Twisted Worlds

Chapter 7

Jesse took a deep breath. She stared at the girl, Alyssa. Jesse felt like she was looking at herself in a mirror, just with blue eyes and a completely different outfit.
"Who... What..." Was all she could manage to say. Jennifire and Holly obviously noticed the resemblance in the girls, too, because Holly started fiddling with her hair and mumbling to herself and Jennifire started eating orange frosting with a deep and thoughtful look on her face. Of course, she could have just been appreciating the frosting, but you never knew with her.
Alyssa was the first to actually form a sentence after what felt like hours. "And... Who are you?"
Holly introduced herself and Jennifire. But then she looked at Jesse and have her a shy smile.
Great, Jesse thought. Just leave it up to me to... Introduce myself... Ugh.
"I'm Jesse Banner," she gave Alyssa a slight smile and held out her hand. The girl shook it for a moment and blinked.
"My last name is Banner, too," Alyssa whispered. Jesse, dumbfounded once more, did nothing but stare. Everybody did. In the corner of her eye she could see Holly and Jennifire shaking their heads to stare at either girl, as if watching a very interesting tennis match.
Could she be... Could I have a sister? A twin sister I never knew about? A million thoughts buzzed through her head, but one kept bothering her. My mother could have taken her when she left my father. Jesse opened her mouth to speak, but Alyssa beat her to it.
"We could be sisters," she suggested.
"We could," Jesse said.
"Um... If we are, then you must've been with mom and dad. Unless we both were given away. Then-"
"You didn't have mom?" Jesse asked, completely confused.
"No. I was given to a family of merpeople. But when my mother died, my father told me told me I was adopted. I was only six. And two years later he was murdered by a man named Cyrus."
Jesse exchanged a nervous look with Holly, but then looked at Alyssa as if to say continue.
"I ran. It took him three years before he could successfully capture me. Then I became his prisoner and slave for two years before I escaped."
"So your thirteen like Jesse?" Jennifire said. "And you look like reflections of each other? Definitely twins," she goofily smiled and folded her arms.
Holly smiled, then gave Alyssa a concerned look. "You escaped from Cyrus? He's the most evil man-"
"Elf," Alyssa corrected.
"Alive." Holly finished. "How could you have possibly done that?"
Alyssa smirked. "I've got skills," she said. But then she too had a concerned look. "Why? Do you, is he important?"
The girls then continued for the next ten minutes to explain, and for Jennifire to act out, everything that had happened. Alyssa nodded, her expression grim.
"That ice heart you have, Jesse. May I see it?" Alyssa asked.
Jesse was a little shocked at her words. Sure, she knew that there was a 99.99% chance Alyssa and her where twins. But Jesse didn't know if she trusted her enough with the last thing she has of her grandparents.
After a brief moment of pure awkwardness of just standing there and staring at each other, Jesse took the necklace off and handed it to Alyssa. She gently held it and looked at it carefully. After a moment she handed Jesse the necklace back.
"There's a legend, that I believe involves that exact necklace. But before I explain, I believe we should set up some sort of camp." Alyssa said.
For the first time in a while, Jesse noticed how dark it was getting. So she and Holly set up a tent (that girl really came prepared) and started a small fire.
Finally, Alyssa began to speak.
"There is a legend among the merfolk, about an ice heart. This heart belonged to a brave warrior girl who battled alongside three other warriors to defeat the most evil form of evil, Cyrus. The ice heart supposedly controlled all of Pulchritudo, and kept the warrior alive and healthy. Cyrus wanted the heart to control Pulchritudo, but the four girls kept it from him to save their world, and to save their friend," Alyssa looked at Jesse so intensely, she felt like curling up in a ball with a teddy bear. And Jesse didn't even like teddy bears.
"There is also a legend where my dad goes to another world on Christmas Eve and flies around shooting presents down there chimneys. Psh, like that's real," Jennifire snorted. "He only does that for the good side of our world."
"And your point is?" Holly asked.
"How can Jesse be a warrior? I mean, no offence Jess, but your only thirteen. And the three other warriors? Pah-lease. We're not warriors," Jennifire exclaimed.
"I mean, she has a point. How can we be warriors? How do you know the legend is based of us?" Jesse asked.
"I never said it was about you, but I think it definitely is. Brave warrior girl? You look like a brave girl to me. Three other warriors? We might not be warriors, but here's your three other people," Alyssa stood up.
"Actually, I agree with her," Holly said, standing as well.
Jennifire and Jesse looked confusingly at each other.
"Seriously?" They asked in unison. Holly nodded and Alyssa smiled.
Jesse sighed and stood up. "Okay then. I guess it's pretty serious if Holly believes." All eyes were on Jennifire.
"If this is true, we will have to "battle the most evil form of evil", guys," Jennifire quoted. "I mean, that dragon alone was horrible. Do you, do we really want this?" She asked. When nobody answered, she stood. "Alrighty then. Let's go kick evils butt."

Holly couldn't believe herself for actually believing that this legend was about her and her friends. But she did anyways, and there was no turning back.
"Right! Okay then," Holly said. "I brought a few books and my tablet, which has even more books, so I can go ahead and start studying this legend and Cyrus. Alyssa, do you think you can draw a map of, well, from here to where Cyrus kept you?"
Alyssa nodded. "Yeah, I might miss a few details, but I mostly remember."
"Jesse. That, that power you have. Do you think you can try and learn to control it?" Holly asked.
"I'd actually rather not," Jesse looked at her feet.
"Why-"
"Tell you later," Jesse cut Holly off. "I'll look around the island a little, see if I can find anything."
Holly tilted her head in confusion, but nodded. She then turned to her sister.
"And you," she said. "You... Uh..." Holly couldn't think of anything for her sister to do. She was ten years old, and Holly didn't want her to do something that might hurt her. But Jennifire smiled, and began building a sand castle.
"Good, yeah. Do that," Holly said. Holly actually didn't know where all this leader business came from, but everybody seemed okay with it. She looked at the other girls. Jesse was walking farther along the beach, and was obviously not in the mood to talk. Alyssa was humming a song and drawing the map in the sand with a stick.
Holly sighed and walked into the tent to do some research. She had forgotten about her parents and about getting home. The only thing that was on her mind was what Jesse might tell her, and about going into battle with the most evil being on her planet.
Holly was thinking about her sister's, her friends, her parents, and her own death.