Cleo: Under the Surface: Cleo, #1

By C.T. Barney

People try to hide pieces of themselves from the world,
but Cleo's best kept secret is a mystery, even to her.

Cleopatra Travers can't remember what happens when she's sleepwalking. Her parents know. They witnessed something they aren't telling Cleo-and now whatever she did has carved a canyon of space between her entire family. Cleo's parents are afraid of her, which makes Cleo terrified and unsure of herself.

Not receiving the love and acceptance she longs for at home, Cleo tries to fill the void at school. Now, as her junior year ends, she is finally becoming popular. But her plans become disrupted by the resurfacing of a forgotten crush and new discoveries about her sleepwalking that risk the exposure of her long-kept secret

You'll love this mysterious and romantic story with realistic characters and sharp wit. Under the Surface is the first book of a brilliant young adult sci-fi series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JouleInk
• Release date: Mar 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9781727382563

Book preview

​PROLOGUE

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Sandra woke up with a start, but relaxed as she realized her children's voices carrying over the monitor must have awakened her. Wondering what they were doing, she glanced at the clock; just past three in the morning. The annoyed mother threw her blankets off to get out of bed, but something she heard stopped her. She turned up the volume on the monitor and thought her daughter sounded strange. Cleo's voice sounded as if she were in a trance, and deeper than the sweet, high-pitched voice of a little girl. But she knew it was Cleo. It startled her to listen as her daughter spoke in this tone but unnerved her more to discern the unusual things being said.

Your sister left this body, Cleo's monotone voice explained.

But where is she? Alex's baby-soft voice sounded normal. Sandra's brow furrowed.

She drifted away.

I'm glad you got to come.

Sandra thought Cleo must be talking in her sleep to Alex who must be awake and responding to her. She tried to explain it to herself, but Cleo had never done this before, only sleepwalking. She wondered what crazy shows her husband let the kids watch for Cleo to pick up such strange talk.

Harrison! Sandra whispered loudly, shoving her husband's shoulder to wake him.

What? he drawled, then jumped awake. Are you okay, Honey? What's wrong?

I'm going to check on the kids, they're talking, but I think Cleo might be asleep. She's saying weird things, and it's freaking creepy. Sandra hesitated, waiting for her husband to respond, but he stared at her, looking confused. Come with me, she said with an impatient huff.

Harrison glanced at the monitor as Alex's giggle sounded across it. Sighing heavily several times, he got out of bed. As Cleo's altered voice came over the monitor, he froze.

You are a kind child, Alexander. Let me show you where I come from.

What the hell? Harrison frowned and rushed from the bed to the door as Sandra followed him. There was a soft, glowing light seeping from behind the bedroom door.

The parents hesitated before unlocking and opening their children’s room. The sight made Harrison jump back. Sandra gasped, clapping her hands over her mouth. They took several seconds to comprehend what was happening.

Cleo and Alex floated in the air between their beds. Cleo was upright, somehow stabilized in the air. Alex lay on his back, only nothing was under him. His eyes looked toward the ceiling with a vacant expression as if seeing something far off in his mind.

I like that one! Alex brought his arm in front of his chest and pointed upward.

A faint light glowed around the children, emitting out of Cleo's outstretched palm. The light also embraced their pet dog, still asleep, and a small house plant. Everything the eerie light grasped hovered above its normal position, several inches into the air. The light emitted a slight blue aura around them.

Sandra started forward. Alex? Cleo? Are you two okay?

At the sound of her voice everything froze and went silent. The dim light diminished as the children, dog, and plant drifted down.

Cleo stood like a statue, still appearing asleep, but Alex popped up seconds after drifting to his bed looking very excited with sweat dripping down the sides of his head.

The parents rushed to the children. Harrison pulled Cleo to him with no resistance and cradled her to his chest, but she didn't wake. Sandra embraced Alex's reaching arms.

Sorry I'm not sleepy, Mama. Cleo took me flying!

Sandra couldn’t keep her body from shaking as she held her feverish son. Harrison is she alright?

I don't know, she's breathing and looks fine, but she's not waking up. His face flushed with panic.

Cleo's mother lifted Alex to her hip and hurried towards the door to turn on the light.

Cleo? Cleopatra, baby can you hear me? It's Daddy. After holding her in his lap and stroking her face several times, the child finally moved in his arms and made tiny sounds.

Daddy? Cleo's voice was back to normal.

Both parents let out sighs of relief and the whole family huddled together on the floor.

~

The Travers family had never experienced major problems from Cleo’s sleepwalking habit before. It had occurred every night for five years. The sleepwalking had started when she was only two but had never resulted in this type of phenomenon.

Cleo wasn't allowed to share a room after that incident, her parents even banned pets and plants from the house. The hardest part was that Cleo never remembered things that happened during her sleepwalking. Harrison and Sandra questioned her for days, but she couldn't recall anything. This used to only annoy her. Now it scared her.

Alex told Cleo his side of the story several times, but she didn't believe it, even as young as she was. Her parents didn't help much: her once loving and open-minded mother seemed fascinated at first, but stopped talking about the event once Harrison forbade it. Cleo's father yelled in anger every time Alex or Sandra tried to bring it up. He kept dismissing the topic and banned the family from ever mentioning the details. Cleo stopped trying to question her family to save them from the tension and fighting it always caused with her father.

Cleo's life wasn't normal anymore. Whatever she did that night carved a canyon of space between her entire family. Cleo knew her mother and father loved her, but they acted afraid of her. This made her terrified of herself, and even more terrified that anyone else would find out about her mysterious secret.

CHAPTER 1

​SUMMER AND SECRETS

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Summer break had just started; elation surged through Cleopatra Agenta Travers as she approached Rockland Lake. Her hair and makeup looked great every time she bobbed up in her seat to take a quick look at herself in the rearview mirror, but she continued to do it every few seconds. Cleo needed to establish a perfect impression since this was the first significant event Casey and Danny had invited her to. 

Once the nervous teen parked, she felt awkward getting out of her vehicle alone, like she was a tag-along approaching a previously happy group. But once her new group of friends saw her walking over to their towels and chairs, they bounded out of the water smiling and waving frantically.

Cleo tensed and randomly held her breath the first hour on the beach. Everyone seemed friendlier and more laid back here than they did at school; she never conversed this much or for this long with people.

It thrilled her that Logan Phipps' attention was directed towards her today. The student-body considered him the most popular guy. Cleo wanted to date this boy since the beginning of the school year but he had been dating Casey until she broke up with him for her college boyfriend, Quaid Taylor. Logan normally stiffened and wore a perpetual scowl on his face when Casey mentioned Quaid, so Cleo had concluded he still wasn't over her. 

But today went differently. In fact, Logan ignored everyone at the lake except for her. He portrayed genuine interest in their conversations and even commented on her new bikini. Swimsuit shopping the previous week had saved her from showing up today in her ancient one, which was sufficient for a nun to wear.

The fair-skinned teen spent the hot afternoon trying to remain in the shade while conversing with Logan. Since everyone else swam, she felt obligated to step in a few times, careful not to get her face or hair wet. Several kids even jumped from nearby cliffs into the lake, but Cleo only observed them from the shore. 

As the day at the lake ended, she grew more confident in hanging out with this crowd. Logan walked her to her car before they parted ways. 

It was nice to talk with you today. Logan’s comment made her blush. 

Yeah, let's hang out more this summer. Cleo surprised herself with how forward she sounded. 

Really? That would be awesome. 

Yeah, maybe I’ll text you tomorrow.

Sounds great. Logan leaned in and gave Cleo a bare-chested hug. I’ll see you later. 

Cleo got into her car and headed home. Finally alone, she took a long breath and relaxed. The famished girl reached for her water bottle and guzzled it while reviewing the events of the day and analyzing the progress she made. The cooler she packed before coming to the lake still brimmed with food; she hadn’t let herself eat anything all day.

Cleo usually ate any and all food she came across but recognized that the behavior brought negative attention. So, she mimicked the eating customs of the surrounding girls and often went hungry.

Since she carried out her goal of becoming friends with the popular crowd, her next strategy was to impress Logan. If Cleo was his girlfriend by the end of summer, she speculated that would guarantee her popularity at school. After today, this plan proved easier than she imagined. The only disadvantage was Logan's obvious unresolved emotions about Casey breaking up with him. 

Cleo bit into a large, red apple as she realized all she had accomplished this past school year.

Cleo craved normalcy. She had been an outcast and recluse by her own choice most of her life. But in her freshman year she became determined to adapt and join a popular crowd, and she adjusted her behavior significantly over time to conform. Now at seventeen, she had made progress. 

To set her plan into motion, Cleo joined the drill team last fall. Casey Kaufer was the team's captain and the girl Cleo most preferred to befriend. Casey and her friend Daniela Malley, who went by Danny, ranked as the most glamorous and well-known girls in their class. Cleo yearned for people to see her the way she saw them.

She acquainted herself with the girls during drill team practices and events. In March, she summoned the courage to sit at their table during lunch. After the first uncomfortable meal, Cleo regularly lunched with them. 

Cleo reached into her cooler, searching for her sandwich. Luckily, her blue car dashed through the curvy canyon of red-hued mesas with ease and precision.

Please keep your eyes on the road, a deep, energetic voice came out of the car's speakers. The cinder block-sized screen attached to the dashboard flashed red. Cleo rolled her eyes as the vehicle automatically slowed around a bend.

Cleo dug into the ice chest again, desperate to get her sandwich.

Please keep your eyes on the road and at least one hand on the steering wheel. 

Shut up! Cleo glared at the road in front of her and obeyed after grabbing the sandwich. She knew if she made another mistake, the car would turn off. It had happened twice before. The system would sound an alarm and force the automobile to decelerate until it stopped. She had to pull over and wait five minutes for it to start again each time it occurred, not to mention the notification her father would receive from the insurance. To prevent that from happening, she kept her gaze focused ahead with one hand clutching the wheel while she used the other to devour her food. 

The semiautomatic installment wasn't all bad, it allowed more time for Cleo's daydreaming. Her thoughts raced so rapidly, she couldn't remember any of the drive as she pulled up to her house. 

For four years now, the Travers family lived on Ash street, a short road that had only two other houses. It sat at the top of what the locals of Juniper City called Juniper Mountain although it was just an over-sized hill. 

The surrounding geography didn't fit with Cleo's elegant-looking dwelling and property. Tan-colored dirt blanketed the hill. Sagebrush spread in colorless, brittle fields. They were the only thing, besides the juniper trees, that grew in abundance. 

Cleo's house stood three levels high with intricate architecture, custom-designed by her father. The entrance faced west, overlooking the city Cleo grew up in, where she was raised in the same tiny house for thirteen years before moving to her current one. Cleo loved her new house. Even if her parents didn't accept her, home was Cleo's only sanctuary. 

CHAPTER 2

​SASQUATCH

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Cleo parked in the four-car garage and synced her vehicle to the charging port for the first time in a month. She skipped inside while searching her beach bag for her phone buried deep at the bottom. Disappointment crept up at the discovery of no new calls or messages.

Hello Cleopatra. The sudden whisper in her ear made her jump, drop her phone and whirl around.

Ah! Alex, you idiot! What's wrong with you?

Sorry! Didn't you see me? Cleo's fourteen-year-old brother shrank back, laughing. He held up his hands defending himself from his sister's shoving and swats.

Alex, full of energy, wore a ridiculous one-piece pajama outfit similar to the hide of Big Foot. It surprised Cleo that he still fit into the pajamas he used last Halloween to be a giant puppy.

Alex had grown rapidly the past year; and now stood several inches taller than his five-foot four-inch sister. His body was still chubby, but the crazy growth spurts he endured this year made the once nonexistent muscles morph into defined blocks. This irked Cleo since sloths exercised more than Alex. The soft, round cheeks and chin made him appear young, despite such a big-framed body. Dark brown hair and green eyes were a Travers' family trademark. Everyone but Sandra shared these features.

Cleo saw chocolate on the corners of Alex's thin lips and swore that he never used his hands to eat, only his face.

Have you been wearing that the whole day? Throw it away, it stinks. Cleo's voice rang a pleasant alto tone, no matter how unflattering her words.

No, I put it on a few hours ago after mom left and will wear it until she gets back tomorrow afternoon. Wait until you see what I have planned for us. Alex always spoke fast when excited. His voice was on the rocky journey of maturation. When he tried hard, he kept it deep and manly sounding, but when casually talking, it often cracked.

When in his obnoxious mood, his voice was a disaster, ranging from low tones to random high-pitched squeals that made Cleo wince.

Alex tossed a pile of clothes on the floor around as he searched for something. In his absurdity, Alexander acted more rambunctious than his sister; he animated conversations to humor people. He was dramatic and loud when something sparked his interest, and it didn't take Alex long to gain interest in anything. But he could charm anyone when he wanted to.

Alex remained the only person Cleo was genuine and unrestrained with. Happy, sad, annoyed or whatever; Alex accepted her unconditionally.

Mom didn't tell me she was leaving, where did she go?

Alex found a crumpled piece of paper in his jeans. Cleo concluded he threw his pants off in a fury to replace them with the Sasquatch suit. She grimaced at the thought of him changing his clothes in the kitchen.

Aunt Jen wanted help at home after her treatment. Here, study this perfect list I've created of the things we're doing while she's gone. He bowed his head and held the list up with both large hands as soft as kitten bellies.

Cleo snatched it from his grasp and frowned at him, figuring Alex was too young and naïve to care about their mother's sister. Aunt Jen had started her first chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer that week.

Cleo experienced a mixture of sorrow and fear about her aunt. Believing cancer was for old and sick people who didn't take care of themselves, she was shocked that a healthy woman in her thirties could have it. The news made her aware of her own mortality and she realized that misfortune happened to everyone.

Auntie Jen was her mother's only sibling and lived two hours north of them in a city called Waldron. She ran marathons, taught rock climbing, and had a boyfriend twelve years younger than her. Cleo's aunt took her shopping and sometimes brought her and Alex to rock climbing demonstrations. Aunt Jen appeared sophisticated and riveting; Cleo wanted to be the same.

Cleo glanced at the absurd list stained with food. Things like homemade bomb, watch a horror film, and toilet paper Shawn's house popped out as she scanned through it.

We're not doing all this... some of these are dangerous or illegal. She re-scanned the list, trying to decide which ones were agreeable. "Let's order pizza and play video games, I still haven’t played Beasts of Battle with our new chairs yet."

Cleo and Alex convinced their father to buy them each a gaming chair a few weeks ago that was capable of syncing to their virtual reality games for more effect.

We do those things every weekend. Can't we at least do a crazy thing on there? Let's make a bomb! I researched how to do one that only makes a loud noise and is safe and...

No bombs! Stop looking up that stuff.

Alex winced as if in pain and scurried over to her while whimpering. He slid to his knees at her feet and wrapped his arms around his sister's legs, locking them together. Cleo swayed, getting caught off balance as she pushed the whining Sasquatch.

Get off of me, freaking idiot! she laughed. Okay, okay, you can choose one thing from your list! But no bombs.

Alex barked twice and panted as he released her.

Stop acting like that before I change my mind.

The panting stopped. Alex jumped up and ran to his list that fell during their brawl.

I'll order the pizza. You decide what you want to do while I shower. Cleo gathered her things.

Don't take forever, or we'll never have time! Meet me downstairs. Alex headed for the basement on all fours.

Cleo sighed, trudged up the stairs, and threw her towel and blanket she brought to the lake into the laundry room, not caring she missed the hamper. Sand hit the tile floor and scattered in every direction; she had forgotten to shake out her stuff. The unconcerned girl shrugged her shoulders. Tereza, their maid, would clean it up in the morning before her mother found out.

Cleo's large, elegant bedroom sat at the top of the stairs, directly across from her parent's room. The queen-sized bed looked puny in it.

With Cleo’s special circumstances in mind, her father designed their house. He installed a security system to make their home safe and compatible for his daughter. When Cleo was ready for bed, she pressed a small screen next to her door. This locked her in overnight and only unlocked when it identified her as awake in the morning. Otherwise, it only automatically opened if it detected a potential hazard.

Cleo knew she shouldn't have anyone with her while sleeping, but she didn't understand why. It linked with the last night she shared a room with Alex as a kid, but to this day, she never understood what happened. Although she was imprisoned at night, part of her wanted to be since she felt dangerous and unpredictable.

There was no arguing when Harrison showed her how the new contraption worked, but Cleo insisted on having privacy, with no video or sound monitors. Her parents surprisingly agreed. This prison became her haven, impenetrable to the world.

The arrangements needed for her to sleep ruined so much. The Travers rarely traveled, but the few occasions they did Cleo had to sleep in her own locked hotel room. Any prolonged time on the road took effort from the entire family to not let her fall asleep.

Cleo's mom and dad didn't allow her to sleep over at anyone's house or let her friends stay the night at hers. She slept alone in a locked room like a monster. Occasionally she'd make a friend, but eventually push them away fearing rejection for being different.

It agitated Cleo that events out of her control had led to so much struggle and disconnection in her family and way of life.

Cleo sat on her bed and placed an order for enough food to feed a pig farm since she knew Harrison would be hungry when he returned.

Her father worked for Coachman, a corporation which specialized in vehicle-technology. He engineered a device two years ago that could be installed into any vehicle to make it semiautomatic. Coachman called the apparatus a Whip. Harrison and his office-mate, Carlo Maggio, designed the Whip so steering remained the only manual function.

Harrison installed Cleo's car with a Whip the day she received her driver's license. The warning-alerts and steering-commands annoyed her, but they helped her to drive without calamities. Carlo Maggio developed the voice-commands using his own vocals, which Cleo thought a bit narcissistic. But she was thankful it wasn't her dad speaking instead. 

Cleo couldn’t understand why Harrison had to supervise a night shift