John drew in a breath and exhaled before knocking three times. Taking a step back, he surveyed the sun warmed, red brick exterior of the two-story house. The shutters and the door were painted a deep, dark green, while bluebells and sunflowers danced by the windows.
"I'm coming!" called a voice, the sound of footsteps making John doubt his decision.
"You can do this John," he muttered to himself. "You've faced down the Wraith and the Genii. You can face down-"
"Hello?" said the voice as the door opened. A young woman with dark red hair stood in the doorway. Her hazel green eyes opened in shock. "John?"
"Hey Mari," John said with his trademark half grin. "How's my favorite – oh, jeez!"
"You…you…you!" Mari sputtered, drawing back her fist for another shot at John's nose. " A year! A whole freaking year!"
"Mari? What's going on?" another voice asked. "Is it one of your exes?"
John swallowed a groan as a second young woman came to the door. Her hazel green eyes surveyed him with anger as she tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear. She could have passed as John's identical twin if she'd been born a boy.
"How's it going, Gabi?" John asked, trying to smile while staunching the blood flow from his bleeding nose.
His sisters studied him with undisguised displeasure. Hoping to avoid anything too unpleasant, John gave them his most innocent and charming look.
"I say we skin him alive," suggested Gabi. " We can always burn his carcass."
Keeping his sisters away from sharp, pointy, pain inducing objects of any kind had now become John's top priority, he'd like to keep his skin and body parts intact.
"I don't think we have the right equipment," responded Mari, sounding aggravated by that oversight.
"Well, we should at least have some rope to hang him by," Gabi retorted.
"True," agreed Mari. "But first we need to drag him inside before someone calls the cops and accuses us of planning a murder."
"Can I at least-"
"Shut up, John," they chorused.