Paranormal Twins: The New Beginning

I groaned as I tried to rewrap my side for the third time in a row. I threw the wrap in the air and let it fall before I called out, “Jay! I need you!”

Jay ran in, his shirt only half-buttoned and his tie hanging off one of his shoulders. “What’s the matter? Are you okay? Did a stitch pop? Do I need to call Sage? Do I-”

I rolled my eyes and covered his mouth with my hand to make him keep quiet. “Stop. I’m fine. I just can’t figure out how to get the wrap back on.” He glared at me and I felt something wet on my hand. I whipped my hand away from his mouth. “Gross! Don’t lick me!” I wiped his spit off onto his shirt and he jumped back, trying to keep his dress shirt nice. I wiped the rest of it off on the towel that was laying on my bed after I showered.

Jay walked over and grabbed the wrap off the floor where I threw it down. He came over to me and I lifted my arms slightly so he could wrap it around. He pinned it to keep it secure and looked up at me. “Is that okay?” He asked.

I nodded and grabbed my shirt off the bed. “Thanks, bro.” I put my shirt on and he smiled awkwardly, He started buttoning up the rest of his shirt, avoiding eye contact with me. “What’s the matter?” I asked him.

He glanced up at me and bit his lip. “I haven’t… I mean, I’ve never had a sibling before… I mean…” He stopped, figured out what he wanted to say, then continued. “I act like Sage is my sister, since we’ve known each other for as long as I can remember, but… As for a real blood sibling...” Jay sighed. “Growing up, I always heard my mom saying she wishes she could have kids. I always assumed she meant she wanted more. She told me when I was a little older that something happened to her and all her pregnancies ended up as miscarriages. She said I was a miracle baby.” He chuckled then bit his lip, looking at his shoes. “She never had her own child.” He looked down. “Now she never will.”

I bit my lip and put my arm on his shoulder gently. “She got the child she could never have. That is a miracle. You may not be her son biologically, but I bet she loved you as much, or more, than anyone ever could.”

Jay smiled at me. “Thanks, sis...” He went over to my mirror and attempted to tie his tie. After his fourth failed attempt I decided to help him.

I turned him around and swatted his hands away. “When did you accept me? As your sister, I mean. You didn’t want anything to do with me. What changed?”

Jay bit his lip, keeping his head lifted so I could fix his tie. “I just… When I heard you were kidnapped… I felt like something was… Missing. When I was in the apartment that night, by myself… I felt empty. I’ve been alone before, but… Not like that. I just… It was strange. I talked to Sage the next day and she told me it was okay. And I just kind of… Accepted it.”

I bit my lip. “I was adopted when I was eight.” I started. “My sister, Rachelle, was already six, but she doesn’t remember much of the time before I was there. She just knew it as the time before she had a sister and the time after she had a sister. I was very protective of her. I kept bullies away from her. I helped her when she was sad. I never let our father touch her.” I finished his tie and backed up, looking at the floor.

Jay lifted my head up and looked at me, concerned. “What do you mean?”

I shook my head and moved away from him. “We need to go.” I grabbed my purse off the back of a chair and left my room, heading for the door. Jay closed my bedroom door and followed behind me.

When we got outside Sage hugged Jay, then glanced at me and asked how I was feeling.

“I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt that bad anymore. The wrap is annoying, but it’s fine.” I told her.

She nodded and looked off into the distance. “Do you want to see her?” She asked quietly. I bit my lip and nodded slowly. She took my arm and guided me over to where Marina was lying on a bed of seaweed.

Her turquoise hair was decorated with small shells, and she was holding a bouquet of beautiful blue, green, and pink flowers, starfish decorated around them. Her blue and pink tail glistened in the starlight. I gently took one of her hands, being careful to not mess up the bouquet. I let one tear fall and whispered, “I’m sorry...”

Sage stood off to the distance as I put her hand back down. Jay led us away from the body so other people can go up. Sage asked Jay and I, “Do you know how this works?”

I shrugged and wiped the rest of my tears away. “I just assumed it was like a normal funeral.”

Sage shook her head. “A bit, but not really. Each type of creature has a different burial ritual. For Mermaids, they have a short showing on land, and then a group of Mermaids takes them into the ocean and gives them their final resting place. Since the facility only has one Mermaid here right now, Coral, Sierra has volunteered to go as well, since she’s a Water Elemental. And also, since we aren’t near the ocean, the Lead Researcher takes them there.”

I nodded and looked around, not wanting to look back at where Marina was lying. I saw Tadashi talking with Sierra and a girl with pink hair, who I guessed was Coral. He glanced over and smiled when he saw me looking at them. I smiled back at him and waved. He waved back, said something to the other two, and walked over to me.

“You look nice.” He said. “How are you feeling? Is your side okay?”

I smiled slightly. “The wrap is a little bothersome, but it doesn’t hurt much. You don’t look so bad yourself. Blue’s a good color on you.”

He smiled. “Thanks.” He glanced behind me and I saw Sage walking over to Corey and Jay walking somewhere else. I turned back around and bit my lip.

Tadashi put his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels before releasing a sigh. “I’m sorry, Jakki.”

I looked at him oddly. “There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

He nodded and ran his fingers through his hair. “If I was paying closer attention, you wouldn’t have gotten kidnapped. It’s my fault.”

I shook my head and rested my hand on his arm. “It wasn’t your fault, Tadashi. It’s not like you knew someone was going to kidnap me. You couldn’t have followed me into the women’s restroom, and you’d probably get punched if you tried. I shouldn’t have borrowed perfume from a random woman, anyway.” I ran my hand down his arm and took his hand without thinking. I dropped it quickly when I noticed, blushing slightly. “It’s not your fault.”

He smiled slightly. We turned over when we heard a woman talking. I saw Ryan kiss Sierra before she walked over to where the Lead Researcher, Coral, and Marina were. The woman snapped her fingers and all four of them disappeared.

“She was the Lead Researcher.” Tadashi explained. “She’s taking them to the ocean.” He looked over at me and a look of concern washed over his face. “Are you okay?”

I ran my fingers over my cheek, not realizing I started crying, and nodded. “I’m fine. It’s just...” I looked down at my shoes and sighed. “It’s not fair.”

Tadashi nodded and glanced over to where they disappeared. “It never is.”