DUOPIA

Chapter 1 - New Beginnings

James slumped into his car seat, three hours had been enough for him and he was getting tired of playing the same game on his phone over and over again.
Bubble Pop 3000 had been entertaining him for sometime, but after completing all the levels for the 50th time, it was as boring as using the calculator app.
No reception, so downloading a new game was out of the question. He lent his head back in his seat, his short black hair pricking the leather head rest behind him as he stared out the window.
The glass was dripping with rain and a strong wind blowing all around, making the rain misty and sparatic. The sky was grey and stormy, and lightning was striking the ocean out on the horizon. The weather was bending the long grass beside the dirt road so far sideways that it could have ripped straight out of the ground.
James went to open the window a crack, wanting to feel how cold it was. The sound caught the attention of his older brother Mikey, who was also bored from being in the car for three hours.
"James! Don't! It's raining idiot!" Mikey barked, staring him down menacingly
"Shut up Mikey! Don't tell me what to do!" James snapped back, sitting up to face him.

Mikey was a sturdy kid with a bit more weight on him then James, and had bright blonde hair like his mum, creeping through the side of a black baseball cap he never took off. James used to be able to put up with his brother at the best of times, but it seemed to be getting worse during the course of the move and the exhausting drive, he was getting tired of all of the nonsense Mikey liked to make up whenever it suited him. Being bigger then James, he could enforce any silly rule that fancied him.
"You have to listen to me JJ, I'm the backseat boss! And as backseat boss, I can tell you what to do." Mikey decided sticking his chin in the air.
"Don't call me JJ Mikey!" James scoffed as he threw himself back into his seat and looked out the window again.
"I can call you whatever I want! For I am the boss! The backseat boss! Ruler of the three seated kingdom! Lord of the seat belted society for which all below me are my loyal servants!" Mikey cried.
"Shut up dumb ass" James sniggered through his teeth.
"Silence slave!" Mikey cried.
"That's enough you two!" Mum chimed in from the drivers seat. "We are almost there."

James and Mikey both sat up to peer out the front windscreen. Through the rain and the windscreen wipers going across in front of them, they stared down the muddy brown driveway full of water filled pot holes to see a wooden two storey house on big stilts in the distance. It had two big round windows on each side and a huge cemented courtyard underneath it. The cream paint that covered the house had peeled and made the house look quite creepy and old. It sat precariously on the end of a cliff face, with a dangerous drop to the ocean. James felt as on edge as the house. This place looked terrible! Why would mum ever think of moving here!?
Mum pulled the car into the undercover courtyard and turned the engine off.
They all sat there for a moment, in the silence. The rain outside was almost soothing now, like a calming roar from far away. The car making it's usual clicking noises as it cooled down from a lengthy journey from the city.
Mum turned around to face us, and with tears in her eyes said "Well... Let's go and have a look shall we?"

James walked into his new room slowly, his red tattered sneakers made the dusty floorboards creak and groan, like it had not been walked on in a million years. A big round window all the way to the floor was on the other side of the room, blasting in rays of overcast light, brighting the room up, even though it was quite dreary outside. The rain spattered and dribbled down the glass, making it seem like there was a waterfall just outside the room. It smelled like the ocean, salty and fresh, but a touch of mould lingered as well. In the corner was a thin wiry metal bed frame with a lumpy, hay filled, blue striped mattress on it. James threw his black school bag to the floor with a thud, a little dust blew up from the floor from the impact. James mind was swimming. Overwhelmed by the move, why was it necessary? What was wrong with the old house? Why can't we go back?
James was too tired and grumpy to try and think about it now. Instead he shuffled over to the bed and threw himself on it face first.
Whoomp!
A huge gust of dust exploded from the mattress and made James coughed and spluttered. He got up and sat on the end of the bed, as he brushed himself off, Mum walked into the room and inspected the bedroom herself, looking up and around like she was looking at a piece of art.
She seemed pretty content with it.
James didn't.
He looked up at her, "Mum this place sucks! I want to go back!"
Mum looked at him for a second and walked over.
She was always dressed so well, her face so gentle. Today she was wearing black denim jeans, with a deep blue top, which frilled out at the sleeves, a gold pendant sat right in the middle of her chest. She usually wears black stilettos that click around everywhere she went, but today she was wearing her small white slip on shoes. As she moved closer to James, the fragrance of summer fruits and flowers filled him up, making him feel better already.
She knelt down and said "I know sweetie, I want to go back too."
"Then lets go! Why do we have to live here?" James asked.
James saw she was tired and upset just as he was, a long drive and a big move had taken its toll.
"Because it's for the best sweetie, I need this job so I can look after you and Mikey. You understand don't you?" Mum said, reaching for James's cheek.
He gazed at her in return.
"Yeh, I guess..." James sighed.
Mum gave him a quick kiss on the nose, and stood up.
"Thats my strong man! Now are you going to come grab your stuff from the car?" Mum said with a smile.
"Yeh OK." James smiled.