Twins

The landscape whirred by outside of the vehicle. From trees, to fields, to a new concrete jungle, yet Levi didn’t care, he just stared out his window, silent. He had always been a quick thinker and one to seize the moment, that’s how he got to where he was in the world. But the recent events had moved at a swift pace, even by his standards. He used the travel time to help get his mind in order, his thoughts realigned, and to process each and every major moment that had happened over the past few days.

It was still vivid in his mind, time hadn’t dulled the blast of a bullet being unleashed from a gun barrel, nor feeling the sharp sting of air slap his face as the deadly projectile blasted past, a hairs breath from his face.

He could still see the cold, but slightly loving look his parents gave him as he left. They were mere meters away from him yet with that distance between them it was obvious that he had entered an entirely different world, of his own choice or no.

How could he ever forget those last few moments with Lukas, a time where they told each other so much, yet said so little. He couldn’t forget any of it, whether he wanted to or not. It was imprinted on his psyche, along with every other memory, as clear as if he was experiencing them at this very moment. He could drown in every second, let them consume him, allow them to-

“olt…? Overholt? Levi!”

The noise snapped him back to the reality of where he was, in the confines of a car, moping at the window. He looked over at the driver, straightening himself up in his seat in one motion. She was older than he was, which was a miracle in itself as she also was a twin. Her long dark hair framed her pale skin and worried eyes as she glanced over at him whenever she could afford to take her eyes off the road.

“I’m fine, Samara,” he said, stressing her first name.

They had both learned to be careful in a world that could become their enemy in moments. A last name became something that was easily changed, something to be used as necessary. A first name however, is kept the same, or you change to a similar sounding one. It’s more personal and becomes ingrained within you. It was a silly habit, and habits got you killed, but it was one they both indulged in.

“Just checking to see if you were alive,” she said in an offhand, annoyed tone.

Levi wanted to go back to his own little world, even if it was depressing. At least his moping passed the time. Samara had roused the beast though, so he studied her intently, slightly curious about her sudden desire to wake him from his stupor. Her mouth was set in a tight line, as always, but her eyes were softer betraying the tone she had spoken to him with earlier. She must have been worried, he thought, intrigued by the idea.

He spoke, breaking the silence, “Where are we supposed to be going?”

Samara glanced over at him for a moment, a reprieve to the intense gaze she had leveled towards the road ahead, “A safe house,” she said simply.

Levi waited a few moments, wanting more to go on, he hated not knowing, being out of control.

A small sigh escaped her, as though she could tell he wasn’t giving up, “You’re obviously alive now, so shut up and go to sleep, we have a long drive and I don’t want a nuisance in the car.”

He continued to stare at her for a few moments longer.

“I’m going to count to three, I won’t pull over and you will exit this vehicle.”

With a small grumble he turned on his side, feigning sleep. He wanted to know more but she obviously wasn’t in a charitable mood, at least not to him.

As he lay there his acting failed and his sleep turned into the real thing. As he slipped into slumber his mind buzzed with images, a smoking gun, showers of money, twins, flickering lights, speeding cars and a pair of kind eyes.