Saint Joseph School

"Cold"

This, this is weird. I thought to myself as I walked down the corridor. I’m sure this is where the mission was located, this isn’t a trap. I hope it isn’t.

“Stay on your guard Mira.” Shanoria warned.

“Of course, this is me we are talking about.” I boasted as I turned on the life force shroud.

“Yea…that’s why I am warning you, again.”

Still something did not feel right as I walked down the long dark hallway, the only presence of light was the fluorescents on the ceiling that flickered off and on somewhat trying to make up their minds if they wanted to stay on or not. That wasn’t all that made this whole situation weird though. It was the way that I went down the hallway, I could hear my footsteps echoing off the floor, but I didn’t feel them touch. Not only that, but the farther I moved, the more the hallway seemed to extend, I rub my eyes, thinking that it was just me and maybe I had been a little fatigued since I did just fight a group of werewolves about 10 minutes ago. Oh, and let’s not even talk about this creepy ass fog that seemed to linger.

“Can this get anymore B movie” I said aloud, my voice echoing as it projected.

“Mirage” a faint yet familiar voice whispered, catching my total attention.

“I guess it can.” I whispered rolling my eyes.

“Mirage” the voice grew, seemingly, behind me.

Spinning around I turned to catch whatever it was, but nothing was there. Fear gripped me, sending multiple icy chills down my spine. “What the hell is going on?” I thought, I was even half way tempted to say stop playing games, this isn’t funny anymore. Instead, I just called for my comfort.

“Shanoria?” No answer…

“Sha?” I whispered, still no answer. Warmth came over my body as my heart began to speed up beating uncontrollably.

“Why won’t you answer me?”

“Rae.” This time I felt the voice enter into my ear, causing an eerie tingle and the hairs on my neck to rise. I stood there shocked; it had been two years since I heard this voice. Two years and the last time I heard it was in 2022…not 2008. This was getting weird; I hadn’t run into HER on this mission had I?

“No way!?” my voice crept forward in a breathless whisper.

“It can’t be.” I continued, turning around as my voice trembled.

“Mom?” gasping for air, I tried not to hyper ventilate and pass out. There she was, right in front of me.

“Mommy!?” I said again, as I opened my arms and proceeded to hug her.

“I thought you were…” “How did you get to-” Interrupting me she threw her hand forward, forbidding me from coming any closer.

“Stay where you are rae.” The voice vaguely spoke.

“What, why…Mom, please, let me-“

“Shut up”

This wasn’t quite my idea of happiness, or a warm welcome for that matter. I didn’t know what to do. My mother seemed like she wanted nothing to do with me. So instead bringing my arms back down to my side, of course hurt, I just looked at her. Reminiscing the times I had spent with her, back when things were better. Maybe she had turned just like dad, maybe she was my mission. But, she was supposed to be dead, and not in this time. She was still as beautiful as I remembered, I always wanted to grow up and look like her. She had beautiful blue hair that fell just short of her neck, not even half an inch from her shoulders, some of it banged over, covering her right eye. Her skin sky blue, way lighter than my own, and her eyes…so blue, it was like looking into the deepest part of the ocean. Mom, I have missed you so much, I thought as I looked into her eyes.

“Mom, I’ve missed you so much.” I said as a smile broke across my face.

She looked back at me as her lips smirked in disbelief. “You sure as hell don’t act like it”

“What!?” I answered shocked at her comment.

In the blink of an eye she was face to face with me her hands gripped tight on me, holding me in place. Oh, she didn’t lose an inkling of speed, not one bit. This strength though, that was new, I couldn’t move at all.

“You’re hurting me” I said in hopes that maybe she would let me go. She said nothing, she just looked at me.

“Complete your mission, find your father and I…change this grim future.” She spoke.

As I breathed I could see my breath leaving my mouth…it was getting cold.

“Mom…your freezing my arms, stop it…please!” I cried as I felt tears leave my eyes, but, I felt them freeze before they made it midway down my cheek.

“You have already failed in keeping him from your sister” She protested as her voice began to gain this ghostly echo, similar to Shanoria’s voice, the high and low tone.

I began to hyper ventilate as fear swept me again and my body grew colder and colder.

“Do not…fail…ME!” she screamed.

I regained what little bit of breath I had, and screamed back “LET…ME…GO!”

“OOO” I jumped up in my bed breathing hard. I looked over to Kierin and Alex’s area. Good, I hadn’t waked them.

Slowly I pulled the comforter from over my legs, exiting the bed. I walked slowly to the bathroom, examining the area, making sure that I was where I thought I was. When I got to my area, I turned on the light and closed the door, walking over to the sink I exhaled.

“God…” placing my hands on the sink to prop myself up, I exhaled again.

“What was that?” With my right hand I turned on the water, bending down to get closer to the faucet I let the water pour into both of my hands and I threw it into my face. Rubbing my eyes to wake myself up, I filled my hands with water and did it all over again.

“So weird….” I said propping myself back up on the sink, still looking down as the warm water ran down my face, now a chilling touch to it as the cold air hit my face.

“Mom, I don’t want you to think that I am putting you off, I am looking…you and dad are just, too hard to just happen to run into…Besides.” I say, looking up into the mirror.

“What am I supposed to say when I see one of you, Hey, I’m your daughter, Mirage…I’m from the future, and yea…I can see the outcome of that one.” I close my eyes.

“I’m sorry Mom, I’ll work harder.” I whisper, “I’ll keep looking, I will find you.”

“What about me?” I hear a chilling voice echo, “You forgot all about your twin huh, some sister you are.”

“What!?” I say, looking back up into the mirror. My image in the mirror slowly changes to the image of Orchid, as my hair shortens to the length of hers.

“What the F*@#?” I say as I try to back away from the sink, but I can’t move.

“Did you forget all about me Mirage, and here I was, working to try to get back to you to help you.” She looks at me, pure evil intent set on her face.

“No, Orchid…I didn’t forget about you, the tracker isn’t working.” I replied

“Well, fix it.” she snapped.

“I don’t know how.” “I’m trying, I’m trying.” I say as the emotions rush to me again.

Orchid sneers at me, and reaches through the Mirror grabbing me by the throat, grabbing her wrist with both hands, I gag for air, thinking, this is bullshit.

“Suck up the freakin’ tears Mirage, I don’t want water works, I want solution…fix the tracker, and come for me. IF I find you before you find me…”

She pulls me closer to the mirror as her head exits it, “consider, our sisterly relationship over…I, will, kill you.”

I continue to gasp for air as a tear finally streaks down my cheek, hurt and anger filling my heart, how I could take that, a death threat, from my sister, someone that I looked up to. As the thoughts rushed my mind, she clinched harder on my throat.

She whispers, “Wake up Mirage.”

I jump up in my bed gagging for air and coughing. My hands around my throat, continuing the cough, I regain my composure, slowing down my breaths and the coughs to catch my breath. Slowly I take deep breaths, this time not even looking over to my quad-mates areas, just looking at my clock that sat on the desk beside my bed; it read 2:13am. The image becomes watery as I lay back down.

“2:13, September 1st 2008…welcome to the world Orchid and Mirage.” I whisper trying not to wake my quad-mates “You have one helluva trip ahead of you.”

"Eventually It Gets Out"


Mirage laid there unnerved, expressions on her face displaying that of relentless torment. It was happening again, the nightmares, they were never ending as she tossed and turned, her purple highlighted hair spread wildly across her pillow, her face lit in moonlight as it beamed through the window. Relentless torment; beads of sweat pouring, gripping her comforter she let out a muffled moan, tossing to her left.

“No!” she let escape throwing herself back into the opposite direction, tears and sweat pouring together as her facial expressions altered continuing to change.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buildings burned, as clusters of people ran for cover, parents separated from their children and the same for the latter. Turmoil, as war spread out across this city that seemed so familiar, and in the same aspect different. Had this been, her present, her…home, she looked around as orange and red danced around the city, with highlights of black armor accented in red. The same symbol of “now” and “then” burning into her retina, and once again her memory; the red spider.

“No, this can’t be.” How could I be here, in this time? Looking around I tried to brush it off as a dream, but it was hard to do that when it all seemed so real. My nerves jerked in my arm as it shot remnants of pain to my brain, bringing it to my chest and grabbing hold to apply pressure to the wound, I notice amber bolts streak by. Was I being shot at?

“On the ground now” The soldier yelled out as he quickly moved into my direction, the black armor he wore, reflected the orange flames that swallowed the building behind him, his weapon at the ready, placed into the pocket of his right soldier, the barrel leveled off at my face.

Fear and reflex taking over, throwing my hands into the air, my eyes wide, I dropped to my knees as he moved in closer. “Please, I…what’s going on?”

“Shut-up.” He yelled out, hate and distaste in his voice.

My lips stayed sealed as I thought, here, right on the corner of this intersection, this curb was about to be my own personal canvas. The barrel of his weapon met my forehead; I could tell that he had expended more than enough rounds as my skin felt piercing heat as it touched, it was almost cold, my face frowning in pain, squeezing my eyes shut. This was it.

This took longer than expected, two seconds was way too long to still be alive with an automatic rifle pointed at my head. Opening my right eye to survey my surroundings, I noticed that the soldier was still there, just not encompassed in black and red, but in deep blue as he sparkled in the night air, his icy coffin reflecting the flames and moonlight.

“What?” quickly opening my other eye, I jumped back, landing on my ass as I scooted myself away from the treat and towards the building behind me. Well, what was left of it.

“You ok Rae?” I shuttered as I heard the soft feminine voice, covered in anxiousness. It sounded as though, she was use to this.

“Yea, I’m fine.” I spoke, knowing that deep down I wanted to say, hell no, I was 1.1 seconds away from becoming this buildings’ new mural. Instead, I rose to my feet and just said that I was fine, looking around the frozen block of soldier to see, her.

“That’s my girl.” I smiled at her statement. There she stood, my mom…Gina Reign A.K.A. Frost. Extending her hand forward to finish helping me from the ground, she smiled. Her metallic silver armor, somewhat glistened under the stars, even the flames added a slight radiance as the suit sucked up its surrounds, somewhat camouflaging itself. Her smile quickly shifted as she saw my eyes widen.

“Mom behind you!”

She turned to meet the pursuing soldier, who was met shortly by an energy bolt, flying through the air he passed over another, who was fighting off another soldier. She ended her combo back flipping to kick the soldier in the face. Upon landing she launched herself towards my mother and me, followed by the other rescuer.

“You ok mom?” the raspy voiced female asked, unmasking herself to reveal her identity, her purple hair fell from under the helmet, down past her shoulders, strands falling over her left eye, where she had a red star. Moving her hair out of her face and behind her ear, she smiled.

“A little longer and you would have been too late sis.” The younger voice said, pressing a button at the top of his chest causing his helmet to retract. The same red star over his left eye, skin as blue as my own, instead having black hair that was cute short, falling right under his ear.

“Well I’m glad you two were near.”

Orchid, I said to myself, you look so young, and looking over to my brother I thought what’s going on. Aaron, you should be dead. My mother turned back around to face me, this time, without a smile on her face, this time it was dressed in concern. Déjà vu, I thought, this is too familiar, looking down at my hands and catching an overall look over myself, I was 14 again.

“You shouldn’t be here Rae.” My mother said concern on her voice, she was worried about me, and that was obvious, this sure wasn’t the rosy scene, with the white picket fence and a puppy running in the yard, it was total mayhem.

“Yea sapphy, we can’t have a non-super powered META getting in the way.” She said teasing me. It was the usual from her when we were younger, and from the looks of our sudden appearance, we WERE young…again.

“Leave her alone Orchy.” My younger brother spoke up, he was always there to give Orchid an energy filled slap in the face when I needed him to.

I was reliving my past, not just any day though, the worse day in my history, the day that I lost everything, the day that my world turned upside down, this time, for the second time.

“I can help!” I heard a voice shout out, it was me…but, I wasn’t intending to say anything, I didn’t even move my lips to say anything.

“I have the Shadow Demons power now, we can help you!” my younger voice shouted out. What the hell was going on, this is not me, I am not saying this, and I am not doing this, then again I am. I’m inside my mind yelling stop, but my lips are…their, reliving the past.

“You can’t help us here, you need to go and find safety.” My mother reiterated, placing a hand on my shoulder in an off lands way of trying to comfort me.

I couldn’t be comforted, I was about to see my mom and brother die for the second time. She smiled at me, and then was abruptly snatched and thrown away from me, and as she flew through the air HE sent an energy pulse at her, which eventually, went through her. My eyes widened in terror as she fell from the sky, tears quickly filling my eyes, blinding me, it was happening, all over again. I looked over to Orchid and tried to warn her to watch out, as she was kicked in the stomach, and sent into a car that was halfway lit on fire. My brother pressed the button on his chest to release his helmet so that it covered him again, shortly after sending four energy bolts into the back of the warrior as he yelled in anger, causing him to drop to his knee. Freezing his fists over, he ran towards him raising his right fist into the air to come down across the enemies’ head, only to be met with a glowing fist piercing through his armor, and coming out the other side. Pieces of his armor breaking off and flying through the air, he lay on HIS arm, lifeless. Hellz Reign looked over to me, throwing my brother, his son, off to the side as though he was worth nothing.

Wiping his hands off on his armor, he slowly approached me, a sinister grin creeping across his face, his eyes white, and his fangs longer than normal. He was my dad, but…he looked nothing like he did before all of this. Dropping to my knees in fear I just looked up at him, shaking in shock, I couldn’t protect myself, not the way my family did. I was just too damn scared. He stopped about a foot away from me, causing me to look up at him. Reaching down to me, he grabbed me by the collar and slowly drug me up the wall until my feet left the ground. Use her power; use her power, that’s all I could tell myself, but nothing. Fear over gripping me, as he held me there laughing.

“You are so weak Rae, everyone can fight, but you, a disgrace…and you know you are. Imagine, what you could of done if you would of just used Shanoria’s power.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jumping up gasping for air, as tears and sweat launched off my face, I met Alex, who was standing at the edge of my bed, as though she were there trying to wake me out of that hellacious nightmare. I threw my hands over my eyes and began to cry, not a sobbing a cry, just a soft one, almost asking, why do I keep having these. Alex placed her hand on my shoulder.

“Are you ok Mirage?” She asked, I didn’t mean to wake her, I wanted her to go back to sleep, interrupting her sleep that wasn’t in my game plan, then again, having a nightmare about this shit again wasn’t either.

“I’m ok Alex” I lied, ok…that’s not even the in ballpark of how I’m feeling now. Maybe hurt, angry, and vengeful…yea, that sounds better.

“Go back to sleep, I’m sorry for waking you.” I looked up at her and tried to press out a smile, which hurt me even more. I was lying to her, and all she was doing was checking on my well being. She looked at me and spread her arms.

“You sure, you look like you need a hug.” She caused me to actually smile, that’s Alex for you. Opening my arms I lend over to hug her, whispering thank you.

“You’re Welcome, oh and when you’re ready to talk, I’m here…just so you know, every time you’ve had a nightmare, I woke up.” She looked at me, and then walked back over to her bed, rubbing my back before she left me.

“So, you know what it’s about.” I asked

“Yea…I do.” She answered and lay down in her bed.

Maybe, it’s about time I talk to her, maybe talking about all of this will release it from my sub-conscious, because meditating about it only puts me into day-time nightmares. I would talk to her, but it would have to wait. Looking over at the clock I noticed the time, it was 4:30am and I didn’t have class until 8, might as well get the aggression off with some time at the gym.

"Poetry"


Shadowed in it
Nothing can alter it
It flows
Simply, consistently like a river
A pebble cast there can interfere its path
But only for a while
In time, it mends itself
Following its normal routine
Setting to its original way
Stirred up it was, altered it wasn’t
Nor was it prolonged
Its path it will follow
Setting forward its yoke is hollow
It’s the true bringer of grief
Its change uncanny
Nothing amends it, and it amends everything
Try hard if you try
To change yours
But at birth it’s dealt
In your hand the cards are held
How you play won’t matter
In the end it’s the winner
For the deck is set
And the setter is
…fate

Tapping her pen against the note pad she looked up into the clouds, closing her eyes to take in the smell of the grass, being blown in the breeze, licking against her face like cold silk; relaxing. The rustle of leaves from the tree she is sitting against caressing her ear, causing a more bliss environment that she dissolves into.

She had been there, sitting in that spot for the past 3 hours; staying wide awake all night, she chose not to close her eyes again. Another nightmare had come to her, waking her up at midnight this time, this dream was different from the others, not as horrid; it was more, mocking, as people that meant a lot to her told her that changing fate wouldn’t change it, but only prolong it.

Opening her eyes she let the sun bathe in them, the picture she saw was the sun breaking over the city line, it was rising. Looking at her watch she breathed in slightly, closing the notepad, she brought it to her chest gripping it tight, biting on the end of the pen that she had placed into her mouth; she heard a voice slide itself into her ear.

“Why didn’t you come back to the room?” the concerned voice asked. It was Alex, and she was leaning against the tree on the other side. Her hands in her pocket and her head turned listening, waiting for Mirage to answer.

Stretching her legs out Mirage leaned back against the tree, putting the notepad down on her thigh. A grin came across her face, it was different, the thought that someone cared again. It was a feeling that Mira hadn’t got in a while, well not from another person. Removing her glasses she rubbed her eyes, the smile still painted on her face.

“It happened again.” She explained, Alex knew the situation, they were supposed to talk, but didn’t. Mirage just didn’t find the time to let down the 25 foot brick wall that she had built in front of her feelings. This time, there was no where that she could go, and she would have to let it down; she continued, telling Alex that sleeping wasn’t in her best interest, this dream was something different, and even though it wasn’t as terrifying, it made her wonder, think more about what it was that she was doing, and if it would change anything at all. At least that’s how the dreams made her feel.

“It made me feel like everything I was doing was wrong, like there was no resolve to my actions.” She continued, letting it all pour out, a tear rolling down her face; she quickly wiped it away, and let out a hesitant laugh. Asking Alex if what she was doing was right, and what should she do; she was no longer in control and she was confused.

Alex stood on the other side of the tree, turning to walk around it to meet Mirage. Arriving on the other side, in front of her, she sat down. Looking at Mirage she smiled, reaching out her hand to grab hers, and she explained; stating that it’s all on how she feels about it, does she feel that she is doing the right thing, or does she feel that what she is doing wont do anything.

“I’m sure what you're doing will change something, maybe it will make things right, you just can’t give up.” The words coming to Mirage like a warmth, she knew that she was right, and realizing she knew that the dream was her sub-conscious, telling her that what she was doing was wrong, because deep down that was how she felt, she felt that she wouldn’t change anything, and that when it was time for her to go home, things would be the same; or even different for that matter, but different to a point where she, herself, would be written out.

Mirage looked up at Alex and smiled, Alex smiling back. Mira knew that she had gained a friend, and that she would be there anytime that she needed her, and it was a good feeling. She helped her, and she was grateful. The bad dreams might not stop but at least she had an answer to this one, one she was pleased with. She couldn’t say the same for the others. But, she was sure that in time, they would answer themselves, and one day, hopefully, she would have one night of peaceful sleep.

“So, what’s this?” Alex quirked, changing the subject as she pointed down to the purple dairy looking notepad that Mira had placed on her lap. She had saw her writing in it earlier as she was walking up, but she didn’t want to just intrude on it, so asking was her way of figuring it out.

“It’s, like…my journal, kind of” she halfway answered “I write in it when things are bothering me, but I may write, just quick inserts, poems, or maybe even just an angry rant, all depends”

“Oh…but I thought you boxed to clear your mind, or meditated or something?” Alex asked

“I do, but…this is peaceful.” Handing the book over to Alex, she tells her that she can read the latest entry, the poem that she had just finished, more or less it was about the dream she had, which were the feelings that actually made her feel the way that she did, they were the feelings that lay dormant in her sub-conscious, the ones that bothered her, telling her that she would fail.

Alex read over the poem, and in certain spots looked up towards Mirage her face shifting in different expression. Mira had hoped that she would get it, or even that she would like it, because honestly, she didn’t too much like it herself. Alex closed the book, placing her hand on it, looking at Mirage.

“So, you believe in fate?” The question sort of made Mirage get uncomfortable, changing the way she was sitting she figured it would help.

“Yea, that and Karma.” She proclaimed “Faith also”, she let out in a whisper.

“Faith?” Alex questioned, “Really…because you seem to lack in that area.”

Looking up at Alex, Mira wanted to leave; she knew Alex was right, faith was something that she didn’t have, that’s why she was having the nightmare. Her face shifted to the truth, even though she knew Alex was right she didn’t want to hear it, so instead she turned away, sighed, and began to get up. Alex stopped her, placing her hand on her knee.

“Look I’m not trying to be mean to you, but if you have faith…why are you worried about failing.” Mirage went to sit back down after Alex finished her statement, right again, She thought looking at the girl across from her. Do I have this written on my forehead she thought as she wiped at it nonchalantly.

“Everything will be ok Mira.” That was the first time anyone other than Shanoria called her that, it made her grin as she looked at Alex. She looked down at her watch and laughed out loud.

“What?”

“I’ve been out here for a while…and class starts in about two and a half hours, I’m gonna go and shower.”

“Ok” Alex got up from the grass that had been her seat, extending her hand out to give Mirage some assistance in getting up. Grabbing her hand Mira brought herself to her feet, Alex handing her book back, opening her arms to offer a hug. Mirage smiled and hugged her whispering the words thank you, once again.

“It’s nothing, that’s what friends are for” she exclaimed as they both turned to the quad and began to walk in its direction.

"Reality Check"


I sat in the separate chair beside my sister, it was leather, and extremely comfortable as it casually wrapped itself around me. The room had warmth to it, as the smell of apple cinnamon blended itself into the natural air of the office, giving it a crisp relaxed atmosphere.

The small plastic shrubs in the corners of the office gave the room a homely feeling, almost taking away from the fact that we were sitting in a Psychiatrist’s office waiting area.

“A shrink huh” Orchid broke the silence, shattering my blissful state. She looked over to me with a cheeky grin, her eyes closed from the pressed smile she wore. “I was wondering when you were gonna finally break.”

“Oh whatever” I snapped back, tapping my thumb across the helmet that sat in my lap. “You know why we’re here,” I looked at her, sucking my teeth at her goofy smile. “It has nothing to do with me.”

“I know baby sis, I just had to mess with you a bit” She turned back, putting her helmet on the arm of her chair. “Mrs. Arlene should be able to tell us what all we need to do when we go back.”

“Yea” I sighed, then looked over to Orchid in hopes that she would give me some sort of comfort that she wasn’t nervous…because I was nervous as hell. “You nervous sis?”

“Nervous?” She asked with a smirked, “Now when the hell have you ever known me to be nervous? Don’t be a punk Mirage.”

She tried her big talk, but I knew better. She was my sister, and reading between her bullshit was what I did best. I sat there and looked at her after she answered my question; she shuddered a little, and played around with her thumbs. Pulling on either one with the opposite hand, then she’d pinch herself when she noticed herself pulling her thumbs and frown up in pain; a bad habit that she had when she was nervous. Why couldn’t she just bit her bottom lip like me, or her nails like a normal person, she had to put herself in some sort of pain.

I smiled as I turned away from her, she was nervous and no matter how much she tried to blow steam, she wouldn’t convince me otherwise. “Hmm, ok Orchy.” I said teasingly.

“Shut the Fu-“

“Girls, she’ll see you now.” The mild voiced secretary called from behind us, interrupting Orchid’s vulgar language, a second later she would have heard my 16 year old sister drop the F-bomb.

We both turned our heads to look at her. She looked at us with a smile “Come with me, ladies”

“Yes ma’am” we both lightly said in unison. Twins…we did that sometimes, and we loved it when we freaked people out while doing it.

We both got out our seats, and walked down the make-shift isle towards the door. The lady turned and led us out the door. She looked about early 20’s; she was probably Mrs. Arlenes’ intern.

She pointed towards a door with an opaque glass window covering half of the top of it; it had the name Dr. Monica Arlene, written across it in black. “There you go, she’s waiting. Hope, you two get things straight.” She said with a warm smile.

Orchid and I looked at one another then she reached for the door knob turning it to open. The office was very relaxed; the mild light gave off a temperate ambiance. It also smelled the same as the waiting area. We both walked in to Mrs. Arlene standing mid floor with her arms crossed. She was in her early 40’s to say the least, and she had a very nice tan. Honestly she could pass for someone in their mid to late 20’s, but that probably would be from her power. No one really knew how old she was, not even my mom, and they were good friends.

“Orchid, Mirage, it is so nice to see you girls.” She said coming to us with her arms spread, wrapping them around me first then following up hugging Orchid behind me. We hadn’t seen Mrs. Arlene since the tragedy. It was good to finally see a familiar face other than my sisters.

“I haven’t seen you since…” She ended her statement looking down at the floor. I knew what she was about to say, and I could see the hurt as it crossed her face. “Well, it’s just finally good to see you two. So, how are things?” She said looking down at our hands. Orchid and I both had our helmets in our right hands. “How’d you get here?” She asked in a concerned, stern manner.

“Um-“

“On our Sky cycles,” Orchid spoke up, interrupting my nervous stammer.

“Sky cycles? I remember when your dad taught you two how to ride those things.” She giggled slightly “Your mother wanted to deep freeze him for that.”

Orchid and I looked at one another and laughed. We had remembered that also, it was a fun day for us, soaring through the clouds, riding on our dad’s Sky cycle. It wasn’t such a good day for him though when mom got home and saw the scar on my leg.

“Yea, I remember that.”

“She was gonna make dad popsicles” Orchid laughed, “Wish she would of did it.” She finished in a hated tone. I looked at her and shook my head. She’s hated dad since that day, deep down I had my hate for him too, but he was our father. I’d rather try to help him first, if I could. Rather than do what Orchid wanted to do, which was kill him.

A smile crossed her face as she put a stray strand of auburn hair behind her ear, so it wouldn’t obstruct her view through her glasses. “Well I have news.” She looked over to me, her eyes glistened, I could tell what she was about say and I felt a ray of hope rise up in me. She knew where they were.

“Well, your parents. After hard research, I found out a lot more about them. You know the things that you didn’t know.” Orchid and I shook our heads in conformity to her words. “Take a seat,” she said pointing to the two leather chairs sitting in front of her desk, “it’s a lot of information, but I made two separate files for the both of you.”

Orchid and I walked over to the chairs as she followed, finishing her explanation. We looked down at the table in front of us and there were two manila folders laid there, open. The first page had a picture of my mother. She looked so young; she must have been 16 in this picture.

Mrs. Arlene smiled “That’s your mom, Gina Frost. She said with a ring in her voice “That was before she dawned the mantle of a cape, back when she was still in high school. It’s her year book picture actually.”

Orchid and I both picked up the file as we sat down, damn near synchronized. I mean I got the whole twin-link thing but sometimes how unified we were freaked the hell out of me.

“Mom was hot!” Orchid said with a laugh, “but I wouldn’t have been caught dead wearing that uniform.”

I chuckled at her stupidity; she can make some of the weirdest statements sometimes. “What’s that on her pocket, SJS?” I asked looking up to the woman in front of me, hoping for an answer.

“Yea, that’s what it says, SJS, Saint Josephs School.”

“Isn’t that the Meta boarding school right up the way?” Orchid asked, finally breaking her eyes from our “Hot” momma.

“Yea, it is…but this was a long time ago, this was 1999.”

Orchid and I shrieked at the year. Holy crap moms old, I was hoping that we didn’t have to go back to that year, that would so suck. I looked over at Orchid who was counting her fingers.

“So, that means mom was 39 when she died.” She looked so lost, I didn’t want to embarrass her but I had to.

“No duh Orchid, for a minute there I thought you were gonna take of your boots.”

I smiled as she looked at me; she rolled her eyes and looked back at Mrs. Arlene. Oh, I knew she was gonna get me back when we got back home.

“So, she went to SJS?” She asked.

“Yea, she was there from 7th grade to her senior year. She had a pretty good GPA too, 3.6.”

“Orchid must have got her smarts from Dad.”

“Shut your mouth bastard child.” She lashed out.

“Were twins Orchid.”

She exhaled with a grunt as her cheeks turned a deep purple. Ok, I’m gonna stop now before she kicks me or something.

Mrs. Arlene finished off her statement choking back her laughter, “well her parents sent her there when she got older; they researched the school and found it. As you should know your mom is originally from Florida, Miami to be exact. There’s not too much hiding you can do when you make it snow in the summer.”

“Mom must have had some high-level powers at a young age.” I said looking over to Orchid.

“Yea, that’s something you definitely didn’t get from her,” she said with a winning grin.

“Whatever,” I mumbled, looking through the rest of the pages, “what about dad?”

“Oh, your father. He went to the school too, he actually got there around the same time that your mother did.”

Orchid and I looked up at Mrs. Arlene at the same time, and I’m sure if we had personal animations a light-bulb would have appeared over both of our heads.

“So, that’s where they met?” We both asked at the same time. We had finally found some good solid evidence on where we could go to meet our parents before our dad decided to jump ship. It definitely made me feel good, I also felt that I would more than likely have to remind Orchid not to kill dad back then, because if she did, she’d kill us.

“Yea that’s where they met,” she finished. “They were high school sweethearts.” Orchid and I caught eyes again, I’m sure that we were thinking the same thing. It seemed like our parents had been together for a while, and obviously it wasn’t just something random. It was as though fate tied them together, giving them both powers, sending them both to the same school, running the two into one another. So if all the cards were stacked in their favor, how could something so horrible happen.

“There’s a nun that works at the church, she’s family to your dad.” Orchid and I turned our eyes to Mrs. Arlene; her words actually put some excitement into us. As far as family on our dads’ side, there wasn’t any.

“She’s only family because her sister was the one who found him when he was a baby, later she became his legal guardian. That’s how he got to the school.

“Found him when he was a baby….what?”

“Read the files,” she urged, pointing at them as Orchid and I held them in our arms. “Before you leave, study it, learn about your parents. The time you have to go to is 2008. Both of you will have to enroll into the school.” She handed something to use and smiled, “find me…and give that to me, my father was responsible for the RIFT project. I’ll get you enrolled into Saint Josephs.”

“Won’t that jack up some type of space time continuum or something” Orchid asked, I actually had to take a second look at her. Sometimes it was hard to figure out how she was so horrible in math, but if you put the blue prints for a proton stabilizer in front of her she could build it from scratch from the floor up.

“It’ll be ok, I sent Orchid the blue prints to a device that will erase memories, when you leave, erase mines.” We both shook our heads. “Find the nun; she’ll be the best way to get to your parents.”

Snapping my eyes open I inhaled. That’s it, that’s what I forgot, I jumped out of my lotus and ran towards my closet. “It has to be in here, I know I didn’t forget it, please tell me I didn’t leave it at the apartment.” I mumbled to myself as I threw clothes over my shoulder and behind me as I tore out my closet trying to get to my document bag.

There it was, its leather shining slightly from the light in the closet. I opened it taking out the manila folder to open it once again, for the first time since coming to the past. The whole time I was here I forgot my main objective, and that was why things were so hard. Why I kept having the nightmares. I got complacent, and being in this time made me forget what I was here to do.

I had to find that nun.