intervened.

  “I am too different. The man claiming to be my father is nothing like me…” he looked around, and continued, “He ages.”

  “And you don’t?” Olivia asked.

  “No.”

  “Then, who is he?” I asked.

  “He is a copy of a human,” he answered quietly.

  “A clone?” I was baffled.

  “Sent from the CIA, to cover up something.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I took DNA samples of him while he slept, and had a buddy of mine’s dad, who works for a forensics lab uptown. He said he has never seen this type of DNA strain before, in person, only in science journals of studies that would perfect human cloning.”

  “We need to go, now,” Olivia stated.

  “Why?” I asked her.

  “I think we are being watched,” she said.

  I looked around and seen a few men in black hide behind trees. I nodded, and Mason motioned us to follow. He took us to his house and we will lay the map down to pin where we go. He already had three survival bags packed and ready to go.

  Chapter Seven

  He took us into a darkened room with pictures of men from all generations surrounding the walls. Each man seemed to be a frozen sculpture painted on a canvas. Mason approached me, “The last one is my real dad.”

  “Oh, that is decorative,” I complimented. Olivia added, “Yeah sure is.”

  She paused and asked in a rude tone, “How did you find out, that the man that raised you is not your dad, again?”

  He sighed, “The man who tested his blood was Mr. Stone. He is the lead DNA analyst of the country. I am sure you have heard of him.”

  I instantly said, “I have heard of him.”

  Olivia added, “Yeah, he sounds familiar. Why did you say blood like that?”

  “Mr. Stone explained that in order to successfully make a clone, you need a liquefied onyx stone mixed with a person’s DNA. Liquid onyx can only be naturally made by a planet. You inject that mixture into a spare body,” he sighed. “Obviously that is not my blood.”

  Olivia smirked, “Duh! Our blood is red, not black.”

  Mason snapped back, “My blood is purple.”

  Olivia stated, “That is the color of a vampires’ blood only.”

  I stared aimlessly at him, and I could see Olivia’s face matched my surprised expression. I decided to change the subject, “Where did, whoever did this, find the liquid onyx?”

  “The CIA, to answer who, found it in Cumberland. The place used to be a type of safe haven for magical creatures to venture. There was once a man, by the name of Finley Porter, who stumbled upon the liquid onyx Waterfall. He was out tagging the creatures, to keep track of them, and noticed they were cloning themselves unknowingly. He probably heard of the legend of liquid onyx. Have you?” he looked at me.

  I nodded, “Yeah, my grandpa told me once. He said the Waterfall was white like snow, and shined like diamonds. Once it can in contact with blood, it will forever turn black, but if directly injected into an actual human, they will die, or turn into a gargoyle.”

  Mason said, “Exactly what happened to Finley Porter. He died trying to become a gargoyle. Then his wife, Carolyn, your step mother, discovered it only works if you are a vampire. She realized she had to find someone that could never die. Of course, the obvious answer is vampires.”

  I watched Olivia pace back and forth, so I asked her in a concerning tone, “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

  She looked at me and quickly turned to Mason, “You’re lying. Vampires don’t age. But, somehow you are.”

  He laughed awkwardly, “What fairy tales do you live in? Vampires stop aging at twenty-five years of age.”

  “My grandpa said that they never age. He had hunted them for years. I always thought he was making up stories,” Olivia stated. She put her hand to her forehead while looking down. It was obvious that she was in deep thought. Then she added, “He was killed your kind. I cannot trust you.”

  I stepped in, “Please, that was the past. And we are here now. I trust Mason, and you, Olivia.”

  She looked at Mason and nodded, “I’m sorry. You are right.”

  Mason put his hand on Olivia’s shoulder, “I won’t hurt you. I promise.”

  Olivia smiled at him and said, “Sure.”

  I stood there patiently, waiting for them to stop making the tension so severe in the room. Their gaze finally broke, and so did the tension. I did not know what to expect between the two of them. But, from the looks of it, I doubt it could be good.

  A car door slam broke the silence. Olivia and I stared at Mason. He was looking out of the window, so we joined him. I looked out of the window and saw his clone dad get out of car, and then Carolyn pulled in behind him.

  Mason whispered, “Stay here, both of you.”

  He walked out of the room. Olivia and I looked outside of the window blind again. We were able to hear Carolyn speak.

  Carolyn said, “I gave you a life, now I have to take it away. I already killed one person, who tried to take your DNA sample public.”

  The clone worriedly asked, “What? I didn’t-.” and then before he could finish his sentence Carolyn pulled out a knife and cut off his head.

  The liquid onyx poured out of his body. The men, from my graduation, came out of the black jeep and picked up the dead clone body remains. They threw it in the back. Carolyn looked around and hopped in after the men and drove off.

  Mason reentered the room, with his phone in his hand. He regrettably said, “It is true. Mr. Stone died.”

  Olivia leaned back against the window and said, “I will try to help you. But only when I help Milly first.”

  “I will help you Mason,” I bravely stated. I felt chills up my spine when Mason grabbed my hand. He kissed i
t and said, “Thank you.”

  I could feel my face turn red. His skin was cold, but felt nice against my nervous fever. I pulled my hand away slowly, and grinned slightly. The map was still in my bag, so I turned around to retrieve it. I unfolded the paper and laid it down on the desk.

  Olivia looked as if a light bulb just went off above her head and said, “Hang on, let me call my dad. He may be able to help.”

  “How?” I questioned.

  “He used to work for the CIA before he became a principle,” she answered before placing the phone up to her ear. She turned around and then a few seconds later I heard the echo of his voicemail.

  “I can’t get ahold of him,” she sadly explained.

  Mason told her, “If he has any ties to Cumberland, then he may already be gone.”

  “He can’t be gone!” She yelped.

  We stood in silence until another car door slam caught our attention. Olivia ran to the window and grinned, “I told you! He is here!”

  She ran outside, and then Mason and I trailed behind her. We walked outside and her Mr. Jack Hall said, “I can help you.”

  “How did you know we needed help?” she asked.

  He laughed, “You know where I used to work. Therefore, I keep a tracking device on your phone and truck that can also transmit audio.”

  Olivia’s eyes bulged wide, and her face turned deep red, “Oh-.”

  He interrupted her by saying, “Yeah… At least you know how to be safe with a guy.” He looked down and away as her face was in obvious shock and embarrassment.

  He walked in the house and asks, “What is the plan?”

  I answered, “Well, we were just about to look at the map to plan our next move.”

  “Where is the map?” he asked.

  “In here,” Mason waved his hand towards the room as he walked through the doorway.

  All of us surrounded the table, as Mason shut the curtains and turned on his desk lamp. Jack pointed at the printed name of the town, Loch Springs. He moved his finger down a few centimeters and said, “We are here.”

  He moved his finger diagonally up the map and explained, “We need to go here to enter Cumberland. It is where the secret passage is.”

  I asked, “Why is there a secret passage?”

  He answered, “It has been forgotten, until now. It was how the creatures of Cumberland got inside.”

  “Why don’t the creatures just leave the same way?” I pondered.

  He sighed, “By now, they are caged in. They cannot escape. Besides, once you enter, the only way out is through Cumberland. The exit, however, is where the CIA Testing Facility is. They test the creatures, and run experiments on them.”

  Mason grabbed the map and demanded, “Let’s go. I have only three survival bags,” he looked at Jack, and then continued, “I packed one for myself, one for Milly, and one for Olivia. Sorry Jack. Night is near. It is perfect time for a stroll.”

  Olivia shrugged her shoulders and shyly announced with a grin, “Here we go!”

  We drove, for what seemed forever, to an open glad beyond the trees. We exited Olivia’s truck, and walked towards a stump. Jack kicked it and it popped open. He said, “Let’s go!” as he jumped down inside it.

  We all followed one by one. Mason looked at me as I paused and he said, “Come on. It is safe.”

  I watched him enter. As he went down, he yelled, “It is like a wooden slide!”

  I shrugged my shoulders and jumped in last.

  Chapter Eight

  My feet touched the ground after several twists and turns. It felt exactly as Mason had described it. The slide was bumpier than any normal slide. The wood surrounded anyone inside, to create a tunnel-like feel.

  I stumbled and realized I have made it to Cumberland. The sky was a pink and orange mix color with the twilight of stars twinkling in the sky. I was able to see the Sun begin to rise. The glimmer of sunshine brightened the ground to a soft green glow from beyond. The sunlight was not afraid to shine on the water.

  To see a land I have seen made my soul desire the need to explore its enchanted bliss. I spun around to look at my surroundings. I saw trees as tall as the sky, and watched their leaves gently flow with the breeze. Vines were placed at their tips and connected the trees as a bonded family.

  “Intoxicating, isn’t it?” Jack asked with a coy smile.

  I exclaimed, “Let’s explore!”

  Jack looked at me and explained, “Maybe later. We have a mission to complete first.”

  “I agree. Despite how beautiful this place is, something does not feel right about it,” Mason added.

  I looked down at the ground and seen it was a slosh of dirt and water mixed.

  I watched my feet begin to sink a couple inches in the ground, and then stop. My once nice and white shoes were now the color of suede work boots. I continued to watch my feet as I lifted my foot up. The mud bubbled when the sound of a suction cup released my foot from its muddy grasp.

  I looked around and noticed that I was not the only one stuck in the mud. Olivia had been as well. Her face was obviously star struck by the ambience of her surroundings. I said, “Olivia, our shoes are all muddy.”

  She looked down and opened her mouth in shock, “Oh! My shoes! Mason, how could you?”

  “What did I do?” he quickly retaliated.

  “I don’t know. Just seems right to blame you at the moment.”

  I couldn’t help it, to not giggle at her, and Jack had joined in with laughter as well. Olivia eyed us both, which silenced us completely. Even Mason had frozen in place.

  Jack sighed and explained, “Okay, girls. It is just mud. There is a sea near here and it can cause the ground around us to be a bit soggy.”

  “Soggy! This is more than just soggy, dad,” Olivia exclaimed.

  “Yes, this is unusual,” he agreed.

  “We need to start at the sea and work our way through,” Mason changed the subject.

  I noticed he placed an odd shaped rock in his pocket, and did not think much of it.

  “Why the rush?” I questioned.

  “No rush,” he answered.

  I turned my head to hear the faint sound of voices a distance from us. I tried to whisper, “Actually, it might be time for us to rush.”

  Jack cocked his head and nodded.

  We moved fast to the nearest bush dodging any branches in front of us. I looked around frantically trying to figure out why we had to move fast. About a yard away, I saw two men heading our way talking to each other. They were dressed in brown suits that were tight enough to reveal too much.

  “Who are they?” I whispered.

  “They are the land patrol,” Jack answered with a rasp in his whisper.

  “Patrol? What do you mean?” I asked.

  “Each sector has their own patrol. There is the land, water, and the air patrol. They guard it to keep tabs on anything going on,” he explained.

  “Do they all wear the same color?” Olivia asked.

  “No, the land patrol wears brown, as you can see, and the water patrol wears blue. The air patrol wears white,” Jack answered.

  We sat behind the bush in silence and my foot slipped, causing some rocks to move. I could feel my breath stop as the men looked our way. The tallest man was about to walk up to us, but the other guy stopped him, “Just look at the sunrise. It is way more majestic than anywhere else.”

  The tall guy turned and joked, “Never known a straight man to like sunrises like you.”

  The two men chuckled at each other and continued their perimeter check. They walked passed our bush and then disappeared.

  My hands became shaky and cold. I sighed with a deep breath and looked at Mason. He stared at me, and placed his hand on mine.

  I asked him, “Are you not scared?”

  “When I am with you, no,” he answered.

  I smiled as the churning in my stomach came to a stop. I gave him another question, “Why should you ever be scared? You have forever to live your
life.”

  He shook his head, “No. Only on the day I turn into a vampire, is when I have forever to live. Until then, I am just as human as anyone else.”

  I looked down and said, “Oh.”

  He lifted my chin up so I could meet his gaze and he said, “That is awhile away. It won’t come any sooner or later. I am stronger than you think, as well. I will be okay as long as you are.”

  “Okay guys, I am scared out of my mind. I don’t think this is a good idea. We almost got caught, and we are just all standing here with our thumbs up our asses!” Olivia squealed.

  I apologized and then I heard Jack yell, “Hey guys, when you are all done having a mid-life crisis, I found the cages where the water creatures are kept. We need to find a way through it, because that is the only way through the water without having to swim!”

  We exchanged looks and walked over to where Jack stood. He faced a gate that was locked. The length of the gate crossed the waters standing tall like a bridge.

  Mason looked at me, “I will prove it to you.”

  He walked over to the lock and tensed every muscle in his body. With a growl he released his held back fist and made a crashing noise as he hit the lock. The lock dropped to the ground in a million pieces and I looked at him in utter shock. I exclaimed, “That was amazing!”

  “I know,” he said back with a cocky demeanor.

  We approached the opening and I looked down to see what we would be walking on. Below our feet I seen creatures swim, squirm, and crawl around. They were none of what I had ever seen before. Some looked violent, others looked scared.

  I looked at Jack and asked, “What is this?”

  He explained, “They trap the creatures in these cages. It is easier for them to keep track of them and stop them from drinking more of the liquid onyx Waterfall.”

  “That is horrible; I can’t stand to see this happen. They deserve to be free,” I complained.

  “Is that all they do?” Olivia questioned.

  “No,” Jack answered. He looked down and stated, “They are used for experimentation as well.”