Fan Fiction ❯ One Destined: Past ❯ Siblings ( Prologue )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

They say a day comes when we all lose touch of what is really important in our lives. I never understood what that meant until I had it all taken away from me. Family, money, a home, friends, and a life. I really didn’t realize how different it felt to be all alone. A person left with nothing in this world. You’re probably thinking I’m crazy, and in a way, I am. But this isn’t insanity speaking, or the words of a person about to die from a mental illness, or such other things. No, this my story. Let us begin with how it turned into a hell for me when everything was taken away. It’s not a happy beginning, so don’t except anything that nice. These are mere memories of a now distant past that I wish to forget, and yet return to. Back then, maybe if I knew, things would be different from today.

I was in my room, reading a book as usual. It had pictures inside and I liked to see if I could draw them. A form of practicing if you will. More to the point, I was in my room drawing when my older brother came in. I have an older sister and brother, and a younger brother. I suppose I’m somewhere in the middle. When my brother came into my room I looked at him before returning back to drawing. He locked the door and went over to me. I only guessed that he was running away from Marlene again. I sighed and shook my head. Some things just never changed, I thought to myself.

He sat down on the bed and turned the television on, turning it straight to a show called “That 70s Show.” I smiled. I liked this show. It was funny, romantic, and just simply great. Though I didn’t understand why he watched it in my room all the time. Maybe it’s because he knew I liked it and wanted us to both see it when it came on. It didn’t really matter to me. So I stopped drawing and watched the television with my older brother.

My older brother is nice when he wants to be. He’s kind of quiet though, which makes me wonder what he’s always thinking, or if he’s thinking at all. He has messy brown hair with bangs hanging over his light blue eyes. He also light tan skin and is turning seventeen in a few more days. But he’s not very anxious as most people would be for their birthday. He was calm, at ease, and really didn’t care for that matter. He said that with every passing year it seems that life just got dimmer and dimmer. I never really understood what he meant, considering I’m only eleven.

“So what’ve you been doing all morning? ”he asked me during a commercial break.

I turned to look at him. No real interest in what I had been doing was in his eyes. “Reading and drawing, ”I answered him.

He smiled a bit before actually turning to look at me. He seemed a little dull today. More than usual really. But even so, his smile always seemed real. It was never dull. When he smiled, he smiled happily. Not a large smile, or a hardly noticeable smile, even though he did smile that way as well, but a decent smile that was just right. A lot of girls swooned over him and sometimes got into fights because of it. It was almost the only excitement I got to see, besides him and my older sister fighting. He didn’t care and said that girls fighting over him was stupid. I believed him. It’s kind of odd to have him so mature, but he’s always been that way since mom died five years ago.

I was only six when mom died, Marlene, my older sister, was ten, Max, my younger brother, was two, and Zeke, my older brother, was twelve. It was hard for us to get over since we were so young, but we managed. Ever since then he’s been the mature one in the family. Marlene’s not really that mature, but she still is. Max doesn’t remember her so he acts his age. Well, not exactly his age, but I’ll get more into that when I see him, and same goes with Marlene.

Zeke took hold of the paper I was drawing and stared at it for several minutes. I didn’t know what he was looking for in it. An answer or something? I had no clue on it. He chuckled softly and set the paper back down in front of me, a soft smile on his lips. I stared at him. “What’s so funny? ”I asked, wanting to know why he had laughed.

He stared down at me. “Your drawings are getting better, ”he told me. His voice was soft, yet dull and emotionless. “I can tell they’re getting better because you’re making less mistakes. ”

I looked down to my drawing and sighed. “Maybe, but I have a long way to be as good a drawer as you or mom. ”Mom had always been an amazing artist, as was Zeke. I believe that Zeke inherited mom’s art abilities and talents. It was amazing because he was always drawing when she was alive, and now he didn’t do it. “Why don’t you draw anymore Zeke? ”I had always been wanting to ask him that question.

He stared at me for a long time before turning back to the television and averting his eyes from my view. “It’s hard to draw now, ”he simply answer. I didn’t know what he meant. It had always come so easily to him when it came down to drawing. Maybe he meant that it was hard to draw because it reminded him of mom. If that was the issue I knew what he meant. When I drew something I always thought of mom. Since that was my guess I decided not to ask any more questions.

As the commercials ended and the show came back we heard a bang come from the door. Marlene was shouting from the other side to enter. “Zeke! You let me inside this instance, ”she shouted. “Cilia! Open this door right now! ”Cilia. That’s my name if you’re wondering who else she’s shouting at. I sighed and looked to Zeke. He scratched the back of his head and nodded, giving me an answer. So I got off the bed and walked towards the door, opening the locks as Marlene barged in.

“Your welcome? ”I said questioningly. She turned around for a quick moment saying thanks and then turning her attention back to Zeke. As I had suspected, he had been running away from her. Things never really did change.

She walked over to him and crossed her arms, glaring at him. “What did you tell Drake? ”she asked him. Drake? Who was Drake? I pondered on it for several seconds before remembering it was the boy that delivered the paper to out house. He was Marlene’s age, blond hair, green eyes, and at least five, eight in height from the last time I saw him. Marlene was five, five in height so that seemed to work out just right. But I wonder why she was so mad at Zeke. What had he done this time to anger her?

“What did you tell him? ”she asked again, this time even more stern. She didn’t have patience today and I could tell by the anger she was radiating.

He shrugged. “What does it matter? ”he asked. “It’s not like you can go out with him anyways. ”Marlene’s eyes flared with anger. But Zeke was right. No matter how badly she liked Drake, she would never be allowed to be with him. It was forbidden. Not because our father said so. No, father had left our mother when Max was born. I suppose he wanted to see Max before he left, but Zeke never forgave him. He loathed him now and blamed him for our mother’s death. No one, not even mother, could take away that rage and hatred from his heart.

“It doesn’t matter if I can’t be with him, ”Marlene shouted in his face. “I’ll find a way. Just watch me! But I want to know what you told him! So tell me! ”I looked over at Zeke, his face still dull and emotionless. Her shouting wasn’t bothering him in the least, and I think he actually found it amusing. He was a confusing person to truly understand.

Zeke looked down at her and his eyes began to grow angry. “I told him that it was useless for him to like you because you two would never be together. He was wasting his time as you are, Marlene. You are forbidden to be with someone and to walk outside these walls without a bodyguard. You are trapped. ”

Marlene looked up at him, tears beginning to shimmer in her eyes. Her hands were clutched into fists and they shook. She was so angry she was beginning to tremble. I knew she was about to yell something and Zeke did as well. “SOMESTIMES I JUST HATE YOU ZEKE! ”This came to a surprise to both of us. Not once had she ever told Zeke she hated him. She ran out of the room, tears now running down her flushed cheeks. I watched her leave and heard Zeke sit back down on the bed. I looked over at him, unsure of what he was thinking now. He was once again emotionless and dull.

“Are you okay Zeke? ”I finally asked after two minutes of silence.

He looked over at me and smiled softly, like nothing had happened. “Yes, I’m fine, ”he answered me. “Let’s finish watching today’s episode and then we’ll go eat dinner. ”I had thought he was confusing before, but now he had completely lost me. He was fighting with Marlene and now he was back to as if she had never been there. He did that often when something bad happened. He ignored it and just went on as if nothing had happened. It was confusing every time.

I agreed and sat back down on the bed beside him, watching the remainder of the show, which was twenty minutes. When the show was done with Zeke turned off the television and exited the room. I’ll go see what’s for dinner, I remember him telling me. Go tell Max. So, as he had told me, I went to go tell Max that it was dinner time.

I went down a hall to the fifth door on the right, which was the study room. I had a feeling he was in there, reading up on something that I probably wouldn’t understand. I opened the door and entered, seeing him reading on a footstool. Walking over to him he took his eyes away from the book and looked up at me, then went back to reading. I stopped in front of him. “What are you reading today? ”I asked.

“I’m reading our father’s old research, ”he answered quickly.

Same as yesterday, I thought. He had been so interested in what father had been researching that that was all he read lately. I didn’t really understand why he was interested until I asked. His research was alchemy, he explained to me. An earlier and unscientific form of chemistry, seeking to transform base metals into gold and to discover a life-prolonging elixir, a universal cure for disease, and a universal solvent. Father tried to find a cure for a rare disease known as Talus, which infected the bone, causing it to wither away. As it spread, the tissue in the body as well began to dissolve and the person would collapse from within. It wasn’t a pretty sight to see.

He was only seven now and he was quite a genius. I didn’t understand as to how he could have such an intelligence, but he did. It truly was extraordinary. Although, most of him was different. His eyes had no pigments, making them a red color that faded into white from the pupil. He also had black hair that was actually a very dark blue. He was one of the oddest in our family, but we all still loved him to the end. “Anything new? ”I asked.

He closed the book and shook his head. “Nothing at all. I can’t seem to find what father had been doing while trying to find a cure for the Talus disease. I’ve gone through almost all his book and research, but nothing has approached to a near enough answer as to what he accomplished before leaving. ”

I could see he was stressed from reading. “Well, leave the reading for later, Max. It’s time for dinner and I’m sure Zeke and Marlene are waiting for us. If not both then one or the other. ”Max set down the book and followed me out of the study room, down the hall, down the stairs, and into the dining room. There we saw Zeke, but Marlene was no where to be seen. We took our seat, and I was planning on asking where she was but Max beat me to it. “Zeke, where’s Marlene? ”Max asked, knowing full well he had done something to upset her. “I heard her shouting from the study room. Wasn’t pleasant, that’s for sure. ”

Zeke chuckled a laugh and looked to Max. “She got upset because I told the paper boy off. Nothing more, and then I merely told her the truth. ”

Max sighed. “You know she can be quite sensitive, and haven’t you heard the saying “the truth hurts?” If you did, even though I doubt it would change a thing, maybe you would have chosen your words better. But more to the point, what’s for dinner? ”Max was quick to change a subject sometimes, and since he didn’t want to get involved he changed it. Sometimes I forgot that he was just seven, even when it seemed he was just like Zeke. It was odd.

“I could go talk to her, ”I suggested. I knew they wouldn’t. Max would give a lecture on why and Zeke would just decline and tell me she would get over it. This time he thought it would be best if I talked to her. This came to a surprise to me. Zeke actually agreeing that I should talk to her. I nodded and stood, walking out of the dining room, up the stairs, and towards Marlene’s room.

I knocked on the door, calling for her to open the door. I pushed my ear into the door, hearing her sobs. She was still crying. It was useless. She wouldn’t open the door for anyone when she was crying, so why even bother to get her to open the door? I leaned up against the door and decided to talk to her through that. “Marlene, please stop crying. I know you’re upset at Zeke, but he’s only looking out for you. ”I waited for a response. Nothing, so I continued to talk. “Zeke doesn’t always say the right thing and he knows that. We all do, so please forgive him. I’m sure he feels bad, even if he won’t show it. What he did he probably did to protect you from the dangers outside. Remember that our mother did the same. She tried to protect us from the world outside, so we wouldn’t get hurt. ”

“But he took him away from me! ”I heard her reply. She continued. “Drake probably won’t ever talk to me again because of stupid Zeke! I hate Zeke so much right now that I wish he were dead! ”My heart stopped. Did she really want our bog brother to die?

“Don’t say that, ”I told her. “Think of what you are wishing for. If he were to die we lose him as we did mother. Do you really want to go through that pain again? ”I again waited for an answer and nothing came. I then heard her unlock the door and quickly stopped leaning against it and turned around. When the door opened I saw that she had cried tears on her cheeks and her eyes were puffy from crying. “Marlene. ”She shook her head.

“I don’t want to lose Zeke like we lost mom, ”she told me. I nodded.

“Then don’t wish for such horrible things to happen, ”I told her. She smiled and bent down to hug me. I hugged her back and told her that she should talk to Zeke. She agreed to do so, or maybe let it go this one time. Maybe it was for the best, she told me. Zeke is, after all, our older brother, and they look out for us. I was happy to know she was back to her normal self. She smiled and took my hand, leading me back down to the dining room. Marlene was fifteen, long light brown hair that faded into a blond color. Her hair reached a little past her waist and was in a ponytail that spiraled down. She had bangs covering her forehead with two locks behind her ears that went down to her chest. Her eyes were nice as well. They faded out from a hazel yellow to green and then to blue rims. She was a pretty girl, which I think might be the reason as to brother keeping her here as mother did. He was afraid that she would get into danger with being so beautiful.

When we got to the dining room Max and Zeke were waiting for us. When we sat down Max said it was about time. Marlene just huffed and began to eat. We were a family of children and teenagers. You now knew their appearances, but not mine. My name is Cilia. I am currently eleven years old, have medium length black hair with long bangs over my eyes and over my ears, and as well blue eyes that fade out to purple. This is my family and we are all siblings with no parents. Only maids, butlers, chefs, and such other people. They’re all very nice and we’re all a family. But truthfully, there is only I and my siblings to call a family. That is what I thought anyways. We seemed to always eat our food in silence. No one making a sound or word besides the sounds of us all eating. I suppose we had grown distant from one another, but I didn’t want to believe that. I’m only eleven, so what could I do? Max was seven and he tried, so why couldn’t I? You’re afraid, a voice say, and it was right. I was afraid of what would happen if I tried to help, when we were already so distant.