Blue Sunday VII: Who

My eyes opened slightly to the relief of Carlisle’s snoring being gone. He was talking to himself and sometimes I wish he would keep his thoughts somewhere else. He spoke to me about everything that he worked for, what his job was, why the “Gods” told him that he needed to paralyze me and grant me this kind of power.

I didn’t believe him.

I hated him.

All he’s done for me is cause me pain and interrupt this peaceful life of mine. The only thing I had to worry about was the hunters, and they came at least once a month. And then, of course, August was always someone I needed to take care of. She always has a sickness in this type of habitat. We were never used to this jungle.

In our beginning lives, before the apocalypse, we lived in the great desert. We lived with no worries, no issues. It was an easy life with a mother that loved us and a father that took care of us. And then, when August was born, everything changed. It was like her soul was some type of curse. At least that’s what Father said.

He, and I quote, said, “Your sister is killing us. I knew it from the start. Kill her…” He was lying on the ground in a crumpled heap of blood and bones. His face was torn away, and still searing at the edges. I was young at the time, and had no idea what was happening. He screamed out “now” and threw a pistol towards me.

I didn’t listen to him. Just like how I’m not listening to Carlisle. August is sick all the time, but she’s not a curse. She’s done nothing wrong.

The second she was born, a giant gust of wind came. It was like a nuclear bomb. The entire hospital shook. My mother yelled out, telling me to take August and jump into a refrigerator. As a young kid, I didn’t ask why. I did as I was told. I woke up the next morning. The refrigerator was floating in a river that I’d never seen before.

Soon, we arrived here, on an island. It’s been hidden from all habitat. It looks like a wasteland. I thought that maybe there were people that lived here, but they were all disenegrated from the nuclear bomb. I thought we were the last surviving humans on the planet.

“Would you shut it already?”

“Oh, shut up, Carlisle. I can think too, ya’ know.” I spat, sitting up in my mat-like bed that stuck to the cement floor of our broken down home. “It’s not only you who has a mind of their own.”

“Well at least I have an interesting story.”

He made it seem like bragging. Us three were the last people on Earth. How more interesting can you get?

“How about having a sister that is an alien.”

“You don’t have an alien sister.” I corrected, “That’s impossible.” I walked over to the counter with August’s vitamins and daily pills to keep her immune system in check.

“I don’t have a sister that is an alien. You do.”

“What?” I asked, dropping the pill bottle onto the floor. Before I knew it, August had it cupped in her hands, twisting off the top. I was still extremely confused.

“I’ll show you one of these days. I found out why I can’t seem to get in your sister’s head. Normal mortals can be mind read. But she can’t. That means she’s not a mortal.” He paused for a brief second before continuing. “Anyway, I’ll show you soon. You just have to trust me. She’s oblivious to pain and thoughts. She doesn’t have a mind of her own. She’s being controlled.”

An alien? Out of all things old man…

I picked the bottle of her hands, twisting off the top and handing her a little red pill. That was when I read the back label that I never paid attention to before:

“WARNING: May cause severe pain, do not take more than twice a week. Filled with toxic poisons.”

Toxic poisons? Severe pain? Twice a week? I’ve been giving her this every single day for the past years that we’ve been together.

That was when August glanced up at me, waiting for me to get a glass of water. I looked back at her, handing her a cup. Before I knew it, it was empty.

“August…” I stared at her intently, “Who are you?”

Who?