The Sixteenth Summer

Chapter 11

Soon we came up on a little house that looked like any other house. It was light blue, and smallish. I'd never seen it before. I'd never been this far from my house on foot.

"How far did we walk?" I said, struggling to free my wrist from his grasp.

"Only mile or two."

We walked up to his house, and he opened the back door and pushed me in in front him.

A girl that looked exactly like Elijah was sprawled out on a light gray sofa, under a reading lamp, some new pop fiction book in her hands.

"That's my sister." Elijah said quietly.

The girl's head popped up and she smiled. She stood up and strode over to me. She was about as tall as Elijah, a lot taller than me. She was beautiful. She had large blue eyes, framed with the same black lashes Elijah has, but twice as thick. Her skin was pale, but not pasty, and her lips were full. Her hair was long and almost black, and cut in a choppy way, that suited her perfectly.She had a zebra striped bow clipped in her hair, that complimented her black shirt and dark jeans wonderfully. The only thing that was strange about her was her tatoos. They swirled about her arms and shoulders in strange celtic-like shapes, that looked like runes.

"Hi!" She said smiling, "My name is Elizabeth.Or Eliza for short. I'm Elijah's twin sister. Nice to meet you!" she beamed, sticking her hand out. I shook it shyly. I was so jealous of her. She looked like a goddess.

Elijah cleared his thoat. "Um, where's Aunt Meredith?"

"I'm not sure," She said cheerfully," But I think she's prolly already asleep. You know those old ladies."

"Liz, Aunt Meredith is 37, she's not an old lady."

She laughed, "Whatever. Don't call me Liz."

Elijah went off to find his aunt, which left me alone with his just as strange sister. I felt myself staring at her tattoos.

"Henna." She said abruptly, going back to plop back down on the couch with her book with I now saw said The Host.

"Huh?" I said staring after her for a moment, and then taking a spot next to her on the light couch.

"Henna ink. Like for temporary tattoos. They're not real." She said, looking up from her book.

"Oh," I said quietly, "Do you-"

"Wear them often? Yes, very often actually. I did these all this morming."

I looked at the complex swirling designs curling over her arms and shoulders.

"Wow. You did these yourself?"

"Mhmm!" She said cheerfully, going back to her book.

I shrugged and sat down on the couch next to her.

　

We sat there in silence for awhile while she read her book, and I nervously twiddled my thumbs.

Finally the nerve wracking awkwardness in the room was broken between Eliza and I went Elijah re-entered the room.

He cleared his throat.

"Uh Liz?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Yes dear brother?" She said, looking up from her book.

"I can't find Aunt Meredith."

Eliza swallowed and looked up at him.

"I'm sure she's just at the store, er something."

"Eliza, it's the middle of the night, I don't think-"

"I'm sure she's just at the store, or something."

She said, looking straight into Elijah's eyes. He looked away, and blinked.

"Ok. Yeah sure."

He sat down next to me.

The room suddenly felt colder.

Well that's not so strange. Some people have air conditioners that kick on when the outside temprature reaches a certain degree. But I hadn't heard an air conditioner kick on....

　

"Now," he began, " I'm sure things have been pretty strange for you recently-"

"Uhuh, yeah, you think?"

He cleared his throat.

"Well. My sister and I decided it would be nice if we offered a bit of explaination. Now, I'm going to tell you right off the bat, that you're going to have to be open minded, or this isn't going to work at all. Ok?"

"Ok..." I felt like I was in a hostage situation. I wondered if Mom was worried.

"Don't be so nervous. We aren't going to hurt you. And your mother knows your whereabouts. She's Ok with it, don't worry."

I stared at Eliza mouth agape, and the looked at Elijah.

He ran his hand through his hair.

"Let me explain. As I'm sure you've already seen, my sister and I are quite gifted. And I'm sure you're wondering what this all has to do with you."

"She is." Eliza said cheerfully.

"How do you know that?!"

"Just listen to me. Focus please."

I focused in on him.

"Certain people in our society are greater assets to humanity than others are. Also, certain people in our societies are more prone to finding themselves in danger more often than not. You, have proven to be both."

"How do you know?"

"We don't," Eliza started, "But the people above us do. So we've been assigned to protect you."

"Whoa whoa whoa," I stood up, "What? This doesn't make any sense. So, I'm like some chosen one, and you guys are like my Men in Black, super protecters or something? Yeah right. No way I'm that big of a deal, I failed Geometry last semester."

"Just listen. Not even you know it yet, but you are very important to the survial of our society and yours. Perhaps the most important task ever assigned to one our kind. We are your Gaurdians, and we have been assigned to preserve your life at all costs. There are forces greater than you, greater than your entire world, working to destroy you right now, and if you aren't prepared, it's going to happen. So, we have been sent here to make sure you are prepared. And I'm going to tell you right now, that house you went into, is not a house, and it is using your sense of adventure to lure you in so you can be destroyed. And it's not the first thing that's tried to destroy you and it will not be the last. So, Annabelle Kenne, you have to trust me now, or there will be nothing to prevent the termination of your world and mine."

My head spun. I felt faint.

"I don't-"

And that's when the lights went out.

"Annabelle!"

I came to a few seconds later, and Elijah was hovering over me, checking my pulse at my wrist and what not.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," I said waving him off.

He offered me his hand and helped me stand up.

I sat down on the couch, head in my hands.

"Ok, so supposing this is all true, and I am to save my world and yours, whatever that may be, what exactly am I saving it from in the first place?"

"The Corporation. They're trying to destroy everyone like... My sister and I."

"What, are you guys like X-men or something?"

He smiled and looked off to the side, "I suppose so. Something of that nature."

"Then why do you need my help?"

"You're more gifted than you know," purred Eliza.

"So. You guys are Gaurdian Angels, right? And I'm...like  John Connor or something?"

Elijah smiled weakly. "Something like that."