A COMPLETELY NORMAL DAY

“I never should have come here….” I muttered under my breath. My eyes squinted as I  shifted restlessly beneath the cover of the bus stop. Unfortunately, the bus stop didn’t stop the relentless California sun from beating down on me, making me deeply regret moving to California in the first place. Fighting to ignore the brutal heat, I chose to try and peer around the elderly couple waiting beside me, looking once more in the hope that the bus was in view. 

Having been disappointed once more, I sighed even as I idly shifted the weight of my backpack from one shoulder to the other. Squinting in the midday light, my eyes were drawn towards the conspicuously large figure that had just appeared from an alleyway down the street. At least seven feet tall and broad enough across the chest to make football players jealous, the figure was covered from neck to ankle by the most bland-looking tan trench coat. And it truly was from neck to ankle since even the collar was flipped up. And more than that, to top it all off, they were even wearing a hat with a wide brim, which I could appreciate given the blinding light given off by the sun. 

I was almost impressed in a way. It was hard to embody the ‘suspicious figure’ stereotype so well. Taking a moment to look over the people around me and the figure down the road, I didn’t know how no one else seemed to be reacting to this sudden development. It was just as I was looking back down the street that it happened. With the barest glimpse, I could have sworn that the figure’s face was heavy set with tough-looking skin. But more than anything, there was one large eye in the center of their forehead.

Before I could react, the man, for that’s what the figure undoubtedly was after that look at his face, had turned away and begun walking away quickly. I was just beginning to lean forwards, my mind racing in confusion at what I’d seen when I was distracted by a loud, high-pitched, metallic screeching sound. After glancing to the side to see that the bus had finally arrived, I barely paid attention before looking back towards the rest of the road. I felt confusion wash over me as I realized that there wasn’t a giant figure in a trench coat anywhere in sight, let alone one with just one eye.

I simply stood there, staring down the street, when I finally realized someone was talking to me, “Hey, you gonna get in, or just stand there? I kinda gotta know,” the bus driver spoke with an annoyed tone. After another glance down the road, I shook my head and smiled apologetically at the woman. 

“Sorry,” I quickly boarded up into the bus, taking a short moment to show my bus pass before sliding into the first available seat I found. Settling into my seat, I shook my head again, trying to shake the short moment from my mind. After another five minutes of watching the cityscape slowly blur past the window, I managed to convince myself that I must have been mistaken.

No one had just one eye, not in the center of their forehead, at least. Besides, I’d been too far away to be seeing anything with any kind of clarity. Right? Shivering with a sudden chill that seeped through the bus, I nodded firmly to myself. 

After another couple dozen minutes of staring out the window, I recognized my stop. The cityscape that had so encapsulated everything had slowly melted away over the last few minutes of travel. With the bus heading towards my college campus, it only made sense.

The California University of Higher Learning was a somewhat remote college. The university was unique, with the campus close to thirty minutes outside Los Angeles. The central campus was not particularly large, with less than five thousand students attending. But the grounds around the campus were what made it strange.

The university maintained a large, one hundred-acre forest. Luckily, the area the college was built in was situated in a small valley that helped keep the moisture in and the forest alive. I had been beyond happy to be accepted by the university, both because of its exclusivity as well as its gorgeous campus.

That same forest was starting to pass by my view through the window. Tall trees and their underbrush coaxed the same smile from me as it always did, and that same smile only widened as I thought about the rest of the day my friends and I had planned. 

A few hours spent in one of the larger clearings on the college grounds, followed by dinner at one of our apartments. Not much sounded better to me at the moment. Once the bus had arrived at the university bus stop, I levered myself out of my seat, joined by a couple of other students at the university. I vaguely recognized one from one of my classes, but she didn’t seem too eager to say hello either, so I didn’t say anything.

I swung my backpack up onto my shoulders as I stepped off the bus, looking around at the paved area around me. Directly ahead was the road leading to the college, along with dozens of students walking to and fro, with the buildings themselves looming above the trees around them. 

Everywhere else I looked, I saw either the forest or one of the maintained path entrances into that forest. I glanced around and spotted the yellow path marker that would lead me to where we had all agreed to meet. Rolling my shoulders to settle my backpack, I started towards it. Before long, the sound of the road and bustling students was swallowed up by the sound of the wind in the leaves and branches.

I frowned suddenly, feeling a sudden gust of cold wind scythe straight through my thin shirt and shorts, raising goosebumps on my skin. My pace slowed as I glanced around, unsure what I was looking for. Only tree trunks and underbrush met my gaze, but I stayed where I was for a moment longer. For just a moment, something flickered in the corner of my eye, and I spun around, my heart beating a little bit faster while my hand gripped the strap of my backpack a little bit tighter. 

I stared into the swaying shadows beneath the tree canopy, finding a little less comfort in it than I had a moment before. Finally, after glancing around cautiously for another minute, I slowly started down the path again.

“Seeing stuff an awful lot today, huh,” I muttered to myself, “Just… relax….” I took a deep breath before taking another. As I slowly relaxed, I laughed softly to myself. “I probably looked like a dumbass, looking around in the middle of the path, all alone,” I shook my head amusedly.

I kept making my way down the trail, eventually emerging into a wide and primarily open clearing. One side of the clearing was open flat ground, with brilliant green grass. The other side of the clearing was occupied with ten rows of five trees each. From one of my times volunteering, I knew that this was a small apple orchard maintained by a part of the biology department. The reason my friends and I so often chose this particular spot to meet was running past and through the orchard, filling the air with its soft sound. A small but quick-moving stream, only three feet deep at most. 

“Ethan!” I smiled warmly as I recognized the voice that called my name. Sitting up from where she had been laying on a wide-spread blanket, Vivian waved me over with a smile. I began making my way over to my friend, taking a quick moment to see past the glaring sunlight that once more glared down on me, now that I was out of the tree cover.

She looked much the same as always, with long brown hair swept behind her, showing off her angular features and warm brown eyes. Dressed in a muted green t-shirt with jeans, she was entirely too happy in the California sun for my taste.

“How are you not dying right now?” I complained once we were within easy speaking distance. She snorted at me, then gestured at the blanket section in the shade. 

“Go on, you weakling,” She taunted me, “Brought low by the sun, how tragic!”

I rolled my eyes at her before sighing happily when I sat down and shrugged off my backpack, all in the shade. “Not my fault. Not all of us have lived here their whole lives, and I much prefer the cold to this heat.” Vivian shook her head at me before laying back down and closing her eyes, soaking up the sunlight.

A moment passed before she groaned theatrically, “I’m just happy it’s the weekend. I’ll throw myself into the stream over there if Professor Kere assigns us another essay this month!”

I chuckled from where I was sitting, “Yeah, I get that. You’d think one would be enough, but she just had to have two! If she had gone for three, I’d be jumping in with you.” Professor Kere was infamous for her long essay assignments, so I could certainly sympathize with her.

The two of us talked about the few classes we shared while I enjoyed the shade. Vivian sat up and looked around the clearing as the shadows began to creep further over the blanket.

“You uh, alright?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. 

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“Yeah, just wondering where the twins are. Did they send you anything?” She explained when she turned back towards me, starting to stretch her arms. I shrugged in response and dug my phone out of my pocket. Scrolling through a few screens, he finally shrugged again. 

“Nah, nothing. Maybe they’re just late or-” I was cut off by a loud voice yelling into the clearing.

“No! Not late, not at all!” I shared a brief look with Vivian before craning my neck to see the two making their way towards us.

Ajay was a display of color, with a tie-dye shirt and muted green cargo shorts. The broad grin across his face made me smile a little wider in response. His brown eyes blended well with his deeply tanned complexion and short, cropped brown hair. Leo was trailing behind him and standing a little taller and broader across the body.

Unlike Ajay, Leo wore a simple light gray shirt with dark shorts. While his features were similar to Ajay’s, you could tell the difference if you got a good look. Not to mention his hair was longer and swept out of his eyes. He was rolling his eyes at that moment, following his twin brother into the clearing but smiling despite his exasperation.

Despite their wildly different personas, the two were rarely seen without the other. “Hey Ajay, Leo!” Vivian waved them over, though Ajay hadn’t needed the invitation and was well on his way over.

“We were just looking for you two, so good timing,” I offered while moving my backpack to make room for the two of them. Leo nodded in thanks before settling down, pulling a water bottle out of his pack.

“Well, of course, why wouldn’t you be looking for us?” Ajay asked with a grin.

“Leo, sure, but you?” Vivian smirked at Ajay’s offended expression before snorting laughter at him. 

“I’ll have you know, ma’am! I am a treasured-” Leo’s interruption cut him off.

“-Pain in my ass.” Leo mock-glared at Ajay before joining me in laughing.

“Betrayal!” Ajay exclaimed before joining them for a moment. After allowing a minute to let the laughter fade a bit, Ajay spoke up curiously while looking across the clearing, “Is it just me, or have those trees grown a lot more since the last time we were here?”

I joined Leo in squinting at the orchard on the other side of the clearing before stating, “I... think so. They do seem to be growing fast… Maybe they’re using some special soil or something? I don’t know, and I don’t grow plants.”

Vivian laughed at that, “I’m well aware. There’s a reason you get assigned to hauling soil or something when we’re volunteering.”

Leo chuckled too, “Yeah, I’m not quite sure how you do it, but I’ve never seen someone with an almost literal black thumb.”

“I’m pretty sure that every plant you’ve personally tried to grow has died,” Ajay added, with a pretend thoughtful tone. 

I threw my hands up in surrender, “Okay, okay! I get it!” Despite my tone, I laughed with the others before joining in as they changed the subject yet again. After almost a half-hour of talking, Vivian finally let out a low groan before rubbing her eyes. 

“Alright, I think I’ve finally hit my limit. No more sun for me today….” I chuckled softly at that before my eyes went wide as I looked over her shoulder. I fought the urge to smile as I watched Ajay pull out a small water gun from his pack while grinning. 

“Getting too hot?” 

“A little, yeah,” Vivian replied without looking, stretching out for a moment. Only to stiffen in shock at the sudden stream of water that struck her back. Slowly, she turned her head and glared at Ajay. 

“You little SHIT!” She yelled at him before scrambling to her feet. I felt laughter bubbling up as I saw Ajay suddenly sprint away while cackling. Looking to my side, I saw Leo laughing softly as well. 

I watched Vivian chase Ajay for a minute before shaking my head and leaning towards Leo, about to speak, when both of us heard a sudden call from where Ajay had hidden in the Orchard, “Hey, guys?”

Sharing a curious look with Leo, the two of us leveraged ourselves to our feet as we made our way to the source of Ajay’s voice. Threading through the few trees, we quickly came across Ajay and Vivian staring up into the branches with odd expressions. 

“Uh, you two alright?” I asked warily, stopping a few feet away. Vivian glanced towards us for a moment before simply pointing upwards as well. Following the direction of her finger, I was about to ask why Ajay had called for Leo and me when I saw what she was pointing at.

Hanging amidst the other ripening apples, a single silver apple sat among their greenish-red colors. I felt my mouth slowly open, whether in shock or to ask a question even I didn’t know. After what must have been at least a minute, I took a deep breath.

“What the fuck?”

“Yeah, that was pretty much my thought when I first saw it too,” Ajay muttered in agreement, still staring at the strange fruit above them. 

Leo spoke slowly, “It’s probably… Just paint or something, right? No way did an apple grow silver….”

I nodded slowly, thinking it over. Making up my mind, I shrugged and started walking towards the tree. 

“Woah, whatcha doing?” Ajay asked, surprised.

In response, I half-turned to face him before shrugging again, “Not gonna figure this weird shit out by staring at it.” Turning back, I quickly grabbed ahold of one of the lower branches and used it along with a knot on the trunk to heave myself upwards. After careful positioning and climbing, I finally reached level with the silver apple after a few minutes. 

Closer now, it just seemed even more confusing to me cause it didn’t look painted. It looked for all the world like the apple’s skin, just actually was silver. Leaning forwards while keeping one arm wrapped around the largest branch, I grabbed it and quickly tugged downwards, plucking it firmly from the branch.

I looked down for a second before calling out for Vivian. I mimed an underhanded toss when she raised a questioning eyebrow at me. Understanding quickly, she caught the apple as soon as I tossed it to her, freeing up my other hand to let me climb down.

When I finally touched the floor again, I turned towards the others to find them all clustered around the apple held in Vivian’s hand. “So, any luck?”

Leo shook his head slowly, “No, I’m not… Entirely sure what the hell is going to on with this….” Ajay nodded along silently.

Vivian glanced up and looked at me for a moment before lifting her shoulders in a defeated shrug. “Maybe it’s some kind of… Can plants be albino? Or something?”

“I have no clue, but this is weird-” I cut off as I felt a sudden sweeping cold wind blow through the trees, the temperature plummeting as the chill scythed through the thin clothes we were all wearing. 

“Not again…” I barely heard Ajay mumble under his breath. My head spun towards him, brows furrowing in interest. 

“What do you mean, ‘again’?” I asked, almost urgently. “Have you been feeling that too?”

Ajay and Leo glanced at each other while Vivian looked at all of us in confusion. She spoke before either of the twins could, “What are you all talking about?” She was glancing between the three of us, a concerned expression on her face.

“Well…” Leo drew the word out, letting Ajay switch in.

“We’ve been feeling these cold winds. And like, little movements in the corner of our eyes all day,” he explained quickly, “It keeps happening at the same time too….”

“Not to mention occasionally feeling like someone is watching us,” Leo added quietly.

I inhaled sharply, “I’ve been feeling the same thing, but….” I narrowed my eyes at Vivian, “You didn’t feel that just now?”

She simply looked at us strangely, “Feel what?”

“There was just like, a big gust of cold wind, just a few minutes ago,” Ajay answered.

“Then no, I didn’t feel anything like that. Are you all alright? We’re in California; cold winds don’t just happen!” She was looking at us worriedly. 

"But, I know that it just happened,” I muttered, barely noticing Leo nodding in silent agreement next to me. Before any of us could speak, I felt myself freeze up. My muscles tensed as I felt… Something.

I grunted as suddenly it felt as though a weight was pressing down on my shoulders. My suddenly labored breathing started to fog up in front of me, just like it would in cold air. The shadows beneath the trees around us seemed to lengthen, even as the air seemed to grow colder still. 

And yet, this time, the cold wasn’t uncomfortable. This time, the cold that pressed in around me felt welcoming, almost like it was embracing me as I struggled against whatever weight was pushing down on me. And then, for a split second, it felt as though my veins lit up on fire. For the briefest moment, a sharp, searing pain shot through my body before just disappearing. And as the pain disappeared, so did the weight pressing down on my shoulders.

Letting out a sharp gasp, my muscles released their tension, and I sagged downwards. Breathing heavily, I managed to pull my head up and look at the others, and Leo and Ajay appeared just as winded and worn out as I felt.

Vivian, on the other hand, looked almost scared. She was a few steps farther away, making me assume she had backed up during whatever had just happened. When I turned to look at her, she let out a strangled sound that might have been a gasp.

“Your, your eyes!” She managed to get out before she looked at the others. As she did, she turned even paler before taking another step back. “What, what happened to you?!”

Startled by her reaction, I turned to look at the twins more closely. Taking a closer look, I slowly began noticing the differences. Both of their skin was a little darker, taking on an almost bronzed tone as if they were out in the sun for hours each day. Leo seemed to have practically become larger, his muscles filling out and making him even more imposing.

On the other hand, Ajay almost seemed to have slimmed down some, his physique shifting to what I had seen on Olympic swimmers. But there was more, something almost intangible, and something that made them seem more. 

But it was the last change that made me really understand Vivian’s reaction. Looking back at me were two pairs of sea-green eyes.