“Apparently, you two are connected by your immunity. I’m not sure how or why, but this research tells me that, and I believe it.”
Gemini stood beside her friend Genesis in the basement ‘lab’ of her late grandfather. She felt jumpy and nervous inside as her brother outlined what strange research he had found.
“But Kenji...I only met Genesis six years ago. We don’t have any special connection-”
“Tell me, Gemi, why did our parents choose this name for you?” Kenji stared at her hard through the dim light of Genesis’ flashlight. Gemini shrunk back. Why did her parents name her Gemini?
“Because...because it means ‘twin’ and ‘born under Gemini’.”
“And because you had a connection. You aren’t a twin, so why name you one? Because ‘twin’ is a connection to someone.” He answered enthusiastically. “And that connection is Genesis!”
“Kenji, don’t you think that’s a little far-fetched? You’re only fourteen, you can’t understand all these scientific terms. Besides, many people have agreed that Grandfather was crazy. How can you be sure what he’s saying is fact?”
“I don’t completely understand the terms, but enough is clear. Genesis, who is not allergic to Toxicodendron radicans, aka, poison ivy, must have someway come in contact with you and spread his immunity.”
“That has nothing to do with it. Many people are immune to poison ivy. She‘s just one of them; I‘m just one of them. No connection.” Genesis finally spoke. Gemini and Kenji were used to his silent demeanor, but he had been more quiet than usual the entire time. His sudden protest startled Gemini and Kenji.
“Okay, so explain why, over the past fifteen years, that immunity has become less common? It used to be a much larger percentage; now it’s only five. People are more allergic nowadays than ever before. But you have never shown any allergic reaction, even under high concentration.” Kenji shot back. Gemini remembered a time when Genesis had crawled through a thick patch of poison ivy, cutting it down as he went. The juices had been all over him, even in his ears. Yet he had no reaction, anywhere, to the poison. Not one hint of a rash. Now, when his parents had tried to wash his clothes and shoes, they had very bad reactions to the ivy. Even after washing them, his clothes and shoes still made others itch. He ended up burning them far out in the woods, to make sure no one breathed in the smoke. “Then, explain why Gemini was highly allergic to poison ivy until she met you?” Silence followed this statement. No one could answer. It was a sure mystery.
“You are a strange case, Genesis.” Gemini couldn’t think of anything to say but that.
“Yeah, right...” Genesis answered her. His eyes held a look all too familiar to Gemini.
“Tell me, Genesis. You’re hiding something.”
“Oh, am I? What makes you think that?” He questioned, giving her another look of mystery.
“You have that dark, mysterious, ‘I know of worlds beyond your realm’ look in your eyes. Don’t tell me I’m being silly; you do understand more of this than you’re letting on about.” Gemini answered.
“Oh, please. You’re always exaggerating my knowledge, Gemini.” He said sarcastically.
“Sure, sure. Kenji, I’m going back upstairs to get a drink. You can research all this nonsense for hours if you want, but I say you’ll never figure out what Grandfather meant. You’re mind is not of such a high caliber.” She told him, turning and heading for the ladder that would lead to the first floor of her Grandfather’s house.
“See, I knew you didn’t think he was crazy.” Kenji muttered. She spun around.
“I never said he was crazy, Kenji. I said that other people said that. I think he was a little off his rocker, but he was also very intelligent. Though I do believe this research is the kind that he did when he was off the deep end. It doesn’t make any sense.” Gemini announced firmly.
“Well, I think it does. Don’t forget, I am the 17th Kenji. I believe I inherited the genes to understand this ‘insane’ and ‘incomprehensible’ research.” He answered flippantly.
“Whatever. Would you like to go with me, Genesis? I still think we have some talking to do.”
“We don’t. But I’ll come with you anyway.” Genesis followed her up the ladder. Gemini blinked in the bright light. She stepped into the kitchen and quickly poured herself a glass of orange juice. She then went to the living room, where Genesis had plopped down on the couch and turned on the TV.
“I see you’re already making yourself at home. You’re going to enjoy living here, aren‘t you?” Gemini began. Genesis nodded. “It was nice of Grandfather to leave it to you in the will. Mom and Dad are also happy to have you so close.”
“How so? They trust me...hm.” He chuckled. “You have weird parents, Gemi.”
“Of course they trust you. Gosh...you’ve been acting so weird lately, Genie-in-a-bottle.” It was Genesis’ nickname, probably because of his sometimes unpredictable behavior.
“I wish you’d stop calling me that. It’s a kid’s nickname, and I’m too old for it now. I’m sixteen, have my own car and my own house.” Genesis corrected her. He sounded way too grown-up for the Genesis Gemini normally knew. She sat down beside him on the couch and scrunched her knees up against her chest; glaring suspiciously at him over the rim of her glass. Genesis sighed, running a hand through his hair. It was long enough that it reached the nape of his neck, light brown in color, with one dark green highlight behind his left ear. Gemini always liked that green strand of hair; she would pull it often when she was teasing him or trying to get him to listen. This time, she wanted him to listen. She reached out and yanked his hair.
“Ouch! Gemi...”
“Stop being so secretive. I’m a little worried about you, Genesis. Whatever you’re hiding is bothering you, I can tell. Please...” She felt for him. Most of the time, he was quiet and reserved. But she had seen him get hyper and even silly sometimes when he was alone with her or Kenji. She had also seen him get angry. She often wondered why he was so silent. Yet Gemini had made some good guesses at it. Genesis had never been well-liked in their small community. He had once been accused of doing something very wrong when he was around eleven years old, and practically the entire world (or what seemed to be the entire world to Gemini when she was ten) had agreed with the accuser that Genesis was a very bad boy. He was slightly discriminated against, and several of the other children would tell Gemini, very publicly, what a terrible boy Genesis was. Gemini didn’t really take any of what they said seriously. Nowadays, they had ‘forgotten’ most of their previous strong dislike of the boy and stated that he ‘just got on their nerves a little,
now and then’. But Gemini knew the wounds hadn’t healed. The truth had never been found out, and Genesis was still under a close watch. He was so reserved now that people were sure he was up to something. Little did they know that they were probably one of the reasons for his behavior.
Gemini also knew that Genesis was an easily distracted person. He would start one thing but quickly grow bored and move on to something more interesting, mysterious, or more fast paced. He would constantly read a book halfway through and then pick up a different one. He was anti-social, occasionally dark, and typically negative. How such a bright and simple person as Gemini got along with someone so dark and complex was a mystery to many. But Gemini knew why. They fit like two puzzle pieces. Where Genesis was negative, Gemini was positive. Together they created a satisfied neutral. Gemini would help Genesis look to the sky rather than the ground, while Genesis would bring Gemini back to reality when she floated too high into that pretty blue sky of big dreams and unrealistic happiness.
Gemini now looked to her friend, her brownish-pink eyes daring to reach deeper into the depths of his dark blue ones. While staring intently at each other for a few moments, Gemini felt the ice breaking. He took in a deep breath, about to tell her what was bothering him. And then...
CRASH!!! The front door flew open, knocking Gemini’s backpack over and spilling all the contents across the floor. Papers went flying. Genesis stood quickly, a defensive demeanor about him. Gemini also stood up, but kept behind the older boy. A person was standing in the doorway, wearing a black ninja-style mask that only showed his eyes. The person was wearing a black t-shirt and black pants. Overall, he looked like he had fallen out of the expanse called space. The person advanced toward them, unsheathing two daggers. Apparently, he had brought a few stars with him when he fell. Genesis gave the person a steady glare.
“Who are you? And what are you doing here?” He demanded.
“Simply paying a visit, friend.”
“Friend? I don’t know you, stranger.” Genesis answered.
“Oh, yes you do.” The stranger reached up and removed his mask. Gemini knew him instantly. One of Genesis’ friends from the Midwest, where he used to live.
“Kiran! What did you-why?” Genesis seemed particularly moved by Kiran’s appearance. Gemini still didn’t know what to think of it. Kiran shows up in a makeshift ninja suit with two daggers, probably reenactment ones, and Genesis gets worked up about it? He’s got swords and daggers, so why so worried when Kiran gets two and brings them? He’s just fooling around...right?
“You need to be rid of, Gen. There are no other options. Your kind are a dangerous people, and you mustn’t be allowed to form an organization. I already see what you’re doing and I’m going to stop it. Killing the root of a plant always kills the leaves, no?” Kiran smiled triumphantly. Gemini looked from Kiran to Genesis, who was practically shaking with rage. His face was red, and he was taking deep breaths to keep himself controlled. Gemini had never seen him this angry...
“But you’ve betrayed your own people. I gave you my powers, trained you....offered you a piece of my life force so that you might go further! And you threw that away?! Kiran-!”
“You were turning me into a monster, just like you. A destroyer. I don’t want to be like you!!!” Kiran shouted back. Gemini blinked, trying to process what she was hearing. It all sounded like a movie to her; was she just dreaming?
“I was ‘turning you into’ what you were always meant to be! A protector! To protect normal humans was your destiny; to destroy the organization that you have to foolishly been mislead by. Millions of others are falling into this trap and, to spite my warnings, you followed like an ox to the slaughter!” Genesis shouted.
“No matter what you say, Genesis, I am here to kill you. And I won’t stop until I do!” Kiran yelled, racing at Genesis with a speed Gemini never imagined he possessed.
“Gene-” The words were barely out of her mouth before Genesis had wrapped his arms around her and jumped, dodging Kiran’s attack, and carrying them both to temporary safety on the other side of the room. Kiran turned and rushed on them again, daggers gleaming menacingly. Gemini was about to scream again, but didn’t when she saw Kiran freeze in his attack. Yes...maybe this is just a joke. Maybe, just maybe...none of this is happening...But she learned quickly her thoughts were wrong. Kiran was standing frozen, but not of his own free will. Genesis had raised his right hand, and flowing from it was a focused beam of pale green light.
“This won’t stop me, Gen!” Kiran closed his eyes, and after a few moments the green light disappeared, the bonds broken.
“You think I didn’t know that? Yet you have forgotten. Since you are a traitor to us, you are susceptible to the poison now.” Genesis responded coolly. Kiran’s eyes widened in shock.
“You wouldn’t do that, Genesis. You’re too soft.”
“Not anymore, old friend. Now that I realize you planned to take my life, and the life of my friend, you will die.” Kiran opened his mouth to say something just as Genesis raised both his arms and shot two beams of milky white light out of them. Kiran was wrapped in shaggy brown vines, resembling those of a grapevine, in seconds. A vine covered his mouth, but Kiran reached up, pitting his strength against that of the vines, and got one sentence out before the will of the vines overpowered his.
“...you will be destroyed...Gen...”
Genesis bowed his head and turned his fingers into fists. In a split second, the vine-covered body of Kiran disintegrated. The only thing left of him and the creeping plant was a fine brown dust that lingered in the air. Genesis glanced up, the dust collected in his hands and was then absorbed. Gemini stood in awe. Quickly composing herself, she stomped meaningfully over to the door, slammed it shut, and dead bolted it. Looking over her shoulder at Genesis, who was till standing in the hallway with his head bent, Gemini called out.
“Alright. Explain this- Exactly what kind of freak show just happened in here?”
lol, crazy, right? Honestly, I thought of this last week when I couldn't sleep. Then I got this idea to put it on my blog and on Facebook. :P Gah, why do I do these things to myself?
Anyway, please read and comment!!!
-Argent
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