The Secrets of the Aorta Ruins

Prologue

"Come on Zack, time to play," the small girl with reddish-brown hair was leading an even smaller boy into the backyard. The boy was small enough he was barely able to even walk on his own without his sister's help, but she patiently held his hand and helped him along. She noticed her mother, Iris, watching with a smile upon her face, until there was a knock on the front door. She disappeared into the house to answer it. It was a classmate of the girl's, who was often over to play with both children. Iris led him through the house and out the back door to join the pair already out in the yard. Iris continued watching them play while starting dinner inside the house.

"Hi Derek! Did you come to play with us too?" The girl asked. The older boy nodded, picking up two sticks off the ground and handing one to the girl and keeping one for himself. The smaller boy sat himself on the ground and the sticks quickly became swords and the children were suddenly pirates. Iris watched not understanding what they were playing despite the only barrier between her and her children being the glass door; they had entered an entirely different make-believe world of their own.

Sooner than the children would have liked, the afternoon sun began to go down and dinner was close to done. Their mother was back in the door way, now joined by their father. He opened the door, calling the trio inside. The girl dropped her "sword" and picked up her brother who was almost too big for her to carry and teetered into the house with him. She set him down once safely inside, shutting the sliding door behind Derek.

"Hello Rebecca. Please wash up for dinner. Derek, would you care to join us?" It was usually Becca's mother who extended a dinner invitation to the young girl's friend but tonight it had come from her father. She was surprised but remained quiet as she washed herself up at the sink helping Zackary do so too without being asked.

"Sure," he answered quickly, "But can I use the phone to call my mom to ask her?" It was the usual response. Iris didn't wait for the answer from Derek's mom before adding an extra plate to the table. Moments later, Derek returned sitting where the plate had been added. The meal was peaceful, each going around the table telling the rest of the family about their day. Even Derek despite not being biologically family. The only exception was Zackary due to only knowing how to baby babble. Good food was eaten, laughs were had, and eventually it was time for everyone to say good night.

Many days were spent like this, eventually blending together but even then those days began to blend even further, and the time was passing in the blink of an eye. The trio were basically inseparable except for the times when Zackary was in a different school because he was younger than his sister and her friend. Her secret power developed, her choosing to only share it with her brother and Derek. She often practiced alone, occasionally showing new things off in their games of pretend. Derek and Zackary were always impressed and encouraged her. But she couldn't hide it from everyone forever as people began to notice there was something different about the girl...