Chapter Three: Revelations
"Mikey? What is it?" Satin said, wandering into his room with a worried look on her face. As he heard her voice, Mikey quickly slipped the photo he had been holding into his pocket, and casually wiped a tear from his cheek.
"Is it me, or does being alone mean something different nowadays?" he said, annoyed.
"I said: What's wrong?" She sat down on the bed beside him even though she hadn't been invited.
"Nothing."
"I can see it in your eyes. I've known you too long for you to be able to shrug things off like that. So, tell me the truth this time. What is it?"
"It's none of your business, that's what," he said bitterly.
"I thought we were friends. Or have I just been kidding myself all this time?"
"We are friends… It's just –," he hesitated. "OK then. I'll tell you. It started just before my parents died…"
I was in my room. I was there a lot during the time of the virus. I'd sit there for hours on my own to avoid the constant reminders of the devastation that was going on around me. I hoped that if I sat there long enough it would end and I wouldn't have to witness the terror. In the end though, it didn't make any difference.
"Mikey?" The door opened and my parents came in. Both of them. That was unusual, I didn't really get on with my dad.
"Come in," I said, attempting to hide my confusion.
They sat down on the bed next to me and my mum seemed to take a deep breath before she spoke.
"We've got something to tell you," she said, simply.
"Sounds serious," I replied, sitting up.
"We thought it was the right time to tell you. You've got a brother."
I sat there for a few minutes in silence. I didn't know what to feel. I wasn't angry. I guess I was just shocked.
"So… What is he? Older? Younger?" I managed to say eventually.
My parents looked at each other for a moment before admitting: "He's your twin."
I realised it then. That feeling I'd had for years. The feeling that there was another part of me somewhere. It had always confused me. But now it made absolute sense. But there was still something that bothered me.
"If I have a brother… Then how come I never knew?" I asked.
"You were separated at birth. We adopted you, and another family adopted your brother. We were going to tell you earlier but we never quite found the right time."
"So why now?"
"This virus is getting serious. Half of the town's adult population is already dead. The rest of us will be as well soon. We went you to do something for us. Find your brother. His name is Martin. Martin Fielding."
"… So you see. I have to find him? I told my parents I would, and I'm not going to stop until I do." Mikey said, with determination in his eyes.
"Then why are you upset?" Satin asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"It's hopeless! I keep thinking I'm getting somewhere and then it just falls through. I had this stupid idea that this 'Zoot' guy was my brother, but I listened to the way those freaky guys were saying about him, and I don't think it's possible."
"Why not?"
"They made him sound… Evil."
"You won't know for sure if you don't do anything about it. You can't sit here on your own not speaking to anyone. You've got to get out there and do something," Satin smiled and Mikey turned and smiled back.
"Thanks," he said. "You're a real friend." The pair shared a quick hug before Satin stood up.
"We made dinner. Want some?" she asked.
"Yeah sure," Mikey said, standing up. "Then tomorrow, I begin my search for Zoot," he said enthusiastically. But would he be so happy when he found out the real story of the legend of Zoot?
"Mikey? What is it?" Satin said, wandering into his room with a worried look on her face. As he heard her voice, Mikey quickly slipped the photo he had been holding into his pocket, and casually wiped a tear from his cheek.
"Is it me, or does being alone mean something different nowadays?" he said, annoyed.
"I said: What's wrong?" She sat down on the bed beside him even though she hadn't been invited.
"Nothing."
"I can see it in your eyes. I've known you too long for you to be able to shrug things off like that. So, tell me the truth this time. What is it?"
"It's none of your business, that's what," he said bitterly.
"I thought we were friends. Or have I just been kidding myself all this time?"
"We are friends… It's just –," he hesitated. "OK then. I'll tell you. It started just before my parents died…"
I was in my room. I was there a lot during the time of the virus. I'd sit there for hours on my own to avoid the constant reminders of the devastation that was going on around me. I hoped that if I sat there long enough it would end and I wouldn't have to witness the terror. In the end though, it didn't make any difference.
"Mikey?" The door opened and my parents came in. Both of them. That was unusual, I didn't really get on with my dad.
"Come in," I said, attempting to hide my confusion.
They sat down on the bed next to me and my mum seemed to take a deep breath before she spoke.
"We've got something to tell you," she said, simply.
"Sounds serious," I replied, sitting up.
"We thought it was the right time to tell you. You've got a brother."
I sat there for a few minutes in silence. I didn't know what to feel. I wasn't angry. I guess I was just shocked.
"So… What is he? Older? Younger?" I managed to say eventually.
My parents looked at each other for a moment before admitting: "He's your twin."
I realised it then. That feeling I'd had for years. The feeling that there was another part of me somewhere. It had always confused me. But now it made absolute sense. But there was still something that bothered me.
"If I have a brother… Then how come I never knew?" I asked.
"You were separated at birth. We adopted you, and another family adopted your brother. We were going to tell you earlier but we never quite found the right time."
"So why now?"
"This virus is getting serious. Half of the town's adult population is already dead. The rest of us will be as well soon. We went you to do something for us. Find your brother. His name is Martin. Martin Fielding."
"… So you see. I have to find him? I told my parents I would, and I'm not going to stop until I do." Mikey said, with determination in his eyes.
"Then why are you upset?" Satin asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"It's hopeless! I keep thinking I'm getting somewhere and then it just falls through. I had this stupid idea that this 'Zoot' guy was my brother, but I listened to the way those freaky guys were saying about him, and I don't think it's possible."
"Why not?"
"They made him sound… Evil."
"You won't know for sure if you don't do anything about it. You can't sit here on your own not speaking to anyone. You've got to get out there and do something," Satin smiled and Mikey turned and smiled back.
"Thanks," he said. "You're a real friend." The pair shared a quick hug before Satin stood up.
"We made dinner. Want some?" she asked.
"Yeah sure," Mikey said, standing up. "Then tomorrow, I begin my search for Zoot," he said enthusiastically. But would he be so happy when he found out the real story of the legend of Zoot?