"Believe only half of what you see and nothing that you hear."
― Edgar Allen Poe
Everyone within the tiny town of Crypton, Alabama thought my father was crazy.
Leon Kagamine wasn't always known as the town's loon. But he did become that after a series of reasons. My twin brother and I were 4 years old when my mother died from a rabid dog attack. The world suddenly became dangerous and horrifying, and that combined with the whole, "I have to take care of twins by myself" kinda got at him some. So he quit his job as high school principle and returned to the state of his upbringing; survivalist.
The Kagamines before my dad were ever bigger hicks then the rest of the populace and just to boot, the outcasts. When my dad met my mom, he had sworn to leave that part of his life behind, Lola was worth that, but, it still caught up to him. After she died, he become real paranoid, and it drove him to teach us what he had been forced to as a child.
That's how my twin, Len, and I learned to fish, hunt, gather, fight, and just plain survive. We owe our dad everything. It's the only reason we managed to live this far through the hell on earth.
See, Leon always had these… intuitions about things going on around us. One time he saw a duckling suckling on a cat and called it, "Ungodly," before takin' us out of school and driving two hours to Safe House 1 out in the middle of nowhere. I mean, farther from the nowhere our town was already in. So, when he showed up one day at school when we were 16, and took us to our house to get our packs, then drove the two hours away, Len and I didn't question anything. We would stay there for a day or two, as long as my dad needed to know things were alright, then go back to normal.
As normal as one could get as a Kagamine I mean. By the time I was 8, could hunt practically anything, skin it, and cook it twelve different ways. At 10, I was skilled at knowing the land, any kind of terrain, and know how to live it on. By 13 I mastered fighting with a samurai sword, knife throwing, and guns. Len always tried his hand to bet me, adding to his bucket of knowledge what plants are good for eating and medicine. In the woods, that type of logic made sense. We had lived in the woods more than in our three bedroom house.
That place wasn't much of a home actually. The house was just a place we usually slept in every now and then. Dad made sure we could live outside in any type of weather. The house we lived in currently was one dad bought after mom died. He couldn't stand being in the same building where we were all happy once I guess.
With three bedrooms, there was a place for each of us. Yet from an early age, Len and I shared a room, sleeping in either in the bunk beds or slipping under the sheets together. Len was more of my best friend then my twin. I saw him as another kid stuck in the same place as I was in with Leon. He was my other half, in sense. Of course being twins and all, it made sense to think of Len like that. He shared my face and understood the pains we went through for our dad. A prime example of it was from my earliest memory; one where we're reaching towards a women with dark eyes and hair. Len was always there.
I had no delusions; to others, Len kinda was like those freaky spirit things in stories; calm, sly, even gentle one moment, but you certainly wouldn't want to piss it off. I was like the raging hot sun in the middle of July. I was hot tempered and impulsive, blunt. You knew what I thought right off the bat.
But between the two of us, Len was usually kinda awkward and very much a loser with a sweet side, while I was more… a bitch. Yeah. A bitch.
For example, I could take a punch and return it tenfold, and Len could convince someone he didn't need to be hit and knock them out when they tried to remember why they wanted to punch him in the first place.
One day when Len would leave this shitty town and marry some beautiful bimbo, I would screech to the wide sky above 'cause finally, he would leave me behind for good. But I would let him go, as long as I knew things were goin' good for him, I could deal. Hopefully.
From the womb to now, we were together, and I hoped to keep it that way for as long as I could. But the fear was always there, always stabbing at me from a corner of my brain, hissing and clawing to be noticed. It scared me how much I couldn't stand having Len leave me. I couldn't picture me without him. It was always either Rin and Len, the twins, or those fuckin' Kagamine brats.
That fear was damn annoying though. Fear was never my thing. It's a neutral being in my eyes, something that can keep you alive or get someone, usually yourself, killed. I didn't like fear. But I pushed back on it time and time again. It was hard of a thing to do, but not even my own thoughts could push me around. I'm a Kagamine after all.
Kids from school don't call me boss ass bitch for nothin'. With Len supporting me, we could for sure conquer anything.
Dad on the other hand… he wasn't much of father rather than a troop leader. He taught us, true, feed us, clothed us, sheltered us yeah, but when it came to love…
There was no doubt in my mind that the old man loved us. It was just that I wished he showed it.
In any case, our dad took the two of us out of school one afternoon in March, staying silent and moving the knob on the old radio in an effort to hear something. What exactly? I didn't even try to listen. Len and I were whispering to one another in the back, each of us trying to keep a mask of momentousness on. Rule number 2, never let your guard down, dad could be a prick about it. He was the boss, the leader, and anything he said goes, no matter the situation.
Even as a kid I knew that, so right then, as I tried in vain to hush the giggles slipping through my mouth, I elbowed Len to get him to shut up. He was telling a hilarious story about how Miku Hatsune, an annoying older girl with a peppy voice, had asked him out, only to have Len leave her hanging because of dad's family trip.
A foreign voiced filled the car. Dad had found his station. The man's voice was too humdrum to focus on with this gossip running around my head though.
"Shut the hell up idiot!" I choked on my laughter only to have Len wrap an arm around me in a tight bear hug. "We both know you wouldn't have said yes." I snickered, seeing Len snort, muffled but loud, behind my shoulder. "No way banana brains. She's a complete spaz. I bet you she doesn't even know how to tie a fisherman's knot."
Len shrugged his shoulders, lips moving to my temple, "She's hella hot though." I felt my heart drop a bit and my blood flare up at that. Suddenly, I started to blush and tried to squirm out of his warm grasp.
He so shouldn't be talkin' to me about her like that. The chick has nothing upstairs. Looks aren't everything. Freaking idiot. Idiot.
My head twisted away in an effort to have his soft lips gone from my skin. "You're such a horn dog jackass!" I hissed, striking my boney elbows into his ribcage. For some reason, my whole face was consumed by fire at that point and I shifted as far as I could from him. He left me alone to sulk in a depressed heap for several minutes until finally, he touched my shoulder.
"Hey… Chill out I was joking. She's too girly for my taste… And I don't like girls with long hair." I heard him say, my sapphire eyes glued to the moving landscape outside. At that last part, my lips parted, fingers reaching up to toy with my shoulder length hair. The sun's rays from the window shone on it, as I replayed his words in my mind again.
Wondering, yet forcing myself not to look at him, I pictured that same sunlight hitting his long soft hair. It was lengthy enough that he always tied it back into a long ponytail at the nape of his head, often moving it so it was flowing over a shoulder. Not many guys could pull off long hair, I had only seen it done so perfectly with Len. Of course Len was Len though.
The bale on my tongue tasted like dirt. And I knew what dirt tasted like.
I could imagine so clearly what type of face he was making; a small smile, a shine in his eyes, and a hopeful look that his sister was finished moping. I pressed my lips closed in confusion.
If I turned, there was no doubt I would see that face. A face so eerily similar to my own despite being different sex twins. Did he ever see the glint of pure undeniable glee in my air when we were together? How could he be so ok with just dropping me?
An odd choke transformed into laughter.
I was defiantly being crazy. I shook my head to clear the woe of something from my mind. I spun around at Len with a pout and eye roll adorning my expression. "Naw banana brains, I don't care what girls want to get in your pants, just make sure they're better than me." I planted a loud smooch on his cheek, "That's the only way I'll have some other chick take you from me. Got it? Big sissy has to do her job."
Len's face went scarlet, but with embarrassment from what I was saying or the kiss, I don't know and it bothered me. With the big sister part, he glowered at me, blush still strong, with matching dark blue eyes. "Your only 2 minutes older than me Rin!"
It was my turn to shrug then, "Not my fault you were too lazy to come out first." I stuck my tongue at him and punched him in the shoulder hard.
"Ouch!" Len whined, rubbing at his injured joint. "Don't blame me idiot! You must've pushed me out of the way!"
I gasped dramatically, loudly, "I did no-" It was too late to realize I wasn't even pretending to look serious anymore. Len's eyes went wide just as mine did and we both froze, looking to our dad, knowing a lecture was at hand.
But instead, we turned see dad's dirty blonde head at the stirring wheel, his body curling over it. With closer exception, I saw his knuckles white.
Len moved over until he was behind the passenger's seat. "Dad?" He asked in a soft voice. I stared at the radio, the man's dull voice didn't sound so boring now. The man was speaking firmly but sounded petrified about what he was saying.
I poked Len's side and pointed to then radio. His gaze followed my finger until it wasn't just his eyes paying attention. What the man on the radio was talking about…
-peat. I repeat- I repeat- I repeat- One hour ago, I witnessed a thief getting shoot in the head by the police and, this guy, this dead man, just got up. I thought maybe this was just some prank. But he- the one who got shot- he attacked the police offer. He just fucking bit into his arm like it was butter.
This is it ladies and gentlemen, the thing that I've been talking about for years now.
The dead are coming back.
I didn't even have time to see people around me started to panic, I got out as fast as I can. I'm not saying where I am now folks, but I'm sure that the state of New York has already been lost. What other places in the world are breaking out in anarchy, I have no idea.
I don't even know what the percentage of humans left are. I don't know how many people are listening to this, but I'll go on here every day at 8, 12, and 4 o'clock to give you updates. I have some things to keep me informed.
Stay alive.
There was no sound inside the car, only the noise of dad speeding up and turning onto a trail in the forest. My mouth hung open. What the hell was going on? Was it because of that idiot on the radio that dad took us all the way out here? I breathed out in exhaustion. At least we got our reason this time.
Dad turned the knob on the radio, getting static for a while. Len grabbed my hand and I squeezed his to give him some of my calm. Len was worried that one of these days, dad will take us out of school permanently and move to Safe House 1.
Len hated the things dad made us learn. While other kids were playing t-ball, Len was learning how to make a fire. Personally, I could care less about how I never got to play dress up.
I was bound to Crypton for all my life and I certainly wasn't fighting that destiny. But Len… he wanted to leave for somewhere big and great. Chicago, L.A, New York, even Washington D.C., he wanted to go and make his life in one of those places. It scared me completely he was so willing to leave me behind with Crypton.
I rested back against the seat and took a deep breath. Once again a scratchy voice seeped into the car and chanted in a frightened tone about the dead coming back to life. Yet this time, she said it was happening in Montana.
All over the country, these- these- Oh God. They're killing everything. Jesus fuck! Ok… Ok-ok. Its total chaos out there people. Do not, I repeat, do not go outside unless you absolutely have too. It's not worth it. Whatever you have in mind, it's not worth it. Stay inside, gather up all the supplies you have, any weapons, and lock the doors, fuck- Brocade the doors, nail up the windows, and make it.
The women went on talking but I had tuned her off, reaching over and twisting the knob once more until I found another station. Dad was still quiet as this new person cried out the same things happening in California. Len was gripping my hand until I was sure my blood circulation was cut off. I didn't make a peep, the pain was numb.
"Dad… this has to be some sorta sick joke right? Dad? Daddy?" I hadn't called him that since I was 8.
The car was speed up, and all the trees around us blurred into shades of green and brown. "Don't panic Rin. Remember the rules girl."
"Dad, there can't be any- Zombies don't exist. This is- this the real world. That- that-" Len stuttered, a fearful shadow in his voice, looking pale.
Leon stepped on the brakes and the two of us jerked forward, Len's head banging against the back of the seat. "Shit…" He gasped, looking just as disoriented as I felt I did. Dad rotated his body to us, looking at his kids for a quick moment before getting out and motioning us to follow him. I glanced at Len before grabbing ahold of my pack and getting out. I heard Len mimic me as I listened to the soft crunch of the twigs and grass that dad made when he walked around the back of the car and opened the truck.
There was something strange about the forest. There were no birds tweaking away in oblivion. It was a bad sign; something was off.
Dad grabbed two large duffle bags from the trunk and hooked them over his shoulders. I stared at the cabin, a.k.a Safe House 1, unknowingly aware that this place would be our new home for a long time.
The back of the small cabin was shoved against the wall of a cliff drop, naturally there from the earth, and when I looked up, the cliff a 30 foot drop was looming, sure to kill anything that fell from its height. This cabin had been in dad's family for over 100 years, with each generation adding and remodeling it to fit their needs. Grandpa Kagamine and his 3 other brothers torn it down sometime in the '50s and remade it completely with each other's help. But the war in Vietnam took the life of two of them, while the third passed out drunk, face down, in a puddle just before me and Len were born.
Only three people knew the whereabouts oh this place, and we were all standing here.
This cabin was special, about the time of reconstruction, Grandpa had the original wooden walls replaced with steel, all the work done by him and his brothers, and after they died, dad. Took the nutjob 20 years to get it done. But boy it was worth it.
The outside still looked like wood stacked up on each other but… I stalked over to the front wall, reached towards it and felt a cool metal meet my fingertips. They had the wood look like steel. It got me every time. Very cool and useful. It made it stronger and easier to defend if needed too.
Defend.
I swallowed thickly, turning to spot Len peering around the woods as if something was going to spring out at him. Nothing was. Nothing was. Nothing was. I mentally recited a couple of times. Not all the way out here. There are no signs of life of the human verity out here. This teeny tiny part of the state can't even be found on GPS.
Dad was running his hands over his jacket, until at last he pulled out of a key from his jean pocket. He inserted it in the lock and opened the door. Dad walked in and left the door ajar for us. Again I found myself glancing over at Len, this time he was milk white, and rushing over to grab my hand. Probably more out of nerves than anything else.
He wasn't prone to grabbing my hand since we were 10, before he figured out brave boys don't cling to their sisters, or anything for that matter.
"Rin," He uttered under his breath, "this can't be real right?" I felt my lungs stop mid-breath. Was this real? I wasn't so sure of that myself. What could I say? There was defiantly something eerie out and about at the moment.
But Len looked so scared. So confused. I pulled my arms under his own and clutched his shoulders, burying my face in his shoulder. His hands creeped up onto my back. I could feel his hands on my shoulder blades.
"I don't know Lenny."
He pushed his head to where his check was at my temple. His voice was slow and low, "How can you be so calm? You heard all those people on the radio. Whatever this is, it's not good. This isn't a drill Rinny, people might get hurt."
Then softly, he said in a hushed tone, "Stay with me. I couldn't handle it if anything happened." I buried myself into his shoulder, heart throbbing, meaning to answer that I would never leave, that I would rather die. However, before I could someone spoke up first.
"Rin's right boy. All you we have to do is make it through this thing. It's the only thing we know and can do. I'll be damned if the 11 years I spent training you two was worth shit." We separated quickly at the sound of dad's voice. Len stepped back a couple of feet, like our dad just caught us doing something we shouldn't.
I cocked a hip, eyed dad, and let my nails bite into the softness of my forearms, both annoyed that I was wound up at dad interrupting us and for stepping away too quickly too.
Eyes moving to sneak a peek at Len, I reasoned with myself that he stepped away 'cause we were showing weakness in front of dad and the macho man in him couldn't bear to let that happen. Couldn't bear to have his twin sister cuddle him. Yeah, that must've been it. It was the only reason. We weren't doing anything. It didn't- couldn't- mean anything.
It hurt bitterly because I thought it did.
Dad's eyes rotated about the wood then gestured to come inside. He to lead us into the cabin, and despite what happed prior, I snatched Len's hand, we didn't do anything wrong. Len's eyes shifted towards me then our hands, and that's how we entered, hand in hand. "Len," I watched his eyes, noticing the long blonde lashes he had, "We'll get through this." I saw his eyes hold a smooth coating behind the blonde fringe of his bangs. I closed the door behind with my other hand just as dad spoke.
"Quiet your yapping and sit down." Dad courtly said. Len slipped out of my hand to squeeze into a spot on the floor.
I brushed away a feeling dusting my chest and took a quick glance around the place, thinking how the three of us will live in here. It was tiny, with a book shelf placed snuggly between a desk with a four computer monitors and a wide door; the closet which contained half of the weapon and ammo. A small opening to my left showed the door which lead to the narrow staircase heading to the living quarters. Inside the basement was a tiny bathroom, a military style bunk beds, and a solar powered kitchen stove, the food supply, and the rest of the artillery.
And unknown to my male relatives, a large shoe box filled with board games, card games, and non-boring books unlike the ones kept up here.
I looked back at dad to see him staring at me. "Rin. Sit." Separate sentences. This was serious.
I sat down on the floor next to Len since dad had occupied the desk chair. Next to me, Len had his hands clasped together, watching dad with an expression he shared with me when I was frustrated. It was one that strained to stay calm, but the telltale sign of irritation was the twitch in the eye.
Twitch
I almost smirked when I caught it.
"Rin, Len, those things said on the radio were true." One sentence had me narrowed eyed and frowning. Was this really true? Did dad finally lose it? But how could all those people be acting like that? So many questions I knew I couldn't ask until the old man finished. "I was in Envy Hospital, getting some advice from one of the doctors when I saw something unearthly." There was nothing special about dad being in the town over but what peeked his paranoia? "They were wheeling in a crash victim, the nurse was on top of the man, pounding into his chest. I knew though, nothing can lose that much blood and live."
Dad slowly stared us in the eye, first me then Len. I felt like a kid again, listening to dad's stories. He told them like a king to his court. In a way, that it was.
"He stopped breathing right there in the hallway. They were taking the time of death when it moved. The nurse was in shocked. She felt its pulse again, and she looked like the world fell on her. That thing was dead. It opened its mouth, real slow like, and let out a small gurgle, like what you do with mouthwash. What happened next went by too fast to say what exactly took place."
He rubbed his leather hands over his face. "But there was blood, and screaming everywhere. I got out without stopping. I also broke the speed limit and made it to Crypton in 10 minutes instead of 30."
Leon stared at the floor for a moment.
"If you're are careful with it, there's enough food in here to keep you two well feed for a year. I'm sure none of these things will creep up this far for at least a month, maybe two if my luck is any good. The solar panels on the roof should keep you with enough energy, they have a specific color so no aircraft can spot this place from the skies." Dad slide his hands across his face until his fingers were clutching at his shaggy blonde hair. His palms hide his baby blues away from us, seeming to pick off the mental check list.
Without looking at him, I could hear Len grind his teeth together in anger. Why was dad talking like that? As if he's leaving? "Dad, where are you going?" Len stole the question from my mind.
Leon signed, like the question was too complicated for his children to understand. "Remember your aunt Gumi?"
"Gumi?" I echoed, very confused. Gumi wasn't an actual relative, but she was practically a younger sister to mom. Her family were the town mechanics, everyone with her last name stayed in Crypton to fix up cars or air conditioners. Though, Gumi had unfortunately taken up on our dad's lifestyle, luckily, the young 20something had no children to torture. "What the hell does she have to do with you leaving us?!" I snapped.
"We promised a long time ago, if something happened to the world, we would met up and head east to D.C and try to get intel on whatever the hell is happening. The capital is where the party is and I'm joining it." I don't know what was crazier- dad talking about splitting up, or that stupid comparison he just made.
"Dad you don't even know what going on out there, much less if Gumi is actually going to be there!" Len's voiced dipped at her name. He always did have that annoying little crush on her.
"Len's right dad. We don't know what's happening now. What about the rules dad? Don't tell me you forgot them!?" I ridiculed with bite in my voice. "Rule number 1: Don't trust anyone. Rule number 2: Never let your guard down,"
"Rule number 3: Always be aware of your surroundings," Len continued, and I felt pleasure that he was backing me up, "Rule number 4: Don't let your emotions overpower you. Rule number 5: Stay alive. And right now, staying alive means staying together." Len didn't look at me, but I felt him move ever so slightly closer, his way to show support.
"This isn't up for debate. This also isn't a damn democracy, it's me saying what goes and what doesn't. I'm leaving right now, and I'm taking the car."
I couldn't take this bull anymore. The man just drove two hours nonstop and he was planning on going out into God knows what? But as I made my point painfully clear, adding in some strong adjectives, he gave me a look that shut me up. That looked was burned into my Ruined Childhood folder as Don't fuck with me girl face. "Dad," Len jumped between up, shielding me from the look with his body. I stared at his back with blurred eyes.
"You can't leave us daddy." I whispered it so gently, it shocked me that I was able to make out the words.
I felt someone come and wrap their arms around me to pull me into my father. I was squished next to Len, only allowed small breaths every now and then. I sobbed faintly into dad's chest, dimly hearing Len's own cries. Dad kissed my forehead then Len's. "I lost your mother because I couldn't do anything. This is too dangerous, I can't lose you two either. Len, Rin, both of you are the only reason why I'm still alive. I taught you everything I know for this sole moment. So you could take care of yourselves and each other when I'm not here."
I blinked away the tears pouring from my eyes because I must've be seeing things. Dad, Leon Kagamine, was crying.
"I know that I don't say this often, but I love you guys. My babies, I love you." He hugged us tight once more, and I inhaled the scent of my father, a mixture of pine from the trees around town and grass.
After minutes that felt like seconds, he released us, reaching into his jacket pocket and withdrawing something. Two thin gold chains spilled from his hand, one with a G-clef symbol and the other with an F-clef. "Your mama was a great singer, she was going to give these to you on your 18th birthday, but… I don't know what may happen, but I want you both to have this now. I need you guys to stay strong for me and yourselves until I see you again. Alright shortstacks?" Len rubbed the wetness from his eyes and cheeks, obviously wanting to leave his own memory in our father.
I, however, left my tear stained cheeks alone, refusing to wipe my feelings. "Rin," Dad regarded at me with some tired glint in his eye, clasping the g-clef necklace around my neck, "don't be so hardheaded and listen to the advice your brother has to give. He's so much stronger then you think." His eyes hold mine for what felt the longest time, and I found myself wondering for the first time, if my mother's eyes would've held the same fire in them.
He looked at Len.
"You know she's reckless, and it's dangerous, be her rock and keep her grounded. Don't hesitated to spill blood if something threatens you or her. " He repeated the process with the necklace, this time the f-clef one with Len, then clasped his son's shoulder. I could see the wrinkles were dad's fingers were digging into the blue cotton.
After his last miserable words of wisdom, I leaned back against a wall, my arms crossed, and watched dad shift things out and into his duffle bags. Once done, he made his way back out the door, pausing one more time to say, "If this place does down, you know where to go." Len mumbled a low reply right before Leon Kagamine, the bastard himself, walked out of our lives.
Neither one of us knew what to do with ourselves at that time. I bolted the door with all five of its locks and sat down, beginning several months of a nightmare.
It didn't start off like a bad dream though. The first couple of days didn't.
Life after dad left wasn't actually so bad. Things were quiet for quite a few days. It all almost felt like a joke. I even thought to myself what if this was actually a test dad and those guys on the radio put on for us.
But as crazy as dad was, did he even know that many people to help rag on his kids? He was the most antisocial person I had ever known. How he was before becoming crazy took over him, I would never know. But despite my doubts, I knew there was something amiss going on. But we continued on doing what we had been raised to do.
A/N: Lol, another story I started. Got the first couple chapters down. Lets's see how all of you like this. Leave comments, follow me or this story please, favorite this story or something. Oh and come over to ao3 where I also have it posted if you want.