~ Cancer Treatment Center of America, Philadelphia – Pennsylvania ~

~15 years ago…~

“And push!”

Screams rang out all around in the small one bedded room of the CTCA Hospital as a woman clutched the sheets around her in agony. Watching in dismay as pain shot through her, Amelia Artiste wailed as she felt a coursing stab coming from within her. Reaching her hand outward as tears streamed down her pale cheeks, a man soon came over to clutch her hand.

“Hurry up! Can’t you do something about her pain! Just look at her!” A dark haired man barked as a few nurses around him backed away from his hostility. Ignoring the angry husband next to him, the Doctor currently propped between Amelia’s legs focused instead on the task at hand rather than answering him.

This woman was his patient after all, and her well-being had to be his top priority, but this couldn’t have come at a worse time. Amelia was one of those cases that came once in a lifetime, and it seemed like she never ceased to amaze him. What she had was simple. A severe case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but no matter what treatments he gave her, she never grew better.

She had gone through chemotherapy, taken her body’s weight in drugs, and even signed on for an experimental procedure that had to be monitored by the CDC for safety regulations. Her will to live was staggering, though, and even if she never improved, she always fought her hardest. But no matter what had happened yet, there was one thing that made her such a unique case. One thing that separated her from many other cancer patients.

“Push!”

Screaming her lungs out, Amelia cried harder as she felt the pain that had swelled up over her stomach slowly being pushed downward. She was pregnant. Keeping track of her dilation the doctor worked fast as he tried his hardest to save who was coming out. Getting pregnant before or after cancer was common, but it seemed Amelia had been gifted, (or possibly cursed) with her child during her treatments. Half the things they gave her should have killed the poor infant long before it developed but it seemed its mother's will to live was just as strong.

Moving closer in, the Doctor worked his hardest as Amelia gazed up incognizant. This day had been unexpected and unplanned for her. She had been doing an infusion therapy by her doctor when all of a sudden her child of 6 months no less, induced her into labor. It was too soon, much too soon. And her fear was of the unknown.

It had been a shock to her more than anyone when she found out she was with child. She had been in and out of hospitals for years, after being first admitted with the first stages of Leukemia back in 2001. And after losing so much time, and so much of her life… she didn’t expect anything good to come her way. But then, this happened.

Screaming as she felt it come, Amelia’s eyes grew dark as she felt the world around her fading. She didn’t even know the gender of her child… or what she would even call it if it survived… But… she still hoped for the best…

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Hearing voices around her as they came in fuzzy and vague, Amelia eye’s slowly opened up as she stared at the blinding light of an operating lamp above her. Watching as Doctors and nurses moved around her, her frail hand moved outwards before falling to her side, her fatigue too much from the events of today.

“Good she’s awake, go tell her husband immediately.” A doctor in his late thirties announced before sending one of the nursing staff away. Moving over to her face, the man checked her vision before making sure she was fully aware of what had happened. “You scared me half to death Mrs. Artiste, while you were in labor you began to flat line…” He muttered sadly.

Leaning up slowly, the pale woman looked down at her stomach as she felt her fears grow. “W-Where…” Cupping her back, the Doctor looked to her before understanding came to his features. “I, I’m not quite sure how to say this really… but, no. We should show you.” Looking at the man in fear, the Doctor laid her back down before walking to the end of the room.

Moving to one of the nursing staff still present, he told her something to quiet for her to hear before she left the room. Staring up now absently, the once blonde haired woman, now bare and bald from her treatments gazed up in silence as her mind went over what had happened. What had become of her child… what was going to become of her?

She had been mid-procedure when this all started. Would the effects of stopping early from her infusions cause her more harm than good? A lot of things crossed her mind, but, seeing her Doctor move back to her with a smile on his face was one of the few things that hadn’t.

“Amelia, say hello to your two, beautiful, and healthy, daughters.” As her eyes widened absurdly, the woman looked at the nurse moving towards her in shock and disbelief as she saw her carrying too little bundles in her arms. As she came closer, the two little bundles were revealed to her, and tears swelled up in her eyes.

“This frankly shouldn’t be possible.” The Doctor muttered in his on skepticism but he took pleasure in this no less. It wasn’t every day something like this happened after all. “After moving you to the operating room we had to perform an emergency C-section, but, what we found was the real surprise. On our initial X-Rays three months ago, we saw one figure on the ultrasound, but it seems that you’ve given birth, to twins.”

Lifting her shuddering hand up slowly, Amelia wept with tears of joy as she revealed the two faces before her. Both were girls, two healthy, and beautiful little girls. As her eyes met there’s however, something felt… alarming to her. Their iris’s, they were blood red. And they were looking directly at her. Studying them closely, Amelia soon grew fearful.

“W-Why are they s-so quiet Doctor Jefferson?” She had never heard of babies being so… silent. Frowning himself, the man moved over to her side as he studied the infants for a moment. “That had bothered me as well, but I can assure you, Amelia, they're both perfectly healthy. In fact, I’ve never even delivered a child, let alone two who were quite as healthy as yours after what you’ve gone through. I think you have a guardian angel looking out for you.”

Ignoring his words as he began speaking to her more of what had happened, Amelia simply stared at her two daughters as she felt the foreboding feeling increase. Their strange eyes, the lack of noise… and the fact, it looked almost like they were the ones studying her gave her a sense of trepidation about this all. However…

Smiling slowly, the frail woman cupped them both into her as she cried softly. No matter how bizarre this whole thing was. They were hers. And she was a mother. Crying steadily, although, this time in joy, the sickly woman cradled her children close as she thanked the Doctor for his staff for giving her two precious gifts, through all of her misgivings…

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~ Two Weeks later ~

Smiling in silence as she was pushed into a small apartment, Amelia continued to cradle her children close, never letting go of her two little miracles since she left the hospital that week. “Welcome back babe, I tried to keep this place up as best I could while you were in there but damn if it didn’t take a lot. They shut the power off again. I’m just lucky they're letting us pay them back next month.” The man sighed as he helped his wife up.

Nodding absently as she walked slowly towards a small recliner, she sat down slowly as her eyes lingered on her silent girls. They still hadn’t made a peep since they were born. And while that unnerved her greatly, she was just happy they were eating and responding to her alright. In fact, they seemed like they knew who she was. That she was their mother.

Smiling down at his wife, the man moved over to her before giving her bald head a kiss. “I’ll get you something to drink alright?” Nodding quietly, Amelia sighed tiredly as she felt fatigue setting in once more. It came and went a few times a day. However…

Blinking slowly, the tired woman furrowed her brow as she saw something strange. When her arms began to shake as she leaned into the chair, her girl's hands moved around hers, at the same time. It was like they knew her hold on them was weakening. “Huh… Don’t worry, I’ve got you, girls.” And through her words, it happened again. They smiled.

Jumping as she felt a tap on her shoulder, Amelia looked up at her husband before thanking him. Perhaps she was simply exhausted after her whole ordeal. Rest was welcomed at this point, and she invited the old friend. She just needed to recover, or at least recover enough until her next treatment. Miracles aside, she was still very sick. And her time was almost nearing its end if she didn't cure her disease soon…

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Time went by relatively fast after she gave birth to her two daughters, and with time names soon came to her as well for what she would call them. Her first little girl would be named Sophia after her Grandmother, and her younger daughter if only by minutes, would be named Alexis after her Aunt. Family was important, and she’d honor hers through her two beautiful daughters.

It even seemed like they knew it too. After telling her husband what they should name them, it seemed like the two little twins liked their names, a small smile being the only response they ever physically gave. They never cried, never screamed. When they were hungry… it was as if she just knew. But sadly, she couldn’t do much about that herself.

Breastfeeding was out of the question. The chemicals in her system had tainted her hormones and she just didn’t have anything she could give them. But even sadder… it seemed like formula wasn’t to their liking either. When she tried, they made these horrible faces at her… and it broke her heart knowing she couldn’t do anything else for them.

Only time would tell how their growth would play out. And hopefully, in the end, she’d live awhile longer to see them grow up into beautiful young girls... her girls.

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“Damn it! Screw you too!” Hearing a loud crashing noise off in the distance, Amelia slowly roused from her nap before looking around. Watching as her husband stormed off into the living room before pacing out of sight. Closing her eyes tiredly, Amelia sighed sadly. He was probably fighting with debt collectors again. Her treatments weren’t free after all. And fifty thousand dollars in debt did make them a prime target for them after all.

They had filed for bankruptcy… and been denied. As rare as that was… it had to happen to them. With no health distributors taking her case for obvious reasons, and no family to assist either of them… they were completely on their own when it came to paying these bills. Feeling a light tugging on her shirt, Amelia’s eyes moved downward as she saw Alexis looking up at her in silence.

Smiling sadly, she nodded before moving to stand up. There it was again… they were hungry. Looking to Sophia who was lying on her lap, the other blonde, her hair now just beginning to grow in beautifully, sat up as well. She didn’t know how… but they had their own way of communicating with her. And she loved their bond.

She had always been afraid of being a mother… but her two precious little gifts made the whole ordeal, a little easier day by day.

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Humming quietly as she watched a children’s show on the TV with her girls, Amelia chuckled in amusement by the ridicules program. Glancing to her twins, her curiosity grew a bit as she studied their reactions to the TV. They seemed, interested, but at the same time, they weren’t. She didn’t know how she knew that, but she did.

“And in other news, N.A.T.O formally admitted 7 new countries into their organization. We’ll have more news on that at 10.” Blinking, Amelia looked away from her daughters in surprise as she watched the news passing by on the TV. Odd, she must have tapped the remote without even realizing it.

Looking to her armrest where it was… it was gone. Glancing down to her two daughters, the frail woman smiled cheerfully as she saw Sophia holding it. She must have grabbed it when she wasn’t paying attention. Reaching for it back, Amelia pulled it away from the young blonde before changing the channel back to what it had been prior.

“I think you two have long ways to go before you’d want to watch that.” She chuckled. Looking back at their mother, both girls said nothing before directing their attention to the TV once more. “And the forecast for today calls for overcast with a 20% chance of rain. The temperature should be heating up though by Friday.”

Furrowing her brow, Amelia looked up in surprise before confusion crossed her features. It was on the news again. Glancing to the remote next to her now, the blonde wondered how it had changed on its own. She knew for a fact she didn’t do it… Lifting the remote up slowly to change it back, her eyes shifted as she glanced to her two daughters. Or more, how they seemed more focused now than before.

Frowning, she lowered the remote back down to her armrest before closing her eyes. ‘As long as they like it I guess it’s alright…’ Funny, she had never heard of a child let alone an infant who liked the news.

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Watching with glee, Amelia looked to her husband with joy, as he watched the unusual sight in front of them. Both, Sophia and Alexis were walking! Stumbling slowly as they clung to one another, the two blondes now more so developed over the past two months, walked in unison as they looked around at their new surroundings for the first time.

Ever since they left the hospital, they had firmly been attached to their mother's side, and now it seemed freedom was on their minds. Shaking her head in disbelief, Amelia felt elated by the sight of her two little girls already walking. They were barely three months old! It shouldn’t be possible for them to do it… but they were both developing at such a staggering rate!

“M-Maybe we should call the Doctor… I-I mean, this is kind of… weird.” She offered, before looking to her husband who seemed just as troubled by the sight. “No, leave them be. We can’t afford any more bills. And visiting them now would bleed us dryer then we already are.”

Frowning from the way he said it, Amelia nodded sadly before looking back at her two girls. Making it a few more steps away, both twins paused before turning back around to look at their mother. “C-Come on, come to Mommy!” Smiling, both girls began walking back much to Amelia’s delight before they both crawled up to her chair.

Giggling, the blonde woman lifted her two girls back onto her lap before laying back, her arms shaking from the strenuous activity for today. Moving to his wife’s side, the dark haired man looked at his daughters silently before moving back. “I’ll go get your meds.” Nodding absently, Amelia continued to cuddle her little twins as she praised them quietly for their incredible feat.

These two little miracles were special. She just knew it!

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“Come on open up Sophia, please!” Turning her head away with disgust, the little blonde girl made a sour face at her mother as a spoon was put towards her face. It had been over a year now and she could finally start feeding her two girls real food, well… baby food. But it seemed just like the formula milk she tried to give them back then they hated this just as much!

Growling, the frail woman pushed the food away before grabbing a different jar. She had opened up six different kinds! “Please sweetie, you’ve got to like something. I-I know there not name brand, but you have to like... carrots, right?” Moving the new spoon towards her face, Amelia wanted to hang her head in shame as she saw the same look of disgust pass over her face.

Shaking her head, Amelia felt defeated now. What would it take to make her eat?! It had been three days! Moving to stand up, Amelia passed by her other daughter before looking at her in surprise. Sitting in a high chair just like her sister's, Alexis’s hands moved in and out of the discarded food she had tried to give Sophia as she played with them.

‘Great, at least your having a good time…’ Sighing, she moved into the living room slowly before grabbing the phone. She had to call someone about this. Anyone really. Her husband was at work, so maybe if she called the Hospital they frequented one of the nurses could-‘

Hearing a loud clatter in the kitchen, Amelia jumped before her eyes widened. “G-Girls!” Rushing back in, the sickly woman didn’t know what to expect… but this certainly wasn’t it. Standing out of her highchair and over her sisters, was Alexis… and, she was... feeding her. Feeding Sophia…

Watching in silent shock as the little blonde reached her hands into a mixed pallet of whatever it was she had been playing with, she soon moved her hand back over to Sophia’s mouth before the older of the two ate it. There was no protest however like there had been with her doing it.

Stepping closer quietly, Amelia watched the interaction in disbelief before looking to where Alexis had been. Picking up the jars that had fallen when she had gotten off her chair, the tired woman read them. ‘Strawberrys and bananas?’ Sniffing the mix, her nose soon picked up something else. Moving her finger over them hesitantly, she gently dabbed her finger in before bringing the digit to her lips.

Tasting whatever it was she had made, Amelia’s eyes slowly widened. ‘P-Peanuts?’ She tasted the fruits, but, also a nutty flavor as well. Looking across the table, her eyes quickly zoomed in on an open jar of peanut butter much to her shock. ‘B-B-But, I didn’t grab that from the pantry…’

Turning around slowly, her eyes moved back to her two daughters as she watched Alexis finishing up. Smiling at her sister, Sophia laughed quietly before moving her arms out towards her. Watching as the two girls began to hug one another, Amelia soon shook her head. ‘S-She didn’t like what I was feeding her… so her sister made her something better…’

Moving over to her daughters in complete silence, the shivering woman picked up her younger daughter before moving her back to the chair. “T-Thanks… Alexis…” Looking to her mother quietly, the girl soon smiled. ‘S-She, she couldn’t have really known what she was doing… right?’ Glancing to Sophia as she cleaned off her cheeks, the woman soon shook her head.

She was imagining things. And she was probably just tired. Something like this couldn’t have been real. It had been an accident, and a happy one at that actually. She now knew what her oldest liked to eat. Cleaning up the table after she fed Alexis who seemed much less picky about her meal than her sister had been, Amelia soon picked up her two little girls before moving back over to her recliner. She’d let her husband make them dinner later.

This was just too weird for her to understand…

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Jolting awake from her slumber, Amelia groaned quietly as she felt her vision spinning. Coughing into her arm, the sickly woman looked around in a daze as she tried to remember what day it was. Her health had been declining more over the past couple years, and it seemed like days just blended together for her. Reaching into her lap, the sickly woman soon felt nothing there.

Looking down slowly, her face scrunched up as she tried to figure out where her daughters were. They usually clung to her day and night. They weren’t with her husband that was for certain. He worked every day and usually came back in the late evening. So, where had they gone?

Crawling to her feet slowly, the once blonde, coughed again as she felt her lungs painfully try to support her air flow. “S-Sophia… Alexis…” Hearing no response, not that they ever spoke to her directly at least, Amelia took to her hallways before looking down the corridor. “G-Girls, ‘cough,’ where are you two?” She knew they wandered from time to time, but usually, they were still within eyesight.

Coming to her bedroom door, she reached for the handle before noticing it was already open. Pushing the door open slowly, Amelia stepped inside before feeling relief pass over her. There they were both Sophia and Alexis, safe and sound… however…

Stepping over to her daughters, the trembling woman looked at them in surprise. They were on her husband’s computer. It was an old desktop that barely worked, but it was all they had… and it seemed like the twins were interested in it. “Girls, you nearly gave me a heart attack, heaven knows I have enough to worry about as is.” She chuckled darkly before looking back at her children.

Both blondes gazed up at the glowing screen in silence before directing their attention over to their mother ominously. Furrowing her brow, Amelia looked at the screen before seeing many, many things opened all at once. ‘W-Were… were they trying to use it?’ Frowning, the woman moved over to Alexis before picking her up so she could sit down on the small stool that the toddler had been standing on prior.

“Quite, uhh… quite the interest you girls have…” She mumbled more to herself than to her daughters. Closing out all the applications they had opened up, Amelia soon came to a google link before feeling her breath hitch. Spelled awkwardly in the search bar was a single word. Leukemia… looking down slowly at Alexis, the little blonde said nothing as she stared up at her sickly mother.

‘No… that can’t be right.’ T-They couldn’t have looked up that word. Hell, they couldn’t possibly know what it even was! Shaking her head, Amelia sighed. Maybe being cooped up in her home for so long was making her stir-crazy. Her husband probably looked something up earlier and left his browser up. Turning the computer off, the tired woman smiled at her two girls before picking them both up.

“Come on, both of you. Don’t run off like that again, you scared you’re Mommy.” Frowning as she saw some kind of expression cross over their faces, Amelia quietly made her way back to the living room in silence. Her daughters were strange… and smarter than any toddlers she had ever heard of before… but something like this wasn’t possible. It just wasn’t.

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Coughing violently into a small rag, Amelia wheezed in pain before looking at the red spotted cloth she used. It had been a few months since her last episode… and her health had declined even more since it struck her. Her body had rejected this rounds treatment, and her white blood cells were just too sporadic now. The doctors said she wouldn’t make it through the year at this rate… but, she expected as much. It was no surprise to her, and if anything a bit of relief. Each day got harder and harder for her.

The bills they fought to keep off had finally caught up with them, and now food and electricity were the least of their worries. Her husband was working as much overtime as he could, to support them, but, that left her alone for hours on end. And it was painful, so painful to be like this. Frankly, she would have given up months ago… if not for them.

Hearing a small clink next to her, Amelia slowly turned her head before a smile crossed her lips. “T-Thank you, sweetie.” Looking up at her mother after setting a small cup down, Sophia smiled back. She didn’t know how this happened, or how they even knew what was going on around them, but her daughters after a few months into her decline began looking after her and not the other way around.

Both, Alexis and Sophia, wandered off on their own and did everything they could to help her. They got her meds; they made her food and brought her drinks. When the phone rang, they would give her it if it was the hospital or simply ignore it if it was a debt collector. She couldn’t fathom how they acted the way they did… but, she thanked god they did.

Watching in amusement as her oldest crawled on top of her, the little blonde reached for the drink before moving it over to her lips. Chuckling softly, before ending in a loud cough, Amelia gratefully accepted the drink before taking a long sip from it. ‘Tea…’ When did she learn to make tea? Moving the cup back, Sophia said nothing as she watched her mother in silence, a silence that had remained since they were born.

“W-Why, why do you girls never talk?” Looking up indifferently, Sophia turned her head. ‘You can understand me… can’t you?’ Shivering as she saw the blonde's head slowly nod back to her silent question, Amelia closed her eyes. She didn’t know how they did it… but she knew they could understand what she wanted to tell them, and even what she couldn’t.

Watching as her mother began to drift off, Sophia crawled off her before walking away. Moving down the hallways that lead to their mother’s bedroom or more, their bedroom as well, the little blonde looked up at her sister as Alexis stood on a small stool overlooking the computer. Much like Sophia had changed in the past few years so had Alexis. Her hair was just as long but unlike Sophia who began tying it on both ends of her head; Alexis preferred hers to fall down her back straightly.

It was mostly for their mothers benefit so she could tell which was which. Moving over to the stool, Sophia crawled up next to her sister before closing her eyes. Nodding her head quietly, Alexis looked over the page again before pointing to something. Reading what she was showing her, Sophia nodded before moving to the keyboard, her dainty fingers tapping away as they opened another link.

They wanted to learn more. They had to learn more. Knowledge was power… power. Turning their heads from the word, they began reading up on the word. Each word thereafter leading to more and more words as they filled out their glossary.

They had to know more… they couldn’t stop…

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Stepping into the apartment, Mr. Artiste sighed tiredly before shutting the door behind him. Glancing into the Livingroom, her stared at his wife in silence before moving towards her. “Babe, babe?” Visibly scowling as he watched her stir momentarily before falling back asleep he cursed. Moving towards the kitchen, he pulled open the pill cabinet before pulling out a few prescriptions.

Stepping back with a small handful, he moved back over to his wife’s sleeping form before setting them down next to her half full cup of, tea? Shrugging, he moved back to the door before leaving. He had other stuff to do.

As the door was shut, two little heads popped out from the bedroom as they gazed at the front door for a long moment. Looking to one another, both girls nodded before running to the living room. Moving over to their mother, they looked her over thoroughly before Sophia pointed to the small pile of pills. Glaring, Alexis picked up each individually before leaving just a couple and taking the rest away.

Nodding, Sophia smiled to her sibling as she moved into the kitchen to put them away. They would be the only ones to help their mother. Their father had no say in this. They knew his secrets after all…

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It had been weeks, many weeks, but things were beginning to make sense now. Staring at the glaring screen with tired eyes, Alexis read over this month’s reports of her mother in silence before glancing at the documents that her father brought home the other day. Lifting the paper up before looking at the screen in front of her, Alexis soon smiled.

Closing her eyes momentarily, she heard the gentle pattering of her sister who ran into the room with a surprised look on her face. Nodding her head, she waved her older sibling over before making room for her, the small stool now just a bit too small for them both to stand on like they used to. Crawling over to the computer screen, Sophia read the documents before comparing them.

Grinning giddily, she hoped off before both blondes made their way to the kitchen. Pushing one of the chairs over to the table, they quickly climbed up them before looking over their… project. Scattered across the old wooden surface were many, many pills… along with other, oddities they had… procured.

Moving a bowl over from one of the piles, Alexis began pointing to different medications as Sophia moved them in. grinding them up, the little blonde worked hard as she followed her sister's instructions to the dot. They had only one shot at this.

After the pills were ground into a fine powder, Sophia moved her hands over to a couple of small vials. Pouring the contents in, they began mixing it up before cupping their faces, the sour smell coming out rather putrid to their sensitive noses. Looking over the grotesque mixture they had made, Sophia looked to her sister before smiling.

Mimicking her, Alexis helped her sister up before they moved off the table, the strange concoction the had made held carefully in hand. Coming into the Livingroom slowly, both twins grew saddened at the sight of their mother.

Amelia was very pale, and her skin had sweat beading off of it like a faucet. She was barely holding on. Lifting the heavy bowl on her own, Alexis smiled before crawling on top of the unconscious woman. Taking the bowl carefully, her hands shook from the weight before feeling it slowly leave her as Sophia’s hand clutched her leg.

Smiling to her sister, Alexis lifted the small ceramic bowl up with ease now before bringing it to her mother’s lips. Prying her mouth open, Alexis shut her eyes before nodding. Pouring the foul paste past her lips, the little blonde made sure not to spill even a single drop. As the last of the unknown concoction was fed to her, Alexis moved the back to Sophia before touching her mother’s temple.

Crawling up next to her sister, Sophia mimicked her actions as she held her mother’s head gently. Gritting their teeth as they felt the woman convulsing under them, both girls began to pant as they felt themselves grow weak… but, it was done…

Letting go of her mother’s head, Alexis breathed quietly as she felt Sophia’s hands wrap around her gently. Nodding, she was moved off the prone woman as Sophia carried her effortlessly back to the bedroom. They needed to leave their mother alone now. She needed to heal on her own from now on… they did all they could.

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Opening her eyes tiredly, Amelia felt her vision shifting from left and right, along with a strange ringing in her ears and a foul taste in her mouth. Groaning, the frail woman leaned up slowly before looking around. It was light outside. Was it morning? What time was it? Moving to stand up, her legs wobbled beneath her as she tried to get up. ‘W-What day is this…’ she couldn’t remember, anything.

Inching across her carpet, the tired woman made her way to the kitchen before recoiling in shock. The place was a mess! Containers littered the ground, varies plates were broken; food cans had been torn apart and cleaned out. It looked like wild animals had raided the place!

Fear entered her eyes now as the weak woman stumbled back with worry. “G-G-Girls, girls! Sophia, Alexis, where are you!” Staggering through her hallways, she moved to her bedroom, but they weren’t there. Looking into the bathroom, and the closets and just about anywhere else she could think of, Amelia soon began to tear up. Cupping her mouth as she felt a horrible sense of dread take over, she cried.

Where were her children? Hearing the front door to the apartment open up, however, her eyes suddenly widened. “T-Tom? TOM! Running to the Livingroom, expecting to see her husband coming home, her shock was soon evident as she froze in surprise, and relief by who she saw.

Blinking, Alexis looked up at her mother speechless as she carried a small plastic bag in her hands, Sophia moving up behind her with two brown paper ones stretched on her arms. Covering her mouth, Amelia felt a new wave of tears fall as she looked at her daughters. They were so, old! They had to be at least four or five, but, it was them!

Just how long had she been away…? Dropping their bags, both girls ran to their mother with wide smiles on their faces as they clung to her, her tears not misleading to them at all as they looked at the happiness beneath them. “S-Sophia… A-Alexis… girls…” Crying harder, Amelia clung to her children as she wailed.

She had been scared to death by their disappearance… and even now was scared to see them how they were… but they were safe, safe in her arms. Hugging her girls closer, Amelia shook her head. She didn’t know what was going on anymore… but she didn’t care.

Her girls were safe…

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“Y-Yes, thank you, Doctor Jefferson… I’ll see you then…” Clicking the phone, Amelia’s eyes beaded as she processed what she had just heard. Today was September 27th… 2007. The last thing she remembered before her memories grew faded was it being October of 2006. She, she was asleep or at least inhibited for over a year… and she didn’t even know it.

Her Doctor had confirmed that she hadn’t been there in a year and that she even switched health care providers. She didn’t have any knowledge of any of this. Feeling a gentle tug on her robe, the troubled woman looked down in silence as she saw Sophia holding up a large tray with food and drinks on it. ‘This isn’t a dream… is it?’ Her four-year-old daughters… had been taking care of her this whole time… hadn't they?

Jumping as she felt her hand tugged on lightly, she turned back as Alexis pulled her over to her chair. Nodding her head slowly, Amelia walked back to her recliner before sitting down, the heavy tray her daughter held being set on top of her before both girls smiled up at her.

Looking down at her food, Amelia shook her head again. ‘Chicken soup, with baked sweet potatoes, grilled peppers & garlic… and a glass of green tea.’ They had made her a dish of immunity strengthening foods… Looking back at her daughter's proud faces, the blonde shook her head again. ‘A-Are they really my little girls…?’ Watching as a crestfallen look overtook their faces, Both Sophia and Alexis moved to either side of her arms before pointing to the food.

Nodding her head slowly, she took a sip of the tea as she tried to figure everything out. She wanted to know just what had been going on this past year. Why did she leave her hospital? Why were her daughters taking care of her? Where was her husband…? Blinking, Amelia looked around before directing her attention to her two daughters.

“W-Where’s Tom?” Turning their heads in confusion, Amelia shook hers before rephrasing her question. “W-W-Where is your father?” immediately both siblings knew who she meant before their faces darkened. Watching as they both turned away, Amelia felt fear grip her. They, they knew something!

“W-Where, is your father! Sophia, Alexis, talk to me! I know you can speak, so stop acting like you can’t!” Shaking their heads slowly, both little girls trembled as they tried to not look their mother in her eyes. “ANSWER ME!” Cringing away, Sophia shook as did her sister before they looked to each other. Watching as they saw their mother’s fearful eyes on them both, Alexis nodded her head slowly.

Taking the tray off her lap, Sophia moved it to the floor before Alexis crawled onto her mother’s lap. Looking down at her daughter confused, she had little time to process what was going on before the blonde’s hands touched her forehead.

“A-Alexis, what… are, you… do…” Not even finishing her sentence, Amelia fell back in her chair as she saw images passing over her mind… images of something, horrifying…

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~ Several months back ~

“Yeah babe, I’ll pick up whatever you want when I get done here. Please, she isn’t even awake half the time. Like she’d ever realize we’re a thing. Alright, babe, I love you too. I’ll see you tonight.” Clicking his phone off, Thomas Artiste smiled in amusement as he walked up the steps to his old apartment, well, not as old as he’d like just yet.

The bank was foreclosing on his loans so this place was almost theirs. It was just a matter of time now. But, that didn’t bother him. With creditors after him and his wife, along with debt collectors riding his ass, he chose to simply let them have whatever they wanted. It wouldn’t matter much longer anyway. All his money problems would soon disappear… along with the cause of them.

Turning the key to the apartment, the dark haired man stepped inside before looking around. The place was desolate as usual… Looking over to his wife and her motionless form, a smile soon grew over his features. “Hey baby, you awake?” Chuckling from the lack of response he’d come to accept, Thomas strolled inside before tossing the papers he had just picked up onto the counter.

Moving into the kitchen, he shook his head in amusement. Here he was struggling to get by with his good for nothing wife, and all along, while she had been bleeding him dry, it never dawned on him just how much of a cash cow he had been sitting on.

Pulling out a can of ale, he pulled the tab before letting the cool liquid within sting his throat. Sighing, he kicked the door shut before pacing back. Smiling brightly from the lucky break, he shook his head once more, disbelief evident on his features. There was no way to predict it, but, his wife’s life insurance policy he signed off on a year ago was eventually approved… and the sum was set for a pretty one hundred thousand dollars. Plenty enough to get all these assholes of his back, and have plenty left over for his new girl on the side. She was an upgrade from his current model too. Smiling as he remembered the dinner date with his wife’s cute nurse he had been seeing for some time, he set the empty can down on the table before pacing back over towards her.

When he had first hooked up with Amelia, things were great, then shit hit the fan and she dragged him down with her. ‘Death do us part my ass.’ Like hell, he’d see this shit show through. Glancing at the unconscious woman’s nightstand next to her chair, he soon grinned. The pills he left out a few weeks ago were all gone.

Leaning down over her, Thomas extended his hand before confusion danced across his face. He could feel her breath on the back of his hand. Was she still kicking? “Damn you’re a pain in the ass, you know that?” Smirking, he shook his head before strolling back over to the kitchen.

“Time to up the dosage. If enough drugs to kill a cow didn’t work, let’s try a horse this time,” He laughed, his morbid joke amusing him greatly after all the pain she had caused him. Grabbing a handful of morphine pills, along with a few other strengtheners, and a few propofol the doctor had given him in case she was suffering for good measure; he shook the small cocktail in his hand before moving back to his wife.

“Come on baby wakey, wakey. Time to take your meds.” However… there had been one thing he had forgotten, or more, two things… two, unexpected things. Jumping in surprise, Thomas clutched his chest before cursing as the pills he had been holding fell onto the floor. Standing in front of their mother, was Sophia and Alexis, and they didn’t look happy.

“Jesus you two are still here?” He had been leaving the apartment off and on, and he had been hoping these two would eventually wander off. Hell, they knew how to walk on their own when they were infants for crying out loud! Sighing, he shook his head as he looked at his two daughters… no, they really weren’t his, at least in his eyes.

Amelia getting pregnant had been one of the biggest mistakes of his life. And the fact the two little urchins survived from the shit he signed her up for was even more annoying. The last thing he wanted was children. Smiling down at his two girls, Thomas shook his head as he began picking up the pills. “You two should go out for a bit, you know, exploring or whatever kids are doing at your age.” Waving his hand at them, he expected them to do something… but not just stand there.

Glancing back at the twins, the dark haired man grew annoyed. “Alright, go to your room then, daddy needs to give your mommy something so she’ll feel all better.” He grinned. He didn’t know why he felt like taunting, they were just kids after all. It’s not like they would understand any of his words anyways.

Moving to step past them, he was soon stopped however as Sophia moved in front of him. “The hell, come on move it, Sophie, or Sarah? Whatever she named you.” Glaring at the man they never called a father; both twins remained where they were as they clutched something tightly in their hands. Noticing it as well, Thomas looked down before his eyes widened.

They were holding the life insurance policy he had been given a copy of. “Ok, come on give it back,” He chuckled before growing irritated as Sophia’s hand shot away, the paper being tossed behind her. “Ok, now you’re bothering me. Go to your room!” He barked, but, they didn’t budge an inch.

Growling, he moved towards the closer of the two before shoving Alexis to the ground and stepping past them. “Damn you two are such a-“Gasping as the words suddenly left his mouth before he screamed. Flying backwards into the wall, he wheezed in pain as his eyes lingered on Sophia glaring hatefully at him. Grinding her sensitive teeth, Sophia felt her anger skyrocket as she felt the painful impact of her sister.

“You fucking brat!” Crawling it his feet, he staggered forward in rage. He had no idea what the hell she did but that hurt! However… stopping slowly, he looked down in shock as he felt his body stiffening. “W-W-What the hell?!” Helping her sister up, Sophia watched as Alexis’s hands twitched in the air, an ominous look present on her young face. Looking at his two daughters, Thomas shook with fear. Were they doing this to him!?

After making sure her sister was alright, Sophia directed her attention back to the man in front of them before she stormed over, her hands already outstretched as she willed her anger towards him. “H-H-Hey, g-get back, GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME YOU FREAK!”

Shoving her fingers into the man, Sophia squeezed his legs hard, the bones beneath his skin cracking in the process. Screaming in pain as lightning coursed through his veins from the child’s touch, he soon fell to the ground in agony. ‘Don’t… touch… MOTHER!’

Looking up in shock from the resonating screams in his mind, his eyes widened in horror by what he was witnessing. ‘W-What… the fuck…’ Standing over the man, Sophia towered above him as she panted in anger. She was at least three story’s tall!

Clenching her fists, Sophia twitched as she felt anger from her sister screaming through her mind. Nothing was hidden to them. Nothing was sacred to them. Nothing was above their knowledge, their power... They had power. Power other people didn’t have. And she was going to show her daddy just what this power could do.

Lifting her barefoot up, the downed man had little time to process what was going on before letting out a bloodcurdling scream as the gigantic sole of his daughter slammed on top of him. Stomping her foot on her shrunken father, Sophia grit her teeth as she raised it back up. He was still moving…

Crying in pain, Thomas looked up in terror as he saw the toddler's bus-sized sole hovering above him. “H-He-lp…” He tried to speak, but, only a wheeze left his lungs as he felt his body broken and immovable, the pain alone enough to leave him paralyzed on the spot. Lowering her foot slowly, deliberately slowly, Sophia soon stomped on the diminutive man as she felt both her and her sister's rage urging her on.

Screaming angrily, she slowly started to twist her foot into the shag carpeting as she witnessed the pain through her sister’s eyes. Watching in silence, Alexis’s lips twitched into a cruel smile as her hands lowered, the need to restrain the man no longer a necessity. He wasn’t going to move… ever again.

Panting, Sophia closed her eyes before lifting her foot back off Thomas… or, what was left of him. Glaring down at the stain on the carpet, the blonde began wiping off the mess she made before moving back to her sister's side.

Clutching Sophia tightly, Alexis clung to her as she hugged her sibling. clinging to one another, both blondes closed their eyes as they felt the faintest hints of something else flow into them from their actions after all the anger dissipated. They had just done something bad… and they knew it. But they would do anything, to keep their Mother safe.

Even if it meant hurting those who tried to hurt her…

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Watching as her vision began to slowly return to normal, Amelia was speechless by what she just saw in her mind… it, it was like she watching TV, her eyes being gateways into someone else’s memories… no, not someone else… theirs…

Shivering with fear, the crippled woman looked down at her two children as they stood in front of her, their eyes locked on the ground instead of her. “W-W-What…” Reaching her hand out to her sisters, Alexis closed her eyes as she felt her mother’s emotions… they weren’t good…

Cupping her mouth, Amelia shook her head. Tom… he, he was dead… she didn’t imagine any of it. She had seen it all as if she had been there for the entire thing. Shaking, Amelia felt fears forming over her eyes. Her husband was dead… he was dead… and they killed him…

Looking up slowly, their faces crestfallen by what they felt coming from their own mother, both girls moved towards her before jumping back in shock as the tray on her lap was flung towards them. “S-S-STAY BACK! G-Get away from me!”

Trembling, Sophia reached her hand out towards her mother before flinching as something hit her chest. Crawling back on her chair, fear wracking her body, Amelia began to scream. “S-STAY AWAY! G-GET AWAY FROM ME YOU… YOU… YOU MONSTERS!

…

To be continued…