You Never Know
Chapter Two
It was Saturday, no school, and Amy was in her room, doing nothing. Well, mainly staring at the ceiling and thinking. Thinking of all those times Tasha and Eric had risked their lives to help her. Thinking of all those deaths her mere existence had caused. Dr. Jaleski…Mr. Devon, and many other people who died because of her.
Amy felt bad…almost guilty. These people…they died because of her. Amy couldn't even bare to think of it.
Amy groaned and buried her face into her pillow. She suddenly wondered why she felt like this. She never had been like this before. Normally, she'd be all too happy to be alive and well.
And now…She sighed. Wondering how it would be like to be just a normal kid. A kid with a normal life.
Stop it, Amy! Amy scolded herself. Amy knew she should be thankful for being…much more superior to other people. Amy couldn't understand why all of a sudden, she felt so…upset about it.
She jumped when the phone rang. With a sigh, she sat up on her bed and reached for the phone. "Hello?"
"Amy!" A vaguely familiar voice exclaimed.
Amy frowned…she knows that voice. "Mary?"
"Yes, Amy. It's me. Listen, meet me at the park at two o'clock? It's urgent." Mary's voice was tired and frantic at the same time.
A distant alarm went off at the back of Amy's head. "Why, Mary, is something wrong?"
"Yes. I'm so sorry, Amy."
"What do you mean?" Amy asked, slightly confused.
"Amy, there's no time." Mary said, a slight hint of impatience in her voice.
"Mary, what happened?" Amy wanted to know.
"No time to explain, meet me at the park. At exactly two o'clock, okay?"
And click Mary was gone.
Amy slowly put down the phone. What could have happened? Mary sounded so frantic…so worried. This was quite strange to Amy. After all, Mary Jaleski was never actually involved with Project Crescent. In fact, she has absolutely nothing to do with Project Crescent, nor the organization. That is, before the Project was terminated. Besides the fact that she's the daughter of Dr. Jaleski, Amy couldn't see any other reason why Mary is suddenly involved with her, Amy Candler.
Amy glanced at the clock, it was one-thirty. Almost time to go to the park. Amy decided to call Tasha first, before anything else.
She picked up the phone and dialed Tasha's number. After three rings, someone finally answered.
"Hello?" It was Eric, Tasha's brother.
"Eric! I'm so glad to talk to you—"
"Um, listen, Amy…" Eric's voice sounded tired and wary. "I'm kinda in a hurry, I'd get back to you as soon as I can, okay?"
"Wait!" Amy cried before Eric had the chance to hang up.
"What?" Eric asked, sounding a little annoyed.
"Is Tasha there?"
"No." Eric paused. "This sounds urgent. Is something wrong?"
"Yes."
Silence on the other end.
"Eric?" Amy said, wondering if Eric was still there.
"Tasha just called. She said there's trouble." Eric finally said.
Amy sucked in her breath. This is getting more serious. "Where is Tasha?"
"I don't know. She really rushed at me when she called. All she said was go to the park. She said you might be in trouble, Amy."
The park. The alarms at the back of Amy's head went off and got louder and louder. "Eric…Mary called, she told me to go to the park too."
"Mary?" Eric asked blankly.
"Yes, Mary, Dr. Jaleski's daughter." Amy explained.
"This sounds serious, Amy. You think…" Eric's voice trailed off.
"So what else is new? I bet the organization is behind all this." Amy muttered.
Eric was silent for a moment. "So…are you still going to the park?"
Without hesitation, Amy said. "Yes. Why not?"
The park was crowded. Amy suddenly wondered why the organization chose a place like this to…well, to do whatever they planned to do.
"I wonder what they're up to." Eric said, carefully looking around.
Amy nodded, keeping an eye for Mary or Tasha. It was five minutes before two. Eric and Amy had come early on purpose.
Again, Amy began to have doubts on Mary Jaleski. Sure, Mary had been kind to her. But at times like this, Amy just doesn't know what to believe.
As if on cue, an unusually strong hand suddenly grabbed her arm. Amy's first impulse was to pull her arm off, which she's sure she can do, thanks to her superior strength. But she restrained herself.
She whirled around to face the person, expecting to see Mary or Tasha, or maybe somebody from the organization. But what she saw blew her away.
It was someone she least expected. Another Amy. Another one of the twelve clones created by Project Crescent, twelve years ago.
Amy's jaw dropped open. Eric must have been shocked too; he was also standing there, speechless.
The other Amy nodded. She looked almost exactly like Amy. The only difference was that her chin-length hair. Amy Candler's hair was much longer.
The clone nodded. "You must be Amy number Seven. I'm Amy number Nine. My parents named me Amanda, though." She smiled strangely. "Nice to see you, Amy."
Amy was finally able to speak. "What are you doing here? And how did you know about me?"
Amanda chuckled. "Relax, Amy, I'm not here to hurt you. I went here with my family." She gave Amy a warm, friendly smile. "We look like twins, my foster parents are going to freak if they saw you."
Amy willed herself to smile. All of a sudden, she felt easy and comfortable with Amanda. Maybe it was just natural for her; after all, they're practically sisters…
"How did you know about Amy?" Eric suddenly asked in firm defensive voice.
Amanda turned to him. "Well, I know of course. Unlike most of the other clones, I knew about Project Crescent long before. In fact, I know where exactly the other clones are."
Amy was suddenly excited. "Really?"
"Yes, one is in Canada, the another is in France…Annie something. I heard you have met her." Amanda said.
"Yeah, I met her before," Amy said thoughtfully, remembering the unpleasant memories of her stay in France not too long ago. She remembered how Annie, the clone that's living in France, had been part of the neo-nazis. She stopped. "Hey, how did you know about all this?"
"Like I said, I know people from the project." Amanda replied, a strange smile on her lips.
"There is no Project Crescent. Not anymore. It was terminated years ago." Amy said, frowning at Amanda.
"Whoever told you that?" Amanda asked.
Amy hesitated. "One of the scientists from the Project."
"Ah, Nancy Candler? Your foster mother?" Amanda smiled. "I heard of her. She was one of the scientists that terminated the project, right? Of course, your mother, Ms. Candler, may not know everything about it. There still is a Project Crescent. And considering that I know most of the people from there, I should know."
Amy stiffened. Does this mean the Project was not successfully terminated?
"Oh, which reminds me, I need to tell you that somebody you know is in one of the labs right now." Amanda said.
Amy's jaw tightened. "Somebody I know? Who?"
"Tasha Morgan. I've been told that's her name." Amanda answered.
"Tasha?" Eric exclaimed.
"They said she will not be released until you showed up for the tests, Amy." Amanda continued. "You should come with me." She reached for Amy's hand.
"Amy, no!" Eric pulled Amy back. "Don't go with her. You never know, she might be from the organization!"
Amy was thinking differently. "No, Eric, she's from Project Crescent."
"What's the difference?" Eric cried. "Don't go, Amy."
Amanda laughed. "Don't be silly, Eric. I'm not here to kidnap Amy. Like I said, the Project just needs her for the tests." She turned to Amy. "Come on."
Amy gazed at Amanda, a replica of her. Amy couldn't understand it, but something in her genuinely trusts Amanda. She took a step forward.
"Amy!" Eric cried, grabbing her shoulder.
"Eric, there's nothing to worry about." Amy assured him. "Project Crescent doesn't mean to hurt us."
Eric just stood there, staring at Amy. "Amy…"
"Good, now let's go." Amanda said.
"B—but…" Eric stammered, watching numbly as Amy willingly followed Amanda to a car nearby.