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Characters are from I AM ZOMBIE, HEAR ME MOAN
Julian (c) SALADO BENTO
Adam (c) Crash Proof Riot


Little chubby hands grip the crayons to near breaking point as they fly across the paper, splashing it with bright blue and deep red and forest green. there is an intense look on little Julian Callaghan’s face as he concentrates on staying inside the lines.

The door bursts open and Julian’s hand jerks, a deep gash of violet stretching across his artwork. A little boy the spitting image of Julian zips across the room to stand beside his twin. Adam’s excitement refuses to be contained and he starts to dance around Julian with a glint in his eye.

“Jules! Julesie! Let’s play a game!” Julian looks up from the colouring book he has been labouring on and sighs at the eyesore that is the off-kilter streak of violet. Well. Maybe he can try again next time. But Julian doesn’t really believe it.

He closes the colouring book shut, pages flying in the wind to briefly reveal previous drawings. It is obvious that the boy has been putting a lot of effort in them, with the colour mostly staying inside the lines but in each and every one, there is the odd dash of colour or a mad scribble. Julian has, by now, resigned to the fact that he will never get it perfectly right because Adam had the knack for disturbing him at just the right moment.

“What sorta game?” Julian asks, directing his azure gaze at his doppelganger. Adam flashes his baby brother a cheeky grin.

“Hide an’ go seek!” Julian’s eyes grow wide at the suggestion before pouting at Adam.

“I don’ wanna play tha’ game,” he whines. But Adam grabs his hands and drags him away from the table.

“Aww, c’mon, Julesie. It’ll be fun, I promise.” He kisses Julian’s cheek lightly, knowing full well that’s all it would take to convince the reluctant boy.

“Alrite, alrite, if ye really wanna I guess we could fer a bit,” he relents and Adam beams.

“Wicked! I’ll hide an’ ye seek, ‘kay? Close yer eyes an’ no peeking!” Adam brings Julian’s hands to his eyes and dashes off as the younger boy starts counting.

“... eight, nine, ten! I’m comin’ fer ye, Adam!” Julian declares. His feet pad the wooden floors uncertainly as his eyes sweep the room on the lookout for his brother.

“Adam...?” Julian calls out as he reaches for the closet door and swings it open. He casts aside the clothing that billows at his face and looks ‘round but there’s no sign of his deadringer.

“Adam?” Julian’s bare feet are cold on the bathroom tiles. He flings the curtain, hoping to reveal his hiding twin but all it reveals is the rubber ducks that they had used in their last bath.

“ADAM!” Julian is genuinely scared now and tears are streaking down his face. He’s searched everywhere and his twin is still nowhere to be found. A wave of panic threatens to overcome him as thoughts of never being able to see Adam again haunt him. Maybe Adam was lost forever because Julian couldn’t find him.

Julian collapses into the carpet in the middle of the room and hugs his knees towards him, sobbing quietly. His little body shaking at the horrible imagery that refuse to leave his head. He feels so terribly alone and so lost in his misery that he doesn’t hear his beloved brother calling out to him.

“Jules! Julesie I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Adam suddenly runs out from behind the cupboard and kneels beside his brother, holding him, stroking his hair and they cry together. Julian wraps his arms around his brother and sobs into his shirt.

“Adam...” he manages to sputter out, “Let’s not play tha’ game ever again.”

Later that afternoon, the twins are having their nap. Their mum walks into the nursery and smiles when she sees her two precious boys lying side by side. Julian is curled up next to Adam, and Adam is hugging him possessively, their little hands clutching each other’s firmly. She quietly walks in and plants a kiss on the top of their heads and shuts the door behind her softly.