Human Nature (Book 4): Human Nature IV by Borthwick, Finlay (book recommendations website .TXT) 📗

interpreted what Adela had just said, though she could tell from her body language that she was quite distressed. “Hormonal…” She mumbled to herself.

“What?!” Adela turned to face her, once again with eyes of fury.

“Are you… Pregnant?” Erica asked it for how it was, as she herself had experienced these symptoms once upon a time as well.

Adela did not answer to either extent.

“You are, aren’t you?” Erica prompted her. “Have you been taking your prenatal--?”

“No, of course not!” Adela interrupted her, shaking her head intently. After realising that she had just accidentally confessed the truth, her irritated expression regressed into one of shock and dismay.

“It’s alright.” Erica rubbed her shoulder, “I’m not gonna tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me.”

Adela fell silent.

Several hours later, it was time for the plane to touch down.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are ten minutes away from our destination.” As Anna announced this, there were audible cheers throughout the cabin. “Please tighten your seatbelts as we prepare to make our descent.”

“How are you feeling now?” Annabelle asked Elliot.

He shrugged, “I’m really not sure. On the one hand, I’m excited to be going home, but on the other… It’s not really ‘home’ anymore, is it? Ever since I lost Olivia, I—Never mind.” He broke off mid-sentence, not wanting to open up about his emotions anymore.

Annabelle turned to face Gwen, who was also gazing upon Elliot with a look of concern.

“What about you two?” Elliot asked his apocalyptic kin. “This can’t be easy for you either. After what the Bandits did to… You know who. Are you guys feeling alright?”

Annabelle knew not of what to say; she had not thought about her father for a long time.

“We’ll be fine.” Gwen answered for the pair of them. “We evened the score out a long time ago.” She referred back to how she had brutally slain the man that killed her husband.

Looking out of the windows, the passengers could see London beneath them. The majority of its’ landmarks were either decaying or had completely crumbled down by now. But one sight in particular drew everyone’s attention.

“Over there!” Alek had noticed something in the distance. “Do you guys all see that?”

“Are those… Lights?” Nikola asked with a tone of awe.

And indeed, one large plot of London was very brightly lit up.

“Lights, hey?” Emile lamented. “That means people!” He decreed with excitement.

But Tina was not as won over by this sight, “And people mean trouble.” She added.

Emile scratched his brow, breaking a sweat from Tina’s concerning remark.

“It’s better than nothing though, right? Better than scouring through empty streets for weeks on end.” Alek optimistically asserted.

“On the contrary,” Tina refuted his outlook, “Our last home became nothing thanks to some strangers whom we did nothing to.”

“That was different.” Alek wasn’t conceding this debate. “We don’t know what those jets and bombers were about. Heck, to the people down there,” he pointed to the lights again, “We are the evil beasts in the sky right now.”

“He makes a valid point.” Emile backed his lover.

Suddenly, the whole cabin vigorously shook.

“Whoa!!” Tina shrieked as she was swept down the aisle.

“Tina!” Erica instantly reached out her hand to grab Tina’s arm, which she succeeded in doing.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please stay in your seats! We are experiencing some severe turbulence!” Anna announced in a panic as she could audibly be heard struggling to keep the plane under control, “We’re making an emergency landing! Heading for the lights now!”

“No!” Tina cried out at this announcement, still holding on tightly to Erica’s arm in the aisle.

“What?” Erica asked her, obviously having not been able to hear the announcement for herself.

“Brace yourself!” Tina expanded the extent of her lips in order for Erica to be able to read them amidst the vigorous shaking of the cabin.

‘SKIR!’

‘CRASH!’

…The next thing that Tina knew, she was struggling to open her eyes. The sound of muffled voices echoed out around her, as the loud ringing of the crash was still resonating out through her ears.

“Can we get some water over here?!” A distressed man called out; this was the first phrase that Tina was able to actually interpret.

As she woke up, Tina grunted.

“It’s alright, just take it easy.” The man calmed her. “Thanks.” He remarked to another individual who had just run over with a bottle of water. “Drink this.” He unscrewed the bottle and assisted Tina with sipping it.

Having fully come around now, Tina quickly realised that she was not where she had expected to be. In an instant, she scurried up the brick wall behind her.

“Hey, hey! Calm down!” The man held her firmly, “Just sit back down! It’s okay, you’re okay!”

“N-no! No!” Tina tried to shake his grip off of her in distress. “Erica! Erica!” She screamed out gratingly.

“Please calm down!” The man begged her. “You’re in shock! Don’t worry, the plane landed just fine! Well…” He glanced over his shoulder; although it was mostly intact, the plane had crashed nose-deep into a building and reduced it to rubble.

“Oh my God…” Tina panicked upon noticing the wreckage for herself. “Erica! No, please! Erica!” She continued to cry out in distress.

Hearing Tina’s distressed cries, a woman came running over to her in a fluster.

“Excuse me!” The woman addressed her, partially nudging the man to one side. “Did you just say… ‘Erica?’”

“Wh-what?” Tina slurred her words in fatigue and confusion. “I… That voice…” Tina recognised this woman and squinted her eyes in attempt to fixate on her face.

“Do I… Know you?” The woman asked in confusion having heard Tina’s previous remark.

As her pupils dilated, Tina realised that she did in fact recognise this woman: “Cora…?”

Cora glanced at the man next to her in confusion.

“You know these people?” He asked Cora in astonishment.