Red and Blue: The Sampler

The First Generation: Part One

Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, yet not so near, is the town of Energies. Just across where everyone lives, is a house called the Peterson Manor. There lived a noble family called the Petersons: the father named William, a banker; the mother named Sophia, a seamstress; a little sister named Annie, and two older twin brothers named Paul and Johnny, both at the age of nineteen.

Paul and Johnny are fraternal twins, born on the same day, but looked completely opposite. Paul inherited his looks from his golden-blonde-haired mother, while Johnny inherited from his copper-brown-haired father. Paul was the "boy-next-door": one with average height, skinny, yet fit, a perfect teen magazine cover boy. Meanwhile, Johnny was the handsome and mysterious type: tall, dark-haired, muscular, like a beefcake seen in a sports magazine.

Their personalities were also very different: Paul was mild-mannered and intelligent, while Johnny was of average intellect and temperamental. Paul is shy, yet very respectful and well-regarded by his peers. He is loving towards Annie. Johnny is loud, brash, and wants everything in order his way. He protects Annie too much sometimes. As a result, William and Sophia had a hard time figuring out how to raise these twins.

Paul had a passion for classical music, arts, and literature, while Johnny had an affinity for rock music, hiking, and combat. French pastries delighted Paul's palate, while Thai curry lit up Johnny's tongue. Surely, both men were the most attractive in school, yet different groups of female students had a crush on either of the two. The nerdy, brainiac girls formed a Paul Fans' Club, while the queen bees and sporty girls created a Johnny's Die Hards Sisterhood. Consequently, a frenzy erupted whenever both men showed up in class.

Despite their differences, Paul and Johnny earned good marks in school and in society. They dominated in every field of their interest. They were leaders in their community and participated in social events. Even their younger sister Annie idolized them as her inspiration. Every award and certificate was so cherished they had a room full of them. They seemed to have a perfect life.

Until one Saturday afternoon came.

Johnny invited Paul to a hike at the Albino Peaks, a snowy set of mountains north of town. Paul was hesitant to go, as he had a spoken poetry convention that day. But Johnny pushed Paul further.

"Bro, just hold off that convention! Besides, we might go treasure hunting, and maybe we might get some valuable stuff - more precious than the trophy you get at the convention," Johnny insisted.

Paul agreed, "I'll go, I guess. There are more competitions I can join next week," he said.

So, they went out to the mountains.