Lust or Bust Bar was located in downtown Chicago. It was a tall building with not too many security lights. The parking lot was a large one, as many cars came in daily. Weekends were days with the highest number of customers. The club was known for its special feature of lap dances for customers. It was a dance meant for every customer that enters the bar. Lust or Bust was a bar that had the characteristics of a strip club. Ladies stretched legs out of corners to attract various men. A pole that ran from the roof to a platform in the center of the bar served as the dance partner of strippers. But the good thing about the bar was that it didn’t experience crimes like fights and assaults, as it was only the wealthy that visited.
Brandon, Dominic and Johanna had come in Brandon’s car. They got to the compound and waited for about five minutes, scanning and analyzing the building. They saw a fat man enter with three ladies that had come to welcome him. Brandon saw Bryant’s car and knew he was still in there. “Johanna, you have to remain in the car while we go check it out,” he said. She made a face that suggested she wasn’t okay with the verdict, but the club was a place only visited by men, it would be awkward if a lady walked in. The only women there were the strippers, lap dancers and the bartenders. Brandon and Dominic got out of the car, and Johanna watched them leave. She wasn’t happy with the fact that about ten ladies would hang around her man once he enters the building but there was nothing she could do.
Brandon didn’t get nervous as he entered the building, but Dominic was. They got to the main room after walking through a door guarded by bouncers who searched the customers for any weapon. “Let’s split up” Brandon suggested following the maze of bodies they had to search through. Brandon searched through the crowd more conveniently than Dominic, who had never seen such a large number of naked women except those whose body parts are exposed on the operating table. He walked through, from table to table, and different ladies pulled him left and right, “Over here, handsome,” one dancer said. “Hey man, have a seat,” a man with a really full beard said. The man knew it was his first time there from the way he looked, and he wanted a lady to give him the lap dance.
Brandon searched every nook and cranny of the bar, and seats he and Bryant had frequented but couldn’t see him. He brought out his phone and tried calling him, but it went straight to voicemail. “Where are you, Bryant?” he said before walking over to the bartender and showed him Bryant’s picture. “Hello, have you seen my buddy?.” The man looked at the picture intently, but didn’t seem to have met the person in it. He gave the phone to his assistant. The assistant then pointed upstairs. “He went up after hiring the best girl for a lap dance and an extra. He got the key to room 4B.” Dominic saw Brandon who seemed to be making headway in getting the location of Bryant and went over. “Bryant is upstairs, let’s go,” Brandon said. They wanted to leave when the bartender called them “Hey, you can’t just go up there, you have to have a lap dance booked, plus or minus the extra.” Brandon looked surprised, but Dominic who had gotten used to the atmosphere there covered the tab and ordered the lap dance minus the extra for the room next to Bryant’s.
Two ladies with just pants on came from the room down the hall after the assistant bartender made a phone call. The ladies kissed the men on their cheeks before they headed upstairs.
Johanna sat in the car looking constantly through the window at the building as if to see what was going on inside. She wondered about how her life had changed so much, it went from miserable to happy, and then adventure. The whole event that occurred was scary, but somehow it thrilled her, though she wouldn’t admit it. The word clone sounded dangerous, they were created for a particular mission, which mainly was to kill. Her very own husband was also a clone, but he was different. Unlike other clones she had encountered, he had his consciousness and could make decisions for himself.
A car drove roughly into the lot and a lady came out of it. Three drunken guys that were on their way home saw her and called out to her as she walked towards the building. They turned to follow her almost falling down due to their imbalance. Johanna had thought the lady was a dancer knowing that females don’t come to the bar, but when the woman came closer to the building with enough lightning, she saw that it was Theresa. “Theresa, What’s she doing here?,” she asked nobody in particular. “Wasn’t she just out with Dominic and she felt sick and took her home? And what in the world is she wearing?”
Theresa had on a tight skin black dress with a slit, stilettos and a fur vest jacket and black high-heeled shoes. Her hair was done a bit sleeker. She wore a red lipstick and carried a small clutch in her hand. Johanna watched as the guys kept on calling out to Theresa, who seemed not to be in the mood to flirt. She turned around and walked up to the guy in the middle of the other two, he had a filthy mouth, which smelt of liquor. She took his hands and then placed it on her breasts. Johanna looked shocked and bewildered. That was surely not Theresa. The Theresa she knew wouldn’t do that, at least not to just any man.
Theresa smiled at the man with such strangeness that made Johanna feel that something wasn’t right. The other guys thought their friend had hit the jackpot and went back inside, until he was done. The man got turned on as he could feel the heartbeat of Theresa under his palm. The top she wore was opened at the top. He smiled uncontrollably until she said, “You like this?” he nodded in a yes.
“It’s the last time you will ever get to touch a woman.” The man looked shocked. Johanna watched from afar, wondering what she was saying to him. Suddenly, she dug her hand into his chest and ripped out his chest without even blinking her eyes. Blood gushed out of his chest. Johanna covered her mouth to prevent herself from shouting at the horror scene she had just seen; it was horrible. Theresa was a clone too. She slunk into the car seat and made sure not to be seen by Theresa, who turned her head in the direction of the car. She threw the dead man and his heart into the trashcan that was some distance away.
“I have to warn Brandon and Dominic,” Johanna thought. Theresa must have a reason to have driven down there. She was a clone and the only clone business that was happening there was related to Brandon, Bryant and Dominic. Was she sent to kill Second? Dominic? Maybe they were close to the truth and she was sent to kill Bryant. She tried calling the duo that was inside only for Brandon’s phone to ring beside her.
She waited until Theresa went inside the club before she got out of the car. She tiptoed to the side of the building and noticed a side entrance. She turned the knob and the door gave way. She walked in the door cautiously with her back, looked out to confirm nobody saw her and closed the door. She made her way out of the service quarters and then up the staircase. She looked up and it seemed as if there was no way, “There has to be a way out of here” she thought. She ran up the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her. Her husband’s life was at stake. She continued up the stairs and finally saw a door. She looked at the number written on top of the door. “Could this be it?” she thought as she opened the door, she ducked around the corner as she saw a security guard walk by. Soon, the fat man walked by and the coast was clear. She tried calling Dominic’s number, but there was no cellphone service. “Oh my god,” she exclaimed to herself. She walked through the hallway looking at rooms that might be open, and any clue she could find that would make her locate Brandon and Dominic. She walked past room 4B, which had an open door. She saw Bryant, drunk and sitting shirtless on the bed with his hands cuffed. He just had the club’s special and was sitting mumbling to himself. She waited for the entertainer to leave the room before entering. The entertainer came out smiling and greeted Johanna, whom she presumed was another entertainer sent. She went inside and called out to Bryant, who smiled oddly. ”Bryant,” she shouted as she tried shaking back to his senses. But the effect of the alcohol had overridden any rational thinking he used to have. He smiled goofily. “You look like her. Oh man. I love this bar,” Johanna looked at him and shook her head. “Look like who? Come on, we need to get out of here or we are dead meat.” Bryant smiled again, you look like Johanna, my best friend’s wife,” he said. Johanna got frustrated and scared, she wasn’t making any headway in getting him to his feet and Theresa was on her way.
Johanna heard footsteps from the hallway so she hid in the closet. Drunken Bryant watched her hide and wondered why she was hiding. “Don’t go away,” he said at first before Johanna gestured he should keep quiet. Suddenly a security guard popped his head in, “Are you okay, sir?” Bryant wanted to give him a thumbs up, but his hands were cuffed, so he used both hands. “What a drunk,” the guard said as he left the room. Brandon and Dominic had been checked into the room next to Bryant earlier. When they knew that the door to Bryant’s room wasn’t locked, they dismissed those who attended to them and went in and locked the door. Johanna was still in the closet when she saw that her husband had come in, she suddenly jumped out of where she hid and gave both Brandon and Dominic a startle. “Hey, I thought I told you to wait in the car. What are you doing here?” Brandon said angrily. “I came in because –” she couldn’t continue as they heard gunshots and screaming. They got afraid, as they knew they had company.
Dominic unlocked the room door and looked outside. He was perplexed to see Theresa making her way down the hallway, holding a gun and a clutch. Her eyes were red and she looked unrecognizable. “What? Theresa?” he said aloud, but Theresa didn’t hear him because of the noise that had filled the bar. Johanna yanked Dominic back inside and locked the door. “She is one of those things, a clone. I saw her rip out the heart of a man with her bare hands,” Johanna told him. She was there for a reason.
Bryant seemed to have known that someone would be sent to kill him. He heard the word “clone” and started to panic. “Help me get out of here,” he said. “He knows something,” Brandon thought. Brandon with his strength broke off his handcuffs. Johanna grabbed Bryant’s phone and his coat where a USB fell out of. She picked it up and put it in her pocket. Theresa heard Bryant’s voice and traced it down to the room. She turned the doorknob and saw that it was locked before she blew down the door with her fist. She saw that the room was empty and got confused; she had certainly heard his voice from there. Despite that, she entered, looking for whatever she could find. Meanwhile, Dominic and Johanna stood outside on the fire escape that they climbed from the window. Brandon had taken Bryant inside, as he would have fallen if he were to stand outside the window. Brandon covered his mouth with his palm firm to make sure he doesn’t utter a word.
Theresa turned over the whole room, but couldn’t find Bryant, and that made her mad. She remembered seeing a familiar car. “The Baxter’s and Dominic? So they did beat me here?” she fumed violently and ransacked the room again. Then she found a wallet on the floor, picked it up and saw that it was Bryant’s. She got to the door when she heard a yelp. Dominic almost slipped off the fire escape, but his yelp was as silent as possible, but due to her enhanced hearing capacity, Theresa could pick up the sound. She approached the close window and with one punch, broke the glass. Dominic and Johanna looked in the direction where she broke the glass, eyes widened in surprise, and fear ran through their veins. Theresa popped her head out and saw them holding onto a pillar that ran through the length of the building. She opened the window wider and decided to go after them. She was about getting out the window when Brandon grabbed her behind and swung her outside into the hallway. She crashed into the wall and got stuck into it. She shook herself and then fell to the ground.
“Leave! Get out through the window,” Brandon yelled at Bryant. He panicked as he tried getting out the window, and ended up cutting himself on the glass. Theresa was bent on killing Bryant, but the presence of Brandon made it a tough goal to achieve. Brandon had to find out his links with Dr. Simmons. They needed information then. She distracted Brandon from protecting Bryant by charging at him, he blocked her with his hand, but she tossed her stiletto at Bryant. The stiletto moved through the air at a very fast speed and hit Bryant on the back. Bryant fell to the floor, sprawled and started bubbling blood from his mouth. Johanna and Dominic came back in the room and asked him, “Tell us what we need to know. Why did your company send Dr. Simmons to the hospital? Tell me. Tell me something. Anything!” Johanna begged as she teared up. Bryant knew he was dying and spoke with a little smile on his mouth. “I’m finally going to pay for my sins. Remember Johanna. Remember Johanna,” he said before his eyes closed. Blood flowed from his mouth as his body became lifeless.
Bryant died, but Brandon and Theresa continued their fight. Theresa grabbed Brandon and threw him down the hallway. She kicked him down the stairs until they were on the main floor where a few stragglers began to run away. Brandon lifted up his head from the floor with blood gushing out of his lip; he looked up and saw many people who had died. Theresa was on a rampage to find Bryant earlier and had killed many people since she also needed to kill Bryant. Theresa carried Brandon from the floor with such great strength of hers and swung him into the bar, smashing glasses and bottles of booze everywhere. She felt free, free from the restrictions behind the nurses’ desk, untamed potential coursing through her veins. Johanna and Dominic ran out of the room after her, only to see multitude dead.
Brandon got too tired to stand up; Theresa was modified and stronger than he was. Theresa looked up at the stairs and walked towards Dominic. Johanna ran up to his front to block her, “Stay away from him, you bitch!” Theresa scanned Johanna and her non-programmed emotions recalled that Johanna was the reason she couldn’t get to have a relationship with Dominic as he only loved her all those times. It was tiring to wait. She wanted to end the unknown feeling of jealousy that had found its way into her program.
“I will give you the death you deserve,” she said as she motioned to grab Johanna by the neck. But Second stood up and ran over, grabbed her by the shoulder and tossed her to the side. “Are you okay?” Brandon asked Johanna. “Yes. Thank you,” Johanna looked over and noticed a stripper pole broken and on the ground. The pole was split from the top to its center, which made it look like a giant snake. She ran over to lift it up, but she couldn’t until Dominic went and helped her lift it. They held it diagonally. “Brandon!” Johanna called out, and he understood what they were planning. He went over to where Theresa was struggling to stand up and waited for her. She rose up suddenly as if recharged and grabbed Brandon, turned him around and attempted to throw him in Johanna’s direction. He slipped from her grip and held her from behind and pushed her into the metal rod, displacing Johanna and Dominic in the opposite direction. Theresa turned totally red. She muttered to herself as her system was malfunctioning, “Number 4 activated, deactivated, activated, deactivated.” She stopped talking and her body made sounds like that of an engine that was put off. Johanna rushed over to her husband and helped him up before she ran to Dominic. Dominic walked over to Theresa’s side, he was sad that his newfound love was something he couldn’t have imagined, and then said, “She said Number 4 activated.” He pointed at Brandon and continued, “You are Number 2.” Johanna read meaning to what he was saying and asked, “If you are Number 2, Joey was Number 3, and Theresa was Number 4, then who is Number 1? And is there more?”
Brandon nodded his head, “Before we think of that. Let’s solve this problem. Theresa and her real identity must not be discovered, so I suggest we set this place ablaze.” They agreed. They got fuel from the store and sprinkled it all over the place and went out. Brandon flipped the lighter into the building and a large inferno ensued. They got into their car and drove off watching how the building razed down from afar. Going home would make them look suspicious as Dominic and Johanna had cuts on their bodies, unlike Brandon who could heal faster. They decided to go to Dominic’s condo to recoup, both physically and psychologically.
The thoughts of the previous two nights took its time in Johanna’s thoughts. She never knew she could be so strong in pulling off all that she did. She enjoyed the adventure, but she was still scared since she had seen Theresa, who she thought of as a good person, to only turn out to be a robotic monster, killing people she was meant to care for by profession. What could be scarier than that? She couldn’t trust anyone, not even Brandon. She loved him, but it scared her. What if he suddenly gets activated beyond his control like Theresa? What if he is close to completing his final mission that he was created for? During their days of recouping in Dominic’s condo, she watched and hoped her thoughts remained as such, but nothing was certain. Second still frightened her, even though she wouldn’t show it. She loved him and knew the love between them wouldn’t hurt her.
Dominic was heartbroken and he healed the slowest. Of the three that recouped, he got back into reality the slowest. All his days, he had chased after Johanna, who didn’t budge. Finally, he found someone he had strong feelings for but she was a clone, a bad one. He wished her clone nature were just like that of Brandon’s so that she could control herself and think rationally. He wished she were conscious. Witnessing her death was more terrifying than the redness of her eyes that spelt danger, the vibration in her cloned voice spelt brutality. He wished she could just be Theresa until the end, and not “Number 4.”
Brandon recovered first, getting his emotions, mentality and his physical body in shape in just a day. His physical bruises were gone and his psychology wasn’t severely affected. Bryant’s death was saddening; he was the only friend Brandon had. Brandon had known Bryant since his college days.
Bryant’s family lived in New York, but he chose to attend college in Chicago for the sake of being away from home. His father’s company had a branch in Chicago, so he entrusted him into the care of a secretary. He had a good life, but he had no friends. His father had always been picky, he only allowed Bryant to mingle with kids his caliber right from childhood. Kids that weren’t fun but only boasted of how rich their parents were to other less privileged kids. The kids showed off money, but he was always reserved in speaking of how rich his father was. Bryant’s 18th birthday was held on a cruise ship and no one came on board the ship without an invitation.
Bryant got to college and created for himself the free and fun life he always wanted. Not being his father’s son, but himself. He never talked about his father’s company to anyone, not even Brandon, his newly found friend. He met Brandon in chemistry class; they were made partners for a lab session. Brandon was brainy, so their experiments always came top of the class, with little or no help from Bryant. Brandon had one problem though – speaking with the ladies. He was always nervous and got sweaty when he spoke to a woman. Bryant helped him talk to his first girlfriend in college. He dated the girl for a few months before Johanna, whom he knew from high school, resumed college the next semester. He met Johanna again and that was the end of his search for a partner.
Bryant took Brandon to parties and birthdays, which naturally he wouldn’t attend. Brandon, through the help of Bryant, became more social and still remained a brainy. Brandon and Johanna dated for months without sex, and that was because Brandon was timid. But with Bryant’s intervention, they had their first night on Halloween. Brandon was dressed in a Superman costume while Johanna dressed up as Cinderella’s stepmother. The Halloween party was held in Bryant’s house and he set up a meeting for the two.
Brandon thought about his past with Bryant on the first day of their recoup. He let out a scream and had cried profusely, and refused to be comforted. He cried like a baby for about two hours and Johanna got surprised he could do that. He always told his children that only girls cry. Or was it because he was Second and not Brandon Baxter?
Katarina dropped the phone in frustration after she tried calling Johanna but it wouldn’t get through. “Where the heck is she?” she thundered. She was stressed and running around in preparation for Nicola’s birthday bash. She only agreed to plan it because she wanted to get closer to Nicola, but she was oblivious of how to go about it and she didn’t have a friend to ask. She took to the Internet and got tips on how to plan the birthday party. She decided to plan a big party as a blogger had suggested. A big birthday bash that will allow Nicola to say a final goodbye to childhood. She had planned on taking the kids to the Taylor Lauridsen playground park in the morning, where she would play hard for the last time as a kid and have a babysitter stay with Martino and Challis, while Nicola partied hard with her friends. She had booked for a gazebo to be brought to the backyard. It would house the seat of Nicola and her boyfriend alongside other close friends of hers. She invited several friends and kids that were above 18 years of age.
Nicola felt sad her mother and father weren’t at home and planning for her birthday. Aunty Kat said she received a voice message from Johanna when she called through a store’s phone. Kat called back but it went to voicemail. “Why didn’t mom call me? Did she find out and get angry at me?” she asked herself. She felt really sad that she might be the reason her parents left home and didn’t call them. She thought they found out that since Kat came back, she had been looking for her real parents. She had gone to the orphanage; she was adopted from to ask questions, but couldn’t make headway with the information they gave her. The nun at the orphanage said she was found immediately after birth at the gate of the orphanage and was taken in by the then coordinator of the orphanage, who was Mother Elizabeth. The Baxter’s adopted her about a month after. But she wasn’t discouraged by the information and went to the hospitals around the orphanage where anyone could have been delivered a child. The last she visited was St. Johns Hospital where she was shown a myriad of persons that had given birth about 18 years ago, but she couldn’t identify her family amongst them. No baby was even delivered by the hospital on the day she celebrated her birthday.
On the eve of Nicola’s birthday, Johanna was able to put a call through to Kat from a public phone. “Hello, Kat. It’s Johanna.”
“Johanna, where have you been? We received your message that you were trying to recoup far away, but we have been worried since we didn’t know the place and if anything had happened to you,” Kat responded.
“I’m sorry. Brandon and I just needed to clear our heads of some things. How are the kids doing?”
“They are fine.”
“How far have you gone into the preparation with the birthday?” Johanna asked.
“Um, we have sent out invitations to some of her friends, booked a gazebo, made arrangements for food. We would be going to the Taylor Lauridsen playground park in the morning, and having a big party in the backyard until late in the night,” Kat said excitedly.
“Okay, sounds great. Is Nicola there? I want to talk to her,” Johanna said.
“Okay, one second,” she covered the phone with her hands and called out “Nicola, your Mom is on the phone she wants to speak with you.” Nicola froze when she heard that her mom was on the phone. She dropped her phone, which she was using to chat with her boyfriend and walked slowly to the living room where Kat was. She got the phone and started crying, “Mom, I am sorry. I know what I did was wrong. I was wrong to be looking for my real parents, even though you and Dad never made me feel like I was adopted. I’m sorry, please come home,” Nicola sobbed.
Johanna was surprised on hearing all that she heard and responded, “It’s okay, babe. Don’t cry. Mommy isn’t angry with you. I didn’t even know that. That’s not why we are away. But if you really want to find your parents, we can help you with that when we come back, but right now, Daddy and I are trying to get some things cleared. Okay?”
“No, Mom. I don’t want to look for them anymore. Just come home. I miss you,” she dropped the phone and ran upstairs, embarrassed that she was crying in front of her younger siblings. Johanna spoke with the kids and then Kat. Kat told her that Nicola’s junior school colleague was hired to be the babysitter, “Her name is Amanda Wallace,” she said. “Oh! I know her,” Johanna replied.
Johanna said she wasn’t sure when they would be coming back home, as Dominic was yet to recover from his shock and they couldn’t leave him alone. They hung up the call after Kat said she had gotten a gift for Nicola on their behalf.
The following morning back at home, Ginger barked and woke everyone up. He knew what was happening that day. It was Nicola’s birthday. Challis jumped up and ran into Nicola’s room, and shook her to life. “Happy Birthday, Nicola!” she yelled. Nicola woke up and smiled at her, “Thanks, sis.” Martino came into her room as he would do and game on her laptop. But that day he kissed her first before running over to her laptop. He had his own PC, but was used to gaming on his sister’s laptop early in the morning before Johanna got him his own.
“Morning kids! Get up and take a shower, we have a long day. We have to go to the park and come back before evening time for the party,” Kat shouted as she got out of the visitor’s room, where she slept. She came into the room to give her a hug and kissed her on her forehead presenting her with a gift, as her mother had always done every year. Johanna gave her a tip in their last conversation. Nicola smiled, as she had feared no one would do that for her since her parents were not around.
They got to the park early and rode the Ferris wheel first. Nicola had always been scared of heights so she shouted terrified throughout the whole ride, while Challis and Nikola shouted in excitement. Aunty Kat didn’t go on the wheel at first, she wasn’t cut out for such activities, but in a bid to calm Nicola down and get closer to her, she rode beside her. After the ride, they went over to play the baseball game. Challis couldn’t handle the bat well, but Nicola was superb, hitting every ball and then winning a giveaway gift. They got ice cream and went over to sit on the bench in the park.
While they watched others playing different games, dogs running around wagging their tails, a man that was in his mid-forties walked over and greeted them, holding his son. “Hello, can we sit with you guys? He asked kindly. “Sure,” Kat replied. The man sat carrying his son on his lap. He looked over to Aunty Kat and asked, “Are these your kids?”
“No, they are my sister’s,” she said after she had laughed a bit at the ridiculousness of the question.
“Oh, okay. And you, are you Mrs.?” he continued
“Ms. Kat. You can call me just Kat,” she said.
Nicola knew what was going on and told Challis and Martino to go with her to see the river. They ran off while Kat continued her conversation with Mr. Castro, he was Brazil-American. They ended up exchanging phone numbers.
Nicola and family went for more games in the park, playing volleyball and basketball with other families and winning.
Kat’s phone rang; it was the gazebo rental company. They had arrived earlier than planned, but couldn’t get into the compound. “Hey, kids. I think we’ve had enough, we have visitors already.” They got back to where the car was parked and drove off. They got home and opened the gate to the backyard for the gazebo to be placed beside the little garden Johanna had planted. They went back into starting preparations. The babysitter arrived early. Challis and Martino were introduced to her. They seemed to like her; she was friendly and laughed a lot. She attended the same junior school as Nikola, but they weren’t friends. Their parents only knew each other because Ms. Wallace had worked at Driftwood Hospital as a temporary employee at some point.
It was 7 pm when Nicola’s boyfriend arrived. “Hey babe, how are you doing?” he asked as he entered the house. “Hey, James. I’m fine,” she replied as they hugged each other. “Is that your mom?” he asked, pointing to Aunty Kat, who was busy with the backing of pancakes while she also placed the cake in its position. He went over and greeted her, introduced himself as Nikola’s boyfriend. She liked him; his eyes were like that of Mr. Castro, cute and sincere. “Help me put these drinks in the refrigerator,” Kat said, pointing to the box that contained a new set of canned drinks and wine. Aunty Kat was left to do almost everything until Teeba came around. Johanna had contacted her help, Kat. She was surprised about how good and loving Kat had become to the family. She seemed different from the Kat she used to know, who always ran away from the sight of responsibility.
Frank, James’ friend, honked his car outside and people started trooping in. They came in groups of twos and threes, chattering as they walked in. Soon, the house was filled to capacity. Nicola ran up to go change into her dress. It was a short gown, which was open at the back up to her waist. Kat had specially bought it for her. Meanwhile, Challis and Martino were having a swell time with their babysitter upstairs in Martino’s bedroom.
Kat took to the Mic. “Hello, people. Good evening and thank you for coming. Can you please just come over here as we begin the party.” Everyone gathered, leaving the anchor that was old, but sweet in her long armless gown that slit up to her thigh. “I am Katarina by name, but people call me Kat. It makes everyone think I’m Cinderella’s wicked stepmother,” she said as everyone laughed. “Yes, it’s a party, right? A coming of age party, so let there be no rules, no formalities. But, there is one thing you should not do.” Everyone turned quiet, wondering what it was.
“You… should not stop partying!” she shouted at the top of her lungs. “But before we get into the activities, let’s invite the birthday girl into the gazebo. Nicola, can you come out, please?.”
Nicola came out of the house looking breathtaking. James was stunned at what he saw. She looked like a queen. The makeup was light and heavenly. She wore silver colored heels, which had a crystal on it to match her white gown. Her hair dropped gently beside her right cheek. James left where he stood, went over and escorted her to the gazebo. The visitors didn’t stop clapping until the host stopped them.
“Can we have the celebrant come here? Join her too, James. We want to cut the cake.” Friends gathered around the celebrant and her boyfriend took a picture with her as they cut the cake. The party began and the music was blaring. DJ Cocky, a female classmate of Nicola took to the wheels of steel. The mix of the songs was perfect. Nicola and James opened the dance floor to the visitors. They started their dance with a ballet performance, before going into a hip hop jam.
Food was served to those who cared for it; the visitors that were above eighteen years took of age the alcoholic wines, while the teens drank juice and soda.
Johanna stopped over at a gas station to get fuel. She looked out of her car to see a woman come out of the store in the station. She rode over to get a closer look. “I thought as much,” she said as she confirmed that it was Sophia. Sophia Wallace once worked at the hospital as a temporary staff. “Sophia,” she called out. Johanna got out of the car when she had caught her attention. “Hey Johanna, how are you. It’s been a while.”
“Yes, it really has. Hope you are good.”
“Yes. How is Driftwood? Still the same crazy place?”
“Yes, it still is.” They both laughed.
“And thank you for letting Amanda come babysit my kids, I’m grateful” Johanna continued.
Sophia looked surprised and then unhappy as she said, “Amanda? That’s a name I don’t wish to ever talk about again. Amanda died a year ago, she was involved in an accident, and she was then admitted at Driftwood. But I was told she died, and I saw her buried,” she said in tears.
Johanna knew she was serious, “But, Amanda is at my home now, babysitting my kids. Amanda Wallace.”
Sophia couldn’t really decide what she was saying; she only shook her head, as her Amanda was dead. Johanna thought of the connections. A year ago, Dr. Simmons was already at Driftwood, and for there to be an Amanda Wallace in her house, it could only be because of the cloning. She got into her car in a hurry without saying any more to Sophia and drove off at her very best.
Amanda was making a paper house with the kids when she mistakenly cut herself with a small knife they used to cut the hard cardboards. Amanda licked the blood with her mouth and continued making the house. When they were about to place the roof on the building, Martino’s eyes were caught in attention by Amanda’s thumb that was injured. It was completely healed. Martino looked surprised and asked her, “Amanda, I thought you had a cut just now, where is the cut?” she asked. Amanda couldn’t say anything and only veered to another subject matter. Challis continued her making of the roof with Amanda, but Martino was worried. “We got to get out of here,” he thought. Amanda felt a sharp pain in her eyes for a bit and decided to go pour water on her face in the bathroom. She got inside, letting out the pain she had been holding as in as she walked out of Martino’s room. “Argh!” she shouted when she got inside. Her eyes ached like they were going to pop out. An electric current ran through her veins. And a screeching as though she was a robot was heard. She stood upright and said “Number 5 activated. I will receive mission as sent by the control room.” Her system then sent an email to the control center, that it was activated and to await further instruction. She was the primitive clone.