Academy of the Arcane
Apr 9, 2016 22:19:04 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2016 22:19:04 GMT -5
~ Installment One ~
Before closing her bedroom door, Elsie takes one last careful look around her room. In her mind, she says goodbye to her soft yellow down comforter, her shelf with her favorite novels that she had collected since she was a young child, the bulletin board full of drawings her father had made for her, and the family photographs of birthday parties, picnics, and holiday gatherings. In the hallway, she sees her brother Altern. At least they couldn’t take him away from her.
Did you pack a family picture? Altern’s voice echoes in her head.
How could I? They said clothes only. Elsie thinks back.
Nevermind. I packed two. Altern smiles at her.
They will probably inspect our luggage. What if you get caught?
Altern raises one eyebrow, I’ve got some good hiding places.
Altern reaches for Elsie’s hand, Don’t worry, we are going to be fine.
Even though Altern is her twin, he always acts like an older, protective brother. That might bother some sisters, but Elsie loves him with an intensity beyond this world. Altern squeezes her hand, and Elsie knows he just heard her.
Wearing faces of no emotion, they now wait on the sidewalk with their suitcases at their feet. An enormous shadow appears on the road. With barely a sound, the airship descends like a monster from the sky and hovers above the road directly in front of them. Emblazoned on its side is the government’s emblem, the all-seeing and all-knowing eye surrounded in the victor’s laurel wreath. They step up onto the landing platform and proceed through the open door. With a quiet whoosh, the door closes like a giant whale consuming its prey.
That night, Altern reaches for Elsie in his dreams. But no matter where he looks, through all the tunnels and passageways connecting their minds, she is nowhere to be found. He opens their last connection and sees their mom and dad back in their home. Their wrists are tightly bound behind their backs and dark sacks are thrown over their heads. They are being forcibly removed from the house. Although everyone seems to be moving in slow motion, he hears his mother scream as if she is right next to him. Altern wakes with a jolt. As his heart finally slows, the mystery of their parents’ disappearance two weeks ago is solved: the government.