Human Nature (Book 4): Human Nature IV by Borthwick, Finlay (13 ebook reader .txt) 📕

Cora had misinterpreted what Erica was trying to say, “Mum, you told me yourself that you’re lesbian a long time ago--”

“No, not that.” Erica intervened, “I mean, did Annabelle tell you about my condition?”

Cora’s delighted smile now turned into an apprehensive one, “…Condition?”

Erica nodded indolently, “I’m deaf… Slightly” Her voice cracked with despondency as she declared this.

“You’re—What?” Cora was baffled at first, but then, as she realised that her mother was reading her lips more than she was looking into her eyes, it became clear to her that this fact was true. “…How?”

Erica looked to the floor in consternation. “There was an incident,” she began, “We were attacked in Czechia--”

“Czechia?!” Cora exclaimed in astonishment. “How far across Europe did you go—?” She cut herself, feeling as though now was not the time to be asking these questions, “No, whatever. Carry on, mother. Please.”

Erica took several moments to decipher in her mind what she had just read on Cora’s lips; what was that one word in that last sentence which she could not interpret? Was it ‘Galleon?’ Was it ‘Gary on?’

“Carry. On. Mother. Please.” Cora repeated her final sentence, acknowledging her mother’s hesitance.

Erica resumed her explanation immediately, in a desperate attempt to gloss over how much her partial deafness was affecting her. “The fallout of this attack—Well, I think you know it. It left me extremely hard of hearing in both ears.”

Cora struggled to process this information and then remembered a certain event that she herself had witnessed several years ago. “Was it the radiation?” She queried.

Erica thought she had misread Cora’s lips, but asked her the following question anyway, “How do you know about that?”

Cora was equally flabbergasted, “How do you know about that?”

“Ha!” Erica proclaimed with gloating eyes, “I watched the explosion happen!”

“Oh, yeah?” Cora folded her arms, “Well I encountered two giant wasps!”

But Erica was far from done with this little competition, “I fought off a pack of giant wolves!”

“I flew through a flock of giant birds!”

“I nearly got eaten by a giant lizard!”

“And I nearly— Wait, what?” Cora conceded defeat, curious about that last encounter which her mother had mentioned.

Erica squinted in shame upon realising that she had gone completely off-topic, “Uh, back to the original question, no. It wasn’t the radiation. That happened a long, long time before this other incident I’m talking about.”

Cora nodded as she followed along with her mother’s story.

“Our little riverside town was bombarded. Quite literally, we had bombs dropped over our heads.” Erica revealed as her eyes dipped into her memory of the traumatic event. As she turned away from Cora, she noticed a beady little face peeking through the gap in the hotel room door. “Hello? Who’s that?” She asked Cora, still facing towards the doorway.

“Oh!” Cora looked over, “It’s okay, Rylie. You can come in!” She gestured for her friend to enter, but they did not.

“Don’t mind Rylie.” Cora mumbled to her mother, “They’re just a little shy, that’s all. Once you get to know them, you’ll be as fond of them as I am.” She said with a confident smile.

“I’m Erica!” She called out, introducing herself to Cora’s new friend. “My daughter here tells me that you’re Rylie. It’s very nice to meet you!”

Although Rylie nodded in salutation through the ajar door, they kept their distance, remaining outside.

“Is Tina alright?” Erica turned her attention back to her daughter, “And Elliot? Gwen?” She was eager to hear about how all of her friends were doing.

“They’re fine.” Cora quickly substantiated, easing her mother’s worries. “They’re all still asleep, but they’re fine.”

Due to her head injury, it had taken Erica’s vision a while to properly adjust to her surroundings. Now, she could properly process her daughter’s face, “Look at you.” She noted, “You’ve grown so much.” After all, it had been around six years since she had last seen Cora.

“You’re one to talk.” Cora nodded in jest at her mother’s short hair; the last time she had seen it, it was all long and wavy.

 “You were just a rebellious teen when I left you behind… Now, you’re a full-grown woman.” Erica now accepted that the woman in front of her was, indeed, her Cora. “But you’ll always be my little girl.”

And with those words, the mother and daughter both broke down into a tearful frenzy, embracing each other as they did so.

In her own room, Adela sat upright with her arms folded; nobody had come in to check on her, and as such, nobody knew she had awoken.

Then, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in.” Adela called out with a slight tone of disgruntlement.

A head leant in as the door opened up; it was Emile.

“Finally!” He threw his hands up as he stated this. “Are you alright?” He asked Adela as he made his way to her bedside.

“…What are you doing here?” Adela was confused by his arrival in her room.

“I’ve been knocking on doors all up and down this hotel.” Emile explained, “I was looking for you.”

Adela scoffed at him, “Me? Why?”

“Well, we’re friends, aren’t we?” Emile retorted.

Adela shook her head negatively, “Absolutely not. We’re not even acquaintances. We’re nothing to each other.” She told him sternly.

Emile sighed and scratched his head, “Our past would beg to differ.”

At this remark, Adela cast a scornful look at him, “We don’t have past… You and I both agreed on that. So, get out. Don’t even so much as look at me ever again.” She ordered him unruly.

“You ran to the toilet quite a few times up there.” Emile referred to their flight.

“Were you watching me?” She shook her head at him in disgust, “Absolute pervert.”

“I was worried about you, Adela!” He defended himself.

But still, she was refusing to give him the