Writing Prompts I Found

5: Gods

The gods live for 1000 years before they're reincarnated as humans. The gods always seem to be born within the same generation of each other so that they age together. They live until puberty, when their past lives are returned to them. Then they bid their mortal lives goodbye and return to their palace far away to take up their godly duties. They then die after another thousand years and the cycle continues. The gods could live with each other their entire childhood and never know it.

Another thousand years has past and the gods are dying. With all the people in the world, it is very rare for any of them to become siblings in their next life. But, Choas and Peace, two gods who've hated each other throughout all their lives, being massive rivals during their days as gods, seemed to fall on such luck. In fact, it was stepped up a notch.

...

"It's a girl!"

Peace was the first to be born. Her chocolate skin messy from birth as she shrieked with life. Her scalp was covered with dark strands of hair, her dark eyes squeezed shut. She was quickly placed on her mother, who held her close instantly. She settled quickly as she curled against her mother, but didn't seem to notice her mother crying out in response to a new birth.

The doctor didn't announce the gender of this baby.

Choas was dead silent coming into the world. In the form of an infant female, she was limp, barely clinging to life. The doctors rushed her off, the mother of the two girls weeping as she yearned for her second newborn.

Peace was named Estelle. She was claimed perfectly healthy, quickly swaddled and kept close to her mother. Chaos was named Astrid, even if neither of her parents had gotten to even look at her yet before she was rushed to the NICU.

Estelle soaked up the love she received. Her father spent more time cuddling and cooing over her while her mother pestered the nurses with questions of her second born. Every so often she was able to visit. For some reason, her father never wanted to.

Astrid, being the reincarnation of a god, thrived fairly well for such a small infant, but didn't seem to improve for a long time. Estelle whined whenever they were in the room together, Astrid feebly attempting to do the same. They clearly yearned to be together. Eventually their mother requested for Estelle to go with her. It wasn't allowed since they feared Estelle might pass something on to her weaker sister, but their mother somehow managed to sneak them in anyway. She placed the two in the same incubator, the two quickly cuddling together despite all the wires that made it an uncomfy hug. But a week or so later, Astrid was placed with her mom along with her sister, a perfect bill of health.

Though it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. When their father saw Astrid, he was furious.

Astrid looked nothing like her sister, only sharing their dark brown eyes. Her hair seemed to be near orange from the looks of it, having milky skin to go with it. They were pure opposites. Therefore, the father assumed neither were his children. And no promise or DNA test proved him otherwise.

The girls were taken home, not long after Astrid was discharged from the NICU. Their father left not long after they got home, the nights before filled with screams and cries from downstairs. Estelle squirmed and wailed in her cradle, clearly troubled by the misery in the air whenever these fights broke out. Choas laid quiet, whimpering softly, seeming to ache for her sister's comforting touch, more unsettled by the loud sounds than anything.

Life with their mother wasn't much better. She loved both her children very much. But she was a weak woman. Always had been. The family managed to stay together for three years, the twins growing into toddlers, before they were finally removed from their mother's custody by neighbors calling Child Protective Services from concern for the children's well-being. They were pulled from their wailing mother relatively silently, but shrieked and clung to each other when the officers tried to put them in different cars.

They were eventually placed in the same car, curled and trembling against each other. Estelle sobbed, and forever sickly little Astrid stood silent, wiping her sister's tears.

They were visited by potential foster parents. They were nice, loving people. But every time, they tried to only take one. Many chose sweet, smiling Estelle compared to sickly, clingy Astrid. But those smiles would turn immediately when they tried to make her say goodbye to her sister. The toddlers cried and clung to each other, nails leaving scratches on each other's arms in an attempt to stay together and on the attacking hands who tried to pull them apart.

One couple successfully did take Estelle home with them. They insisted they've had several children in their care that had siblings. They knew the anxiety of leaving a familar face behind, their only family behind for strangers. They insisted she'll be fine after a day or two of adjusting. After three days, they weren't so sure. The girl would not stop crying, bawling until her throat was raw and eyes were blood stricken. The only relief from the tears would be sleep. She wouldn't eat, wouldn't speak, wouldn't move unless she was carried. Despite being potty trained, she reverted back to messing herself, refusing to get up to relieve herself whenever she needed to go. She was so dehydrated, they quickly had to bring her to the hospital.

Before the end of that week, they had brought her back, seeing her sister had retreated into a similar depression. The girls had a reunion that consisted of hugging before curling up on the floor and falling asleep.

The girls remained extremely close throughout their childhood. Their bond kept them close. They'd be miserable without the other, any foster parents or future adoptive parents bringing whoever they took back to the home they'd been in with a now sickly child who'd shapen up after a day of being reunited. They eventually did get adopted by a family willing to take both in, having heard the stories of failed adoptions and fosters in the past, when they were six years old.

Finally, the day came. Puberty hit them both at the same time, an unusually occurrence, even for twins. And the memories came with them. Life times of hatred between them. Choas and Peace, the rivals. The enemies. One trying to protect while the other destroyed for the fun of it. The fights that would raged between them. The horrible words that were spewed out at each other.

Useless

Monster

Weakling

Heartless

In every life. Every time they meet again, they could care less. They loved the moments they were away from one another and dreaded the times they needed to be nearby. The girls couldn't imagine life like this. They looked at each other and started to sob, embracing each other tightly, more so than they have since even before birth.

They pulled back, Astrid trembling with tears as Estelle let silent tears fall. Their fingers intertwined. "I'm sorry," Astrid whimpered, sobs threatening to escape. "I'm such a monster. I'm so sorry."

Estelle looked at her sister through teary eyes, identical brown connecting as their eyes met. "You'll always be my sister," Estelle promised, in a surprisingly stable voice. "And I love you."

"I love you too," Astrid sobbed, collapsing against her. "Forever."

"Forever."