The Gemini Reign

I was in a dream. A nightmare, but not mine…

It was cold and dark. I wasn’t scared. I wouldn’t be afraid!

“Aaah!” I couldn’t keep my screams in anymore. They sliced another cut in my arm and squeezed the blood into the bowl.

“Stop! Don’t hurt him!” Valerie screamed for me. They turned towards her, laughing.

“Don’t worry you’re next, sweetheart,” Lorenzo rasped with amusement. They stabbed her thigh and she screamed.

“No! I’ll obey. Please stop.” she screamed as they twisted the blade deeper in her thigh.

My wrists were tied up and bleeding, my shirt soaked red with blood. How much more would they take? I wanted to yell and scream, but I had to stay quiet for her sake.

She was hung up in front of me, sleeping. Her dry face was stained with tears and her arms covered with nicks and scratches. Her legs were covered in blood. She needed to get out. I couldn’t be selfish anymore.

“Valerie? Wake up!” I called as loud as I could without alerting the guards.

She stirred, her eyes opening slowly. “Aiden,” her voice was hoarse from crying and exhaustion.

I looked around, wincing, my neck stiff from hanging. The barn was full of hay but otherwise empty. We were weak. They weren’t expecting an escape. I spotted the guards changing positions and made my move. The new guards wouldn’t be here for another minute or two. I clasped my hands together and twisted my thumb, dislocating it. I pulled out of my restraints and popped my thumb back in place. I moved over to Valerie in groggy, wobbly steps. I undid the rope around her wrists, and she collapsed into my arms.

“Run, run! They’re gonna come, hurry!” I pushed her towards the exit, and she did. She ran faster than ever.

I never saw her again.

Justin

I woke up the next morning groggy and confused. The past few days felt like a dream or rather like a nightmare. I realized I hadn’t even processed what had happened, how Avery was, the fact that she was kidnapped and was rescued just two days earlier. Telling the truth. Everything had been so hectic and rushed. I couldn’t imagine the pressure Avery was feeling. Actually, I guess I could, but my situation was different than my sister’s. I got out of bed, rubbing my eyes. But before I could get to the bathroom, I heard screaming.

I turned to go back to my room, but then I heard her scream behind me again. I ran to her side. She was having a nightmare.

“I’ll obey. Please just stop.” She cried.

“Avery, wake up!” I shook her awake.

“Run, run! They’re gonna come, hurry!” She bolted up to sitting and pushed me away, screaming.

I pulled her into my arms, “It was just a nightmare! You’re okay, you’re okay…” She cried harder, hitting my shoulder with her fist.

“No,” she whimpered, “It’s not okay.”

“How long has this been going on?” I demanded, holding her for a few minutes before she calmed down.

“You shouldn’t have come.” She said pulling away, obviously annoyed and embarrassed

“Avery, you were screaming. I thought you were getting kidnapped again. What should I have done? Ignored you?” I said, exasperated.

“No…I just don’t think it’s any of your business. Go away.” She locked herself in the bathroom again.

“Is that your hiding spot now?” I got no response. Sighing, I left her room and closed the door, so she knew I was gone.

Selene and I had planned an outing for the twins. I told Avery to get ready and grabbed an apple. Avery and I waited outside, leaning against my car. She didn’t like that I knew she was having nightmares, so we didn’t talk. I was okay with it since I was mad at her for not telling me.

A few minutes later, Selene and Aiden pulled up, and we got into her car. When I called her earlier, I told Selene to take us into a safe and secluded woody area.

“Where are we going?” Avery asked.

“You will see,” Selene answered simply.

“We are going into the woods,” I said. Avery and Aiden sat in the backseat while I sat shotgun.

“Why?” Avery asked.

“We are made of nature. It’s only right to be around it,” Selene replied.

“We have bushes and grass at our house. Is that not enough?” Avery muttered. I hid my smile.

Avery had a nightmare this morning, I told Selene telepathically. Not wanting the twins to hear.

She grimaced and replied, Aiden too.

That gave me a foul thought.

Remember what Aiden said yesterday about how he could feel Avery’s feelings? You don’t think they could share dreams, could they? I asked.

Selene turned on the radio and blasted the backseats speakers, and set ours to low. “What was Avery’s dream about?” she said aloud.

“I’m not sure, but she was screaming, ‘I’ll obey you.’” Selene paled, “That means they shared Aiden’s dream.” “How do you know?” I asked.

“Avery doesn’t remember anything from her first capture, so she couldn’t have dreams about it. Moreover, Aiden told me about it.”

Avery

I sat in the backseat with Aiden. I couldn’t explain it, but I thought I dreamt someone else’s dream. That “someone else” being my new twin brother who I barely knew. I didn’t know how to bring it up, other than saying the following words.

“Did you sleep okay?”

He looked at me as if I was demented, “I already know you were there.”

He went back to looking out the window, acting indifferent. I knew how he really felt, embarrassed and annoyed. Just like how I felt this morning. Were those his feelings too? “So…you know I was in your dream? How? It wasn’t on purpose! I promise.” I added quickly.

“Can’t you just forget about it? Just leave me alone. It’s bad enough someone else can know my secrets, but I won’t talk about it with someone I barely know.

I thought about it more and wondered, “Was it a dream or…a memory?” He turned back to me and put his finger to his lips, gesturing for me to be quiet. That pissed me off, “Excuse me? I will talk if I want to. Or rather I should—” I stopped myself when he touched my hand. I didn’t feel the exhilaration from before but instead a weird ache, hot surges attacking my body. I felt nauseous.

We snatched our hands away at the same time and he stared at me before turning away, “I’m sorry, okay? I just…don’t want to talk about it. I-I can’t,” He said quietly, looking straight ahead.

Justin

A little while later, we arrived outside a forest. Selene parked and said, “I did not want there to be any mechanical sounds or cell towers interrupting the process. So we are walking. It will take a while, but it will be safe, and there will be no video cameras or anyone watching us.”

She led us into a beautiful clearing with the sun shining on the evergreen grass. The trees were tall and magnificent. She took off her shoes and her hair tie, letting her straightened red hair fly in the cool autumn wind. Red hair wasn’t uncommon in red dragons. Golden hair like ours wasn’t unusual in blue dragons. And we were all both. Our mother being both Russian and Italian. Blue and red. It changed what we were. Technically we were purple dragons, but there was no distinction in our human forms, though when we turned, it was a different story.

I took off my shoes and sat down beside Selene. She smiled and encouraged Aiden and Avery to do the same. Aiden followed what we did (He had already triggered his dragon, he didn’t tell us how.), but Avery was hesitant.

“Why are you taking off your shoes?” she asked.

“You don’t have to, but it makes it easier to connect with your surroundings. It may sound weird at first, but one day, you will understand.” Selene says.

“Avery. Aiden, both of you move at least ten feet away from us,” I said. I had remained mostly quiet, letting Selene take the lead, but I wanted to shift. It had been a while since I last turned. I needed to feel free.

“Justin,” Selene said, hesitant. She was uncertain. She knew I was restless. It wasn’t a good idea to anger an unstable dragon.

“It’s important to teach the fundamentals before shifting. Especially since they have not triggered their ‘bestia’ yet.” Selene said more confidently this time. I wanted to resist, but I knew she was right.

“Fine,” I replied.