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

and felt the sun as it beaded down on her through them, but the place remained unfamiliar.

“Perhaps this will jog your memory.” He produced a bloodied axe from seemingly out of nowhere.

Gwen was taken aback by this sight. Cautiously, she took the weapon from his hands and examined it.

“Anything?” Annabelle prompted as she observed the weapon from over her mother’s shoulder.

“I remember…” Gwen nodded slowly. “Vincent…”

And sure enough, her memory had served her correctly.

“G-Gwen…” A voice from her past called out hoarsely from behind her.

“Ignore him.” Elliot bluntly advised her.

But still, Gwen slowly turned around; and there he was. Vincent was slumped up against the tree, completely draped in blood from head to toe.

“Help me… Please.” Vincent begged.

Gwen began to shiver, and her eyes widened extremely.

“Don’t.” Elliot breathed into her left ear.

“Do.” Annabelle countermanded, speaking into her right ear. “You’re looking for redemption, mum. Start here. This is the only way you’ll find it; by letting go of the past and doing something good.”

“No.” Elliot grunted. “If you want redemption, the only way you’ll find it is by doing what has to be done. If he lives, he’ll just try and kill Olivia again. But if he dies, he will never hurt another soul.”

Gwen’s eyes jittered, conflicted between her angels and her demons.

“He won’t get anywhere near Olivia. You can save them both.” Annabelle reasoned as she caressed her mother’s shoulder.

“He’ll find a way. They always do. He doesn’t deserve to be saved. Let him die. Let him die, save Olivia, redeem yourself.” Elliot then caressed her shoulder as well, though his touch was far more aggressive.

“I’m so… So sorry.” Vincent choked as he apologised. “I did something b-bad… But I don’t deserve to die, do I?”

Gwen’s eyes dipped into dismay.

“It’s now or never.” Annabelle informed her. “Go to him, mum. Now!”

“Don’t do it Gwen! Let him rot.” Elliot gritted his teeth.

“You can’t stop us from trying to find them.” Adela broke the silence. “Like Oliver said, there’s not that much east of here. If we double-down, we could have the whole area mapped within two days.”

“They were jets, Adela.” Erica reiterated. “There’s no reason to think they’re based in this country. Yes, sure, they were headed east, but that could also mean they were headed for Poland, Slovakia, maybe even Ukraine or Belarus. We just don’t know. So, unless you really want to trek across the continent to find them, then we need to just let this sighting slide.” She clenched her fists and thumped them as she concluded this statement.

Oliver nodded, “If there’s an army still, then I’m willing to take that bet. Tia could be right! They may be able to help us!”

“Tia’s a twelve-year-old girl! She’s spent most of her life in this dead world, she doesn’t know what evil really is!” Tina retorted.

“She is also right here!” Adela angrily snapped back at her, as Tia began to cry into her chest.

Tina sighed and shook her head, “Tia, I didn’t mean that in bad way… Adela, tell her.”

“Tell her what?” She remained aggressive. “You know what, I don’t care what you say – I’m headed east for my sister’s sake, and anybody who wants to join me is welcome to!”

“Right behind you Adela!” Oliver clapped and called out, followed by the majority of the group agreeing with her as well. The split was roughly 70/30, with the minority understanding Erica and Tina’s concerns.

“Don’t do this.” Tina said sternly. “You don’t know what they’ll do to you.”

Adela ignored her and headed down the aisle whilst embracing her little sister still. The rest of her supporters and followed in her wake.

“Stop! Please! All of you! You don’t know these kind of people like we do!” Tina continued to try and persuade them all.

“Give it up, T…” Erica folded her arms and shook her head, “She’s right. We can’t stop them. If they want to go on a suicide mission, let them.”

Tina became disheartened.

As the church began to clear, they noticed somebody sitting in corner of the farthest pew back on the right. Erica squinted to fixate on the figure. Then, she quickly realised who it was: Annabelle.

Gwen felt glued to where she stood.

“Help him!”

“Leave him!”

As her conscience fought, she wished that she had a third opinion to act as a tiebreaker.

And sure enough, her hand was then grabbed once again. Startled, she turned around, and was greeted by another familiar face.

“Come with me, buddy!” Her old friend Andy spoke calmly to her.

Then, the two of them ran away from the commotion. They went through the trees, past the bushes, and ran and ran and ran. Gwen began to smile as she fled, her feeling of freedom once again returning to her.

Gwen stood at the very edge of the cliff and gawked at the deep blue ocean ahead of her. Her lungs were refreshed by the salty sea air, and her soul was healed by the feeling of freedom.

“They’re both right.” Andy began. “Annabelle wants to do good, and Elliot wants to do certainty. You can’t blame them for having these conflicts.”

But this advice was of no reassurance whatsoever, as Gwen replied with, “It’s not that… It’s just, it’s all my fault. I fled from the group; I was elsewhere in Europe when they needed me most.”

Andy put his hand on her shoulder, prompting her to turn and face him.

“And you as well… You needed me, and I wasn’t there.” Her mouth jittered as a tear formed.

“Come on now, Gwen.” Andy smiled. “That was years ago now. Annabelle did it to protect you, and you forgave her; you want redemption, that is how you’ll find it.”

Gwen squinted as she wiped away her tear. “I don’t understand.”

Still, Andy smiled. “Annabelle and