The Story of Us by Sarah Snyder, Brianna Thomas (ebook reader 8 inch .TXT) 📕

"Girls, I think you should sit down." The voice came from seemingly nowhere, but then someone appeared as if out of thin air. I turned to look at Sarah and saw my own confusion reflected back at me. Suddenly, the voice came again. "I have important information for you two that may come as a bit of a shock, but you have to stay calm and listen. Got it?" I was plenty creeped out that this guy was in my house, so it really didn't help the situation when four more people- three guys and a girl- walked through the door.

Sarah, who obviously didn't notice the four newcomers said, "Okay, I'll stay calm" and sat down on my piano bench like it was the most natural thing to do in the situation. I, however, was far more reluctant to obey. In my mind I was measuring the odds. Two of us on five of them, they are strong in numbers, but we are young, quick, agile, I thought to myself. What are they gonna do, I wondered, use some magicky thing? Was one of them going to turn into a werewolf and attack us? Wow, I'm going crazy. I turned to look at Sarah and she caught my eye. We have this weird way of communicating using only facial expressions so I knew exactly what she telling me, "Don't be so quick-witted," her eyes said,"sure we could take them, but we may as well hear them out first. Besides, we have to think logic, strategy."

I replyed with a glare that said, "Come on, don't you think I already did that? Look at them; that girl can hardly walk in those heels, plus that one," I inclined  my head toward the man who had spoken earlier,"is so old I bet he would have a heart attack before fighting." I nodded in her direction, then to the man standing nearest her-he was wearing a black t-shirt and jeans- indicating that she should take him out, while I take the other two.

Without hesitation, Sarah crossed her arms indicating, "No." and I knew there was no changing her mind.

"Fine. We'll listen." I said, at last answering the old man's question. I noticed that the old man wore what looked like a purple dress, and that the man in the black t-shirt had tattoos. The woman wore bright-colored jewelry with an expensive-looking blouse and skirt. Her hair was the strangest of all- bright pink with gold pins holding it atop her head in a shape much like a fountain. The other two men looked much more average- one in a wheelchair and one in simple street clothes. The five of them must have noticed my stares because they instantly began to introduce themselves. The woman introduces herself as Effie, the man in the black t-shirt as Tobias, the an in the wheelchai was Chiron, the guy who looked normal was Jace, and finally in the purple dress was Dumbledore.

Sarah, obviously wondering the same thing as me, asked, "Why are you wearing a dress? You're a dude."

Dumbledore replyed calmly,"It's not a dress, it's a cloak, and I just love the lilac color- don't you?" I could tell by Sarah's expression that she found the color rather ugly, but Dumbledore didn't seem to notice.

I tried to catch Sarah's eye again, but she was still watching the five people in my room with a curious expression on her face. I was still standing up, so I went to go sit next to Sarah. “STOP! Don't move any further.” It was the man in the wheelchair-Chiron- who spoke.

“It's my house and I can sit where I want.” I replied angrily.

“You don't understand,” said Chiron calmly, “You can't control your powers yet and if you aren't careful, you could destroy the world as we know it.”

“You're crazy. We've been friends forever, don't you think that would've happened already?” I was getting pretty annoyed by now and probably would have left the room, but I couldn't just leave five strangers alone, in my house. I sat down across the room, close to the boy they called Tobias, the one in gray. I noticed he was a lot younger than the other four, maybe in his early twenties. Across the room was Jace. I would say he was about the same age as Tobias. Jace turned to look out the window and I saw something shiny in his belt- a knife.

I decided I should probably listen to them because not dying would be nice. It was silent for a few minutes until Dumbledore started to speak. “Girls,” he said, obviously choosing his words carefully, “ you're sisters.”

“What!?” I shouted, they were definitely crazy.

“Not just sisters, twin sisters.”

The silence in the room was deafening. This can't be right? Sisters? I mean sure we looked alike~ but not that alike. I had green eyes, she had dark brown. I had dark brown curly hair, she had light brown wavy hair. Maybe we looked enough alike to be sisters, but wouldn't we have noticed by now? I looked at Bri and she gave me the same look I'm sure I was wearing on my face. Finally, she broke the silence.

“Very funny. April fools. Ha-Ha.” She stood up and crossed her arms.

“I'm afraid this isn't a practical joke Miss. Blackwood.” Dumbledore responded politely.

“Blackwood?” Bri shouted, “My last name is Thomas!”

“If I may.” Tobias walked forward, “You see Miss. Blackwood, Thomas is a mere- should I say- cover name.”

“Cover name?” I stood up in surprise, “What is up with you people!? Don't you think we would have destroyed the world already- you know, if we are as dangerous as you say?”

“Let me ask you Miss. Blackwood, did you and Bri ever wonder why you had matching- what did you call them... birthmarks on your collarbones?” Now Jace was asking us questions.

As if by reflex, Bri and I touched our birthmarks.

“How do you know about those?” We both stammered.

 “Maybe you two really are mundanes.” He smirked.

“Jace.” Dumbledore warned.

“Fine. Those 'birthmarks', yeah those are a special type of rune. A permanent one, unlike any of mine.” It was then that I realized that Jace had tattoos- or runes- all over his body.

“Um,” I stuttered, “What is a mundane, and what are runes?”

“A mundane is a human. A rune is an angel's mark. They all serve different purposes. That one on your collarbone is a parabatai rune. It means that you two are shadowhunting partners.” Jace explained.                                                 

parabatai rune ->

“But we don't even know what shadowhunting is!” Bri yelled.

“What, do you catch the bad shadows in my room.” I said sarcastically. Jace pointed to his knife.

“You better watch your mouth Blackwood.”

“Did you really just threaten me? Don't you remember- I'm extremely powerful Jace.” I retorted.

“Jace that's enough.” Effie said. Jace glared at me.

“Sarah if I were you, I'd give Jace some space.” Tobias added with a smile- he was cute...

 “If you girls are done over there I'd like to know exactly what we're doing next?” I smirked at Jace and he looked about ready to throw a knife at me.

“Call me a girl again Blackwood...” Jace pointed to his belt where I noticed seven blades- all different sizes but definitely all deadly. I began to wonder again why I had strangers in my house who apparently knew all about me when CRASH! I turned around quickly and saw that Sarah was on the ground, apparently she tripped... again.

“You all right?” Tobias reached down to help Sarah back to her feet.

“Sarah, I see what you tripped over-” I started.

“The air?” Jace said, but I could tell he didn't have his heart in the sarcasm.

“No mister all-mighty shadowhunter, the floorboard is loose.” I gave Jace a look that said Ha! You didn't see that coming did you! But he didn't seem to notice since he was walking over to examine the floorboards. Then in one swift movement, he ripped the loose board off the floor. Suddenly, a black shadow jumped out of the hole in the floor and stood right in front of me. I was starting to wish Sarah hadn't made the bad shadows comment. The thing in front of me was starting to take shape, it looked like Sarah, but it couldn't be... then Sarah was dying, bleeding. I screamed; what could I do? Then Jace was beside me whispering “Abriel” and holding a knife in his left hand. Then everything went black.

I woke up to the sound of voices. I was in a room I'd never been in, when finally I saw the source of the voices. “Sarah? But- I thought-”

“Agrammon. The fear demon. I'm surprised you survived that. Most people die of fear when they see it.” Jace looked concerned and relieved as he said it, “How was that for your first taste of shadowhunting?”

“Well... I don't really remember it, but I remember you saying “Abriel”. Isn't that an angel name?” I asked.

“How'd you know that?” Jace asked surprised.

“Actually... I don't really know...” I responded, “How'd you kill it anyway?”

Publication Date: 04-14-2014

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Dedication:
To fandoms everywhere!