The Quill twins sat in the waiting area of the hospital, their legs dangling above the floor. They both had dirty blonde hair, the girls reaching down to the middle of her back, but their eyes differed. Peters who was the oldest by a few minutes had green eyes and Taylors were a warm brown. They were clutching each other's hands, listening to Peter's music player with a special adaption that allowed two pairs of headphones to be plugged in at once.
"Peter, Taylor." Their grandfather called out to them, but neither of them took notice. "Your momma wants to speak with you both." Still no answer as they both had their eyes closed listening to the music, not seeing him kneel down in front of them. "Come on, Pete, Tay." He reached up taking their headphones off gaining their attention. "Take these fool things off."
He took the player and headphones wrapping them together before pressing them back into Peter's hands. His own hand were shaking as he wearily rubbed his face, his eyes troubled. Taylor reached out with her free hand taking one of his in it.
He smiled sadly squeezing her hand and patting Peter on the leg. He got them up ushering them to the hospital room tucking the player away into Peter's bag. They were met with the sadly familiar sight of their mother who lay dying of cancer surrounded by family and friends.
"Why have you been fighting with the other boys again, baby?" Meredith took note of Peter's black eye. "Peter?"
"They killed a little frog that Taylor was taking care of. Smushed it with a stick and made her cry." Peter explained looking down at the ground.
"It wasn't doing them no harm, they were just being mean." Taylor defended clinging to her brother.
"You're both so like your daddy. You two even look like him." Meredith smiled wanly. "And he was an angel." It was clear by the looks of the others around her that they thought that the sickness had addled her mind. "Composed out of pure light."
"Mer?" Her father spoke up cutting her off. "You got a present there for Peter and Taylor, don't you?"
"Of course." Meredith weakly grabbed for the colorfully wrapped package. "There."
"I've got you covered, Pete, Tay." Their grandfather tucked the package away into Peter's backpack.
"You both open it up when I'm gone, okay?" Meredith told them causing Peter and Taylor's eyes to well up. "Your grandpa is gonna take such good care of you both. At least until your daddy comes back to get you." The monitor started to beep. "Take my hand." Peter shied away unable to look at her as Taylor froze unable to move. "Peter. Taylor."
"Pete, Tay come on." Their grandfather urged, but neither moved to do so.
"Take my hand." Meredith said weakly then the monitor flat lined, she was gone, and they had done nothing.
"Mom?" Taylor sobbed.
"No! No! No! No!" Peter cried out.
"Mom! No!" Taylor and Peter reached for her, but were pulled away from her by their grandfather and back out into the waiting room.
"Come with me." He held them back from going back in, both of them frantic. "You've got to stay here. Please." He told them sternly as they cried. "Okay?"
"No." Peter shook his head as their grandfather went back into the room.
"Mom!" Taylor ran to the door, but didn't go in as she grasped the door frame.
She heard the rapid foot falls behind her causing her head to whip around in time to see Peter running away. She turned back to her mother's room for only a few moments more before turning to run after him.
They night was heavy with fog that even the light of the moon could barely penetrate. She ran after Peter as best as she could calling out for him until she found him a few yards away having fallen on his hands and knees in a crying heap.
She made to go to him when suddenly a strange loud noise filled the air followed by a strange bright light coming from the sky. Taylor shielded her eyes to see a ship like no other she had ever seen outside of a comic book baring down on Peter dispelling the fog.
"Peter!" Taylor ran for him, but a strange light came from the ship surrounding him then with it disappeared before she could get to him. "PETER!" Taylor screamed as the ship veered back then shot off into space. "PETER! SOMEONE HELP! PETER! NO!"
They found her later that night on her knees starring up at the stars with tears streaming down her face. When asked what had happened to Peter she told them the truth of what she had seen, but no one believed her. They wrote it off to the trauma of losing her mother then the mysterious loss of her brother.
-0-
Taylor moved through the crowded halls of the high school, her backpack slung over one of her shoulders. Her hair had been cut to a short pixie style and died a brown with darker brown roots, her style decidedly rock punk.
She had ripped jeans, black combat boots, black tank top, and a red plaid shirt. Mismatched rings, bracelets, and necklaces adorned her body as well as multiple ear piercings. Dark khol black liner surrounded her brown eyes making them pop and the only other makeup she wore was the light pink on her lips contrasting with her overall dark look.
The crowd shifted away from her as she was a known loner with a dark attitude, everyone had long since given up trying to befriend her and challenging her was just a bad idea. Many times her grandfather had been called to the office because of problems that ended up in fights….like the one that was walking directly at her.
She kept reminding herself as he got closer that it was only one more week and then she'd be out of there. Technically she was already graduated, but at her grandfather behest/order had agreed to stay on till the end including the ceremony, but at eighteen years only she was more than ready to blow.
"Quill, how about you and me after school under the bleachers?" Johnathan, the school man whore, leered down at her.
"Sorry, I don't do things that make me want to vomit." Taylor rolled her eyes pushing past him, but a hand on her arm detained her.
"Come on, chicks like you are always up for some fun." He tightened his grip on her arm enough that she knew there would be marks.
"Chicks like me?" Taylor echoed, a dark tinge to her voice.
"Yeah, broken chicks with daddy issues." He shrugged haughtily.
"As sweet as you are I'm still saying no." Taylor snarled pushing him away from her into the lockers. The halls went quiet as they all turned to the commotion. "I don't do anything with weak sissy's like you."
"You're just as crazy as they say." Johnathan stood up straightening his clothes. "You know, I don't think her brother was kidnapped, I bet she killed him."
And like that Taylor snapped, her fist flying through the air catching Johnathan right on the jaw sending him to the ground. She didn't stop there as she threw herself on him pinning him down as she rained down hit after hit.
It took three boys from the football team to drag her back, teachers arriving on the scene. They were all carted off and after another meeting between her grandfather and the principle she was sitting in the passenger side of his pickup starring out the window in stony silence.
"Tay, you can't keep doing this." Her grandfather broke the silence.
"I wouldn't have to do anything if those Neanderthals would keep their dirty hands and dirtier comments to themselves." Taylor sunk down in her seat.
"People are going to talk." Her grandfather sighed. "You need to learn to ignore them."
"I won't have to ignore them for long." Taylor muttered.
"What are you talking about?" He asked her.
"I'm leaving, as soon as I graduate I'm taking off." Taylor crossed her arms.
"And where are you planning on going?" His voice became tight.
"Where ever I want." Taylor replied.
"You're homes here, you need to stay." He told her.
"Why? Why would I want to stay in this backwards den of ignorance and intolerance?" Taylor gestured wildly. Her grandfather slammed on the breaks pulling off to the side of the road.
"You listen to me, I ain't going to make the same mistake I made with your mother letting her loose to do whatever she wanted. That's how she got tangled up with that no good father of yours, that's how she ruined her whole life." Her grandfather snarled. Taylor made no reply as she glared ahead, her nailed digging into her fists. With angry movements her grandfather put the car back into drive taking them down the road to home.
She wasted no time in bolting out of the car as soon as it pulled into the driveway. She slammed into the house stomping up the stairs and slamming her door shut locking it for good measure. She threw open her closet taking out her duffle and started to pack.
It was easy to choose what she needed and what would stay behind. Clothes were thrown in along with a pair of sandals, pictures of her mom and Peter, her mother's knitting kit, some money she had saved up, and a few more things to help her one her way. She knew her grandfather would never let her leave so she slipped out the window using the porch railing to slip down.
She made her way deep into the woods where an old rundown shed was nestled amongst the trees and underbrush. It was in this place that she kept her best kept secret, a red Yamaha XS 650. She had gotten it from a scrapyard and spent many days fixing it up in secret. She never let her grandfather know about it or he would have taken it away, not proper for a young lady and all that crap.
She rolled it out of the shed onto the path taking out her helmet placing it on her head before revving the engine. She sped down the path onto the dirt road that took her past her grandfather's home pausing only a moment to take it in before speeding away.
-0-
Taylor never returned home only sending post cards from time to time to let her grandfather know she was alive. She didn't even have it in her to return when he passed away, just stopped sending the postcards.
She traveled often, never settling down in one spot and taking odd jobs to keep herself going. She never found a place to call home nor people she could relate to past the acquaintance stage. Through events she couldn't even understand herself she had ended up in Nepal wondering through the busy streets.
She paused as she gazed out on the mountain range taking in their great beauty. It was something she loved the most about traveling, the scenery. She took in a deep breath she felt all the way to the bottom of her lungs and letting out feeling her whole body relaxing.
At least she was relaxed until she felt someone tug at her duffle on her back. Her grip tightened as she whirled around to face off her mugger. She aimed a kick at each of his knees forcing him back and losing his hold on her duffle. Another thing she had picked up in her travels was a knowledge of various fighting techniques.
The man was joined by three others all sneering and not looking to above murder. She pursed her lips, squared her shoulders, leveled them with her best glare…then turned tail running for it as fast as she could. She was proud of her fighting skills, but she wasn't about to face down four men on her own.
It wasn't much of a getaway with the opposing team having home field advantage. They were able to surround her in an alley and were going in for the kill, sick smiles plastered on their faces. Deciding that she wasn't going down without a fight she raised her arms and widened her stance, but none of that was necessary it seemed. The suddenly turned pale and fled the alley like frightened rabbits causing her to tilt her head in confusion.
"You are far from home." A female voice from behind her commented.
Taylor turned to face the owner of the voice, her guard back up. The woman was strangely dressed in a hooded garb of yellow that was clearly oriental inspired. Pale arms reached up removing the hood to reveal the blonde woman's bald head and otherworldly beauty, but the look in her eyes spoke wisdom beyond her physical appearance.
"Yeah, I guess I am." Taylor nodded slowly. "I'm guessing you're the one that scared those thieves off so thanks."
"You're welcome Miss Quill." She nodded her head startling Taylor.
"How'd you know my name?" Taylor asked.
"What are you looking for Taylor?" She countered.
"Right now? A subtle way to get out of this freaky conversation." Taylor replied eyeing the woman.
"I was thinking in a more philosophical sense." She smiled softly and Taylor found herself reassured, something in the smile telling her this woman was going to help her.
"I lost everything and it's all I've been doing ever since, losing." Taylor stuffed her hands into her pockets. "I don't want to lose anymore."
"Come with me." She said.
"You haven't even told me your name or what you want." Taylor pointed out.
"I'm the Ancient One, and I'm going to give you something you can never lose." She told her, her voice laced with sympathy and authority. "Will you come?"
Taylor eyed her once again, but she gave nothing away. Adjusting her satchel Taylor realized she had nothing to lose and slowly nodded her head. She followed the Ancient One to Kamartaj and started a new chapter in her life.