The Hex Chromosome

By Alison Seely

At age 13, Tina had resigned herself to being an only child. She is thrilled when her parents manage to adopt a Scottish orphan and bring her home to live with their small family in rural Ontario. Catriona is just a few months younger than Tina and seems like a perfect fit. Catriona is eager to assimilate in her new Canadian surroundings and learns to ski and swim, and quickly becomes part of a tight threesome along with Tina’s best friend Sophie. Tina’s universally disliked art teacher, Miss Plunk, and her amateur magician brother Irwin Plunk seem to take an unusually strong aversion to the orphan, and the feeling is reciprocated. Tina begins to sense that all is not completely normal with her adopted sister. She finds herself holding secrets from her parents as she and Sophie are introduced into a world of magic, adventure, and danger.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Oct 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638296706

Alison Seely

Alison Seely is a published author, veterinarian and animal chiropractor. She and her husband live on a small lake in Ontario, Canada, with a massive Great Dane-cross, called Haka. Raising their three children in a rural setting without television required creativity. Alison used to entertain them with bedtime stories, crafted about an ordinary girl and her adopted sister with witch powers. Her now adult children persuaded her to create a book about the characters.

Book preview

About the Author

Alison Seely is a published author, veterinarian and animal chiropractor. She and her husband live on a small lake in Ontario, Canada, with a massive Great Dane-cross, called Haka. Raising their three children in a rural setting without television required creativity. Alison used to entertain them with bedtime stories, crafted about an ordinary girl and her adopted sister with witch powers. Her now adult children persuaded her to create a book about the characters.

Dedication

My mother, Janet, inspired a love of fantasy and storytelling. My three children, Savannah, Forest, and Logan persuaded me that the stories should be turned into a book and not just the stuff of memories. And as always, I thank Kevin, my best friend and rock.

Copyright Information ©

Alison Seely 2022

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to

criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Ordering Information

Quantity sales: Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address below.

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data

Seely, Alison

The Hex Chromosome

ISBN 9781638296690 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781638296706 (ePub e-book)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022915416

www.austinmacauley.com/us

First Published 2022

Austin Macauley Publishers LLC

40 Wall Street, 33rd Floor, Suite 3302

New York, NY 10005

USA

[e-mail]

[phone]

20221217

Acknowledgment

I am grateful to those who gamely read and critiqued the first versions of The Hex Chromosome, Kevin, Logan, Jen, Jane, Debbie, Lilah, as well as the publishers at Austin Macauley Publishers for turning manuscript into a book.

Prologue

She could smell them long before she could hear them, it was one of her more unfortunate gifts. It was the nasty acrid stench of sweat on unwashed bodies when excitement and fear are paired with exertion. Their fearful thoughts were almost yells in the quiet night. Her mother smelled them too and urgently pushed her deeper into the cave. There wasn’t much opportunity for hiding—it was damp and dark, but also very shallow. There was a small fissure in the furthest recess, and her mother pushed her towards it and hissed, Squeeze yourself in. It hurt when she tried to wedge herself in—the rock face was sharp and wet and she could feel blood on her scratched knees.

She could hear them now, voices high with feverish excitement. They weren’t hesitating to look for the entrance. They were approaching steadily. Clearly, they had been told where to look. Her mother gave an abrupt hug and pushed her against the wall. Use your skills, Cat! I don’t want you found! And then she moved quickly to the cave entry. Her laughter filled the cave as the men appeared, white-faced in their torchlight, fearful to touch her even though there were nine of them, and even the youths outweighed her by almost two stone.

The girl flattened herself against the rock wall, her cheeks wet as she listened to her mother’s brave scornful laughter. She slowed her heart, once every second, then once every two, and finally down to once every minute.

The world stilled and the heart slowed even more until it contracted for no more than one fluctuant beat every month or so. Her heart would continue to beat at this new pace for around 4,500 beats until it was abruptly jolted back to a more typical 80 beats per minute.

Chapter 1

Catriona’s Arrival

Tina knew whenever a sentence from her aunt began with Christina Ann Netherwood…, it would follow with you have no idea how lucky you are. The theme would change—either to live in her house on the river, to have such devoted parents, to have a full belly with a world full of starving children, to have so few chores… Inevitably, the underlying sub-context was you are ungrateful and it’s because your mother sucks as a mom! Or at least that was what Tina heard ringing out stridently in her aunt Wendy’s honeyed tones. Wendy was Tina’s dad’s older sister, and her baby brother could do no wrong. But that feeling didn’t seem to extend to his wife or only daughter.

On this particular February afternoon, the end of the sentence was to have parents who go to the end of the world just to provide you with a sister! Never mind that Tina’s parents were just as desperate to have another child, or that the end of the world was an eight-hour plane ride away, in Northern Scotland. Tina had wanted a sibling ever since she was old enough to recognize that most of her classmates had live-in companions to play board games and hide-and-go-seek, whereas she had parents who valiantly added her to one of their teams in Boggle or Scrabble. Her best friend Sophie was also an only child. They were united in concluding that being a single child was the worst!

At four or five, she would have welcomed even a brother, even though one of her friends, Marnie, had to put up with hair-pulling, hockey-dominated weekends, and stinky farts with her brother Danny. But in the last five years, Tina had craved a sister. Her mom had gone through three very expensive fertility treatments when Tina was seven and eight. She wasn’t really sure what that entailed, but her mom had been unusually grumpy for a couple of weeks and then very sad each time, and the family had not taken their usual spring break in the south for both years because of the cost.

Anyways—it seemed that her parents had finally given up on the medical route, and the dinner conversation had shifted to what do you think of having a little sister from China? And later or from Vietnam? Tina had always been hugely enthusiastic and spent hours looking up Vietnam and China on Google earth and Wikipedia. But recently, there had been a flurry of emails from a friend in Edinburgh, Scotland, and a Scottish sister started looking like a real possibility. And not a boring diapered baby, but a thirteen-year old whose birthday put her at just four months younger than Tina!

Tina was alternately through the roof with excitement, and desperately afraid that this latest scheme would fall through. Initially, she hadn’t even shared the news with Sophie, scared that saying it aloud might jinx the plans. But when her parents actually boarded a plane for Edinburgh, she could hardly contain her excitement. She had started talking ceaselessly about her new sister to Sophie and Marnie. She had been reprimanded several times by her teachers for talking to her friends while classes were in progress, a novel event for her as she tended to be an exemplary student.

Tina’s excitement even allowed her to be able to put up with Aunt Wendy moving in for two weeks, bossing her around, and checking on her homework. It chafed. Tina was used to working without supervision or scrutiny and her parents tended to encourage her independence. Even more annoying were the snide remarks about her mother which Wendy often peppered her conversation.

Everything was said sweetly, of course. It was only after she had digested what was said, that Tina would realize that Wendy had been saying snarky things about everything Tina loved. Tina’s mother always laughed it off, but it generally left Tina burning with anger. Especially since a thirteen-year-old wasn’t allowed to just ask her aunt to please shut up!

Ah well, in three days, her parents would be at the Ottawa airport with a sister in-tow, and one tense family meal later, her aunt would be at the same airport with air kisses and limp hugs, and off to her home in Calgary!

Tina swung her attention back to her aunt. Yes, Aunt Wendy, I know I am very lucky, but I’m not sure that Scotland is the end of the world. And I’m not sure that not finishing my homework a week before it is due is a measure of being spoiled or ungrateful! Minutes later, she was sitting at the computer with dictates to finish the assignment before appearing again downstairs. She had known the outcome of talking back, but it always seemed worth it. Her parents had not been proponents of a top-down hierarchy, so biting her tongue never came easily when her aunt played the heavy-handed parent.

The next two days were excruciating, but finally Thursday dawned. Aunt Wendy had reluctantly agreed to take Tina to the airport with her to pick up her parents and the adoptive sister! Muttering again that she thought missing school was frivolous when Tina would have all the years ahead of her to get to know this new project, her aunt finally climbed into the car at 12:30. The plane was due at 1:05 and even Tina’s dad was hard-pressed to make the drive in less than forty-five minutes. Wendy was a notoriously slow driver. Tina had been sitting patiently in the back seat since 12:15. Her aunt thought it was dangerous for anyone under the age of fifteen to sit in the passenger seat.

Tina’s enthusiasm as they travelled on the familiar highway to Ottawa was infectious. Wendy thawed a bit over her disapproval about the missed school. They again rehashed the little pieces they had gleaned about the girl her parents were bringing back.

So, she doesn’t really speak English, your mother said?

No. I think she speaks English, but can be a bit hard to understand. I guess she has a funny accent. And I gather she doesn’t talk a lot.

Well, the Scots do all have funny accents! But I’ve never heard about Canadians complaining about not understanding them. And I hope she’s not one of those sulky teens who doesn’t talk with adults and spends all her time texting her friends.

Tina refused to get insulted on the girl’s behalf. It was ridiculous to create conjectures when they both had so little information to go on. I wonder if people will think we are twins? We are almost the same age?

Now that’s a ridiculous notion. You’re older and have completely different parents! You won’t even look like sisters!

That kept Tina quiet for a time. It seemed like a nasty thing to say, because they WERE going to be sisters! And she had meant fraternal, not identical twins obviously. She knew some fraternal twins who looked radically different.

They pulled into the short term parking lot at the Ottawa airport at 1:30. Tina rushed out of the car and dashed towards the revolving door to the airport. There was an escalator where passengers descended into the baggage claim area and the typical collection of families were grouped around it, some holding up large cardboard signs with passenger’s names. Tina did a quick scan of the group around the luggage carrousel, but neither of her parents were among the group looking over the few remaining bags. The passengers from the flight from Scotland must still be making their way through customs.

She paced eagerly at the base of the escalator, too impatient to sit on one of the benches. Her aunt sat down on the nearest bench underneath the statue of John A. Macdonald, and pulled out a paperback (a romance, Tina noted with an inward eye roll). So much for the desperate rush, huh? I told you that Customs would take a lifetime. They probably don’t have a clue about how to process a foreign adoptee.

Tina scanned every face who climbed onto the escalator. Her parents would be hard to miss. Her dad was six-foot-four and had the perfect unembarrassed posture of a former basketball player. He tended to loom conspicuously over his much shorter wife. Fiona often wore high-heeled shoes and swept her hair in a bun just to even out the height difference.

Tina focused on the teenaged passengers. She was excited to see her parents after the two-week gap, but that was completely dwarfed by her excitement at meeting her new sister! Every girl or short woman who descended the stairwell received Tina’s full scrutiny. One girl noticed and smiled awkwardly, but the short stout woman accompanying her raised her eyebrows at Tina and glared. Tina blushed and sat down beside her aunt.

The crowd had thinned when Tina suddenly spied her father towering behind the glass at the top of the escalator. She leaped to her feet and rushed to the bottom of the stairs. Her mother grinned at her from the moving stairs. Her hand was holding tightly to a small pale girl with a mop of long dark curly hair held halfheartedly by a set of barrettes. She was flanked by both of Tina’s parents and looked much tinier than her thirteen years. Tina rushed up and stood awkwardly with a grin splitting her face and making her cheeks ache. She wasn’t sure whether she should hug or shake hands, and didn’t want to show proprietary parent ownership by hugging her parents either.

Her mom ignored her frozen stance, and swooped in for a huge hug. Man, have I ever missed you! I wish we could have taken you with us, my love! Give your sleepy dad a hug and then we’ll introduce you to our newest family member!

Tina hugged her dad tightly, welcoming the chiropractic hug he always delivered, but her eyes stayed riveted on the small girl.

Tina, meet Catriona! And Cat, this is your new sister, Tina!

Then there was a flurry of hugs between Wendy and Tina’s parents, and the juggle of baggage collecting, and then they were outside, paying the parking ticket, and looking for the car. Tina could not keep her eyes from Catriona. She was quiet and watchful, and had bright clever eyes that were brown with a vivid ring of green. She grinned at Tina when she saw her watching her, but still didn’t say anything. Tina wondered if she perhaps only spoke Gaelic and was having a hard time with the rapid English her family spoke.

Once in the car, her aunt pulled out onto the highway 17 and headed home. Wendy had glanced at the diminutive girl and suggested that she sit in the middle seat in the back where there was no risk of an airbag decapitating her in an accident. Wendy looked meaningfully at her sister-in-law and said, I’m not sure the agency was all that truthful with you, Fiona, in terms of chronology and pedigree and perhaps potential for comprehension. Tina gritted her teeth. She was sure that Aunt Wendy assumed that neither girl was able to understand the inference that Catriona was not as old, well-bred nor as bright as the adoption agency had suggested.

I’m thirteen years and fifty-six days old, my parents were well educated, and I do just fine at school! Also, I don’t have lice, my teeth will not cost a mint in orthodontics—they are straight, but you haven’t given me cause to smile at you so that’s why you haven’t seen them. I can also safely assure you that I’m not remotely inclined to slit the throats of either Fiona or David. The voice was assured, beautifully accented with a Scottish lilt, and sounded so polite that it was several moments before any reaction was provoked in the front seat.

Aunt Wendy’s back was turned to the girls since she was driving, but Tina could see the rapid mottling of pink at her neck as she flinched and blushed. I never said any of those things, so mind your rude tongue!

Wow, thought Tina. Catriona had put Aunt Wendy in place more neatly than Tina had managed to in the whole fourteen days she had been forced to put up with her. I really like Catriona, she thought, having a sister was going to be awesome.

Suddenly, a small hand reached out and took hers. I really like you too! Catriona astonished Tina by almost echoing her thoughts.

Chapter 2

Settling In

Tina quickly discovered that the quiet Catriona was the one reserved for the company of strangers. She clearly did not like Wendy, an opinion which only endeared her more firmly to Tina, and she clammed up completely during the family dinner which preceded Wendy’s departure. Once the car drove away, Catriona grinned at her and said, There goes gloom and bitter—how did your dad ever put up with that all through his childhood?

Catriona admired the pink and turquoise room that Tina and her mom had prepared for her, with big teddy bears on the bed and a shag carpet on the floor. This will be a great study room. Thanks! And then she plonked her bag decisively on the twin bed in Tina’s room. Tina, who had even chafed at the loss of privacy which sleepovers with her best friend Sophie had triggered, was remarkably thrilled. Dave and Fiona looked on in amazement as Tina emptied half her dresser to accommodate Catriona’s clothes.

The two girls chatted long past 9 PM which marked the hour that the Netherwoods typically all retired to bed. Tina had never resented the early bedtime as her parents always turned off their lights at the same time. They woke at 6 AM every morning—weekday or weekend. Sleeping in just meant missing the fun of daylight hours, according to her parents.

On Sunday night, Tina finally mustered the courage to ask some of the questions which were buzzing in her brain. Do you miss your parents? She immediately blushed and felt awkward to have asked such a personal and probably painful question.

Not too much, came the quiet response from the dark. Her voice did not sound grumpy or offended, Tina noted with relief. I lost my mom a while ago, and I never knew my dad. After a few quiet beats, she laughed. I know, I lied about them being educated. Your aunt Wendy just really irked me.

Tina had only known Catriona for three days, but she was no longer surprised when Catriona seemed to guess her thoughts. Her mother had explained that some people were just naturally gifted at insight on how people thought. Her friend Sophie also seemed to have that knack, often guessing exactly what Tina was thinking.

My mother died protecting me, and now she is just a blurry memory…I think I feel more guilty about it than sad.

Wow! How old were you when that happened? Tina felt safer asking that question than the much bigger one that hung there begging to be addressed. Died protecting her? That sounded like the stuff of fairy tales or murder mysteries. Tina didn’t want to catch Catriona in a lie or just making use of exaggerated tales.

Oh, about twelve or twelve-and-a-half, I guess.

Tina stopped asking questions, rolled over, and feigned the slow breaths of sleep. Clearly, Catriona was telling tall tales—how could she possibly have started to forget a mother whom she had lost less than one year ago? She drifted into a restless sleep after persuading herself that invention was probably just Catriona’s way of coping with loss. She couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to lose either of her parents.

Dawn came quickly unfortunately, and with it, the wild frenzy that defined Monday mornings at the Netherwood residence. Tina could never understand her parents. They were self-employed, bosses even, at the mixed medical practice and chiropractic clinic they co-owned. They could set whatever hours they liked. Sadly, they both liked early mornings! So, at 6 AM, lights would be turned on, bathroom fans noisily started, and there would be a competition to be first in line for a shower. Although there were now four people sharing the house, there was only one shower and one toilet. Catriona had reassured the Netherwoods she was used to a longer queue at the orphanage and was the master of the two-minute shower.

Today would have been a fairly normal Monday for Tina at school. No class tests, no assignments due, and no class trips. But today was Catriona’s first day at Valleyview High School. Tina had already fielded tons of questions from friends about her adopted sister’s imminent arrival. But that only