Copyright © 2011 of James A. Pettis, III
Hello my dedicated bloggers! I have a treat for you. For those of you who couldn't read it on Facebook, here is Chapter 1: The Birth of 12 from 12 - Part I: The Birth of 12, the first novel in The 12 Trilogy. Enjoy!
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Unfortunately, Peter-Simon and Andrew Houston could no longer consider themselves normal... not that they ever really did. At least now they knew what their mission in life was.
Peter-Simon and Andrew were fraternal twins, Peter-Simon being the first. Peter-Simon was slim and slender with a medium caramel complexion. His irides were an unusual reddish-brown due to him having central heterochromia and they stood out with his jet-black hair. Peter-Simon was the assertive one of the two and always made sure that Andrew was at his best. Andrew on the other hand was much more built than Peter-Simon and was bright caramel. His eyes were light brown, his hair clean cut. Andrew was mostly quiet, but could be very aggressive at times.
The two had been living together in their grandparent’s home in Carson City, Nevada after their passing two years ago. They never knew their father, and their mother was killed when they were young. They made sure to continue their educations after high school and worked to keep up with the house. Thankfully, they were making ends meet.
It wasn’t until recently when the two found out their true purpose, as did nine other nineteen year olds. They are all part of 12. 12 is a group of youth with supernatural powers, chosen by the Light to defeat the darkness. The 12 are also descendants of the twelve disciples of Jesus in BC/BCE. Together, they are to destroy the darkness and rid the world of the Abyss, the master of darkness.
Our Story begins in the home of Peter-Simon and Andrew, where Peter-Simon sat silently by his bedroom window. The room was dark, cold, and dusty as if it hadn’t been cleaned in months. Peter-Simon stared out the window looking up at the dull, cloudy sky above him as it gradually got grayer. He wasn’t happy either, especially since he knew what he was about to do. The floor began to creek and squeak behind him as he swiftly turned his head to see what was making the noise. It was just Andrew. Andrew stopped in the center of the room and he and Peter-Simon stared at each other. Neither of them said anything while they stared into each other’s eyes, as if they were communicating telepathically.
“Are you ready?” Andrew said breaking the silence in the room.
Peter-Simon wasn’t too quick to answer. He didn’t want to be ready; it was all happening too fast to him. “If I have to be,” Peter-Simon responded. Andrew’s countenance changed. That wasn’t the response he was expecting from his usually self-assured brother. Peter-Simon looked back out the window as the dark clouds hovered over their home.
“I’m not ready either, but I thought you would be,” Andrew said with disappointment. Peter-Simon stood up and began to pace. His anxiety was rising every second he wasted in the house. Easy for you to be disappointed, Peter-Simon thought, he was the one to lead them all.
“What would you do if you had the weight of the world on your shoulder?” Peter-Simon snapped at Andrew. “I do have the weight of the world on me… you’re not the only one,” Andrew retorted. “Not like me, I was chosen to lead all of us… I think I have the right to not be ready,” Peter-Simon said as he stopped pacing. “Anything I do… any mistake I make, every decision that’s defective… (sigh), it could result in our deaths if I do something wrong.” “That’s not going to happen,” Andrew reassured Peter-Simon as he walked over to him. “We’re all in this together… you’re not alone,” Andrew finished as he looked at his brother. Peter-Simon visage changed as he gazed at Andrew. “You’re right,” Peter-Simon continued, “let’s do this then.” Andrew smiled at Peter-Simon, since he was once again his typical assertive self. Andrew walked out of the room and went down the staircase. Peter-Simon hesitated again, second guessing himself. This thought only lasted a moment and Peter-Simon walked towards the exit of the room. He stopped in the doorway and looked at the room, knowing he probably wouldn’t see it again. Peter-Simon took a deep breath of relief and slowly exited the room. Peter-Simon and Andrew weren’t the only ones preparing for their journey, there were others.
Matthew Jackson, a young man the same age as Peter-Simon and Andrew, was also a part of 12. He was Native American with a muscular build and his light brown eyes contrast with his black hair. Matthew was very aggressive and could tend to be cold hearted at times due to things that affected him in the past. His father wasn’t in his life and he had just lost his mother recently.
“I’m not ready either, but I thought you would be,” Andrew said with disappointment. Peter-Simon stood up and began to pace. His anxiety was rising every second he wasted in the house. Easy for you to be disappointed, Peter-Simon thought, he was the one to lead them all.
“What would you do if you had the weight of the world on your shoulder?” Peter-Simon snapped at Andrew. “I do have the weight of the world on me… you’re not the only one,” Andrew retorted. “Not like me, I was chosen to lead all of us… I think I have the right to not be ready,” Peter-Simon said as he stopped pacing. “Anything I do… any mistake I make, every decision that’s defective… (sigh), it could result in our deaths if I do something wrong.” “That’s not going to happen,” Andrew reassured Peter-Simon as he walked over to him. “We’re all in this together… you’re not alone,” Andrew finished as he looked at his brother. Peter-Simon visage changed as he gazed at Andrew. “You’re right,” Peter-Simon continued, “let’s do this then.” Andrew smiled at Peter-Simon, since he was once again his typical assertive self. Andrew walked out of the room and went down the staircase. Peter-Simon hesitated again, second guessing himself. This thought only lasted a moment and Peter-Simon walked towards the exit of the room. He stopped in the doorway and looked at the room, knowing he probably wouldn’t see it again. Peter-Simon took a deep breath of relief and slowly exited the room. Peter-Simon and Andrew weren’t the only ones preparing for their journey, there were others.
Matthew Jackson, a young man the same age as Peter-Simon and Andrew, was also a part of 12. He was Native American with a muscular build and his light brown eyes contrast with his black hair. Matthew was very aggressive and could tend to be cold hearted at times due to things that affected him in the past. His father wasn’t in his life and he had just lost his mother recently.
Now with his new found abilities, Matthew was to join with the 12 and help destroy the darkness. But before he sets off, Matthew has gone to visit his mother’s grave in a cemetery. The grass was green and the sky was hazy and dreary, as it oddly was everywhere. It was cold and the wind whistled strongly as it blew through the trees. Matthew bent down by his mother’s tombstone holding a bouche of white roses.
“Mom, I miss you a lot… but now I have to save the world,” Matthew said as he put the roses down by his mother’s tombstone. Matthew stood up and stared at his mother’s grave when he heard footsteps behind him getting closer. He turned his head and saw two young men walking up to him. It was Philip Clarkson and Nathanial Rhodes, two other members of 12.
Both were medium build, Caucasian, but Philip was pale with blue-green eyes and dark brown hair and Nathanial was medium toned with brown eyes and dark blonde hair. Philip lost his mother after she gave birth to him and he just lost his father to the darkness recently. Nathanial was Philip’s cousin and he lived with Philip and his father for years (since his parents were absent his whole life). Now, the two have joined the 12 to follow their mission. Philip and Nathanial walked up to Matthew as he turned around towards them.
“Hey,” Nathanial said to Matthew with enthusiasm. “Visiting your mother?” Philip asked with curiosity. “Yeah, I figured I should since I probably won’t get to for a while,” Matthew replied as he put his head down. “I just visited my dad for the same reason,” Philip agreed with a gloomy under tone.
The three paused and had a long moment of silence as the wind whistled loudly.
“Are you guys ready?” Nathanial broke the silence with the debatable question. “We don’t have a choice, we were chosen to do this,” Philip answered decisively as he looked at Nathanial. “We have to do this,” Matthew added as he lifted his head up and looked at Philip and Nathanial.
Though they were skeptical of it all, the three knew what had to be done. Otherwise, what would come of us all? They wouldn’t be alone with this uneasy feeling; two others were sensing the same thing. James and John Howards were in their home sitting on the floor in their living room. James and John were identical twin brothers. They both had dusty blonde hair with green eyes, but James was slender while John had a muscular figure. The two were Caucasian and slightly tanned, aged the same as the others. Their parents abandon them when they were born and they were under the care of a foster home until they were eighteen. James and John never thought such a task would be given to them like this one. They were unprepared and anxious.
“I don’t think I can do this,” James said doubtfully as he began to nervously tap his foot on the ground. John looked up at his brother in annoyance. “Can you stop before you have an anxiety attack please!?” John snapped at James. “I’m trying to, I just don’t think I can do this,” James said with an emotional tone. John got up and walked over to James and bent down by him. He grabbed James’ arms and firmly said “Calm down.” James stopped his nervous tapping and began to take deep breaths.
“You’re right, you can’t do this… Not without God,” John said with conviction as James looked up at him. “Remember our motto,” John reminded James confidently. “No weapon formed against us shall prosper,” James and John said with vim. James and John stood up and embraced each other. Despite the fact that almost half of the youth weren’t prepared, there were some that were exuberant.
Jaime Towers and Jude Ryans were ready to take on the darkness and put it in its place. Jaime was Latin American and had brown eyes with dark brown hair. Jude was African American and had brown eyes with brown hair. Neither of them knew their parents, but they were both adopted by the same woman and were like sisters. They were currently enrolled in a university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania… until recently that is. Jaime and Jude had their bags and were leaving the college, because they too were chosen. Students watched them as the two began to walk off the campus. They couldn’t fathom why two students with good grades would just drop their education in the middle of the semester.
“Do you think mom is worried about us?” Jude asked with concern. Jaime thought for a moment and said, “Mom knows what we have to do… of course she’ll worry, but she will be fine,” Jaime answered positively. Jaime began to look around at students and could hear their thoughts. Who do they think they are, one girl thought; what is their deal? School’s not even done yet, one guy thought; how dumb of them to drop out, another girl thought. “You should hear what they think of us,” Jaime said sarcastically. “I honestly don’t care what they think… they don’t understand our calling,” Jude said as she looked at Jaime. “You’re right, they don’t understand. And it’s too bad they don’t,” Jaime stated. The two continued walking and left the campus proudly.
All the while, two others, Simon Richardson and Thomas Scott, had already taken action and were in search of the remaining members of 12. Simon was Caucasian, very bulky in his physique and he had dusty blonde hair with baby blue eyes. Thomas was African American, medium build and he had brown eyes. Simon and Thomas were also adopted after they were born by a nun who passed away a year ago. Simon and Thomas have been friends all their lives and recently moved into an apartment together in Frederick, Maryland. Soon, they found out they were a part of 12. Since then, Simon and Thomas have been traveling for days in search for the others. The two were walking down a road when Thomas came to a sudden halt.
“What’s wrong?” Simon asked worried as he stopped. “Something is telling me we should go west,” Thomas replied putting his right hand on his chest.
“Are you sure?” Simon asked concerned while crossing his arms. Thomas wasn’t the type to take control, so when he did you knew something was up. “Positive, I just feel… like a tugging at my spirit,” Thomas answered assertively. “OK then, let’s go west,” Simon said. The two began to walk again, this time going west.
The last of the 12 was Judas Parker. Judas was a pale Caucasian with dark brown eyes and curly brown hair. His body was medium sized and he was tall, semi-lanky. Judas lost his parents in a car crash when he was young and he lived with his aunt in New York City. Even with the fact that he had a difficult childhood; Judas quickly accepted his obligation and was ready for anything. At the moment, Judas was on top of the Empire State building looking down at the city, preparing himself for his future voyage.
“I’m ready for anything now… I’m going to use my abilities to finish this,” Judas said courageously. Without warning, a voice began to speak to Judas. “I can give you this entire city, all the riches you’d ever want… and ALL the power you’ve ever dreamed of,” the voice said with a whisper, “just come to me.” Judas catapulted himself off the building and went at top speed towards the ground. He landed on both feet and hands in front of the building securely and stood upright. “Time to go kill some darkness,” Judas said as he walked away from the Empire State building.
The last of the 12 was Judas Parker. Judas was a pale Caucasian with dark brown eyes and curly brown hair. His body was medium sized and he was tall, semi-lanky. Judas lost his parents in a car crash when he was young and he lived with his aunt in New York City. Even with the fact that he had a difficult childhood; Judas quickly accepted his obligation and was ready for anything. At the moment, Judas was on top of the Empire State building looking down at the city, preparing himself for his future voyage.
“I’m ready for anything now… I’m going to use my abilities to finish this,” Judas said courageously. Without warning, a voice began to speak to Judas. “I can give you this entire city, all the riches you’d ever want… and ALL the power you’ve ever dreamed of,” the voice said with a whisper, “just come to me.” Judas catapulted himself off the building and went at top speed towards the ground. He landed on both feet and hands in front of the building securely and stood upright. “Time to go kill some darkness,” Judas said as he walked away from the Empire State building.
Back in Carson City, Peter-Simon and Andrew were leaving out of their home with their backpacks. “Everyone is ready now… I can sense it,” Peter-Simon said as he looked at Andrew. “Come on then,”
Andrew said firmly. The two began to walk down the road to unite with the others.
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Now, 12 will come together and rid us of the darkness. Twelve youth, all born on the same day, the same year, and they were all given supernatural abilities to aid them on their journey. But what led to this conclusion?
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Now, 12 will come together and rid us of the darkness. Twelve youth, all born on the same day, the same year, and they were all given supernatural abilities to aid them on their journey. But what led to this conclusion?
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