Trapped With An 'Opposite'

Chapter Two - Family

"Hey. Hey! Get up!" Al walked over to Daniel, nudged him with his foot once or twice, before finally sighing and giving up trying to do things his own way. "Okay, what's wrong?"

"I... I miss my family." Daniel hesitated, and Al suddenly realised that he was crying. Why was he crying? Was his family that important to him? What had happened? How could anyone possibly miss their families? Al was happy for any amount of time that he could get away from his sister, Jacquelyn, even though it was often just a few minutes. If he could be rid of her forever, he would almost be set for life. Aside from the fact that he was broke and had no place to go...

"How can anyone miss their families? I don't understand." 

"R-really? Don't you have a family?"

"Yeah, and they suck."

"You wouldn't miss them if they were gone?"

"I'd rejoice in their absence." Al replied. "So, can you stop crying and act like a normal kid should now?"

"I don't know..." Daniel whispered. "You really wouldn't miss them?"

"I wouldn't miss them and they wouldn't miss me. We wouldn't miss each other."

"Well, I miss my family."

"Get used to it. You may be here a while. You're in a coma, remember?"

"I know."

Al waited a while. He was tired of hearing this kid cry. Unlike his opposite, Al liked negative emotions, and he had emotions. His opposite could hardly feel a thing emotionally, except for in certain situations, and they liked positive emotions. So, he really didn't know why Daniel's crying bothered him so much.

"Would you shut up for a few minutes!" Al groaned. "I can't... I can't think with your sobbing!"

"I'm sorry! I just miss them, okay?" Daniel shouted. "I know you don't understand, but for people like me, it hurts!"

"Well if you would be so kind as to shut the heck up and let me think, I might just find you a way out of here!" Al shouted back. 

"You don't mean that!"

"Yeah, I do! I'm a Dimensions Master! I can open a portal to your world! I can teach you how to do it too! Just stop crying!"

To Al's surprise, Daniel burst out laughing. Just laughter, nothing else.

"You're... supposed to be evil... You actually seem to care!"

"No matter what happens, you can never have an exact opposite." Al explained. "Because this world is controlled by the Other Side, and the Other Side is constantly changing."

"So... you're constantly changing?"

"Yes. My opposite was once neutral with everyone, only helping whoever helped her, and constantly getting in the way of those who she felt had wronged herself, her friends or family."

"And that made you...?"

"Neutral as well." Al smiled. "We were friends back then. Close enough to even be considered family. I guess there was one person that I cared about enough to cry over them."

"Really?"

"Yeah. She visited me constantly, and never made me go visit her world unless I wanted to. Then, she started trying to be nice to everyone. While she got nicer, I got meaner."

"Oh." Daniel started to speak very quietly. "Do you still speak with her?"

"No, but I can find her any time I want."

"Really?"

"She's my opposite. She can always find me, and I can always find her."

"How?"

"Two ways. Teleportation of a special kind that only allows you to teleport to a specific person, or I could use my portals to take me to the place that I'm least likely to be, because that's where she's most likely to be." Al yawned. He didn't need to review this, but the kid was asking,and he honestly didn't mind that much, so why not? "Do you wanna keep asking me stuff, or go to sleep?"

"Sleep. I'm tired." Daniel sighed.

"You're only saying that because that's what you think I want to do, but fine."

"You yawned."

"I'm bored. I know all of this stuff already."

"Okay, if you say so." Daniel chuckled, as he stretched out across the pitch black floor, and went to sleep.

""G'night, ya lil'-"

"Hey Al! Whatcha doing?"