"Hey mom, what does my name mean?" Linnaea was ten at the time. Her mom was lazily on the tattered couch reading a magazine when her daughter was sweeping the floor. The mom jolted awake surprised at her daughter question. She rolled over on her side though to ignore her at first.
The ten year old girl sighed not knowing what else to do to get her mother's attention, and continued sweeping.
"Why you ask?" The child was surprised her mother spoke to her. She continued sweeping though.
"My teacher said it was after a flower. I was wondering if it meant something."
"Twin flower."
"What?" Linnaea stared at the lazy woman's back covered in an old dress she tie dye and sewed herself.
"Twinflower."
"Mom," she quietly said almost scared to ask, "Does that mean, I have a twin?"
Silence this time seemed longer.
"Had," the old dress said. "Had a twin." Linnaea had dozens of questions gushing inside of her brain in that moment, but knew that her mom wanted to drop the subject as quickly as possible.
"I see," was all she whispered and continued sweeping. Linnaea was alone in her parents house, and she took care of it herself. Her parents would spend all night gambling and all day sleeping. They didn't pay the mortgage either, and their only income was what they won at poker games. Yet they all kept spending it on junk. Fancy dresses, fancy knives, some japanese toilet that was broken, ect....
When she turned thirteen though, her parents left her because they needed to run away from debts. She lived in a place where no one cared if a young girl lived alone in her house with no parents. It was strange though, because no matter how many times Linnaea swept the floors, they were still covered in dirt. By the time she realized it, she was all alone in a house by herself with no one she knew or loved. Then she realized, that she was never loved in her entire life.
So the young girl decided to make a living for herself. Because her parents never bothered her with school, she never bothered going. Instead she became a famous pickpocket throughout the city. Police would chase after her down alleys, and mafia would shoot her from their cars. Yes, this life suited me. She thought to herself. One day though, when she was turning 26, she remembered it was her birthday.
It was awfully hot that day, especially for August. The sun beated down on her like a hot towel, but she had her job to do.
It was simple.
Target random stranger in a crowd,
Quickly grab strangers wallet in their pocket,
Stranger grabs your hand and catches you in the act- wait...
Yes, this is how Linnaea met the devil, when she was about to pickpocket him. It was strange though, for some reason she didn't feel fear when she was caught. Instead, she simply accepted the fact that she was probably going to jail now, get a life sentence, and die alone in some cell being judged by society-
"Umm..." The man said awkwardly staring at the woman. "Can I buy you a drink?"
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"So, uhhh..." How did this happen? The two of them were sitting in an italian restaurant right next to the window of the crowd walking through the streets like a school of fish. Linnaea sat there motionlessly staring at the man not touching her water. Was she... On a date? What the hell? What kind of idiot takes the person they tried to rob on a date?
"What got you into pickpocketing?" He casually said fumbling his thumbs, Seriously?
"I need money, but I don't have a degree."
"Oh..." The man fumbled his thumbs again not knowing what to say. Then looked up as if he forgot to mention something. "So... What's your name?"
"Linnaea?" Was she seriously on a date?
"Ah, do you have a twin?"
"Had a twin."
"Oh," Long silence.
"What's your name?" She asked finally getting bored.
"Oh umm..." He avoided eye contact like a child not looking his mother in the eye. So he has that kind of past...
"You don't need to tell me if you don't want to." The child sighed with relief.
"Thanks." Linnaea looked around. The restaurant seemed peaceful enough. Families clattered around the table laughing about their day. Couples sat at the bar talking with their friends. Waiters and hostesses chattered about school and their bosses. It was rather a peaceful scene, that she envied.
"I want it," Linnaea murmured before she could even notice she was talking to herself. The man bolted up at her strange words not sure how to react to it.
"You want peace?"
"Well, sorta, what I really wanted, was some one to stand next to." The man silently listened to her words. "I wonder, if I ever met my twin, maybe we could have been the greatest sisters in the world. We would always laugh, smile and maybe.... I wouldn't have ever been alone."
"I can make that wish come true," Linnaea's hazel eyes rolled over to him in disbelief.
"No seriously, there will be a price hough...." Linnaea giggled.
"What do you mean by price? You mean money?"
"No not really..." The man scratched his head nervously. "From what I know, if you did want your wish to come true, you would have to lose both your sight and have a limited time of living. You would probably die, well today if you really wanted this to happen. Traveling in time and changing its course is something of a big price..."
"I don't get it but..." Linnaea smiled.. "My entire life has been shit so far, I wouldn't mind starting over really, even if I couldn't see. At least I wouldn't have to keep looking at my dirty floors."
"Then it's settled!" He took out a black book from his pocket, so small it could fit in his hand,and placed it on the table. The he took out a ball point pen and laid it next to it.
"If you sign the contract, it's yours!" He said in a gleeful tone. Linnaea looked up to him in disbelief.
"You really like playing pranks don't you."
"No, this isn't a prank! I take all my deals seriously!" The man dignified puffing out his chest.
"Really, so if I sign this," Linnaea slowly picked up the pen and scribbled out her name. "A bucket of water will not be dump on me or-"
The sound of a grandfather clock echoed throughout the room. Before Lin could even react a white light bursted through the pages of the book consuming her.
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Darkness covered Linnaea's eyes. For some reason she seemed use to it though.
"Naea?" A child like voice sounding just like her answered in the darkness. "Did you have a bad dream again?" It asked.
"No, I'm fine," Naea beamed with a smile.
"Lin,"
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"I was surprised you found me here," the devil said sadly. Linnaea gaze though was unwavering. "I never forget a client, no matter what timeline they're from. I was surprised you recognized me though."
"I kept having the same dream of you as a child. Your voice has never changed a bit since back then, swindler."
"Hey-"
"Back then you were so indirect with making bargains with people, no wonder they called you the devil!" Linnaea sighed. Over the years she worked for him, she taught the devil if he was less vague and indirect with his clients, he might have some happier customers. And it was starting to work. His customers were much more loyal than ever, and would tell others about his 'miracles'. At least they weren't calling him the devil anymore.
"Well you kept nagging at me so much..." His face became red. God, Linnaea giggled at the sight. This man isn't suited to be the devil at all.
"Did you do the same with Lin,"
"No, I explained to her the rules of the contract before she made her wish."
"And what wish did you grant for her?"
"Don't let Naea die for me,"
SLAP
Linnaea's hand flew against his face knocking him to the floor.
"Why the hell would you grant that to her! You knew she would die from it! You knew this was my wish as well! So why the hell-"
"Cause I'm in love with you God dammit!" He covered his eyes with his sleeves. "When you sent me that note this afternoon, it said just said, GOOD BYE! I felt like the entire universe was going to crash! God! Shit! Shit!" He screamed. The sight itself did not suite the image of the devil. A man in his mid 20s on his back in a flower shop yelling against the world. It suited the image of a child.
"I didn't want to lose you, so I used your sister instead," He sniffed not getting up."And when she died in your place, your wish unraveled, and your health returned because, of the universe and shit," Hazel though was at first stunned by the man's tantrum. A sad smile streaked her lips. She walked over to the man lying in the ground.
"I'm sorry," she crouched down and kissed him on the forehead, "But Naea is more important to me than you are." She slipped her hand into his pant's pocket and flipped the small notebook open.
"Please grant my wish, to have Lin live when we are born instead of me," He looked up in tears as he got the last glimpse of his beloved's face.
"Devil."
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A thirteen year old girl sat in her messy room watching her parents escape in their beat up truck. The window was open letting in a warm breeze shouting a hot and sweaty summer.
Does this mean? The girl thinks to herself as she buries her face in her knees. I'm alone?
Knock, Knock,
The girl jolted up from the sound. Is it Mom and Dad? She scurried down the staircase and flew opened the door expecting the only two people in her entire world to be there.
Instead though what she saw, was a complete and total stranger.
A man in his mid 20s with pale skin and blue eyes timidly stood in the doorway. He wore a black polo shirt that seemed something rich folks would buy at Kohl's, and carried a suitcase in right hand.
"So um..." The girl puzzledly stared at him not knowing what to make out of him. "I'm the babysitter?"
SLAM!
The door slammed in his face at the creepy stranger. There's no way Mom and Dad would spend their money on a babysitter she thought as she was about to walk away when-
"Wait, please I want to help you!" The girl stopped in her tracks confused. Who the hell was this guy?
"Please, I want to open up a shop that can help people like you and umm...umm..." The door slowly cracked open.
"Who are you?" The girl asked. Through the crack he could see a child with a round face and messy brown hair. She was quite short for her age. Maybe from malnutrition? Her eyes where a beautiful hazel color, that matched her worn out T shirt well, she looked just like Naea.
"Naea," he fumbled out. The girl cracked the door open to get a better view of the strange man.
"Naea? What kind of name is that?" The man blushed embarrassed that such a child could talk that way to an adult. But glancing in her house... He could understand why.
"Well what's your name?"
"Lin."
"Well what kind of name is Lin?"
SLAM!
"Come on please! Please open the door Lin! Please..." He crouched into a tiny ball on the girl's door steps. "I don't want to be alone." He wailed quietly. There was silence for a moment.
"Are you a pedophile?" Lin's voice echoed. Naea's head shot up.
"No..."
"Kidnapper?"
"No,"
"Organ seller-"
"NO! I'M NOT A CRIMINAL!" There was silence again. In a few minutes Lin burst through the door with an old barbie backpack too small for her.
"Are we going now?" The thirteen year old asked. Naea smiled sadly and nodded. He held out his hand for Lin to grab on to. She took it.
Naea? Can you see me right now? He thought to himself as he led his little assistant by the hand to their new life in the world.
YOU ARE READING
Linnaea
Short StoryLin and Naea where always together as kids. The two sisters were able to finally make a living for themselves from their cruel child hood. Now Naea has a disease that no doctor knows how to treat. She's at death's door, but Lin won't give up too eas...
