Dawn of the Dark

When you read a story, you probably expect some type of happy ending. Some ending where the girl finally gets the guy she’s been crushing on for ages or the superhero family saves the world from a threat that people didn’t even know existed. Some story where against all odds, the underdog ball team wins because they learn how to shoot with math and angles and had team spirit because that’s somehow enough to be the best. 

Some bullshit ending that doesn’t really make sense, but nobody cares because it just fits so perfect and makes you feel good. A story with an ending that exceeds all expectations of reality to come to a victorious end. 

This isn’t that type of story. It’s the type of story where somebody gets hurt. Where everybody gets hurt. Where no matter the side, everybody loses. 

___________________________________________

There are a billion things that feels off to me. We live in, how you say, a perfect world. Away from danger, threats, and anybody that poses a threat is arrested and taken away. You’d never see that person again. 

That’s what happened to my parents. My brothers, Jax and Zeth, were separated from them when we were little. That’s not important though. What’s more important is that Zeth and I were separated. Jax and I were together, Zeth was taken away. 

You see, when people are different, it makes them scary. When people are anything less than normal, they become dangerous. That’s what Zeth and I were. Our parents too. Jax was spared the gene. I don’t know whether he should be counted lucky or normal.  

I know that I’m lucky for being stuck with him, no matter how much I can hate him sometimes. Jax and I are brothers and that doesn’t change if we get mad at each other and want to rip each other’s hair out. 

Our people live in sectors, if you want to call it that. As far as I know, we were in the average sector. Our family, or our adoptive family, consisted of five. Ace, who was kind of weird, but regardless, the father figure we looked up to, Kyra, who always got stuck keeping Ace in shape. She loved him regardless. Hazel, our tiny little, non-biological sister. She’s six. I almost feel bad for her. Then there’s Jax and I. Jax was the normal one. 

We live on the second biggest island. Island in the sky, that is. That’s how we’re protected from everything. The islands are connected by two bridges. One draw bridge connect between islands, one bridge made of more stable wood, but that’s only for the important people. 

It wasn’t like we really had a reason to leave our island. The only time that we ever did was to cross to the lake island. The largest island by far consisted mostly of water. It was our water source and since we didn’t have flowing water, we needed a pretty heavy supply. 

That’s what the stable bridges are for. There’s some people who transport water every day across the bridges to every house. It’s a lot of water and if it didn’t rain here as often as it did, I worry that we might run out. 

From that island spans the giant waterfall. It’s not that giant, but if I laid down on the ground, it’s longer than me by just a little it. It flows down to the ocean below us. People aren’t allowed to leave without permission. The only place to go is the prison. It’s built on one of the many tiny islands down there, far enough away that if a prisoner broke out, they’d be foolish trying to get off the island. 

I have never been, but that’s where our parents were. The only way up and down is a rickety machine to take people on boats up and down. It takes almost ten minutes for a little box shaped room to be sent down to the water and go back up. People climb on and it’s pulled by ropes. By steel ropes, I should clarify. That way they don’t break. 

The other way is jumping off. But you’d die if you tried to do that. Whether it be from the fall or from the distance to the island. You’d never make it. 

Jax and I never cared about that though. We had everything we needed. School was on our island—each island had their own school—and we had a merchant center, a hospital. We had everything that we’d ever need. We only ever left the house to talk to our friends, Adria, Keturah, and Zayden. 

Adria is my girlfriend and Zayden is... sort of Jax’s boyfriend. They’re talking, but I’m positive that they’ve kissed before. That’s all we’d ever needed. Each other and them. 

Until we learned about Zeth. 

For all of our lives, we were told that our parents were alcoholics. That they used to hit Jax and I. And that Jax and I were twins. We weren’t twins. We were triplets. Zeth was our third. 

So for the 15 years that we thought we were twins, things were good. Adria and I got together at some point when we were 15. I forget the exact date, but damn am I lucky to have her. I was lucky to have her, at least. 

Adria Jennens. Making her father Enrique Jennens. He was really my enemy. She was too. I just didn’t know it because I was too absorbed with the way that she looked. I feel like a jackass for not realizing it sooner. 

Enrique was the head of the prison. He ran things there. He separated, Zeth from us. So we’ll start the story simple. On our 16th birthday. Just an hour before everything changed. 

___________________________________________

“Hey Aziel, where’s that book that you were talking about? I can’t find it?” Jax pops his head from between two bookshelves. Our library is the oldest thing about this island. Besides the island itself. It was the first building. It used to be used as a shelter. Some people wanted it to be knocked down for more space, but since it already had so much history, it was decided that it would become the library, so it could contain all the stories too. 

“Third shelf from the back, second row, black cover. You can’t miss it.” I reply. Jax and I haven’t spent more than an hour or two away from each other for years. We can hate each other’s guts sometimes, but at the end of the day, brotherhood overpowers bad blood. 

Jax disappears from view again and I roll my eyes. He’ll be back in five minutes, still confused. “Can you help me out?” A boy, probably my age, runs over to me. “I haven’t been here before—” 

He stops as we look at each other. I’ve seen people that look like me before, besides Jax, but he’s not just the regular, dark brown hair and really dark brown eyes. He’s the dark brown hair, black eyes, identical look. The only major difference between us is that his hair is a curled mess and mine is left straight, swiped to the side of my face because I’m too lazy to get it cut and it’s the easiest way to tell Jax and I apart. 

I shake away my thoughts. It’s probably just odds, right?  

“Yeah. I can help you.” I say. “What do you need?” 

“I was just looking around...” He hesitates. “Sorry, am I going insane or do we look almost the same?” 

“No, no. I see it too.” I say. It’s impossible though. Right? Jax and I were taken together. Why would they lie to us? “Sorry, who are your parents? If you’re comfortable tell me.” 

He shrugs. “Well, my biological parents aren’t really my parents anymore, but—” 

“Wait, what do you mean they’re not your parents?” 

“My biological parents were arrested. I think they were thieves or abusive or something.” 

“My biological parents were too.” I say. It’s impossible though. Just a coincidence. Just a coincidence that we look nearly identical and that our parents were abusive. That’s not a common thing, but it’s more likely than us being related. Right? “What’s your name?” 

“I’m Zeth.” He says. “Who--” 

“Jax, Aziel!” Adria hurries over to us. To me and Zeth. Not me and Jax. We really are identical. But Jax has straight hair like me. Or wavy hair. It’s not that straight, but it’s not Zeth’s curly. If Adria can’t tell the difference between us, then I can only imagine what problems this could cause. 

She smiles at me and kisses my cheek the moment she’s closest enough. My lips curve a smile before I can stop it. I can’t really help the way that she makes my heart flutter when I see her. It’s annoying how much I liked her sometimes.  

“Oh, he’s not—” I cut off short as Enrique walks over. I’ve never liked Enrique, but since I’m dating his daughter, I have to force a smile and pretend I do. There’s always been something off about him. 

“Good, I was looking for you two.” Enrique says. “I need your help.” 

That’s a first and that’s the exact moment that things go downhill. “Aziel, I still can’t find it!” Jax says, walking from the bookshelves. He stops and everybody stops this time. With all three of us standing together, it’s clear who Jax is, who I am, and that the third, Zeth, isn’t Jax.  

“What?”  

That’s the first word that comes out of Jax’s mouth and he’s the first one to talk. He walks over to me, eyeing Zeth. One of the things that we also share is that we both hate Enrique. But like I said, Adria is our friend and so we’re forced to pretend that we do like him. 

“Could you three come with me?” Enrique asks.  

I don’t want to go, but it’s not a question. Everybody knows better than to disagree with a commander of the prison. We all follow. Adria, Jax, Zeth, and I. Jax’s face is furred together and confused. Zeth has almost the same expression, but he looks more worried than confused. Adria looks sick and Enrique looks determined and worried. An expression that concerns me and gives me chills.  

We walk to Enrique’s office. His second office, really. One on our island, one in the prison. It’s there for people who are being sent to the prison wait for the boat. I don’t know why we’re going there, but it gives me chills to think about.  

We’re told to sit, wait, and be quiet while he sorts things out. How can we help ourselves from talking to each other though? We went through the shock. Jax learned Zeth’s name and he learned ours too. Then it was the process of figuring out what was happening. We explain what we thought, about how our parents had been alcoholics and used to hit us, so we were given to Ace and Kyra. 

According to Zeth, he’d had the same problem. He lived on another island and had been looking for book at their library for school. When he couldn’t find it, he thought he’d come to ours, since it was the largest. That’s how we ran into each other. 

Jax and I had almost forgotten that it was our birthday. That was the test. “When’s your birthday?” I asked. 

“Oh, I don’t think that—” Adria starts. 

“I turn 16 today.” Zeth cuts her off. 

Jax and I share a look, but I can’t meet his eyes for long. I have to look at Adria. She squirms next to me so often that I know there has to be something up. Something that she knows and that she’s been hiding from me.  

“What’s wrong, Ad?” I ask. It’s mean, but I have to. Jax and Zeth aren’t noticing it the way that I am. She’s trying to stop us from talking when she should be just as curious as us.  

“Nothing.” Adria says. I know it’s a lie from the little squirm and the way she bites her lip. She gets anxious and nervous when she’s lying. I know that I shouldn’t be, but for once, I’m glad that I’m a good liar. 

I’m about to ask her more, but Enrique comes out a moment later with one of his co-workers behind him. I’m glad that we’re going to get an explanation, but I can’t help noticing Adria hop to her feet to take a place at Enrique’s side. Then everything just blurs. 

I notice for the first time that both of them hold a pistol in their hands. Something that neither of my brothers seem to notice. Proclaimed brothers, at this point. We can’t know for sure, but I’m pretty positive that Zeth is our brother.  

“Zeth, could you come here?” Enrique asks. 

I want to tell him not to. The guns are hidden almost perfectly in their sleeves, but from where I’m sitting, the sun shines in and hits it just so the glint hits my eyes every so often. Zeth stands and walks over to their side before I can stop him. 

I look over at Jax, wondering if he’s seen it yet. 

It doesn’t matter if he sees it because before any of us can react. Enrique’s co-worker grabs Zeth’s arm and his gun is revealed. One arm goes around Zeth’s neck to hold him in place and the other holds the gun against his head. 

My eyes widened. Now Jax looks over at me with the same fear that I had. “What the hell are you doing?” Jax asks. 

Of course. He had to say it.  

“Here’s how this is going to work.” Enrique said. “You two leave and you forget that you saw him. If you don’t, we’ll shoot him.” 

“Because he’s our brother, isn’t he?” I ask. “You’ve been lying to us.” 

But why? Why were they lying to us? Why us, why Zeth? 

“You could call it that. You two have no clue how dangerous and lucky you are you be alive.” 

I’m sure we have no idea how lucky we are to not be in Zeth’s position. His eyes are wide and he looks like he’s about to cry. Neither Jax or I move.  

“If you’re not threatened by that.” Enrique moves his gun and points it at Adria. She freezes and her eyes widened. “Then maybe you’ll listen if I kill her too.” 

Liar. He’d never kill Adria. She’s his only kid. He’d be a fool to kill her. “I know that’s a lie.” 

“Is it really, Aziel?” Enrique asks me. “I’m not a coward.” 

His finger moves onto the trigger. I’m still confident that he won’t, so I don’t move. Jax looks half as worried as Zeth and stays put with me. Enrique frowns. “Shame. I liked her.” 

“Wait!” I shout. 

It’s too late. His finger pulls the trigger. Adria’s eyes widen so much that it looks like her eyes would pop out of her sockets. The moment that her body hits the ground, I shout again. I don’t hear what I shout. My eyes are too focused on the blood that pools her head. In a flash, something bursts from my hand. 

I collect my senses, coming to realize that there is a black, goo looking thing sprouted from my hand. I don’t know what it is and at this point, I don’t care. What I care about is what it’s doing. Enrique is pushed against the wall. It covers most of him and his gun is dropped on the ground. The same works for his co-worker. Leaving him against the wall closest to him, gun dropped, and Zeth free. 

Adria is still on the ground. She’s dead. I know she is. She knew about Zeth too. She had to have. “We’ve got to go.” Jax said. “Like, right fucking now.” 

“Grab their guns.” I say. 

Zeth and Jax both hesitate, but they stand. I stand up too. My hand is extended and the black goop shines, keeping the two men pinned. Jax and Zeth each take a gun from the ground. I don’t know how to stop the goop, but I relax my hand and the little piece that was on my hand relaxes and sticks off. I don’t understand it. None of it.  

What I do understand is that Enrique killed Adria and is pinned in whatever the hell I summoned with my hand. Jax touches my shoulder and moves his head for me to go. I don’t know where we’re going to hide or where we’re going, but it’s not there. It’s not every there. 

I follow them out, wondering if I’m dreaming now. I pinch my arm, but we’re still there. “What just happened?” Zeth asked. 

I don’t know how to answer his question. I do know that Adria was a liar, we’re brothers, my entire life is a lie, and everything is about to change.