Morning Star

Chapter 9: trashy clothes...literally | Eva

Travelling through a gate that connected two worlds was certainly not a smooth ride. My body was dragged uncomfortably down what felt like a large hole that lead to nowhere, and as much as I flailed my arms and legs around, trying to gain control of my descent, I couldn't. I lost track of time, and how long I had been falling for. It was probably my imagination, but bright images flashed in front of my mind - no, not just images. Memories.

I saw my mother cradling baby Olivia and I lovingly in her lap, smiling broadly as both daughters blinked their golden eyes - my mother's eyes - at her.

The day Olivia grinned in delight, because she'd grown taller than me. We'd only been about seven years old then.

I saw my own shocked expression, when I'd discovered that Olivia and I could communicate telepathically. Our parents had been happy, proud even. To prove that we weren't bluffing, Olivia and I had stood back to back. My mother had kneeled in front of me and wordlessly held up three fingers. Instantly, Olivia said confidently, "Three."

As a challenge, my mother had held up six fingers, then five, then eight.

Olivia had spoken before she had finished the last number. "Six hundred and fifty eight. Are we done now?"

Then my mother had cried and hugged us both.

Gradually, I forgot that I was going through a gate. I forgot that I was falling. My eyes were fixed on the memories that were playing in front of my eyes, mesmerised by them, and the emotions they carried.

My sister and I were playing in the garden outside our house, and Olivia had been doing cartwheels. "A friend taught me how to do it today," she explained when I'd cocked my head to the side, puzzled that she was spinning over and over and somehow managing not to fall, especially at the times when she was balanced above the ground with only her hands. "You should try, Eva!"

I shook my head. "I don't know how to."

Olivia pouted. "Just because you don't know, doesn't mean you can't."

Inspired by her words, I'd stepped forward and hesitantly dipped my body downwards into a cartwheel. To our utter astonishment, I did it perfectly. Olivia was staring at me in awe, and back then, I hadn't known why. Now, watching my own memory play out, I realised why.

On the first try, I'd cartwheeled even better than my sister.

"You're so talented!" Olivia beamed, and I laughed, a little embarrassed but also happy from her compliment.

It wouldn't be until many years later that we realised that it was another aspect of our combined power - whatever Olivia learnt, I would learn, and vise versa. In the following years, our magic evolved, and our powers slowly improved to the point where we could almost be one person. Olivia's habits were mine; my skills were hers. We'd swapped places many times in the past, and everyone but our parents - they knew us too well - were none the wiser.

Losing her was like losing half of myself.

The last of the images started to fade away all too soon, and I was catapulted onto an empty street, surrounded by large brick walls. The streets were wet, as if it had just rained, and various bits of garbage floated in the tiny puddles that had formed as a result. Resisting the urge to gag, I carefully took few steps forward - just far enough to miss Peter and Sarah, who appeared out of nowhere, their momentum carrying them forward. Sarah slammed into Peter's back, and while the siren managed to keep her footing, the emerald green eyed boy had no such luck.

With a shout of fury, Peter fell straight into a puddle, although he managed to catch himself with his arms and knees in time. He slowly rose, the pieces of garbage sticking to his skin and clothes.