The sun bathed the top of the black Lexus, as it drove down the streets of Washington D.C. Arnold Abernathy sat in the backseat looking at the pictures he just received from the photographer. He flipped through them quickly passing the pictures of him delivering a speech on the steps of the White House. Arnold stopped on the photograph that was taken after his inauguration. It was a photo of him with his family. His wife Muffy was standing to his right, she just like her husband maintained her youthful and bright appearance at the age of 40. Her skin was a light brown and her hair was long and full she was recently featured in a special issue of People’s magazine that celebrated the 50 most beautiful women to have ever lived. To his left stood his eldest son Apollos, a sophomore on a full Basketball scholarship at Duke University. In front of him stood his twin daughters, Ivory and Ebony identical and resembling their mother. Together the two of them at 18 just dropped their debut album “SOAR” last Tuesday. His youngest son, Orion was only 16 years old and had yet to reveal what talents he possessed.
The Lexus stopped in front of the White House and Arnold was escorted through the front doors. All of the people inside stopped what they were doing and greeted him.
“Good morning Mr. President” they all said. Arnold was barely two months into his first term and still was not used to being addressed as such. Two months ago he was sworn in as the nation’s second black president. His campaign slogan was, “Embrace the Grace”. He called America to hold on to one elementary truth: “Everything they had from their spouse to their house was given to them when it could have been withheld”. Arnold pushed for drastic reforms and also convinced the masses that everything they owned was not to be given to their own credit but to either God or fate depending on what they believed in. He told America that nothing “good” could ever result from something they were doing but rather something or someone. So for example he once stated in a speech, “To have a defensive and selfish attitude with your wealth and credit it to something you did is foolish because fate or a higher power could of “dealt you the hand” that the beggars on the streets are forced to play”. Regarding the bad things that happened to people from time to time, Arnold Abernathy told them that this could only be blamed on themselves. His most common example was a bit extreme but drove the point: “If you hold onto your wealth and denigrate the poor, don’t be upset or frightened “When the Walls Come Tumbling Down.” From there Abernathy rallied the masses to give money to healthcare, schools, and even the nations poorest ghettos. America now believed that charity and a willingness to accept a tax from time to time would fix America and make it stronger.
Abernathy was in the Oval Office. He sat at his desk reading over documents when his secretary walked in. She looked a little flustered and Abernathy knew why. She was pushing a large cart with two birdcages. In the cages, held President Abernathy’s famous pets: a dove and a crow. His secretary opened the cages and the birds flew with haste to their master.
“Thank you Valerie have a good day,” said Arnold as he dismissed his secretary.
“Have a wonderful birthday weekend Mr. President,” she said as she closed to the door to his office.
The birds landed on Arnold’s shoulders, the crow sat on his left shoulder and the dove sat on his right.
“Is everything alright master?” said the dove in its soft female voice.
“Yes of course I’m ready to be out with my family,” admitted Arnold as he stroked the dove with his finger.
Arnold got up and walked over to the window. The birds flew off his shoulders and made a circle around the office before landing on the windowsill where Arnold stood. The birds looked at Arnold and nodded to him. Arnold got down on his knees and began to sing a song of praise to the birds.
Like all men, Arnold Abernathy had secrets. His greatest secret was the two birds he owned. Besides having the ability to communicate with him in the English language the birds were powerful demigods. The gods could take on any form, but in service to their latest master they were now the most famous pets in the world. Arnold often told the lie that he kept a dove and crow since as a pet since he was 16, but if someone ever pressed the issue they would of found out that the birds had been living for almost 25 years. The pets were never replaced. The birds had an extraordinary power. Yish, the dove had the power to give Arnold anything good he wanted. Yosh, the crow had the power to give others anything bad Arnold requested of him. Arnold like any other person used Yish the most he never understood why anyone would of ever asked Yosh for anything until he ran for president.
Yosh was used to handle Arnold’s threats. A reporter started to make a fuss over Arnold’s immense wealth and that reporter is now in rehab for cocaine addiction. Yosh played nasty; he rarely killed anyone because he always believed that death was too merciful. He liked his victims to live out their misery for as long as possible.
Arnold placed Yosh in his cage. Yish was allowed to walk with her master perched atop his shoulder. Under escort he left the White House with his beloved “pets” and picked up his wife. Together with his wife and youngest son, Orion they headed off to a resort in South Carolina to celebrate his 41st birthday.
“Ivory said, they’ll be there tomorrow morning” said Orion reading a text message from his phone.
“That’s great son, I’m looking forward to hearing about their upcoming tour” said Arnold.
“What would you like for your birthday dinner honey?” inquired his wife as she took her husbands hand into her own.
“Surprise me,” he said.
The family arrived at the resort later that evening. Arnold placed Yish and Yosh in one of the rooms and went to watch TV with his wife and son. Yosh looked over at Yish who was snoozing in her cage.
“Wake up” Yosh said in his low voice. Yish opened an eye and gave Yosh her attention.
“What is it Yosh?” asked Yish sounding annoyed.
“Arnold. He’s just like the others and you know it. Admit it,” spoke Yosh glaring at his counterpart.
“Yes. He is,” said Yish.
“Now, admit defeat”
“Alright I was wrong, you won the wager yet again. What would you like this time?”
“I want to look like you starting now. The balance must be maintained. You take on my form while I take on yours. I will be the dove, and you the crow”
“Why not kill him?”
“Because for eons you have placed your belief that man is not selfish. That he will use us not just for himself, but also for others. He has used you to get ahead and me to take out his enemies. Never has he tried to use us equally or for selfless means”
“Ah, I see,” said Yish.
“Finally put things together have you?” asked Yosh
“If you take on my form, the “good” he requests will go to people we have allowed him to mark for your curse while the bad he asks from me in while I’m in your form will happen to those he has marked for blessings.”
“Yes and the balance will be maintained,” said Yosh.
Yish and Yosh left their cages. Yosh became Yish, the pure white dove. While Yish became Yosh, the dark black crow, as they were getting back into their respective cages Arnold walked into the room looking quite upset.
“That bastard! He’s going to ruin everything!” exclaimed Arnold as he paced the room in a panic.
“Relax, Master let us help you,” said the dove in a perfect imitation of Yish’s voice.
“Listen up, if I don’t stop Senator Johnson from rallying the other congressmen to vote against my Supreme Court Judges then my term is going to be a living hell. Take him out, ruin him” said Arnold as he bowed to the Crow.
“As you command master,” said the Crow.
Arnold opened the window and let the crow out of the cage. He walked out of the room after closing the door. Yish flew over to the window and stopped on the windowsill before flying into the night sky.
“You planned this from the beginning” said Yish.
“Yes, you’re right,” admitted Yosh looking rather pleased with himself. “I made sure to tell the fool that you can only do good to him and not bad and that I can only do bad and never any good to others.”
“I must do my masters bidding,” said Yish with a shrug before flapping the black wings of the crow and taking off into the night.
The next day the hedge that surrounded Arnold Abernathy was removed. In the middle of the night he got a call from the hospital saying that his eldest son, Apollos overdosed on several drugs. Apollos attempted to smoke weed for the first time that night and made a “mind changing” mistake. The weed he purchased was laced with several other narcotics and put Apollos out his right mind. Mentally he was gone, never would he be the same man.
As Arnold drove like a madman to North Carolina to see his soon he lost all composure when he turned on the radio. A sex tape featuring his daughters Ivory and Ebony was just released on the Internet where it went viral. In the video the girls were seen taking and enjoying various sex acts from about seven different men. Hearing such horrible news about his three children, Arnold lost control of his vehicle and it crashed head on into a semi-truck.
Several weeks later, he awoke from a coma. Upon waking up he found that he was paralyzed from the waist down and severely burned all over his face and chest. He looked around the room and saw his youngest son, Orion asleep in a chair. He never saw his wife again, but next to his hospital bed he found divorce papers awaiting his signature. His wife couldn’t bear to take care of him. Defeated he looked for his beloved pets and could never find them again. A few days later, his son Orion adopted two cats. One was black and the other was white. The walls had tumbled down on the Abernathy Family.
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