The Kimchi
2190 Words
''You're a Swanson?'' Xander looked at me expectantly like a puppy at the sight of treats.
''Yes.'' I responded answering for about the fifteenth time.
''From the first moment I set my eyes on you, I knew you were special.'' He said trying to envelope me into another bone crushing hug but even I know better than to let that happen.
''The prophecy isn't wrong after all.'' Kimer said with a wide grin on her face.
I stared at Kimer and Xander, no one needed to tell me they were siblings, from their brown hair to their green eyes. It was more than enough to give the information away.
But I still couldn't believe it, not just the fact that Xander is suddenly being extremely nice to me because he is convinced I am some Kimchi which Kimer explained meant ''Chosen one.'' in this part of their world but because they claim that my last name ''Swanson.'' which earned me nick name ''ugly swan.'' in high school was the name of some ancient tribe with extraordinary abilities.
''what exactly is this prophecy? and what makes you so sure I am the one it is referring to? I asked Kimer but Xander beat her to it.
He cleared his throat dramatically and started to speak,'' the prophecy was given a very long time ago by our great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great,''..... he continued but was stopped by Kimer.
''Get to the point.'' Kimer said clearly annoyed.
Xander rolled his eyes and continued,
''ON THE EVE OF THE NEXT BLUE MOON
AT THE EDGE OF THE COLD NORTH'S NOOK
FROM AN ANCIENT TRIBE, SHALL ON THIS DAY BE FOUND
GREAT POWER FORGOTTEN AND TRUE
THIS A KIMCHI SHALL WIELD AND PUT TO GOOD USE.''
''That could be anyone, what power could I possibly have?'' I asked them
''It has to be you.'' Kimer said.
I looked at them and felt sorry for them. If only they knew how much of a loser I was, they wouldn't have this much faith in me. How could I be a chosen one? I can't even stand up to Glea, I don't have any special talents, skills or abilities, I can go on and on about my personal flaws.
'If it's not you, then why did you suddenly appear at the exact moment of the prophecy? A blue moon only comes out once in a thousand years and that's tomorrow and why did you appear suddenly at the nook of the cold north at this exact time and to crown it all why is your last name the name of a strong and powerful ancient tribe? How can all of this be just a coincidence?'' Kimer said.
I didn't know what to say so I kept quiet.
''Do you know how you got here?'' Xander asked.
''I have no idea.''
''Try to remember how you felt, what you were thinking, where you were, the objects in your possession, anything.'' He said.
I flashed back to when Aunt sent me out of the house, when I yelled at Fred, how I walked till the rain started falling and how I took refuge under a tree. I remembered feeling very angry, sad and worthless, confused on the next step to take, then it hit me. I remembered wishing I had a place to go.
''I remember I wished I had some other place to go besides home. That was the last thing I felt and it was raining heavily, I took refuge under a tree. I closed my eyes and before I knew it, I could hear you guys talking, I have no idea how that happened.'' I told them.
''But I guess that doesn't count as anything.'' I added.
''It actually does.'' Kimer said thoughtfully.
''You see, The Swanson Tribe used to be a very powerful tribe, unlike the rest, they didn't need to learn, train or practice their skills. Their children had abilities comparable to the highest rank of other tribes and these abilities came naturally. As a result, they were respected and feared. They had the power to teleport and travel to different dimensions, they could read minds and were extremely good in combat. However, they relied on an energy core. This was a very powerful source of energy they used in developing themselves, this core increased their training process. Through this core, they could perform various feats that was always admired by other tribes but without it, after a while, they would become weak if they had not utilised it's full energy. The core has always been around for centuries so most of them didn't bother to utilise it, they depended on it. This core was protected in a secret place by the Tribe's head.
One day, two tribes who coveted The Swanson tribe, desired to steal this core for themselves, they sent spies into their chambers to steal the core, while they were having a very important celebration.
The Swanson's were distraught. They had lost their most powerful resource and source of energy. Only a few men and the Tribe's head had been able to achieve proper mastery of the core.
The two tribes discovered that the majority of the Swanson's were weak and planned to destroy the tribe completely in order to eliminate any threat.
''Word got to the Tribe's head and out of fury, he decided to engage in a battle with the two tribes. However, these tribes had the core with them, not to mention an extremely large army and various weapons.
Before the battle, he told his young son to try to steal the core back and take it to another dimension in case, they do not succeed in the battle, they had to protect their legacy. His son, who had always looked up to his father had almost mastered total mastery of the core. He did as his father told him.
The battle was terrible. All the men of The Swanson's tribe engaged in it. However, most of them were not properly trained. They relied on the core as their source of energy. The battle didn't favour the Swanson's as the Tribe's head had to surrender when they held his wife ransom and threatened to kill her by placing a knife on her throat.
Realising there was no chance of winning, The Tribe's head's young son managed to recover the core and fled to another dimension never to be seen again. The rest of the Swanson's were kept as prisoners. Some of them who had the power to escape couldn't do so in order to protect their families. They all died in prison. That was the end of The Swanson's tribe. Although, the covetous tribes got what they deserved as foreigners attacked their territory and took control of them.''
I tried to ignore the tug of familiarity in my heart while Kimer was telling her story. I felt anger and pain for the fate of The Swanson's tribe but wondered if I could actually be related to them.
''Do you have any family heritage? anything precious to your parents, that could be related to this core?'' Xander asks me snapping me out of my thoughts.
''No, my parents died while I was a child.''
''I am so sorry, I had no idea.'' Xander apologises.
''That's okay. You couldn't have known.'' I say trying to indifferent, I could not afford to cry in their presence.
''I mean, the only thing I have left of them is a laptop and unfortunately, my cousin smashed it on the ground for some football game.'' I say again desperately trying to control my tears.
Kimer placed her hand on my shoulder reassuringly the same time Xander asked, ''what is a lamtom?''
It took me a moment to realise we were from different worlds and that the things on our worlds might be a little different.
''It is called a laptop, it's like a mini-computer.'' I said but they still look confused.
''Okay, it is a device, like an object that allows you to...um...'' that was when I realised that even I didn't know how to define a laptop, but they couldn't know that.
''Well, it's a really cool device that allows to communicate with people living in different places without having to travel, you can store a lot of information on it and several other things. I said feeling quite pleased with my explanation, at least for once, I got to be the smart one.
''You mean you can communicate with someone without having to teleport?'' Xander asked me excitedly.
I nodded my head in response. He was about to ask another question but Kimer beat him to it.
''This object, you call laptop, did you notice anything strange about it?''
I thought for a second and said no.
''were your parents fond of it?'' she asked again.
''Very, especially my Dad. That was why it hurt when....it got broken, I don't think it's possible to fix it, it's broken beyond repair.'' I flashback to the image of the broken laptop on the ground and suddenly remember the strange object amidst the parts. I put my hand in my pocket and realised it was still there. I brought it out and judging from the shocked faces on Xander and Kimer, I knew something was up.
''Is that what I think it is?'' Xander asked excitedly.
''The core....that's the core.'' Kimer answered disbelievingly.
''You can't be serious. I said.
''we have paintings of it in the library, anyone from the facility would recognise it.''
I felt numb. what could an ancient core be doing in my parent's laptop.
''Can I hold it?'' Xander asked looking at me with admiringly, well not me but the object in my hands.
''I don't think that's a good idea.'' Kimer said but Xander waved her off.
''what could possibly happen? you worry too much.'' he said dismissively and reached for it.
I couldn't speak as I trembled with fear seeing the blood coming out of Xander's nose.
The moment he touched the object, he was sent flying back with a large gush of wind and hit his head on the ground, blood coming out of his nose.
''I told you it wasn't a good idea.'' Kimer said indifferently.
How is she not be worried? He's bleeding! She must have seen my horrified expression as she laughed.
''He's fine, don't worry, it's only a minor injury. He'll get over it in a few minutes. Even Xander smiled at this.
''That was....That was amazing.'' Xander says. I stared at him in shock, the blood had completely dried from his face, he looked perfectly fine.
''Again... I have to do that again.'' he said excitedly walking towards me but is drawn back by Kimer who told him not to be stupid.
''What happened?'' I asked them scared of the object in my palm.
''It must be some kind of protective mechanism.'' Kimer said thoughtfully. It must have sensed that Xander isn't from it's tribe.
Everything keeps getting weirder by the minute.
''Are you convinced, that you are The Kimchi?'' Kimer asks
''I just can't believe it, it's a lot to take in.
''I understand but I also want you to realise that you came here for a reason. You are special Riley and you really do not have any idea how envious I am right now. You have in your hands something people would kill to possess, a gift, a responsibility you have to take.''
I didn't know when tears started falling from my eyes. The last time someone called me special was my mom on my sixth birthday that was the day she and my Dad died in a car crash. I was used to being called a loser, fat, ugly, worthless, bad luck, incompetent, the list goes on. what she said meant a lot to me and I knew something about me changed that moment. For the first time in a very long time, I truly felt special.
Kimer reached out to hug me but stopped when she saw the core was still in my hands. I smiled and put it in my pocket. I hugged her and cried.
I cried so hard my head hurt. She kept quiet and patted my back, telling me everything was going to be fine. Xander looked scared at the sight of me crying his expression made me smile and I realised that I had not done that in a long time either.
He eventually walked towards us awkwardly and joined the hug.
It was weird, I couldn't explain how two strangers I have just met made me feel loved and important. I have never felt this way in such a long time.
All the pain I have bottled in for a very long time were released that moment. I realised that I had gotten the opportunity to become a better and improved version of myself and I resolved to make good use of it.
Although I do not know the next step to take or what life has in store for me, I was ready for it.
''
- Writer
