(Sigurd Agnarsson)

  “Alright…find Helena. Ask her for…something. And be done with it. That’s IF I can find her! God damn it! Where the hell is she?!”

  I had scoured through every school crevice and just couldn't find her. I thought finding a group of boys flocking to her would have been easy, but surprisingly, it was quite the opposite.

  At this point, I had gone back and forth through the entire school building. I had spotted some other seniors like me, but when they turned to me, my hopes were shot down after they realized I wasn't Einar.

  I continue to go for my second round through the school, looking into classes in hopes of finding her. No hope in that as well, I only see the lower years in them, ruling out yet another array of classrooms.

  Eventually, after doing that multiple times, I came across a board with a list of names and pictures of the top-achievers of Oak Summit High. Clean with borders colored in our school colors:

  Helena Brown- Valedictorian

  GPA: 4.85 weighted

  There she is…

  What a beauty.

  But right under her, however?

  Einar Agnarsson - Salutorian

  GPA: 4.67 weighted

  Einar, Einar. Einar. The prom king, as cringy as that sounded. The greatest offensive tackle Oak summit high has ever had, a great footballer, being just under Albrecht. Baseball is nothing to him. In track and field, he dominates. What does he not have? Good looks are there, and the charm. His damned charm.

  Father knew that. My sister and brother did. And all of their focus was on him. But not me.

  I peek out the window, finding most of the seniors in the court. So that’s where they are.

  “Gotta go outside…right. Of course, I do.”

  I glance at my yearbook. I had met a few of the other senior friend groups. Maybe about four or five, but only one group signed my book. Good on them, I hope they have a wonderful life ahead. For the others? I hope they end up paralyzed after a car crash. Bastards.

  I steel myself, taking a deep breath. I should have asked Albrecht for a mint or something. My breath probably reeks of fish. My hair is messy, judging from the reflection of the window. And my face…God. Why did I get the short end of the stick?

  There’s no way Helena would actually speak to me in this condition. Gotta tidy myself up first. I quickly head to the bathroom, wetting my hair and styling it slightly. Then I wash my face to rid off the sleep-deprivation.

  Should I take off my glasses? I can’t see shit without them, but I might just end up looking better.

  Alright, look at that. I can’t see shit. But I know I at least look better. However, better put on my glasses first so I can see her. Stepping out of the bathroom, I move towards the exit door and push it open, stepping out into the courtyard. Some juniors are huddled together, mouth agape, alternating between their phones and eachother in shock.

  I wonder what they’re worried about? Whatever, to hell with them.

  My eyes wander to the middle of the courtyard, where a group of seniors is cheering something on. I can barely see past their shoulders, courtesy of my below-average height; all in my field of view is a cluster of sweaty backs.

  But do I really have to go? Agh! Come on! Einar wanted me to go for it. He’s probably distracting the rest of the crowd. However, I catch a glimpse of Helena through the crowd. Her luscious hair flashed through their shoulders. She’s here. And I spot Einar in the middle of the crowd as well. So much for distracting them, so I can get to Helena. But why, though? What is she doing with him?

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  Swallowing my pride and fear to the best of my ability, I meekly walk over to them, the sounds of the crowd’s cheers muffling as something rings in my ear. Chills move up my spine as I continue forward.

  Something’s wrong. So wrong. It was not just that, like some…deity. A cruel god had been watching me with evil eyes. My body kept moving forward, ignoring the fact that my head burned with a cruel agony. And cycling through freezing pain. A cruel apotheosis of ecstasy that ate away at me. But the source was incomprehensible. Whether it was from this crowd or something else, I don’t know.

  The hum in my ear intensifies as I push past the crowd and eventually arrive at the front.

  I notice a platinum-haired girl standing off to the side, her arms crossed as she watches the events unfolding with indifferent eyes. Surrounded by boys and girls who, even I’m surprised, passed senior year.

  I spot Albrecht and Sebastian off to the side. Their expressions morphed into one of horror as the cheers peaked. My eyes lock with theirs as they realize that I was in the front. I slowly turn my head towards the crux of the commotion, the corner of my eye, spotting Albrecht dashing, trying to stop me from even glancing at the root of this chaos.

  But it was too late, time seemed to slow down.

  Einar stood there as Helena held him close. It didn’t take long for me to realize what was happening.

  They were kissing.

  My heart shatters, and my breathing becomes ragged as ringing echoes in my ears. My lips quiver, and I can feel the blood in my body freezing up. ‘What the fuck are they doing?’ I pinch myself for a second, foolishly hoping for this to be a dream.

  I shut my eyes and open them again. I shut my eyes and open them again.

  I shut my eyes and open them again. I shut my eyes and open them agai–

  This was not a dream. The girl who had occupied my heart and mind for years was kissing Einar. My twin. The man I loathed.

  “Einar…”

  He pushes Helena away, shaking his head rapidly, spotting me in the crowd, his expression worsening. I can’t hear him spout his lame excuse. And I don’t need to. Einar. The golden fucking child of the Agnarsson. It didn’t matter if we were twins. It was as if I never existed. I was a shadow to the other people.

  We are all born different. But we are twins? We…we were supposed to be the same. But him? He’s taller, more attractive, buff, more athletic, and stronger than me. And me? Pathetic little me. A frail and small boy with glasses. Nothing to his name but grades that fall into obscurity. SAT scores that are never acknowledged. AP classes that fall short of many. I pulled Einar up from the bottom. Without me, he would have barely passed the same classes I take. Chemistry, Math, Physics, Biology. Without me, he would have been placed in the lowest of the class. But no. I got him up to second. Right under me.

  But NO! They didn’t care about me! Only a few pats on the back and acknowledgment from some teachers! BUT HIM?! Rewards, trophies, certificates, EVERYTHING!

  ALL THAT WAS RIGHTFULLY MINE WAS TAKEN AWAY!

  He said he would stay away from Helena! Let me have a chance! BULL FUCKING SHIT! WHY HIM?! WHY NOT ME?!

  “EINAR-”

  BOOOOOOOOM

  ***

  The books that had been levitating and creating large rifts of reality in the sky shoots out beams of light throughout the world. There are thousands of them spread all across the globe, each one sending out a beam of light that seeks its own targets like homing missiles. Enveloping them in a deafening beam of blue light.

  Just then, every streaming site all around the world shut down. The rifts in the air revealed four towering panels that were a complete blank slate. A list of names began rapidly appearing from the panels.

  It didn’t stop. It just kept on listing name after name as a count above it continuously rise like the tide of a tsunami. Over time…? It filled up and stopped at a certain number:

  [Total Count Of Humans: 500,000]

  [Currently Alive: 500,000]

  [Deceased: 0]

  [Search for someone special?]

  Then, every streaming service lights up with energy, as a new livestream appeared on every single one of them. The beams of light that pulsed with the rhythm matching a heartbeat seemed to fuel the livestream. It slowly activated and revealed to the viewers a horrifying view.