Linnaea

Chapter 1

    "Naea!!!" A young woman bursted through the door with short brown hair and tan skin. Her eyes darted around the room as if she was a bull searching for something red to crash into. She was wearing jean shorts with a red sweaty T-shirt as if she has been working out in the heat of the summer in mid August. When she barged into the hospital room, her eyes finally landed on a young woman lying in bed. Her face and hair was the exact same as her. A small nose, round face, but her eyes were closed shut, as if she was a sleep.
She wasn't.
    "Oh, why hello Lin!" The blind woman said in a cheerful voice. Naea though was not putting up with her act at all.
    "The doctors said that you collapsed in a supermarket!" She angrily said stomping over.
    "Oh, I was running some errands for my boss..."
    "What errand!?"
    "He wanted some fresh coffee beans and-"
    "Coffee!? Why would he send someone as frail as you, on an errand in, and in 90 degrees weather!" Lin yelled at the top of her lungs.
    Before Naea could even explain, a nurse quickly rushed over to Lin and told her to be quite. The two both apologized as he left, forcing Lin to sit down in a chair with a heavy sigh.
    "Seriously Naea, what the hell were you thinking?"
    "I'm sorry Lin, I just thought it would've been quick..."
    "Yeah, yeah..." Lin looked up at a vase of Linnaea flowers next to the bed. The light pink trumpets fell from their stem with white around their horns. Connected to them where green leaves, framing their beauty.
    "Linnaea flowers..." Lin mummered. Naea though could hear her sister's fascination.
    "Why yes, I believe they're what Mom and Dad named us after...They mean twinflower I think..." Lin and Nae's parents raised them until they were thirteen, but even then the hillbillies weren't exactly responsible. They failed to clean their house regularly, and wouldn't buy any food besides organic fruit, which even that was out if their expense. Instead they spent most of their money on booze and gambling. They did it so much in fact, that they built up a ton of debt from the mob.
    Lin had to look after Naea herself as a kid. Naea would try to help with chores while Lin would get part time jobs. The girls eventually had enough money to create a living themselves while at the same time passing high school. Naea's health though was becoming worse everyday and forcing her to stay inside more, forcing Lin to have multiple part time jobs with no degrees.
The only job Lin did have was...
    "So are they from your boyfriend?" Lin asked with a sly grin. Naea's face became red like a tomato.
    "Wah- I don't know what you're talking about-"
    "You mean your boss from the flower shop you can never stop talking about. Oh sis, he's so wonderful on how he helped that old lady with her hat! He was like a magician! Oh sis, you should have seen him feeding the birds this morning, it's as if he could talk to them-"
    "Shut up! I don't sound like that!" Naea whimpered in embarrassment. Lin just laughed though.
    "What's his name anyways? You never tell me."  Naea suddenly became silent. She was always really vague about her job to Lin. She mostly talked about her boss's personality than her actual role in the flower shop.
Was he the one to deliver the flowers, but when did he get here... Lin thought then realized that Naea's mood seemed quite intense but then her voice whispered,
    "I don't know."
    "What do you mean you don't know? You've been working there since we got out of highschool-"
    "Oh you know me Lin," Naea smiled. "I'm bad with names and faces." Lin choked on her own giggles as Naea smiled.
    "Actually Lin, could you give him this note for me?" Naea reached under her pillow and gave Lin a white envelope. Lin's mouth fell open dramatically with a loud gasp.
    "OMG! IT'S A LOVE LETTER!!!!"
    "No, Lin... That's not it..."
    "Don't worry Naea! Leave everything to your big sis!"
    "Wasn't I born before you by 2 minutes?" Lin grabbed the white paper from Naea's hand and raced to the door.
    "Wait Lin, do you know where it is?" Lin stopped or a moment, realizing she has no idea where she is going.
    "Ummm...." She mumbled,but Naea just sighed.
    "It's close to Stanley's Grocery Store. If you take a left at the corner you can't miss it."
    "Got it!" Lin raced out the door. As she ran down the hallway like a race horse on steroids, she had the slightest feeling she was forgetting something. Mmmm... What was on my calendar today again? Was it the bills? No, I already paid those... These thoughts swirled in her mind before she almost bumped into a doctor in the narrow hallway. "Sorry!" She exclaimed and bolted to the elevators.
    Weird, the doctor thought as he opened the door to Naea's room.. He walked in to see his patient lying on her back as if she was asleep. She must be her sister. He thought gazing at Naea's peaceful face
    "So how are we feeling today Ms.Brookson?" He asked plastering a smile. Naea didn't move for a second, but finally she stuttered,
    "Actually Mr.Charles, can you give me more pain meds?" The doctors smiled faded as he heard his patient's weak voice, "I think I won't be able to see tomorrow."
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    After getting heself lost seven times, Lin finally found the flower shop.Glass windows displayed vibrant colors of flowers like a jewl reflecting the sun. Outside was a heavy perfume of pollen flowing in the air like spring. Painted on the glass was the shop's name itself, EDEN. God, I have to work on my directions... She murmured in her head as she opened the door with a bell dinging behind her.
    Inside smelled just as sweet as outside. Potted plants crowded themselves on the floor, and leaves spilled out of their pots hanging above her. Surrounding her where flowers piled on top of each other in display, making a rainbow of petals. Lin waded her way to the counter through the meadow, waiting for the clerk.
    "Hello?" Lin asked to the air not responding to her. Suddenly she heard a loud crash from the back that sounded like glass breaking.
    "Coming!" A voice called followed by clanking shoes. A man dressed in a black apron and a green polo shirt stumbled in front of Lin. His hair was glossy black with bangs hiding his forehead, and his eyes were a bright blue reflecting the sky shining through the window. He first paused to look at her as if he recognized her, but quickly shook his head and continued his slow pace.
    She could already tell that it was Naea's boss from the way Naea would always talk about him. She would always describe his looks to Lin and talk about his humble yet cute habits like a child. I can see why Naea likes him so much... A snicker crossed her face as the man stumbled over to the cash register. So this is the asshole who sent her outside. 
    "Can I help you?" He asked.
    "Yes, do you know my sister Naea?" The man's eyes lit up with surprise.
    "Oh my God, you're Lin aren't you? I had a feeling you where, I mean, you both look so alike! Your sister talks about you all the time!" The something in his voice changed then he asked his last question, "How is she?" His face suddenly became full of worry. His eyes suddenly drooped a little from a strange sadness Lin all knew too well. For some reason though, seeing this just made her feel even more...
    Singed with anger.
    Why the hell would he send her out on such a stupid errand? She pulled out the envelope wrinkled in her pocket and plastered a smile.
    "It's from her." She said grinning. The man took the envelope from her hand and slowly opened it. 
    "What does it-" What does it say, Lin was about to ask in her curiosity of what her sister wrote to this strange man, but what interrupted her in her sentence was-
    Tears .
    Tears dripped from the man's cheeks like a leaky faucet. Lin was stunned for a moment. The coals of anger were immediately drowned in those tears from seeing such a person cry. What did you write Naea?
    "Ah, sorry!" He rubbed his eyes with his hands and looked up.
    "Thank you! Now you might want to see your sister now," Lin gave him a puzzled look but ten realized what he meant.
    "Before it's too late."
    Lin once more pounded the earth with her hooves as she charged out the door. Shit Naea. She pictured her sister smiling in bed earlier as if she didn't have a care in the world.
    Why the hell didn't you tell me this-
    THUMP!
    Lin's but slammed against the concrete shooting a large dose of pain. Well that's going to bruise... But when Lin looked up she realized she almost ran over a cute old couple. One was an old lady with white hair looking like cotton. Her husband on the other hand had no hair at all, and instead had a glittering bald cap reflecting the sun's rays off it. It was so bright in fact that it almost blinded her to realize that the man's arm was in a cast.
    "I'm so sorry!" Lin cried. She helped the old couple up on their feet. For a moment, she feared she might have accidently broken another one of their bones, but they just smiled.
    "Oh, Did you come from the flower shop?" The old woman asked with a grin on her face.
    "Umm... Yeah... Are you sure you're alright?"
    "Oh, we're fine, perfectly fine." The old woman smiled. "He's about to grant our wish."
    "Wish?" Lin asked confused but then remembered Naea. "Sorry!" She ran passed the couple as they watched her run towards a taxi.
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    When Lin reached the hospital, she dashed towards the counter when someone caught her eye. She recognized the doctor she bumped into the hallway.  He too saw her as well and froze in his place out of surprise, Before she could even apologize, the doctor's already walked up to her with a plastered smile.
"Ah, your Naea's sister..." That one sentence was all she needed to know where to find answers.  She grabbed his white lab coat to keep him from escaping and stared at him with her ferocious eyes, as if she was going to bite his head off.
    "Where's Naea?" She asked horsely. The doctor stared at the ground not dare looking in Lin's eyes.
"In the emergency room," He murmured. Lin could hear the weight of those words clearly, and she knew what they meant. She clutched the doctor's white cloak trying to keep herself from falling under that weight.
"So it's really over, this is really it..." Lin was numb at the moment. She didn't know what to say, feel or even cry.
How is this possible? They where Lin and Naea. They were always together since the beginning, so how can they ever be separated? How could she just disappear like that?

IT'S NOT FAIR? HOW COULD SHE LEAVE ME NOW FINALLY WHEN WE ARE ABOUT TO SETTLE DOWN? SHE WAS EVEN GOING TO FINALLY MEET A NICE GUY! WE WERE ALWAYS TOGETHER. TOGETHER WE ARE LINNAEA, ALWAYS PART IF THE SAME STEM!
NO DON'T GO! WHY WOULD YOU LEAVE ME NAEA? WE'RE SISTERS RIGHT? FOREVER AND EVER WE'RE SISTERS NAEA? RIGHT NAEA? WE PROMISED WE WOULD BE TOGETHER FOREVER RIGHT NAEA? NAEA? ARE YOU HERE? CAN YOU HEAR ME? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA? NAEA-

"Lin?"
Lin woke up from her daze realizing she was already sitting on the floor. People's eyes began to drift to her and quickly flickered away out of embarrassment.
"Sorry..." Lin slowly got up with help from the doctor.
"You now, there is a way to save her..." Lin's eyes dashed up to the man. "But there will be a price."
What?
He gave her a card with a street address.
"This man, he works miracles like no other, he will help you." Lin stared at the address on the small piece of cardboard.
She recognized it.
It was the flower shop's.

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Lin decided to take the taxi again so she wouldn't get lost. The pavement of the city reflected the heat of the hot summer, but inside the taxi itself was too cold. That didn't stop Lin from giving off a death glare that told the taxi driver to keep to himself.
What the hell?! She screamed inside her head and clutched her fists. What did that guy really make Lin do? How the hell is he able to make miracles?!

"He's about to grant our wish." The old woman's voice whispered in her ear.

    Could it be? No! The taxi parked in front of the shop. As Lin shoved him his cash, she stomped out the taxi and marched through the door into the store when he saw a familiar couple talking to the clerk.
    The old man was writing something down for the clerk at the desk. The cerk suddenly jolted up in surprise at Lins entrance.
    "Umm... Sorry but you need to leave!" He quickly dashed across the floor trying to shove Lin out the door. Lin though didn't budge, instead,she stood firmly in the center of the floor confused at the man's actions.
    "Hey, what are you-" Suddenly the sound of a clock echoed vibrated through the room. Lin covered her ears from the sound making her eardrums scream. When she looked over the couple did the same thing. A white line shot through the boo like an explosion and enveloped the old man. His wife screamed unsure of what else to do. Lin unsure of what to do instinctively tried to run over to them to see if she could be of any help.
    "Don't!" The clerk screamed and grabbed her arm. His grip was much stronger than his weak attempt from earlier, but Lin had no time for this.
    "What the hell-" Lin spun her head around  about to bash it into his face. Instead though, the face she saw was not that of the clerks. His eyes were suddenly shimmering with crimson that reflected the dye of blood.
    Naea- she stared at the couple being encased in the sound of the clock and the blinding white light. What the hell were you doing here?
    The light then exploded from the cocoon it wrapped around the man, and shimmered down into hot coals like fireworks. The sound of the clock stopped and the old man collapsed dropping the book.
    "Samuel!" The wife screamed kneeling  down to her unconscious husband. The clerk let go of Lin and scurried over to them. He ran in the back of the store, and came back with some garden scissors a small micro electric saw.
    "What are you doing?" Lin demanded as he knelt down to the old man. The clerk though continued his work. He plugged in the saw and slowly dragged it across the hard fiber.
    "Getting his cast off."
    "What! Why would you do that! Isn't his arm broken?
    "Not any more..." The tedious work continued for several minutes as Lin was left silent to what she had just witnessed.
    What was that light? Why are his eyes red?! Where did that song come from, and that book, she gazed at the black book lying next to them and didn't move an inch from where she stood. Something was horrifying about that book. It made her instincts scream stay away from it, as if she knew how dangerous it was already.
    The only sound in the room was the buzzing of the saw cutting into the man's cast.