At the beginning of the world there was only a river dividing an eternal meadow into two. On the eastern side there was a little girl sleeping peacefully on the grass. Here the grass was an emerald green; shiny, healthy, and bouncing excitedly to make space for the little human being, while also creating a protection bubble around her body every time she closed her tiny blue eyes. And while she was dreaming about the reef and other sea creatures, white flowers were growing, encircling her coal-like black hair. It was so straight and shiny that it looked like a blanket created especially to keep her warm and comfortable on the fruitful side of the world. The meadow was full of berries and a thousand types of always-filled fruit trees with branches bearing their heaviness and sweetness.
But, while life was living its best days taking care of the daughter of nature, a slightly bigger boy was quietly staring at the cloudy sky. Barely breathing with each day that passed, he was with his back to the only tree trunk that was left; although lifeless and still just like anything else that was on the western side of the river, where the world’s hope was already lost. This side was deserted and the few trees left bent down to the ground trying to caress the boy with their branches and slowly wiped his tears every day. In comparison to the little girl who was always laughing, her big brother often had red eyes and stained cheeks.
One day when she was eventually tired herself from all the sadness and anger in the world that her brother was suffering from, Katylin dripped her hands in the river and splashed his side violently. This was something they never dared to do: interact with the other side because it could ruin the equilibrium of the world. But there was a point when she couldn’t do it anymore: seeing the only person who had her blood suffer every day and every second of their existence was the only thing that made her sick to her stomach. So, she did the only thing she could think of to save him. At least for mere moments before it all came crashing down on him. She would give him just a second of freedom, even if it meant he was going to pay twice the price. She solemnly thought that even that little happiness deserved everything in return.
Little did she know that when she splashed the river water everywhere, all the tiny droplets would grow out into something alive. Something that would breathe, eat, and walk. She was astonished to see, seconds after her outburst, that she had just created miniature statues of herself and her brother. And, in exactly that moment, Brennan cried tears of happiness that exploded from the corners of his eyes. And although he never truly suffered from the ruin of his world and he was grateful that his sister got to be the one happy and safe, he did feel the heaviness of everything he didn’t ask for burdening his already grey mind and soul.
So, when the first tears that were coming from his heart touched the statues, they started growing bigger and bigger until they were twice the size of the kids. There was a second when the kids were startled but then their honest reaction was to laugh. Heard as a horse sound to the still unused ears of the statues, the laugh filled them with both life and breath, giving them all powers, an outcome to the brotherly love that promptly filled the world.
As they started moving, they tried their hands and opened their eyes to get used to the new feelings that awaited them in life. When the one with blue hair opened her mouth, a cloud charged with electricity materialized just above her head, little shivers exploding in the sky. “Erika” was the name Kaytlin gave her, like a mother when she saw her child for the first time and watched him with all the love and amazement in the world, reserved only for the newborn.
At the same time, all the other statues discovered with wonder their own talents and gifts, becoming aware that the things they received were not only for themselves and their own uses, but also for the helping of the two kids with the bearing of the world.
Some of the other gods had more unusual powers, like Damon, who could talk to animals or Chloe, who could make plants grow with a single touch of the ground. These might seem more useful than making storms out of thin air for the surviving of daily life, but in the children’s eyes, they were all equal. Made from the same river and from the same hand, surviving the same sadness and dread, all of them made an unspoken pact that they will protect the kids with everything they had, to reward their kindness and their creation. The gods were serving the ones serving them.
Although it is unusual for gods to be beneath people in a power-driven society, here the gods respected the children and were thankful for the role they played in the foundation of what was starting to look like a complete universe.
After the making of the gods and the discovery of their unique abilities, Brennan got the idea to splash his sister’s side and see what would happen. Would there be more gods? Was an important detail that his side was dying to the appearance of the multiplied potential? Did that mean that the statues from the eastern side would only be alive and simple creatures?These were just some of the questions that filled his mind full of creativity and innovation. Spending all of their life together, only analyzing each other, Kaytlin saw that her brother was all in his mind, distracted by something he never put into words before. Therefore, she made him voice his ideas, agreeing that they should now try to improve their little universe and expand it. Accordingly, Brennan tried the water on the tips of his fingers and then fully dipped his hands. It was a feeling deeply healing and full of something sacred. For a second, he felt like a sinner, then he transformed in the most holy person that could ever exist, before or after their existence. The water was tender in his hands, a warmth in his rotten soul and a lust for something he never had in his mind. It made him go crazy that he couldn’t bathe in the river, the thoughts of wanting more fading in front of the pureness and perfection that he knew he could have with just a single small jump. He could never look back and cleanse all the terrible things that left a mark on him. But it was a single choice he had to make: his sister that would change her destiny in a second just to save him or the better life he knew he deserved. The only thing that was keeping him in his spot was a foreseeing of him as the villain in Kaytlin’s story. And that was something he would never do. Never in a million years. Never after the most torturing and degrading moments of his life. So, he shook his head slightly and, taking a handful of water, he spread it slowly on the opposite segment of earth.
The story with the statues repeated, but what was special this time was that they were smaller. Not quite the same size of the kids, but, nevertheless, not as big as the gods either. Both the kids and the gods were silent, expecting a wonder to be cast upon them. As nothing happened and they were all puzzled, Brennan realized what was missing.
“You must cry. Or laugh or do something.” he told his sister. And she did just that. She, as her whole personality showed in every situation she was ever in, started laughing. And she laughed so honestly and with pleasure that tears burst from the corners of her beautiful eyes. With just a second difference, the statues started moving and trying their eyes and mouths, a new way of knowing the world.
But, inconsistent with everyone’s expectations, these statues didn’t have any powers. They could see, talk, move, and interact with others, but they didn’t do anything special at first. Only after would they find out that their extra potential consisted in falling in love with each other. They could do this magnificent thing that the gods were unable to do. While the powers gave them a purpose of helping, the people realized that only they can expand the world. Through their kind words and affectionate gestures, they gave a new meaning to life and continuity.
The gods respected the people. Not only because they were flesh, blood and mind like the children who created them, but also because their powers would have no meaning if there wouldn’t be anyone to protect. So, they made it their objective to protect and serve the people with not only their powers, but with their support and wit too.
Name list and their meaning:
Kaytlin- purity;
Brennan- sorrow;
Erika- power;
Damon- tamer;
Chloe- fertility, also an alternative name for the Greek goddess Demetra, the goddess of agriculture.