Random Short Stories

Father of Twins

"Felix!" Cyrus called, twisting and turning to try and see through the dark. Cyrus started at every noise, including the ones that came from the snapped twigs under his sandals. Cyrus rushed forward through the dense brush on the hillside again, trying to keep his toga from getting caught on any sticks in the way. "Felix! Where are you!?"

Cyrus tripped and fell forward. He heard something tear and laid on the ground for a few moments, just breathing and trying to calm down. The world felt like it was falling apart around him. A war had broken out years ago. Cyrus's father had told him and his twin brother over and over that the war would end before it could really affect them. Now, with a madman Carthaginian general roaming the countryside with a hoard of ravenous beasts, no armies coming to save them, and everything Cyrus knew destroyed, there was nothing he could do except try to find his twin.

"Felix," Cryrus whispered, trying to ignore the pain in his chest. He sat up slowly, finding he was caught on a partially buried log. He was soaked through with night dew and one of his sandals was destroyed. Cyrus twisted around, trying to free his foot from the hole he had slipped into, wiping moisture off his face.

Cyrus winced as he scraped his foot on the side of the hole. He got up slowly, panic rising in his chest. What was he supposed to do now? Cyrus was just a youth, by himself, no parents, no one for miles, and those beasts were still on the loose.

The Roman youth pushed forward, bruised and limping. He stopped and closed his eyes, searching for his twin. He could almost feel Felix's panic. He turned and started in a different direction. In a half daze, he stumbled into a dense set of bushes where he promptly tripped on something warm and boney.

"OW! Cyrus!" Felix's voice called, muffled by the branches and leaves he had been hiding in.

"Sorry," Cyrus said, getting to his hands and knees and fitting into the space Felix left for him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Felix replied. It was so dark Cyrus could only see his brother's silhouette. "Did you see Father? Did he make it out?"

"I......I don't think so," Cyrus whispered, curling into himself. His head hurt. "There was fire everywhere, Felix. He told me to run and went back into the flames. I-I don't really know. My head's kind of fuzzy."

Felix sighed and leaned back on one of the thicker bushes behind him. "Come here."

Cyrus leaned into his brother, searching for warmth. Felix put an arm around him, apparently able to sense his brother's pain. Cyrus tried to keep his eyes open. He knew he was going into shock, but he couldn't stay awake any longer. He fell asleep as Felix watched over him. Felix himself was having trouble staying awake, though. He had hit his head while leaving the villa and had been out and about the night before, partying with some friends in the city. He regretted it quite a lot, though he wouldn't admit it out loud to anyone. He wished he could go back and live in the past forever. Sleep seemed like a good idea, after all.

......................................................

"These are my sons," Laurus said, guestering to the twins by his side. "This is Felix and this is Antifelix, though he goes by Cyrus."

Cyrus nodded with a small smile. Felix grinned too. The man they were greeting was one of father's friends from the high city. Their father was a great man. All of the servants had told them that since they were young.

"Well then," the man had said, bowing down to get a better look at the two boys. "That's impressive. Where is the woman that gifted you with such a joyful event as twins?"

Felix felt his father's hand tighten around his. Felix looked up questioningly. His father had that strange look on his face again. His sad face. The one that looked like a statue of one of the stoic gods. "She died giving birth to them."