Shadows We Wear

Follow the everyday life of the twin brothers, Jason and Ethan, as they navigate the challenges of school, friendships, and family. Their mother, a strong yet tender-hearted woman, holds the family to

The tantalizing aroma of sizzling breakfast delicacies wafted through the air, coaxing Jason's heavy eyelids open as he descended the stairs into the welcoming embrace of the living room. Still half asleep, he relied on his sense of smell, following the irresistible scent like a compass guiding a lost traveler. "Oh! Good morning, Jason!" greeted his mom, surprised by the sudden appearance of her zombie-like son, almost spitting out her coffee. But Jason, still ensnared by the lingering tendrils of sleep, offered no response.

"I said GOOD MORNING!" she thundered, and Jason was back to life. With a sheepish grin, he mumbled a belated "Good morning, Mom," stretching his limbs as though they were just roused from a deep hibernation. Seated at the table, he indulged in the sumptuous feast before him, relishing the velvety eggs with crisp, butter-kissed toast. Satisfied by the delicious meal, a wave of contentment and tranquility washed over him. Enveloped in the warm embrace of the morning sun's gentle rays, Jason reclined in his chair, a serene smile gracing his features.

"Shouldn't you be preparing for school? Look at the time," his mother gently chided, her voice carrying a melody of concern. She pointed to the grand round clock that had adorned the living room wall for longer than Jason's memory could reach. Its rhythmic and unwavering tick-tock evaporated Jason's momentary bliss, as he lifted himself and ran to prepare for the day ahead.

"Oh, please wake up your brother also, he was late yesterday too!"

"Why do I have to? " Jason moaned irritatingly. "Oh my dear son," his mother replied, a twinkle of mischief dancing in her eyes, "how much work do you want your old mother to do? Besides, I've tried, he's just too heavy of a sleeper for me. So help your mother out, will you?" she expressed, pouring her third cup of coffee.

"Ok, fine." Jason agreed with a resigned sigh.

A few moments later, Mom heard footsteps coming down the stairs. "Oh, so Jason managed to wake you up, did he? Good morning, Ethan," his mother quipped, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee enveloping her as she poured another cup. "Hey, ease up on the coffee, or you'll end up six feet under before your time," Ethan replied bluntly, brushing off her greeting without a second thought.

"Oh don't say that! It's my only solace. Every time I close my eyes, thoughts of your father come knocking, it's very painful you know." She retorted sarcastically but her words carried a hint of sorrow which Ethan immediately sensed. "Forget about him. He chose to leave his family behind. It's his loss," he snapped, his tone laced with bitterness. He put down his glass of milk and stormed out of the room.

"Oh, Ethan, hold up! Where's your brother?" Mother's voice carried a note of concern. "Heck if I know? Probably ran off to classes through the back door, that straight-laced idiot," Ethan scoffed, his tone laced with a hint of amusement.

"Well, that's a dilemma. He left his lunch box," Mother sighed, gesturing towards two lunch boxes sitting at the edge of the dining table. "Ethan, would you do me a favor and deliver this to your brother? We wouldn't want him wasting away from hunger, now would we?" she teased.

"Why do I have to?" Ethan retorted, his frustration evident. "It's his fault he forgot it."

"Oh, but think about it, didn't he wake you up this morning? Wouldn't it be fair to return the favor?" she reasoned, a playful pitch in her voice.

"If shoving someone off the bed counts as a wake-up call, then I don't need them," he retorted sarcastically, a little smirk developing on the corner of his lips. Mother let out a resigned sigh, beginning to rise from her chair. "Fine, I suppose I'll go. Even though it's sweltering outside today, I'll survive, I suppose," she mused dramatically.

"Ugh, fine! Just hand over the box." Ethan grumbled, accepting reluctantly. " Aww, you're such a caring brother, Ethan, now do be careful on your way. And for a change, why don't you also try the lunch I prepared for you, hmm?" Mother suggested hopefully.

"No, I'll be eating out with my friends," Ethan replied coldly. Sensing the disappointment on her face, he quickly grabbed Jason's box and scurried off. As he reached the door, his mother called out, "Good luck today, Ethan!" Her well wishes fell on deaf ears as he ignored her.

Slowly silence filled the sun-kissed room. As Mother poured herself another cup of coffee, the tranquility was shattered by Ethan's voice, sharp and sudden. "I told you to stop drinking so much, right?" But he was nowhere to be seen. Amused by her son's antics, she chuckled to herself, "Well, I guess you should hurry off to school now."

Alone once more, she reached for another coffee packet, only to realize there were none. Astonished by their disappearance, she realized just what Jason was doing stretching so much earlier. "Oh these boys, they care so much about me." A fond smile tugged at her lips. She resolved not to have another sip of coffee for the rest of the day, touched by her sons' thoughtfulness. She thought to herself, that even though her twins were so different from each other, there was an undeniable thread of similarity, the love for their family that bound them together.

LUNCH BREAK AT SCHOOL

"Man, these classes are a snooze-fest. Why do calculus equations sound like a lullaby to me?" Aaron complained. He was an old friend of Jason and Ethan, all the way from elementary school to high school. Jason chuckled at Aaron's grumbling, enjoying his lunch in the warm afternoon sun.

"Thanks for bringing my lunch, Ethan," he said appreciatively. "Shut up, man, you're stupid to forget it, next time I'll leave you to starve," Ethan said bashfully. Aaron, slightly unnerved by the act in front of him, decided to change the subject.

"Did you play Lovely Hearts?" He asked jovially, "Ah, that dating simulator that you had lent us? We did try it, but you know, it just felt... off," replied Jason.

"In what way?" Aaron inquired, intrigued by Jason's response. Ethan went on to explain how the girls seemed to fall in love too easily. "Yeah, there's no way a girl will fall for you just because you did them a small favor or a basic act of kindness," Jason elucidated. "Furthermore, it just feels like an act, a duplicate, not real love," he added.

"Kind of ironic coming from you, talking about duplicates and acts," Aaron whispered under his breath. Jason, catching a hint of Aaron's comment, asked if he had said something, but Aaron simply ignored him.

"But you are a moron! You just don't get it, do you?" Aaron retorted, a sense of superiority creeping into his voice. He proceeded to delve into the backstory of the game's heroine, highlighting her troubled past and lack of love in her life. He argued that for someone with such a history, even the smallest act of kindness could feel like a lifeline.

"Hmm, but isn't that just taking advantage of her vulnerability? It seems pretty low, if you ask me," Jason countered, his expression thoughtful.

"The hero doesn't know her backstory, you idiot. His intentions are pure," Aaron shot back, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice.

"But you do, don't you?" Jason pressed, leaving Aaron momentarily speechless. With no retort, Aaron simply told Jason to shut up, his frustration evident. "Man fu*k, just let me enjoy my fantasies, why do you have to be so rational?" Aaron exclaimed, his annoyance at Jason's critique of his favorite game palpable.

"Hah, you guys are so noisy, I'm leaving," Ethan interjected. Jason packed up his lunch and seeing that he had made Aaron angry, wondered how he could cheer up his friend.

"Hey bro, actually there's a part of the game that I'm kinda stuck on, and since I've started the story, I might as well finish it, wanna see how it turns out," Jason suggested, his tone warm and inviting, "So how about you come over later and help me finish up the story?" Aaron's face lit up at the offer. "That sounds awesome! I'll definitely be there," he replied enthusiastically. "I might even bring along the new transfer student. It could be a good chance for him to make some friends." Jason nodded in agreement, seeing no issue with the idea.

EVENING, AT HOME

"Hello Aunty, how have you been?" Aaron greeted Mother warmly. Pleased by his visit, Mother couldn't help but smile.

"It's been a while since you last visited. And who is this young man with you?" she inquired upon seeing a new face.

Aaron explained that he was a new transfer student and his family had just moved into the neighborhood. "It must have been quite a change for you, moving away from your old home," Mother remarked, empathizing with his situation.

"Please, come in, both of you. Make yourselves at home, Aaron, and umm"

"Eli, Thank you, Aunty!" Eli replied, his face lighting up with gratitude at Mother's warm gesture and kind tone.

Aaron quickly found his way to the oversized sofa in front of the TV at the far end of the living room, and Eli quietly followed suit, his footsteps soft and unobtrusive. As they settled in, Aaron turned to Eli, "Have you ever played dating simulators before?" he inquired, breaking the silence that had settled between them. Eli shook his head, indicating that he was unfamiliar with the genre.

"Well, today's your lucky day because you're about to learn from the best," Aaron boasted, a hint of pride coloring his words. Just then someone entered the room, and Mother exclaimed from the kitchen, "Oh Ethan since you're here why don't you play with them while Jason's out getting snacks?" Ethan reluctantly agreed and made his way to the sofa, nudging Aaron to make space. Eli was a little confused, but Aaron, who was now engrossed in speed-running the game to show his prowess, didn't notice.

"Eli, don't listen to this idiot. The truth is, he's addicted to these kinds of video games and can't even hold a proper conversation with girls in real life," Ethan teased Aaron, a mischievous grin on his face. "And if you spend too much time with him, you'll end up like him." He burst into laughter, clearly enjoying the banter.

"Hey, shut it, man. There's nothing wrong with me. You just don't understand the appeal of these games," Aaron retorted, his fanboy spirit ignited. "Oh, is that so? Then give me the controller. I'll finish this level for you," Ethan challenged, snatching the controller from Aaron's grasp.

"You can play the next level, Eli. Sound good?" Eli nodded in agreement.

After a while, Mother called out to Ethan, asking him to take out the trash. Ethan, visibly annoyed, got up and went to fulfill his chore. It was then that Aaron finally noticed the confusion on Eli's face, realizing his mistake. He grabbed him and quickly rushed out of the room. Mother noticed them and inquired where they were off to in such a hurry.

"Eli needs to use the toilet, aunty. I'm just showing him the way," Aaron quickly explained, trying to cover up their sudden exit.

Once out of sight, Aaron explained the situation to Eli in a cautious, hushed tone. "Now, I know what you're thinking. How could this be possible, right?" Aaron began, his tone serious. "You must have heard that one of the twins died a year ago in a fatal accident. So why is their mother talking to one of them while saying the other is out shopping for snacks?"

"Yeah... yeah," Eli replied, his confusion evident.

"It's my mistake. I'm an idiot. It had become so normal for me that I forgot to even inform you or take precautions," Aaron explained, his voice filled with regret. "There's no point hiding it from you now. You see, Aunty couldn't bear the loss of her child and almost took her own life. So, to keep her happy, he started to play the part of both Jason and Ethan," Aaron paused, his voice breaking. "And now, it feels like my friend has also gone insane."

Outside, in the backyard, Ethan picked up the bag of snacks he had hidden behind a bush. "Well, it's time to go back and play some games with my friends," Jason said happily as he walked towards the entrance. However, a thought nagged at him, and he began to ponder over it.

"Am I Jason, or am I Ethan?" he wondered, unable to remember. "Well, whatever. As long as Mom's happy." And with that, Jason and Ethan walked into the house together.

Reviews

[Delmar Cooper]

Ak,
Thanks for sharing your story, Yes, the ending was a surprise. I like surprise endings. The best ones offer me the chance to kick myself for not having seen it coming. That "oh yes of course" head slapping moment. The point where what was incidental or puzzling during the read instantly becomes important and obvious.

Aaron refers to the twin's mother as "Auntie" which can mean a relation or simply an endearment. The narrator refers to Aaron as an old friend of the twins. It would be clearer if "cousin "had been narrated and save the trouble of establishing for the reader the use of the term as an endearment. In my opinion "cousin "works better.

I am not a huge fan of modifiers in a short story preferring nouns and verbs to do the heavy lifting. I suggest you you see if there is a place or two where an adjective or adverb is surplus to requirement.

Good yarn thanks so much for letting me read it.
cooper

[Ak_147]

Thank you very much for your insightful review.