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The Power of a Hug
The first cries a baby screams are purer
than any words that can ever be spoken, for they are the ultimate, purest, and
sincerest declaration of being human...of being vulnerable. What can be said of
those who hear them? A good question, indeed, a great question....
Both of their mothers were on their last
legs of life. Both of their fathers were...'taken out of the picture'. It was
just like clockwork, though it wasn't exactly 'planned' that way. As each of the
umbilical cords were cut, the heartbeat of the respective mother was cut just as
sharply. The Dean raised its eyebrows in what The Dean considered irony.
The two babies, Yvonne and Marcus, were
carefully wrapped and placed in their warm incubators, crying loudly as babies
do. Time passed as they were.... Hmph, any conventional, moral, or even
acceptable definition of the word raised I cannot use to support the meaning of
what happened, yet the vague idea of it is part of this early time.
Being all bundled up and not being able to
move, they would be fed through bottles. Directly after the feeding, they would
be left alone, almost as though relationships were only 'one-timers', without
anything before or after and so little in-between. I don't know what this left
room for.
"The Foundation," as it was called, became
their place of residence. The word home never encountered either of their
vocabularies until very early adolescence, the very point it was alienated as
far as The Dean was concerned. Their lives weren't one as lovers are, but they
were both the supporting crutch in the other's life. Growing up together...that
was the only thing the word 'special' could be thought to be applied to in
either of their lives.
Developing; yes, that's a good word to use.
The Dean molded Yvonne's and Marcus' every second of development. It was the
greatest, the coal mining (so to speak) of the human mind. The creation of
emotionless geniuses was the purpose of The Dean. The goals--no, the purpose of
writing is not to mortify and so the goals will not be mentioned.
Over the early years of their life they
progressed through "The Foundation." They were the brightest and the best at
whatever they did. Not much time was spent together, but they did cherish those
times. For them, it was almost as though whatever was missing when they
interacted with others, wasn't missing when they were together. The first time
being alone together after being exposed to the word 'home', they secretly
redefined it as simply being with each other. That's how close they never knew
their friendship to be.
Over the years, they began to differ
slightly in the way they did things, but they were both the best and brightest
at everything. Mind you, they did do everything they did on their own, hence
them not having very much time to spend...at home.
On a seemingly normal, with a normal sky,
doing normal things, he found out. The sheer genius and mental capacity was the
only thing that allowed him to know. Something just clicked, overhearing The
Dean talking that day. Everything seemed to make sense...and their dads were
still alive somewhere.
Something that had never really entered
either Marcus' or Yvonne's life, at least no more than a droplet, now flooded
him more powerfully than an ocean. He went straight to her, not knowing what to
do or say...or anything. She took it equally as hard as they just stood there,
leaning up against the cold, dimly lit tunnel wall.
They just stood there, quiet, thinking...for
a long time. "I'm going," he said, finally breaking the silence. "Nothing can
convince me otherwise." She protested. "No, don't. Besides, "The Foundation"
will catch you and put you in that place again along with me. This is your home,
this is you, it's where you belong. We both know that."
Glaring straight back into her eyes he said
sternly, "I refuse to believe that any longer." And with that, he turned and was
gone. He left her. She was alone at the place she truly believed was where she
belonged. This was the last time she would ever let anybody remotely near her.
Two weeks later, when "The Foundation" could
not catch nor trail Marcus, they called upon Yvonne, for her feelings had now
turned revengeful towards him for having left her.
It was another month of sheer genius at
play. I will dispense with the complexities, as I doubt, with true sincerity,
that any could understand...even if I could put it into words.
A barn. Poetry could describe such a place
in many ways and words, but nonetheless, a fitting place to meet...and they both
knew they would meet, the cars screeching to a halt just outside.
Guns raised, they walked into the barn,
searching. Three men came out from the shadows and stood not 10 meters in front
of her. An eternity passed. "Don't worry," said Marcus. "I'm not going
anywhere."
She looked at him, her hands beginning to
shake slightly...along with the gun she was holding. Yvonne slowly lowered her
gun and everybody she was with followed suit. Her jaw soon began to get heavy,
but Marcus spoke again. "Here's your dad Yvonne." She didn't know what to do as
her eyes kept switching between Marcus and her father. Her hands clasped her
mouth as she muttered, "Dad?"
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