RockStar

Chapter Eleven: Where You Come From

Opal had never known sunlight. On the first day when the first rays of the sun peeked through the light curtains, she'd hidden under the blankets and pulled one of her pillows over her head. It was too much to hope that the light would recede. Instead, it only got brighter and she was forced to cocoon herself in the blankets. Onyx had come in and mercifully drawn her curtains but didn't seem as bothered by the bright lights as her twin was.

"Your crystal star is so bright." She said once she felt she was able to reveal herself.

Startled, believing that her sister was asleep, Onyx's skin had annoying hardened and spiked at the shoulders. Holes were torn into the sleeves and the newly empowered girl could do nothing but sigh as she forced her heart to find a steadier rhythm to beat. "It's not a crystal star. It's just a star called the sun."

"The sun?" Opal asked, keeping the blanket pulled over her head as she sat up. She tried to turn her way but recoiled when she caught too much light. Her pupils contracted so quickly it hurt. Pulling the blanket over her head was the only way to get relief. "It's too bright."

The princess then lied down and proceeded to hide herself away from the world. The reluctant earth raised princess let her be for the day, knowing she needed time. Zimri had the same issue with his Shamiran house guest.

"He's stayed holed up in the linen closet like a vampire all day." He'd told her after Milo found him early in the morning. Eventually, Sorin made the adjustment and was eager to go out to experience Earth. The same couldn't be said for Opal. She sat in the dark, curtains drawn and the lights turned off. The first day, Opal didn't mind. It wasn't until the third day was on the verge of turning into the fourth that Onyx was fed up with her twin.

She was tired from dealing with her family. Asking why they haven't heard not a word from Maia. Her uncles were being particularly nosy especially Matt. He wanted to know where exactly she and her mother ran off to. Her vague answers of with her father's family on their property and handling his affairs did nothing to appease them. He couldn't understand why his sister wouldn't call anyone to tell them what was going on. Their niece's stubborn silence only served to aggravate them more. In her defense, she wasn't sure of what to tell them. Mostly it was because she wasn't sure they would believe her. Another world. Powers. The entire existence of the world weighed on her shoulders. There was a padded cell with her name written on the walls for her.

Coupled with the knowledge that Opal hadn't left her house nor her place in her living room for three days. To add insult to injury, she didn't seem to be inclined to do so either. Therefore, when she got home to see Opal asleep with candy wrappers and empty soda cans strewn over her floor near the air mattress, her eye twitched with irritation.

In silence, she moved about the space that made up her living room and threw the curtains open. The natural afternoon light flooded the space and she heard the barest hint of a groan from her sister. Turning her way, she saw that she'd curled into a tighter ball. The blanket just barely covered her blue tinted curls, but her face was completely obscured. Walking over to the air mattress, she reached out and ripped the blanket off her sister with a sing tug.

The princess flinched and reached blindly for the blanket that was no longer there. When she was forced to open her eyes, she closed them almost immediately as the brightness was all around her. "Please, the light."

Onyx didn't like bright spaces at the best of times, but she found ways to adjust. Ways she was going to teach Opal provided she was willing. "Get up."

"Onyx, please the light." Her sister bemoaned.

Her moment of pettiness gave way to pity and Onyx reached up to pull her sunglasses from her head. Upon entering her apartment, she'd perched them atop her head, held in place just barely by her purple bandana tied around her mass of silver violet hair. Moving to sit on the inflatable bed, she held the darkened lenses out to her sister. "Try these."