Tethered Twins

Chris Jacobs

Chris looked out in horror onto the fields surrounding the Olympic Park. Aside from The Deck every single person in the field was screaming into their hands.

The people they had moments ago been fighting were now in intense pain. “We have to help them,” said Chris.

His team dropped their weapons and ran out into the field. They tried to talk to the screaming people and calm them but there was no reply and no sign of recognition.

Chris radioed through to Grace and told her what had happened. She was soon interrupted by a call from Kenan. “We’re picking up the sound wave worldwide now. It’s everywhere.”

“March I need to know what is happening to these people,” said Grace.

March watched through gritted teeth as Rex and Rufus screamed into the sky. He removed a stethoscope from his backpack and used it on Rex. “Their bodies are responding normally with typical heartbeat and pulse. I have no idea what is happening to them.”

“So you can’t stop it?” asked Grace.

“There’s only one other thing it could be,” said March. “He must be controlling their Tethers. If he’s doing that then he could kill anyone he wanted by severing the link to their twin.”

“Dammit!” shouted Grace. “Then we don’t have any other option. If he can kill anyone and he’s controlling everyone then we have to use the backup. Emmie, I’m sorry.”

“Are you sure?” asked March, as he loaded an app on his phone.

Grace didn’t reply, she simply gave a small nod and looked away.

“You can do this Emmie,” said March as he activated the app.

The screams continued.

“Did it work?” asked Grace.

March scrolled through the data on his phone. “No,” he replied. “It’s unresponsive. It’s as if Emmie isn’t alive anymore.”

“I can see her breathing!” shouted Grace. “She can do this.”

“I’ll keep trying but I don’t think the problem is something we can fix. I think it’s all down to Emmie now.”

--<><>--

Emmie Keyes

The pain continued to build inside of me as the combined cries of a world in agony thundered through my body.

“Stop it!” I shouted. “STOP!”

I could feel the pain getting worse and each person in the chain was starting to weaken, their bodies crumbling under the combined pressure. They couldn’t take this anymore and I knew everyone was going to die.

I forced myself backwards again and again trying to break the hold that Tobias had upon me. The screams forced me to continue, to try and help in any way I could even if it was only to save one person.

As I thought about all the people I knew who were dying at that very moment and the people who I would never meet who deserved to live just as much I felt more determined to continue on. Their pain gave me the strength to continue and as they weakened I felt myself grow stronger and could feel the seal that was blocking me in beginning to break.

With one final push I emerged out of the light and into the darkness. Back in the confines of my own mind I looked through the other lights trying to find one that would lead me to the room holding Tobias.

Before I could find one I started to feel a cold sensation. It was the first feeling I had felt in a long time that came from my own body and it felt unnatural. I could feel it building by my stomach and soon it started to spread across my belly and out across my torso.

“What is happening?” I asked. No one replied. Not even Tobias.

The feeling continued until my body felt numb. Is this death? I wondered, hoping that I hadn’t failed.

As the feeling rose up my neck and hit my brain I could see the lights around me starting to change. They grew brighter than ever and began to merge one by one into a giant white light that filled the entire space. When the light was at its brightest I felt myself pulled in.

The sensation was incredible. I felt in control of everyone that Tobias had connected to. I could hear all of their thoughts and could move their bodies together as a single entity.

“Tobias. You have to stop,” I said and I could hear my sentence repeated back by billions of voices.

Yet there was one voice that rose above all of the others. I tried to focus in on it and move away from everyone else. As I left each of the bodies I could feel them being released and freed from the chain. The screams started to stop one by one and people began to regain control of their own minds and bodies.

One scream continued and no matter how many people I saved this one voice could not be silenced. Eventually only one light remained and I dove into it.

I looked out through the light and could see Rex and Rufus being treated by Grace and March. Their eyes had returned to a normal colour. I prayed they had survived the assault.

I wanted to cry when I saw my father helping them. “You survived,” I said, filled with relief.

Back in my own body at last, I thought.

“Not quite,” came the reply.

My vision was moved to the left and I saw my body still in the chair. There was only one place I could be now. In the mind of Tobias Zen.

“Bravo,” he said. “You saved everyone but you know I can do it again just like that. You’ll have to kill at least one person today.”

“No,” I replied. “You just need to stop this. You tested the entire planet and we survived. That was your revenge. It’s over.”

“It’s not over until I say it is!” he shouted.

Lights began to emerge in the room and I could feel it starting all over again.

I felt an immense rage build inside me. Rage at the people Tobias had hurt and the lives he had threated. It was unlike any feeling I had felt before, and it was a feeling that started to intensify through a cold shiver that shot through my body with lightning like intensity.

As I felt the power build inside of me my mind had a single pure focus; stopping Tobias. Just as I was about to attempt to jump into the lights to free everyone my vision was pulled backwards and I felt myself being taken back to my own body.

“No!” I shouted but it was too late. I returned to the darkness and could see a single bright light filling the wall. The light for Tobias’ mind. Before I could dive back in I opened my eyes and could control my body again.

“I have to go back in!” I shouted. “I have to stop him.”

“You already have,” said March who had run to my side.

I looked over at Tobias and saw that his eyes had been destroyed, dark holes resting in place where they had been. My father released him from the machine and Tobias fell to the floor unable to move his body.