Story: Twins
March 2020, the world changed forever. Things we took for granted are now a luxuries and the small things start to matter more and more.
It was a rather chilled May evening, many were inside quarantined away in solitude. It had been months since everyone was ordered to stay inside and tensions were running high in every city, every community on this planet. The news of death and chaos was heard everything. You couldn't turn on the television, you couldn't get on the internet anymore without hearing of all the victims this virus was leaving in its path.
At first, it was easier to comply, it was easier to fear and resist the temptation of deconfinement, but after months, mankind everywhere was losing it. Governments everywhere were scrambling to balance the damage this virus could cause and the mental toll it was taking on the people.
Meanwhile, in a dim light lit room, there was an exception to this growing madness.
Small town Harper's Ferry West Virginia is home to the Aboud family. Peter, Ped and Ro were quarantined together, but they were not living the same anguish the rest of the world seemed to be going through. Things were different for twins Ped and Ro. Quarantine had really been the best thing to ever happen to them since that night 5 months ago, but let's not talk about that night just yet. The twins had never felt more free than they had felt since quarantine started. While many were deprived of fresh air, they had been feeling the freshest of air on their lumpy faces. While loneliness did creep up sometimes, they always had Peter around to play with them and they always had each other, always side by side at a safe distance. Not many people could count on that. Knowing you will always wake up to see the other by your side. Even before these hard times, being able to say you found that is something special that doesn't happen often, but Ped and Ro had that.
Before all this, the twins spent their days hidden away. While the world was learning to cope with wearing masks, Ped and Ro were living quite the opposite, they were free, they were unmasked. It was the first time in their lives that they could be this free all day long.
Every morning they woke up together, perky and ready for the day. Behind them were those days where they felt soft and limp because they were suffocating. They walked around exposed but now, no one was there to judge. Everything was working out for them, they were never going to be hidden again. They felt the pride Peter felt showing them off and now that it was happening all day every day, they were the happiest twins to ever live.
Tonight, things would take a turn.
The wind was blowing outside and the blinds were going wild against the window. Ped and Ro got up with Peter's help and went to look outside. A storm was coming. As Peter tried to shut the window, a gust of wind flew in, sending chills. Ped and Ro stood up as hard as they could. They looked alert and frozen.
Peter's hand slowly reached over to a chair. The twins tried to pass it off as nothing. They tried to show him they were calm and that the gust of wind was not worth what was about to happen. Ped and Ro looked on, fearful but hopeful that he would change his mind before it was too late. Peter paused and turned to his dresser instead. Did they just avert a disaster the twins wondered? At the moment, Peter opened his top left drawer and started feeling around inside. The first thing he pulled out was this sad looking red speedo. He looked at it with fond memories of Neverland, but he put it right back in. He finally picked up a sweater. It looked to be his favorite ugly brown sweater. Fear started mounting and the walls started closing in. Ped and Ro knew their freedom was about to come to an end.
Peter pulled the sweater over his head and pulled it down on each side, covering his whole chest and everything faded to black.
Subject: Luxury Challenge #3 - Jury Duty