RETURN Read online

  S.C. Deutsch

  RETURN

  Copyright © 2021 by S.C. Deutsch

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

  S.C. Deutsch asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

  S.C. Deutsch has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

  Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.

  First edition

  This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy

  Find out more at reedsy.com

  For Mom, who let me pursue my dreams no matter how much it cost her. I miss you.

  Contents

  Preface

  Acknowledgement

  1. Chapter 1

  2. Chapter 2

  3. Chapter 3

  4. Chapter 4

  5. Chapter 5

  6. Chapter 6

  7. Chapter 7

  8. Chapter 8

  9. Chapter 9

  10. Chapter 10

  11. Chapter 11

  12. Chapter 12

  13. Chapter 13

  14. Chapter 14

  15. Chapter 15

  16. Chapter 16

  Preface

  Book II

  Shattered Beliefs Series

  Anna’s Story

  Acknowledgement

  Acknowledgement Cover art by Max Demian

  1

  Chapter 1

  Week 1

  Day 1

  Ana struggled to throw off the fog that enveloped her. Wrapped in a soft wool cocoon, adrift on a gentle river, and surrounded by a sea of stars that glittered like diamonds, Ana would have been content to stay there forever. But something kept tugging at her thoughts, causing them to veer away from the pleasant sensations while demanding her immediate and undivided attention. Like a fly that keeps returning after being shooed away, the nagging feeling would not let her be. Ana finally gave up trying to resist and instead tried to chase the persistent feeling down. The effort was proving extremely difficult, though. Her limbs felt heavy and too large for her body, her brain felt slow and foggy, and her eyes refused to open. Ana redoubled her efforts at throwing off the sluggishness, concentrating solely on trying to pin down the nagging distraction.

  As she worked her way towards consciousness, Ana’s perception of the immediate environment began to change. She was not floating on a gentle river but rather lying on a hard surface. It was obviously not night as she could now see light through her closed eyelids. And the temperature was no longer comfortable since she could feel a thin line of sweat trickling down the back of her neck. Ana slowly came to the realization that it was hot, brutally hot. So hot, in fact, that it felt like her entire left side was laying on top of a bed of hot coals. Managing to crack an eye slightly, Ana snapped into wakefulness at what little could now be seen. Opening both eyes fully in response to the surprising sight, Ana bolted upright in shock, causing fireworks to explode as the world started to spin madly.

  Dropping her head in both hands, Ana pressed the heels of them into her eyes, applying pressure in an effort to get the spinning to stop. When the world finally righted itself and the last firework faded away, Ana slowly reopened her eyes, slitting them against the brightness that initially blinded her. The view was not at all what she had been expecting. Gazing out at a sea of green, Ana was left with the impression that the forest went on forever, only ending when it met the ocean. She saw no beach, no boat, nothing. Just trees and water. Turning to the right, Ana could see the trees continued their advance to the shore, bending in an arc that extended for miles until disappearing behind her. Swiveling to the left, she eventually saw the beach as it curved away, escaping the tree cover until it also turned, disappearing behind the trees once again.

  Ana pivoted as far as possible, using one hand to steady herself despite the heat radiating off the rock. Behind her, the trees marched on endlessly, covering the many hills and mountains that now filled her field of vision. Ana had no clue as to where she was, having never seen a place like this in her life. Turning forward again, Ana realized she was well above the forest canopy. The plateau had to be several hundred feet, if not more, above sea level. Fighting the panic that began to rise, Ana dropped her head again and tried to gather the thoughts that had scattered, her alarm at not knowing what she now faced making the task incredibly difficult. The fog that had been clouding her brain was slowly clearing, but the only memory of what had occurred prior to waking was of the two men who had been standing outside the Ladies Room. A prick to the neck, darkness, and then nothing more. The pleasant dream was also dissolving, the images fading to black, leaving nothing more than a mouth full of cotton and a slight bit of nausea in its wake.

  Taking several deep breaths, Ana closed her eyes for a minute. She had no idea where she was nor how she had gotten here. It was obvious she was sitting on top of one of the mountains, but the entire summit was flat, without a single tree or bush. There were no birds flying above the trees, there were no sounds other than her rapid breathing, and when she looked down, there wasn’t even a speck of gravel or tiny insect anywhere on the smooth, almost glassy, surface.

  Ana let her gaze travel aimlessly across the ground. It was then she saw the rock. Completely out of place, it was sitting on a single piece of folded paper. Reaching over, Ana lifted it and picked up the sheet. Unfolding it, she started to read.

  Ana was back. On the island. Just as she had planned. But nothing else about the current situation was what she had anticipated. Nor what she had spent the last month preparing for.

  The paper contained the directives. Most of them were similar to the last set she had been given, with a few minor changes here and there. But there were three additional ones that were completely new and totally unexpected. And one of those new directives struck her with a disappointment so strong, it felt like a hammer blow.

  Ana was now allowed to kill to protect herself, and anything she killed could be eaten, but no part of any kill could be used to fashion weapons. Fishing was also allowed, again not utilizing the remains for weapons. These two directives were acceptable as it gave her a better chance of surviving the next month. There was now the ability to protect herself without worrying about the results. Ana didn’t plan on consuming anything other than the food she already knew was safe, but should she ever find herself back on the beach, fishing would give more variety to what was okay to eat as well as providing much needed protein. Of course, this hinged on being able to find a way to cook whatever was caught, but that would be something she could figure out should the situation present itself. Ana pushed the thought aside, not willing to waste any more time worrying over it unless it actually occurred.

  The next two directives, however, sent the chances of survival back to almost zero. One of them would be almost
impossible to achieve and the other negated the entire reason for returning. After reading the new directives several times, Ana sincerely considered just throwing herself off the mountain. The new directives made it almost impossible to survive the next month, at least not without some sort of miracle.

  Ana hissed, mouth compressing into a flat line as anger again threatened to cloud her judgment. The government had changed what she had believed were the rules, and as before, the punishment seemed too harsh for the crime committed. While the government had the right to do as it pleased, the fact that she, for some reason, had been singled out for a different sentence than what others were forced to endure, without even the benefit of having it explained before she was dumped here, enraged her to the point of seeing nothing but red. Pushing herself to her feet, Ana stretched to loosen her muscles, doing her best to tamp down the anger as it served no purpose, at least not at this time. She began pacing, trying to look at the situation from several different angles. The crumpled paper containing the directives was clenched in a tight fist and she was just getting ready to throw it over the side when the memory of her last conversation on the island surfaced. Pulling the arm back in, Ana smoothed the paper out on her thigh and refolded it, carefully storing it in the front pocket of her pants. She would re-read it again later, seeing if anything had been missed or if there were any useful information hidden in the words, but that would have to wait until after a safer place than this mountaintop could be found.

  Ana continued to pace, refusing to look at the trees while she walked. The sight was distracting, the never-ending jungle frightening in the dangers it surely concealed and looking at it brought her back to the edge of panic. Instead, Ana studied the ground as she crossed the summit.

  The entire top of the mountain had been sheared off and leveled. It was obvious the leveling was not natural and had been done by human hands. Completely smooth with not a living thing to mar its surface, Ana ultimately realized it was a landing pad. The thought it was used to deliver the lab experiments crossed her mind, but that seemed impractical. The plateau was too high and too inconvenient for easy delivery of the experimental creatures the government left here, especially as most would have no way of getting down unaided. Thinking about the location, Ana concluded the government was using this pad to drop off the children sent here in addition to leaving them on the beach. This led her to assume that the government wanted the camp to be unaware of some of the arrivals. It would also explain one of the new directives. But Ana could not fathom the reasoning behind this. Everything she had learned from her previous time here plus the knowledge obtained while back on the mainland did not explain why the government would want some children to remain hidden. In fact, it flew in the face of what she presumed was the very reason for this island in the first place.

  Ana thought about this as she paced but came up with no reasonable answers. However, Ana did come to the conclusion that the government wanted her to survive. The island was a tool and if they wanted her dead, they would have just killed her and been done with it. The simple fact that Ana had been provided with a new set of directives and again supplied with a knife, currently strapped to her thigh once more, meant they wanted her alive. Which meant there had to be a way off this mountain.

  Ana felt the will to live returning, stronger than ever. As she had been told previously, rage was a great motivator, and despite her previous attempt to extinguish the flame, the anger continued to build. She once again tried to tamp it down in order to focus on the current situation, clenching her fists while gazing around the flat surface.

  Coming to a decision, Ana steeled herself against the possibility of tumbling over the side and approached the edge. A look down revealed the mountain was smooth and almost completely vertical. She slowly walked the perimeter, staying as far away from the edge as possible while still being able to peer over. The summit was roughly circular in shape and about fifty feet wide, making the circuit both short and quick. Just large enough for a Heli-craft to settle and unload an unconscious person, moving them far enough away from the vehicle so as not to interfere with the takeoff, and leaving enough space for the directives to be placed within sight of the waking person. Ana wondered how many others had been left here in the same manner. And how many of them actually survived.

  Ana completed almost a full circuit but had not been able to find a way off the summit. She was starting to wonder if her assumptions about what the government wanted were wrong when something caught her eye. A small outcropping appeared, approximately twenty feet below where she was standing. Just large enough for a person to drop onto, it jutted out from the side of the cliff, but there was no easy way to reach it. Below the ledge, she could see the mountainside sloping away, with scraggly bushes growing here and there. The ground appeared to be comprised of rocks and scree, providing purchase if one were careful.

  Taking a closer look, Ana spied something sprawled across the tiny surface. Dropping to her stomach, she peered over the edge and let out a low moan. The something lying there was Jax, the creature Ana had smuggled off when she left the island four months ago. Of course, there was always the chance it was different creature, one that had gotten stuck up here previously, but deep down, Ana knew it was Jax. This would be right in line with the government’s previous actions as well as a way to force her hand. Jax would provide a compelling reason to survive while also sending the message that the government was aware she had broken another one of the prior set of directives. Ana moaned again. She desperately needed to get down there to see if Jax was alright.

  Taking several deep breaths, Ana’s focus narrowed to the immediate task of saving Jax, all other thoughts being pushed to the side for now. Spinning around, she pushed backwards, allowing first her feet, then her legs, to hang over the side. Taking another deep breath, she slid as slowly and carefully as possible. Ana had to drop her body as close to the outcropping as she could but needed to avoid breaking an ankle or leg when she finally hit the ledge. Carefully sliding backwards, she let the lower half of her body slide until she was able to brace both feet against the rock face. Wiggling back a little more and allowing the rest of her body to slowly fall, Ana tried to hold on by gripping the edge. The fingers found purchase at first, but they were unable to hold her entire body weight. Ana felt herself dropping and tried to slow the descent, breaking a couple of fingernails and ripping the skin off several fingertips in the process.

  Unable to stop the fall, Ana bent her knees and forced her muscles to relax. Both feet hit the ledge with a thud, and she let the rest of her body drop, landing hard on her butt and causing her jaw to snap shut. Spinning around, Ana flexed the ankles first, followed by the knees. Everything moved easily, no hint of pain in any of the joints, although her butt had taken a hard hit and was now throbbing. Taking a minute to collect herself, Ana looked at the unconscious animal lying in front of her.

  No doubt about it. It was Jax. Ana could see the little flecks of pink still clinging to the claws, reinforcing the little creature’s identity. Reaching over, she gently felt Jax’s chest. Still breathing, it appeared Jax had also been drugged. Ana carefully gathered her furry friend into her lap and leaned back against the cliff wall, stroking Jax softly while staring out to sea.

  Jax being here was both a good and bad thing. The little creature would be instrumental in surviving the coming month. Jax knew how to find water, knew which fruits were safe to eat, and had been the main reason Ana had survived the last time around. However, since her return to the mainland, Jax had become a part of the family. Ana wasn’t sure how her brother Niall would take Jax’s sudden disappearance. Niall had become devoted to the creature and Jax was devoted to Niall, although not as much as she was devoted to Ana. But more than that, Jax had drawn Niall out of whatever shell he had been encased in, giving her parents hope he would eventually be able to function in society. Jax being here might send Niall back to the place he was before, losing any progress he had made while Jax lived wit
h them. Ana was also worried that even if she did survive, the government wasn’t going to let Jax go back to the mainland a second time.

  Ana felt the rage rising again. The government was playing with her family like they were nothing more than toys. She didn’t care what they did to her as she was old enough to understand the consequences of her actions. But Niall was a different matter. Ana was sure her bother was the only thing that kept her mother going. If Niall slipped backwards, her mother just might lose it completely, shattering the family further. Ana wasn’t sure her father would be up to the task of taking care of Niall should her mother no longer be able to.

  Ana’s relationship with her parents was complicated and fraught with issues. She had not been close to either of them in a very long time, especially once Niall had been born. Her father’s job took most of his time and he often brought it home, disappearing into his office and locking the door behind him. Her mother, never doting, had drifted further away from her daughter the older Ana became.

  Before her previous stay on the island, Ana had only interacted with her parents when necessary, finding most dealings either frustrating or irritating. They had seemed only mildly interested in her life, asking about schoolwork but never really providing structure or following up on what she was up to until she got into some sort of trouble. Ana, in turn, had stopped really caring what they did in their lives. Instead, she rarely spoke with them, usually when she wanted or needed something. Usually, she only had to ask for something once, but if refused, she knew how to both manipulate them and play them against each other to get the desired results. Niall, eight years younger than Ana, had been more of an annoyance than anything else. He followed her around, never interfering with what she did and never uttering a sound as he watched every move she made. Ana had found him to be an embarrassment, almost as if his disability reflected on her, and often chased him away.