Earth 2.0

See, after the Merge, almost everyone found their Parallel within a few days. That was 5 years ago today and I still haven’t found mine. What’s the Merge? Well, you know how most people go through life feeling like a part of them is missing? That they don’t really fit in, or have dreamt about havin gpowers? Turns out, it’s true. They discovered an alternate dimension years ago. A dimension filled with the monsters, and creatures that we had only read about in stories. Apparently, it was like the proverbial heaven, grass is greener kind of thing. Ever since humans destroyed the earth decades ago they have been trying to figure out how to get to this alternate dimension, we called it Earth 2.0, clever right? What we didn’t know was that the closer we got to actually killing the planet, the closer we got to the Merge. Earth and Earth 2.0 merged…that’s right, they merged. Some God, somewhere had mercy on us and basically gave us a new planet BUT with that new planet came everything in it. Everything on Earth 2.0 was a direct parallel of everything on Earth. The plants, animals, people, landscape, everything except manmade creations. So, when it happened, every living person merged with their parallel and became a better version of themselves. The best we can figure is that a person and their parallel shared a soul.

When I said there were creatures of legend on Earth 2.0 I wasn’t lying. My oldest sister merged with her dragon parallel and now has wings, breathes fire, is super strong and likes her meat a little on the rare side now. My middle sister merged with her shapeshifter parallel and can now shapeshift into any animal she wants. What’s hilarious is she used to be terrified of all animals…wimp! My Mom’s parallel was a powerful witch and my Dads was an elf, not like a Keebler elf, more like Lord of the Rings type elf. You get it right? Everyone is now cool and me…Rose Strider, lone girl of 17, I got screwed. I’m known as the girl who doesn’t have a parallel, it’s just me, plain old Rose, no cool powers or abilities, just me.

Now that everyone is ‘better’ we have been trying to rebuild what we destroyed and keep what we have been given. So new governments have emerged and schools have been rebuilt and that’s where I’m headed, first day of grade whatever…yay!!! What am I going to learn? How to be a loser 101? They are making me go to school, what for? I have no idea.

Begrudgingly I put my journal away and got dressed. Downstairs, in our pod, I found my parents kissing in front of the stove.

“Can you guys not do that in front of my breakfast?” I spat.

“Rose, don’t talk like that.” My mom said with a sigh.

“Why do I have to go to school again?” I asked with a bit more attitude than I intended.

“Rose, we have been over this. Before the merge, before Earth died, there was school. You learnt things like math and science and how to cook your own breakfast. Now that things are finally getting better and back to a new normal, these are things you need to learn.” She said in a voice so calm it irritated me even more.

“Fine!” I ignored my breakfast, grabbed my bag and headed out the door. Outside the grass was annoyingly green, no more gray dirt. The sky was too blue, no more gray sky and the birds were singing. I trudged through the path that led down to the new school. As I got closer I started to see others flying, walking or flashing to the school. My friend Ryley flashed in right beside me.

“Holy shit, you scared the crap out of me Ryley!” I screamed. Her parallel had been a mage, so she liked to teleport and was ‘one with nature’ as she called it. “Sorry Rosie.” She said as she put her head down. I couldn’t tell if my friends really felt bad for me or if they just felt sorry for me, either way I was annoyed. Everything annoyed me lately, I wasn’t normally this moody but lately I’ve been nasty with just about everyone.

“It’s ok Ryley, I’m just anxious about today. I don’t really know what they are going to teach me and I’m not even sure I want to learn it.”

“Well, if it sucks, it sucks, but we at least have to give it a chance.” My always level-headed friend stated.

As we walked into the building the first thing I noticed was a painting on the wall to the left, it was a giant heart shaped locket. Sensing my thoughts from across the hall my other friend Billy walked over to us.

“It’s a remnant of the school that was here before, no one knows why it came through but no matter how much they try to cover it up it just comes through so they stopped trying.” Billy stated with a knowing stare. Billy’s parallel was a mystic in case you’re wondering, think of it like Professor X but without the mind control bit. He could read thoughts and more I’m sure.

“Did you guys get your schedules?” Ryley asked.

“Ya, I have history first.” I replied.

“Me too.” Ryley and Billy said in unison.

“Well I guess we better go.” I signed.

In the room we entered a tall woman with long white hair stood behind a desk at the front of the class.

“Everyone please take a seat so we can get started.” She said in a very pleasant voice that made me feel immediately relaxed.

I looked at Ryley who looked back at me and shrugged.

“That’s Ms. Quinn, her parallel was an Angel.” Billy whispered to us.

My eyes widened in awe as I took a seat next to Ryley. Things like werewolves, vampires, witches or mages I’d heard of. I hadn’t heard of anyone having an Angel as a parallel, but I gathered as I looked around the room that there was a lot I hadn’t heard of. Billy looked at me and nodded. Damn his parallel super nosey powers. His eyes cast downward in what looked like shame and I immediately felt bad. If he felt my remorse he didn’t show it, which just made me feel worse.

Ms. Quinn started calling out names to see if everyone was present. When she got to my name I raised my hand and she paused, looked at me with warm eyes that seemed almost purple and smiled. By the time she finished reading names in that calming voice of hers I felt more relaxed than I had felt in awhile.

“As I gather, Billy, has already told you, my name is Ms. Quinn and my parallel was an Angel.” She stated as Billy blushed beside me.

“In time we will get to know each other and discover wonderful things about ourselves as well.” She sais as she cast a curious look in my direction.

“I know most of your parents have explained to you that before Earth was destroyed and well before the Merge, there existed schools that children attended to learn different things. Some of what you will learn here will be the same as it was and some will be new. History was taught in the old schools and will be taught here as well, but with modern history thrown in as well.” She explained.

“Derrick, please tell us what you know about life before the Merge.” She asked a boy in the back.

“Well, the Merge happened five years ago and before that Earth was pretty much dead. There were no animals anymore, everything was grey, and people were starving. Derrick explained solemnly.

“Correct, and when the Merge happened what did you feel?” Ms. Quinn asked Derrick again.

“I felt pain all over, then a feeling of relief and peace. I think I fainted and when I came too and everything was huge.” Everyone laughed as he blushed. “I had shifted into a mouse.” He explained.

‘Hmm another shapeshifter’ I noted to myself thinking of my sister.

“Good, and from what we have learned, this was similar to what we all experienced during the merge.” Ms. Quinn stated.

I felt awkward again, they were talking about something I knew nothing about. I fiddled with my notebook and tuned in every other minute to see if I was missing anything interesting. When the bell rang, I got up and was about to ask Billy what class he had next but a hand on my shoulder stopped me.

“Rose, could you stay behind for a minute? I would like to speak to you.” Ms. Quinn asked.

“Sure, I guess.” I said quietly.

The room emptied and I walked up and sat in the chair in front of Ms. Quinns desk.

“I know you have many questions and I know you think you’re nothing.” She said bluntly.

Surprised at her bluntness all I could do was nod.

“I know you haven’t found your parallel yet.” Again, I nodded.

“It took me a week to find mine.” She remarked. I stared at her. Most people recognized their parallel almost immediately and merged right away.

“You, my dear, don’t have a parallel.” She stated again bluntly.

I already knew this, but that small glimmer of hope I had that my parallel may still be out there died as I heard her words.

“My parallel was an Angel and when we merged I became privy to all her knowledge.” She said.

I looked at her and intended to ask if she knew why I didn’t have a parallel. What came out of my mouth instead was entirely different.

“So, do you know why the painting of the locket won’t go away?” I asked, surprised at myself.

“I do, but that knowledge isn’t supposed to be shared just yet. I do, however, know the answer to your other question.” She said with a smile.

“You don’t have a parallel because you merged with yours before you were born. You, my dear, are one of only 5 in the entire world.” She said.

I almost threw up. I merged? With what? I don’t have any powers or abilities, nothing special.

“One of 5 what?” I asked doubtedly.

“You are one of the 5 elementals. Each of you merged before you were born. So far, we only know of you and one other. He will be here by the end of the month.”

“But I have no powers, no abilities, I feel the same as I always have!” I almost screamed.

“Come with me.” She motioned as she walked towards the door. I followed as she led the way down 3 flights of stairs. At the end of a long hall we entered a room with a huge pool.

“Water? My element is water? I hate water, and I’ve been in it before, nothing magical happens.” I snarked at her.

“Wait a minute, if your parallel was an Angel, does that mean there are demons too? Why has nothing bad merged? The legendary beings we read about before the merge happened weren’t all good.” Questions came flooding out of me.

“Yes.”

“Yes what?!” I screamed.

“Yes, there are bad things and yes there are demons. Our lovely new world hasn’t come for free. They are coming. There is another merge coming too, and we need you and the other 4 elementals to come into power before that happens.” She said to me as if it all made perfect sense.

“I don’t understand.” I said simply.

“You will.” She smiled as she pushed me into the pool.

The last thing I remember before my world went dark was a tiny voice whispering; “You will lead them all!”