Twins are (Not) Psychic

Two knocks on Asher's door awoke him. Groggily, he stumbled from his chair where he had fallen asleep trying to study to answer it. Standing in the doorway was his sister, Adah. 

She was wearing a green t-shirt they got from visiting yellowstone once with black cargo shorts. Her long hair was done up in a green scrunchy, the same shade as the shirt. Around her wrist were two bracelets she got from their school's cancer awareness week.

"Wow, did you even sleep?" Adah asked.

"Yes," Asher muttered. "Is it decision day?"

His twin shook her head. "No. I figured we might actually have some fun."

Asher began to close the door. His sister's idea of fun was doing dangerous things. But her fingers wrapped around the frame stopped him. If he crushed her fingers, she'd crush him.

"What is it?" 

"I figured we might go to the lake. We haven't gone there for a while," Adah told him.

"And thats for a good reason. The Lake Kids are there," Asher said.

Adah grinned. "We beat their asses at the pond. We can do it again."

Asher sighed. Time to pull his wild card.

"I have plans," the boy with glasses said.

"And for once, you need to make a break in them," Adah told him. "Come on, have some fun for once!" 

"Give me ten minutes," Asher grumbled. He needed time to prepare for whatever she had planned. Time enough to get dressed and find a small first aid kit.

He put on khaki-colored harem-style pants with a black shirt saying "eat-sleep-game-repeat". Adah had got it for a gag gift at christmas, and he detested it. He put on socks, which he'd have to cover up in rain boots because it was still drizzling outside. He finished off the outfit by putting on a beanie, which he hoped would help shield his glasses from the rain.

Only five minutes later, he loomed over the guard rail and saw Adah in the lobby, waiting to strike. He sighed and began to hop down the stairs.

"Are you ready, Asher?" Adah exclaimed.

"Aye aye, captain!" He wearily replied, punching the air with his fist.

"You look like a train conductor," Adah giggled.

Asher sighed as he realized he was right. 

"You should probably put shorts on, since its raining," Adah commented.

"Okay," Asher said. He then went back up the stairs and put on black cargo shorts. He realized he forgot the first aid kit, so he slipped that into one of the pockets and then buttoned it back up.

"Now we match!" Adah exclaimed as she saw Asher.

They drove through the puddles past the Tree Camp and past the Genesis 2. They went around the pond entirely and soon the ground began to be more stones then pine needles. They parked their vehicles.

"Come on. I want to show you something," Adah said.

"Alright," Asher replied, following her over a mound of rocks. This area of the lake was barren. People often dumped trash here, and their group used it to make their shooting range. But if you knew where to look you could find some sandy spots.

They climbed higher and higher above the lake while keeping the same distance above it. Eventually, Adah stopped at a tree which was half bent over. 

"This is the tree I wanted to show you," Adah said. She grabbed a vine - no, a rope - hanging from it and swung over the lake for a couple of seconds. Asher felt like he was struck by lighting, the way the terror pulsed from his bones, until Adah stuck a landing.

"Pretty cool, right?" Adah asked.

Asher gulped. "Pretty terrifying, not pretty cool," he replied. He could barely climb up the trees in the Tree Camp - did she expect him to swing over the cliff edge? 

His twin put a hand on his shoulder, "Come on, Asher. Live a little, risk a little. You want to chase after Aliens? Aliens are ten times riskier than this."

"You're right, but I don't have the strength to hang onto that rope," Asher defended.

"Oh, you didn't notice the second one?" Adah asked. She jumped up, her hands wrapping around the tree branch. She shook it a tiny bit, and after a tiny bit a rope with a disc on the end came free.

"The storm must've picket it up," Adah muttered.

Asher gulped.

"Just take a running jump," Adah told him.

Asher took a deep breath and closed his eyes. I'm really doing this, he thought. He put his hands around the rope and got in two seconds of running before he stopped.

"What is it?" Adah asked. 

He took a step back. "I can't do this." 

Adah walked over. "Sit down on the disc," she ordered. 

He did so. He felt her hands on his back as she pushed him, letting go at the last second. Time seemed to slow down and he could see the lake lapping at the cliff under him. 

Asher rug his heels onto dry land though the momentum still carried him a tiny bit. He felt like his feet had taken root in the ground and he would never move again. 

Adah chuckled after seeing his terrified expression. "See? Not that bad."

He forced himself to take a breath. "Okay, okay, okay," he muttered as he stood up.

"The reason why I took you out here was because of you taking risks," Adah said, sitting down. "The only times you ever take them are hypothetically. But we are gambling with aliens out here. Are you really sure you want to do this?"

The swing is better then this talk, Asher thought to himself. I still really want to do it, but this proves something. I'm not ready…. Yet.

Asher shrugged. "Not currently," he said.

"Hopefully not ever," Adah told him. "You need to think things through."

Asher looked away. Means an awful lot coming from you.

Asher took the rope in his hands again, and looked out over the lake. In the distance were the shadows of pine trees blown by the wind. The storm would only worsen in a couple of days, and this might be the last day he'd be able to stay outside for periods longer then ten minutes.

Might as well enjoy it, he thought, and then he swung over the edge.