Twinkle's Story: Chapter 20

*I decided to post Chapter 20 today instead of the weekend, so Chapter 21 will probably be posted this weekend. So excited for that chapter- you don't even know guys. 'Cause then you'll know what happens, and I don't want you to know what happens. So yay! XD*
*Contains some   Tehe. :3

*WARNING: Contains some slightly emotional and violent flashbacks.*
*After you've read this chapter, leave your predictions in the comments below! Thanks if you do!*
*Well, now read the chapter! ^-^*

TWINKLE

"Looks like we're here." I hear Duke announce as he wraps one of his arms across my shoulders. I blink my eyes a few times, and I look up and ahead of me. I give a small nod, as a response.

 What looked like a skyscraper's silhouette a minute ago, now looks like an actual skyscraper. That skyscraper being nicknamed "Tall Tower". It's actual name hasn't been spoken aloud in a very long time. At least not in our lifetimes. It's the main government building for foxes. That also means that it has governmental records and records of every fox citizen in Jamaa. Including all of the fox shamans, which is Jamaa's way of referring to 'leaders', and even the very first one of them, the fox Alpha. It seems to me that Duke was reading my mind just then because he says something about the records stored in the Tall Tower.

"The government is always watching us. Just look at how huge this building is! Probably packed with government issues and stuff on every floor. Well, besides the roof. One wrong move though..." Duke pauses for a moment before finishing his thought. "Being a rebel in today's society? Haha. You're gonna end up dead." I shiver very slightly; he couldn't have possibly noticed it. I curse to myself at what Duke says next. "You okay, Twinkle? There's a night breeze out now. Are you cold, Twinkle? Want me to-" I take a step ahead of him, so his arm is no longer around me. That makes him not finish his thought. I silently thank Mira. I turn back, so I'm looking at him again. I say, "No. I mean I'm fine. It's okay, Duke. Just what you said before was a little intimidating, that's all." Duke plainly blinks back at me, warmth in his amber eyes.

 The real reason I shivered is because I once brought up the idea of us being rebels to the government. I wanted for us to delete the boundaries between each animal territory, so that we could all live in peace among ourselves.

Like in the days many, many, many generations ago when our first animal shamans were still alive. However, when all the Alphas died, hatred struck all through Jamaa. Who knew others could be so cruel and mean? Who knew others could be more evil than an army of phantoms? Well, after all the animal Alphas died, evil animals finally spoken up. Many arguments, debates, contracts, and all that government-type stuff later, all the animals that became shamans after the Alphas died, had made a deal. In other words, a contract. I remember that whole big legal document vaguely. All I remember from it is that it says that "...now since all of the animal Alphas have passed on in life, new laws must be established to make the legacy of our town, Jamaa, live on...", "...to solve the harsh conflicts fought about in the Jamaasian War, all animals will now live in its own specifically named animal territory...", "... all animals in their territory have freewill and can do anything they please, as long as it doesn't interfere with any other laws and such...", "...if animals dare to cross into another animal's territory, they can be due to fines, payments, extra work, or possibly even jail time...", "..all would still fight for the common good, which is to fight against the phantoms and not make any type of alliance with them...", "...if found in any alliance with phantoms, that animal could possibly be prosecuted or even executed, depending on how serious the case is...", "...be wise with your decisions, the government is always watching...", "to ensure that Jamaa will always be a land of peace and goodwill...", "...all rebellions arising will be brought to justice...", "...Jamaa is the place to be...".

Duke stops me from thinking back to history class when we learned all about the Jamaasian War and the aftereffects of it. Some part of me hates him for it; another relieved. He complains, "Twinkle, help me! They're attacking me! Shoo electro-fly, shoo!" I then see Duke up ahead- and in the grass along the sides of the paths. I can't keep myself from laughing, so I laugh. "Hey, what's so funny? They're attacking me! They know... everything. Everything!" As a response, I pull out my phone and take a picture of Duke freaking out about fireflies. I then take a few other pictures all at different angles. As I click the "Save" icon for the last picture, Duke exclaims. "Oh I see how it is, mister electro-fly. You want to electrocute me. But sir, that's not gonna work... Wait. What in the world are you doing? I don't like you! Get off me, you stupid fly that contains electricity!" As another firefly comes near Duke, he flails his arms in the air and runs in circles. I think he's trying to get the fireflies off of him. As that firefly lands on his nose, he shrieks. Like a little girl. I laugh so much that I begin crying. Duke finally stops shrieking and looks at me from the corner of his eye. "You sure are cruel, Twinkle. Those electro-flies were assaulting me! They think I'm one of them. They're freaks. Freaks! They might've killed me. And all you do is laugh. Really funny, Twinkle, really funny."

I clear my throat. "Duke, I think there are a few things you should know. I don't want to because you're just so hilarious, but for the better, I will. Those bugs that glow bright yellow on their backs are called fireflies or lightning bugs. They do not electrocute people. I think they're rather cute, actually." Duke flicks the firefly that landed on the tip of his nose with a claw. "I don't know why they're attracted to you... Ooh, maybe you're special! You can be the umm... firefly whisperer. That is so sweet, Duke! I highly recommend that." I giggle then continue. "But if not... Back off, you stupid bugs. He's mine! Find someone you're uh... own kind.? Yeah, do that instead!" I wink at Duke.

"Okay. So they're not gonna kill me. That's a relief! Oh yeah. Sorry for spazzing out, Twinkle. I've never encountered fireflies before. Weird as it sounds. So... yeah." Suddenly, a cold breeze passes by us, which makes me cross my arms. I put my arms down at my sides as I look at Duke. The sudden breeze has made all the fireflies fly off him. He breathes a sigh of relief, anyways.

I take a glance forward. "How about let's go in the Tall Tower now. Sound good, Duke?" He nods. We then walk the next few steps until we're right in front of the door. Duke grabs the faded golden door knob, and opens the door. The door creaks when it's open, just like all the other times we've visited the Tall Tower. Instead of just walking straight in, Duke leans his back against the big door. "After you, my lady." I roll my eyes at him. What in the name of Mira is he doing? I pause at the door. After waiting several awkward seconds, I shrug and walk inside. Finally, he steps inside as well. Duke closes the door slowly, so it wouldn't slam shut as loudly. He smiles at me. I say, "What are you doing!? 'My lady'... what is this!? Honestly, Duke. I'm not even-" As an interruption, Duke stares blankly at me, silently. I think it's so awkward and slightly intimidating, so I don't finish my thought.

Neither of us have ever really explored the Tall Tower. All I know is that it has 16 floors in total, making it the tallest building in fox territory. As well as oldest. "They really should clean up this place a bit." I say as I brush a finger on top of a very dusty stair railing. As a result, dust shows up on my finger. I blow the dust off, which results in Duke sneezing. "Yep. This place sure is weird. All the fox governmental records are stored here in locked rooms, and occasional meetings are held here. But do they bother to tidy this place up? Not a bit. It's like they want this place to look abandoned to outsiders. Like it's actual age. And I also have no idea why its door is always unlocked- even at night. Weird." Duke simply nods in agreement with me, as he wipes the dust off his nose.

After looking around the first floor of the Tall Tower for a bit, we decide to start going up the flights of stairs. For each floor where we're allowed to enter, we walk around and talk about it. Some things that relate to the building, and some other things.

 "'The Fox Records and Authority Capitol has been renamed "Tall Tower" not just to shorten the name, but to not make any intruders know where all the important fox documentations are located. To this day, only a select few foxes know the true name of this historical landmark.'" I read aloud as I saw an article that described the Tall Tower's name. That entire floor, the 12th, looks like a museum. All kinds of informational facts displayed on walls all throughout the floor level.

"...Uh...... How to explain this? Twinkle, when you're around me... Ah, Twinkle, you're like... How to put this? You're like my remedy. Especially since you've arrived at the hospital. When you're around me, and I know that you are alright, it.. it saves me. Weird as it sounds, it's true. You did indeed save my life. Every single day. And I... I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am. You make all the dark thoughts I've had in the past, vanish before my very eyes. And then there are the ones with you.... Twinkle. You are a lifesaver. Because you, Twinkle, have cracked up the shield of darkness... and then brought some light into my life. And that's never happened in my life before. You are the best anyone could ever ask for. Even if your parents are too dumb to realize that. They don't deserve to have a daughter as brilliant as you are." Duke looks at my heart locket. I think he noticed the ice covering one edge of it because he says, "I'm glad you're the ice to my fire."

 I then reach up a tiny bit, so I can reach Duke's height. I lean my snout against Duke's cheek, my nose breathing in his scent. "And I'm glad you're the fire to my ice." I then kiss his cheek. Just like what he did with me a little over a week ago.

As we almost reach the 16th floor, a step in the staircase crumbles below my feet. Right where I'm standing. The gray stone that makes up the steps, crumbling. The entire step is falling apart. I can't reach the next step ahead because there are spaces between each step. As I try to reach the step ahead with my foot, it slips and instead lands in the space between the two steps. That same moment, the last remaining parts of the step I'm on crumble and fall all the way down to what looks like the first floor. I hold onto the bottom edge of the next step I failed to reach with a toe. It's not strong enough to support me. I'll be falling any moment now. I gasp. "Oh Zios! This place is insane! Oh Zios, oh Zios..." I suddenly hear the rapid sound of feet going down a flight of stairs. In what seems like faster than a flash of lightning, Duke grabs one of my panicking paws, and carries me onto the next step. I take a glance behind my shoulder. In the space of what used to be a step, is now absolutely nothing. He saved me at the very last second. "Well, that's making up for all the times you've saved my life." I hear Duke say, then take a deep breath. I smile back.

After we explored the 16th floor, we climbed the final few steps that led to the roof. As we take that big step onto the roof, Duke wraps his arm around me. "Okay. Now it's time for me to do a little explaining." Duke declares and winks. I giggle and smile. "Should I explain too?" I ask, my eyes twinkling- just like my name. He simply answers, "Okay."


DUKE

I didn't really know how to explain to Twinkle about the hallucinations I got about her and me. But it's true. Ever since Twinkle came back to life, I haven't got any more hallucinations. Well, about her. I've concluded that when I'm around Twinkle, I'm free from getting any hallucinations. So that's how she saves my life. Just one reason out of many.

It's not really a hallucination. It's a memory. But the thing is this.: I was way, way, way too young to remember it. In fact, the memory (or whatever it's called) happened right when I came home from the hospital when I was born. But for some reason, I know it's true. And that's the scariest part about it. It happened yesterday afternoon when I was alone. Which brings to mind another thought. I only get bad memories, dreams, and hallucinations when I'm alone. And Twinkle is like that shield that prevents them from me having to deal with them. So anyways, this is what happened.:


"Aww... Isn't he adorable, darling? His feet are just so tiny!" My father's voice said, bending over to look at a baby fox. It took me a minute for me to recognize that the baby is me. "And his toes are even tinier! And his tail is so fluffy! I think I'm in love with this baby!" My father then wiggled my teeny tiny baby toes. I think I probably would've laughed a baby laugh, but since I was too young, I didn't. And couldn't. Then, he said strange baby noises. When he was about to come up again, my mother ran into the room from the kitchen. She then threw a dishtowel onto me. On the area covering my heart. She looked around the room wildly, but not moving a single step. "Eternal, we have to get rid of this baby.. now." Pattering on the window, were snowflakes. In a matter of seconds, the entire window was covered in white. I was born during a huge snowstorm, one of the greatest blizzards in Jamaa's history. I wonder if that plays a role in anything...

"What do you mean 'now'? And now you're throwing dirty towels onto our newborn baby! Let me take it off..." As my father was about to take the dishtowel off my chest, my mother grabbed his wrist, and forced it down at his side. "Never touch my baby there again! Or I swear to Zios, you won't have a paw anymore. Clear?" My father just reluctantly nodded. I wonder why my mother never wanted my father to see that. Was it because of the cursed mark I have? Or something else? I'm not quite sure.

"Okay. So... hmm... What do you think we should name the baby?" He asked. Frustrated, my mother slapped her paw all across his face. "Darn it, Eternal! We need to get rid of him now! He's a cursed one. This can't happen again... History can't repeat itself. It can't, it can't, it can't! Why did it have to happen to mine? Why not some distant relative, or something? Why did it happen to us? Why!?" My mother took rapid breaths. My father gives her a puzzled look. "What in the world are you talking about?"

 My mother was actually crying. "It's best you don't know, Eternal. For your own sake. For our family's sake. Please understand, honey. The forces will just get stronger and stronger until controlling them isn't possible anymore. I don't want this to happen to our baby as well. It's best that he dies now, and not later. I don't want to ruin his life any more than what I already did. Please, please, please understand. I'm begging you, Eternal. He needs to die. And yes. I know it'll be an emotional struggle to kill our one and only baby, but it's only for the better. For bringing hope to Jamaa. Please, Eternal..."

"Name?" My father prompted. My mother gulped. "Uh... uh.. Ph- nope, never mind. Umm... It doesn't matter. Puke.? I don't care." My father gave her a disgusted look. "Of course not! Eww! How about Duke instead?" My mother rolled her eyes. "Fine. D- Duke. Whatever."

A few hours passed by. It then became pitch black outside. My mother had on long boots, heavy jackets, and all the winter apparel. I was still sleeping on the crib in the middle of the living room. She grabbed me. And for that one second, she held me like a baby. Like she actually would be a caring mother- who was almost going to send her child to his death. So not very caring- or mother-like, at that. Just as the door swung open, bringing a freezing chill into the house, my father ran downstairs. "No! I won't let you. I'll protect my son, Duke, with my life. I'll never let you kill my child. And I thought he would be called 'our son'. Guess I was wrong. And to kill him, you... you have to kill me first. 'Cause I'll protect him from you until the day I die." He then took me from my mother's arms.

She didn't even try to steal me into her arms again. She ended with, "Sorry, Eternal, but you're making a big mistake."

Now, there's only one question I have in my head.: How in the world am I going to explain all of this to Twinkle? I take a deep breath. Somehow, it'll work. Somehow. Then, Twinkle and I walk to the edge of the roof. The side with the greatest view in the distance. The side with all our previous Tall Tower roof memories. And soon there would be more memories on that roof.