Genesis [malexmale]

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Running was my favorite activity.

It was strange, all the abilities I'd been given, including the ability to transport myself from area to another in the blink of an eye by expanding the molecules of my physical form and simply guiding them to a place so fast it was as if I were light itself. I could not fly, but running felt as close to the gift of flight as I could get.

I changed from my lounge wear into a pair of tight, stretchy pants and a black sleeveless top, strapping on a pair of more comfortable boots to run in, heading through the open front door of our home and along the path I'd drawn between the meadow and the forest. My boots crunched down on dirt for only a split second as I flew across the dirty path, fists pumping at my sides.

Here the scent of pine wood, oakmoss, and cedar infiltrated my senses more strongly than it had in the window of my room. The smell of fresh soil, moist from the rain the previous day. The wildflowers a combination of sweet scents, from powerful to light, all blending together in a delicious honey pie. The sound of birds singing and cooing through the trees, sunlight blinking through the tree branches laden with vivid green leaves. Insects humming softly in the tall grass, a few hopping aside as I burst through the foliage to dart into the woods.

I took the path that curved around the trees, weaving in and out before straightening into a smooth dirt path to the lakeside.

The air was warmer now than it had been earlier, sweat forming at my temples and oozing down my neck, the salty drops careening down my spine and soaking my top. Ignoring it, I continued my sprint through the woods, breaking through the treeline and coming out onto the shoreline where I took off around the opposite way from our home that could be seen towering over the treeline, a large black gem gleaming in the sunlight.

The run was smooth and relaxing. My thoughts scattered and security blanketed my mind in the form of deep appreciation for the nature around me. Thick trees quivered against the wind, tall grass swaying, flowers dancing. Insects buzzed by, did little circus acts in the air before returning to their purpose. The frogs creaked and croaked as I dashed by, circling the lake to the forest on the other side, ducking branches as I dove in and ran past trees.

I slowed as I came to the middle of the woods, my heart beating madly, my muscles quaking and pleading for rest. Sweat poured down my face, down the back of my neck, a steady stream soaking my clothes. I came to a halt, panting for breath, placing my hands on my knees, stooping in an attempt to catch my breath, eyes closed, ponytail sliding past my face to dangle beside it.

I stood for only a few moments when I felt a presence in the trees with me. I picked up quickly on the smell of cool fresh air, something damp and moist. It was the smell I associated with nighttime, and a small smile threatened to spread across my face as I heard the very faintest of giggles. I straightened, wiping sweat from my brow and turning partway around to face the shadows that hid beneath the trees from the sunlight.

"Come out, children. I know you're there," I called gently. There was a pause, then the giggles became clear and two tiny forms burst out from the shadows in the trees. The first was a tiny female, barely reaching my knee caps, with jet black hair that contrasted sharply with her pale skin, her eyes nearly as dark as night. Her hair was cut short, styled for her bangs to be straight cut across her brow, the rest longer in the front than in the back, but still cut neat and sharp. The little boy beside her, though he did not giggle, smiled shyly, his equally black hair much longer than his sister's, falling down his back, his eyes as dark as his sister's. They were quite a match, but certainly not a set of twins. The boy was just a couple inches taller, and his face was clearly masculine while his sister was petite and feminine.