Happy Sixteenth!

This was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives. It was their sixteenth birthday. They were going to get their abilities and leave the orphanage for the last time. If only that was how the world worked.

The twins woke up within `15 seconds of each other. They'd been doing that for as long as they could remember. They fell asleep together and they woke up together. It was just one of those twin things.

Asha woke up first this time and she jumped straight out of bed like she'd been given a shot of straight caffeine. She was bouncing up and down, grinning ear to ear by the time Kofi woke up. He laughed at her excitement but pretty soon he was in the same state Asha was in. The pair grabbed hands and spun around and around until they fell on the floor giggling.

It wasn't until this point that the twins realized they'd forgotten something. Their abilities! Sure enough when the twins looked at their bare feet they saw that the three lines that had been running vertically up to halfway on their calf had turned into beautiful designs. The designs were all straight lines, but even so the patterns were beautiful.

The twins had the same design except for one point. Circling the ankle on Asha's left foot was a zig-zag. Around Kofi's ankle was a different pattern. He had two rings around his ankle and then vertical bars connecting the rings.

That's when the doorbell rang. A loud, cranky voice yelled up the stairs, "Someone get the door!" When no one moved, the doorbell rang again and this time the voice yelled, "Kofi, I know you are awake! Get the door! NOW!"

Kofi groaned as he looked at Asha and rolled his eyes. Then he rolled off the bed. He started walking down the stairs but he didn't get to the door before the man at the door got impatient and rang the doorbell again.

"Kofi! How long does it take to open the door?" the voice shouted. He ignored it and opened the door.

In a polite voice he inquired, "How may I help you, good sir?"

"Actually, I was wondering if I could speak with your director. I have recently heard that two of my children are here. They go by the name Asha and Kofi."

At this the blood drained out of Kofi's face. His eyes widened and he shut the door in surprise. Then he raced back up the stairs. He burst into his room gasping for air.

"Asha," he cried, "There's a man. He says... He says he's our... our father."

Asha's eyes snapped open, and her hands went to her stomach. A knock sounded and the annoyed director yelled, "Do I have to do everything myself?" The twins could hear her as she clumped down the stairs.

"Sir what can I help you with?" she asked, a touch sarcastically.

"I have papers. I am here to adopt, well they’re my children, so I suppose I'm here to take my children. Back. With me," the man sounded a touch nervous. "Their names are Asha and Kofi."

"You're the father of those twins? Then I'm truly sorry for you," she said unempathetically. Then, barely glancing at the man's papers she said, "Your papers seem to be in check. You can have 'em.

The twins had been listening on the stairs. At this announcement they looked at each other in utter shock. They sprinted up the stairs, having been shocked by the same thought. Luckily their stuff was packed because they'd been planning on leaving anyway. They threw on clothes and swung backpacks over their shoulders. Kofi popped the window open while Asha got their money from the secret spot under the mattress. After checking to make sure they had everything, the pair climbed out the window using a sheet as a rope.

They hit the ground and started running. Unfortunately, the black car that the man had driven in still had people in them. One man spotted them and called out to his companions. They raised dart guns to their mouths and blew air into them. The tiny pressurized darts flew out like rockets and Kofi collapsed as one struck home. Asha looked around in fright. Her eyes were wide and out of focus. Turning she ran back to get Kofi. Using a new-found strength she lifted Kofi up and swung him over her shoulder. She started running but the men had fired a new round of darts and one struck her in the shoulder. 

The men separated the entangled twins before binding them with strips of cloth. They also pushed gags into their mouths. Then they threw them in the trunk. The men clambered into the limo and the car sped off. 

Five hours later the car pulled into a parking lot in front of an abandoned warehouse. By now the drugs in the darts were wearing off and the twins were starting to gradually awaken. Asha groaned in pain as one of the men lifted her up, and she was rewarded with a sharp slap to the face. This time she bit her tongue to stop from crying out and ended up tasting blood. She attempted to spit it out, but there was a gag that stopped her. 

The twins were taken underground to an area that looked like a prison block with rows and rows of dark, grimy cells. At this point they were seperated and injected with some sort of serum before being roughly shoved into cells. 

The cells had no source of light, were covered in dirt and grime and smelled like urine and vomit. Every little sound echoed and Asha could hear rodents and bugs crawling around. 

Hours passed with only the sounds of creatures better not thought about to be heard. Asha was staring blankly at a wall in disbelief, her stomach growling while five cells down Kofi was pacing around the cells with tears streaking his face. That’s when the designs circling the twins’s legs began to glow. They got hot to the point where they burned and glowed with bright neon colors; orange, yellow, green, blue, and pink. A cracking sound ripped through the building and guards started yelling in alarm. The twins started attempting to force the bars open as a surge of strength swept through their bodies. Unfortunately, by then it was too late.