By the time the Twins' plane landed in the Hawaiian airport, it was night.
One glanced at his watch as he waited for Two to gather up his bags and
suitcases. Once Two had gathered his belongings, the two headed off toward
the door. The Twins fought through the crowd of people getting off of the
plane until they reached the bottom of the boarding ramp.
"Ground at last!" Two sighed.
"Here take a bag." One handed a small silver suitcase to Two.
"Don't you think I have enough already? Carry it yourself." Two shuffled his bags.
One shot Two an evil look that made Two take the bag even though his hands were full.
"Where are we going from here?" Two shifted the case in his hands, trying not to drop everything.
"We'll take a cab to the hotel. The Merovingian made all the arrangements and gave me the hotel's name."
"You mean he's already got us a room?"
"Yeah. Scary isn't it?"
Two began to wonder why the Mero sent them on this trip. He shuddered at the thought. As they made their way to the cab in front of them, a streak of lightening cut the sky above them. It looked like a good storm was coming up fast. After placing their baggage in the cab's trunk, One told the cab driver where they wanted to go and the car sped off in that direction.
"One, a storm's coming." Two said, barely above a whisper.
"Now, Two, don't start with me. I'm tired and I want to get to the hotel so we can go to sleep. If I hear one thing out of you about storms tonight I'll," One's words trailed off. He wanted to say what he was thinking, but seeing the look on Two's face he stopped himself. One sighed and folded the map he had been trying to read in the darkness of the cab and stuffed it in his coat pocket. The Twins rode in silence the rest of the way to the hotel.
"We're here." The cabby said. It was a ritzy hotel that made Best Western look like an old shack. The Merovingian sure didn't mind spending money on the Twins.
"Ah, yes, the Twins." The man wearing a black tux at the front desk flipped through the reservation book. "Here we are. Room 102. Here's your key. Hope you have a pleasant evening." The guy's snooty voice and way of talking didn't settle too well with One. He was leery of that type of people. They were the kind that usually had to have everything perfect and so-so and squealed when you sharpened your razors on the living room drapes or blasted holes in the plaster with your machine gun, even after you told them you were only trying to kill a fly. In a way, the guy reminded him of the Mero and that made it worse.
One walked over to Two sitting in one of the lobby chairs and slightly kicked his feet with the toe of his boot to get his attention. Two jumped and got up when he saw One was ready to go up to their room. Both followed the bellboy to the elevator and waited until the man got the baggage on first, then they walked in beside it all.
One stuck the key in the door and turned it, then grabbed hold of the doorknob and tried opening the door.
"Why won't it open?"
"Your guess is as good as mine." One grunted while trying to get the door open.
"Yeah cause it'll be the same guess."
The bellboy stood behind them and waited patiently beside their suitcases. One hit and pushed up against the door with his shoulder and tried turning the knob as far as it would go, but whatever he did to it, it was determined not to open.
"Must be stuck." One grumbled while looking the door over.
"Here let me try." Two said while pushing his brother to the side. Two grasped the doorknob and gently turned it. The door opened easily. One frowned then followed Two into the room. The bellboy dragged the suitcases in behind the two.
The room was amazingly small, but big enough for the both of them. The living space and bedroom was connected together, two beds on one side which were separated by a night table in the middle, and chairs and a sofa on the other side along with a few tables. Beside the last bed was a small row of closets, which ended at a pair of sliding glass doors that opened to a balcony outside.
The bellboy stacked the suitcases in the middle of the room then held out his hand to the two twins.
"What's he want?" One whispered to Two.
"I think we're supposed to give him a tip."
"Oh, okay." One turned back to the young man. "Never sharpen your razors on the living room drapes. You can get into a lot of trouble that way. Believe me I know because I've tried it."
"Sir?" the bellboy asked in puzzlement. Two jerked One over to him.
"No! Not that kind of a tip. A tip is where you give him a couple of coins or something. You know, to pay him with."
"Why does he need to be paid? All he did was bring our suitcases up."
"Just pay the man so he'll leave!"
One reached into his pocket and drew out several coins and placed them in the man's hand. The man tipped his hat and proceeded out the front door.
"I'm going to get ready for bed." Two yawned while reaching for his suitcase. He picked up a small silver one and laid it on the first bed closest to the front door and started to open it.
"Hey! That's my bed." One said.
"I saw it first!" Two shouted back. "Besides they both look alike, what does it matter?"
"Get over there on that one anyway. I want this one."
Two rolled his eyes and moved his suitcase over onto the other bed just to keep his brother happy. He didn't feel like arguing this time. Opening his suitcase he pulled out a pair of silver pajamas, a pair of white socks, and a toothbrush then walked toward the bathroom and closed the door.
One opened his suitcase and pulled out the same articles of clothing and a toothbrush and laid them on one of the chairs so he could get them as soon as his 'slow' brother got out. One also took out a book and settled himself on his bed and started to read. After awhile, Two opened the bathroom up and the most awful noise came out of it. One looked up from his book and toward the bathroom. The strangest noise he had ever heard in the history of his programming. It might as well have been someone's nails racing against a chalkboard. Sighing he placed his book on the bed and got up.
"Two, what on earth is all that noise?" He said while walking toward the bathroom door.
"Uh, One, I think you'd better come have a look at this."
One was almost afraid of going in there and finding out what was making that awful screeching wailing racket, but he walked into the bathroom anyway.
"Two?" One stopped in the doorway.
Two was standing in front of the sink and looking down in it. At first One was puzzled and walked up behind his brother and looked over his shoulder. The water in the sink was standing like a pond and slowly went down the drain. The noise One had heard was the hotel's bad plumbing. As the water went out, the sink's pipes groaned and squealed as if they were haunted. Two hit the side of the sink with the palm of his hand and the noise stopped, but not for long. The groaning and wailing pipes started up again and continued until the last drop of water went down the drain with a final spurt and gurgle. Both Twins turned and looked at each other before turning back to the sink.
"I don't believe I've ever heard anything like that before." One said in a soft voice.
"Me neither." Two breathed. "Think it's ok to use?"
One shrugged.
At that moment a burst of thunder broke the long silence that had followed the fascination of the sink. Two jumped at the sudden sound and looked at One.
"Now I told you, don't start with me about the thunder!" One turned and walked out of the bathroom. "It's thunder! That's all it is."
"B-but I," Two stuttered, too ashamed to say the rest.
"I know, I know. You're afraid of storms." One turned to face his brother who was following behind him.
"You won't tell anyone will you? You won't tell Mero?" Two fiddled with the sleeve of his shirt as he spoke.
"No, I won't tell anyone, not even Mero."
"You promise?"
"Yes, Two, I promise." One sighed. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with the haunted sink." One picked up his toothbrush and pajamas from the chair and walked toward the bathroom. Two walked over to his bed and sat down on the side and calmly waited for his twin to return. With each burst of thunder, Two wanted to get up and run into the bathroom with One, but he tried the best he could to control himself.
Before long, One came out of the bathroom dressed in the same shiny silver pajamas and white socks that Two was dressed in, his silver dreadlocks sliding down in front of his shoulders. He carried both of their silver suits hanging on a hanger and walked toward the closets to hang them up. Two was sitting huddled in the middle of his bed, hugging a pillow. One shook his head at seeing his pitiful brother, then walked over and pulled back the sheets of his own bed.
"Good night!" One snapped before reaching for the lamp on the nightstand. The room went black except for the occasional lightening that could be seen around the drapes drawn in front of the sliding doors.
A loud burst of thunder followed a quick flash of lightening.
"One"
"Two, be quiet and go to sleep!" One mumbled while trying to fluff his pillow.
Another burst of thunder shook the hotel. One heard a scramble then felt his bed bounce a little. Wondering what it was he reached and flipped on the lamp. He turned to see Two huddled at the foot of the bed.
"Two! Get in your own bed." One pried Two's arms away from his legs and pushed his scared brother off and toward his own bed. "Get over there in your own bed and go to sleep! I'm right here, it's not like I'm going anywhere."
Shaking his head and mumbling, One turned out the lamp and settled back down under the covers. A few minutes after he felt a tickling around his face.
"Two, I'm going to get you if you don't stop it."
"What did I do now?!" Two's voice came from the other bed. One opened his eyes and peered across from him. If Two was in his bed, then what? One jumped up and flipped the light back on then screamed as loud as he could before rolling off the bed backwards onto the floor, his legs tangled in the sheet. Two jumped up and wondered what all the fuss was about.
"What's wrong, One?"
"There's something in my bed! I saw it just as I turned the light on!"
Two got out of bed and slowly walked over to One's bed, gently picking up the pillow and looking under it.
Nothing there.
"Two, there it is on the headboard." One pointed at something crawling. It was a cockroach. Two reached on the table for something to hit it with. Grabbing a book, he violently hit the headboard, but the roach fell off onto the bed before he could hit it.
"It's on the bed now! Kill it!" One's voice was about to go hoarse. Two stumbled onto the bed and slapped around with the book, following the elusive creature until it disappeared under the covers.
"Did you see where it went?" Two's eyes darted around him.
"There, under that crease in the sheet." One pointed a shaky finger. Two grabbed hold of the sheet and yanked it back, causing the bug to fly out and onto the floor where it continued its escape. Two leaped from the bed and managed to hit the thing with the book as he landed on the floor, upsetting a table and lamp in the process.
"You can rest easy, One. It's dead." Two cringed as he lifted the book up a little. One sighed as Two walked back to his bed.
"So you're afraid of roaches, huh?" Two tried to hide a giggle.
"No, they just gross me out." One didn't want to admit.
Once again the two brothers settled down in their beds and flipped out the light. By now it was pouring rain outside, drowning out any other noise. That is, except for the phone setting on the night table. One sleepily fumbled around until he found the receiver.
"Yes?" he growled. He started to raise himself up. "Who is this? No I am not George! I think you have the wrong number, miss."
Two rolled over in his bed and peered through the darkness at the figure of his brother.
"I said my name is not George!" With that, One slammed the receiver back on its hook and mumbled.
"What was that all about?" Two asked.
"Some old woman who can't hear good wanting to know if 'George' lives here." One sighed. Two snickered. Just then, that horrible screeching racket started coming from the bathroom again, actually sounding louder than the pounding rain outside.
"Now what?!" One shouted over the din of the rain and the moaning that sounded like worn out floorboards in an old house as he looked toward the bathroom.
"I think the water is finally going out from when you brushed your teeth awhile ago." Two said, hugging his pillow closer to his face.
"Gracious, is this night ever going to end?" One lay back down and covered his head with his pillow. "If everything would just keep quiet around here! You'd think as expensive and fancy this place is they'd have decent plumbing!"
The pillow muffled One's words, but Two could still understand them. He smiled to himself.
"Kill him!" One shouted loud enough in his sleep to wake Two up. Both Twins woke with a start to a blaring ringing. One's sleep talking was him actually waking up from whatever he was dreaming about. One looked around him then groggily reached for the phone.
"Yes?!" One paused. "We didn't order any wakeup call." One slammed the phone back down and rolled back over in his bed. About five minutes later, the phone again rang.
"What is it?" He growled, on the very edge of losing his temper. "As I said before, we didn't order any wakeup calls! Now leave us alone!" He slammed the phone down harder this time. One looked at Two who was staring in his direction.
"If they call one more time, I will be very tempted to pull that thing out of the wall." One pointed toward the phone as he spoke.
"What time is it anyway?" Two yawned.
"It's four in the morning." One groaned while glancing at the soft lit digital clock on the table.
Before the Twins could close their eyes again, a shrill blaring started coming from one of the rooms down the hall. A blaring that sounded like someone who had just started playing the trombone. Both twins silently looked up at each other through the darkness.
"Someone strangling a goose over there?"
"I don't know, but I'm going to go over there and let them know what time it is." One huffed while getting up and stumbling toward the door. He opened it and slammed it behind him. Two lay in his bed and listened. He could hear One pounding on the door down the hall. Whoever was blowing the horn must have answered the door because Two could now hear the guy and One in a deep argument.
"Do you have any idea of what time it is??" Two heard One shout. "Blow that horn again and I'll shove it down your throat!"
Finally the conversation resulted in silence, a yelp, which was soon followed by a door slam and One returning, fuming, to his bed. Two was about to say something but stopped when he saw a trombone slide neatly bent around One's neck.
"Don't say anything!" One snapped while struggling with the slide.
Two quickly shut his mouth.
"Remember that tough guy on the plane?"
Two nodded.
"Well I just found out that he's staying a few doors down from us. And you know what else?"
Two continued to stare.
"He plays the trombone." One yanked the slide loose and dropped it on the floor before climbing into bed. The phone rang yet again with a wakeup call and both Twins sighed in unison.
"Ground at last!" Two sighed.
"Here take a bag." One handed a small silver suitcase to Two.
"Don't you think I have enough already? Carry it yourself." Two shuffled his bags.
One shot Two an evil look that made Two take the bag even though his hands were full.
"Where are we going from here?" Two shifted the case in his hands, trying not to drop everything.
"We'll take a cab to the hotel. The Merovingian made all the arrangements and gave me the hotel's name."
"You mean he's already got us a room?"
"Yeah. Scary isn't it?"
Two began to wonder why the Mero sent them on this trip. He shuddered at the thought. As they made their way to the cab in front of them, a streak of lightening cut the sky above them. It looked like a good storm was coming up fast. After placing their baggage in the cab's trunk, One told the cab driver where they wanted to go and the car sped off in that direction.
"One, a storm's coming." Two said, barely above a whisper.
"Now, Two, don't start with me. I'm tired and I want to get to the hotel so we can go to sleep. If I hear one thing out of you about storms tonight I'll," One's words trailed off. He wanted to say what he was thinking, but seeing the look on Two's face he stopped himself. One sighed and folded the map he had been trying to read in the darkness of the cab and stuffed it in his coat pocket. The Twins rode in silence the rest of the way to the hotel.
"We're here." The cabby said. It was a ritzy hotel that made Best Western look like an old shack. The Merovingian sure didn't mind spending money on the Twins.
"Ah, yes, the Twins." The man wearing a black tux at the front desk flipped through the reservation book. "Here we are. Room 102. Here's your key. Hope you have a pleasant evening." The guy's snooty voice and way of talking didn't settle too well with One. He was leery of that type of people. They were the kind that usually had to have everything perfect and so-so and squealed when you sharpened your razors on the living room drapes or blasted holes in the plaster with your machine gun, even after you told them you were only trying to kill a fly. In a way, the guy reminded him of the Mero and that made it worse.
One walked over to Two sitting in one of the lobby chairs and slightly kicked his feet with the toe of his boot to get his attention. Two jumped and got up when he saw One was ready to go up to their room. Both followed the bellboy to the elevator and waited until the man got the baggage on first, then they walked in beside it all.
One stuck the key in the door and turned it, then grabbed hold of the doorknob and tried opening the door.
"Why won't it open?"
"Your guess is as good as mine." One grunted while trying to get the door open.
"Yeah cause it'll be the same guess."
The bellboy stood behind them and waited patiently beside their suitcases. One hit and pushed up against the door with his shoulder and tried turning the knob as far as it would go, but whatever he did to it, it was determined not to open.
"Must be stuck." One grumbled while looking the door over.
"Here let me try." Two said while pushing his brother to the side. Two grasped the doorknob and gently turned it. The door opened easily. One frowned then followed Two into the room. The bellboy dragged the suitcases in behind the two.
The room was amazingly small, but big enough for the both of them. The living space and bedroom was connected together, two beds on one side which were separated by a night table in the middle, and chairs and a sofa on the other side along with a few tables. Beside the last bed was a small row of closets, which ended at a pair of sliding glass doors that opened to a balcony outside.
The bellboy stacked the suitcases in the middle of the room then held out his hand to the two twins.
"What's he want?" One whispered to Two.
"I think we're supposed to give him a tip."
"Oh, okay." One turned back to the young man. "Never sharpen your razors on the living room drapes. You can get into a lot of trouble that way. Believe me I know because I've tried it."
"Sir?" the bellboy asked in puzzlement. Two jerked One over to him.
"No! Not that kind of a tip. A tip is where you give him a couple of coins or something. You know, to pay him with."
"Why does he need to be paid? All he did was bring our suitcases up."
"Just pay the man so he'll leave!"
One reached into his pocket and drew out several coins and placed them in the man's hand. The man tipped his hat and proceeded out the front door.
"I'm going to get ready for bed." Two yawned while reaching for his suitcase. He picked up a small silver one and laid it on the first bed closest to the front door and started to open it.
"Hey! That's my bed." One said.
"I saw it first!" Two shouted back. "Besides they both look alike, what does it matter?"
"Get over there on that one anyway. I want this one."
Two rolled his eyes and moved his suitcase over onto the other bed just to keep his brother happy. He didn't feel like arguing this time. Opening his suitcase he pulled out a pair of silver pajamas, a pair of white socks, and a toothbrush then walked toward the bathroom and closed the door.
One opened his suitcase and pulled out the same articles of clothing and a toothbrush and laid them on one of the chairs so he could get them as soon as his 'slow' brother got out. One also took out a book and settled himself on his bed and started to read. After awhile, Two opened the bathroom up and the most awful noise came out of it. One looked up from his book and toward the bathroom. The strangest noise he had ever heard in the history of his programming. It might as well have been someone's nails racing against a chalkboard. Sighing he placed his book on the bed and got up.
"Two, what on earth is all that noise?" He said while walking toward the bathroom door.
"Uh, One, I think you'd better come have a look at this."
One was almost afraid of going in there and finding out what was making that awful screeching wailing racket, but he walked into the bathroom anyway.
"Two?" One stopped in the doorway.
Two was standing in front of the sink and looking down in it. At first One was puzzled and walked up behind his brother and looked over his shoulder. The water in the sink was standing like a pond and slowly went down the drain. The noise One had heard was the hotel's bad plumbing. As the water went out, the sink's pipes groaned and squealed as if they were haunted. Two hit the side of the sink with the palm of his hand and the noise stopped, but not for long. The groaning and wailing pipes started up again and continued until the last drop of water went down the drain with a final spurt and gurgle. Both Twins turned and looked at each other before turning back to the sink.
"I don't believe I've ever heard anything like that before." One said in a soft voice.
"Me neither." Two breathed. "Think it's ok to use?"
One shrugged.
At that moment a burst of thunder broke the long silence that had followed the fascination of the sink. Two jumped at the sudden sound and looked at One.
"Now I told you, don't start with me about the thunder!" One turned and walked out of the bathroom. "It's thunder! That's all it is."
"B-but I," Two stuttered, too ashamed to say the rest.
"I know, I know. You're afraid of storms." One turned to face his brother who was following behind him.
"You won't tell anyone will you? You won't tell Mero?" Two fiddled with the sleeve of his shirt as he spoke.
"No, I won't tell anyone, not even Mero."
"You promise?"
"Yes, Two, I promise." One sighed. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with the haunted sink." One picked up his toothbrush and pajamas from the chair and walked toward the bathroom. Two walked over to his bed and sat down on the side and calmly waited for his twin to return. With each burst of thunder, Two wanted to get up and run into the bathroom with One, but he tried the best he could to control himself.
Before long, One came out of the bathroom dressed in the same shiny silver pajamas and white socks that Two was dressed in, his silver dreadlocks sliding down in front of his shoulders. He carried both of their silver suits hanging on a hanger and walked toward the closets to hang them up. Two was sitting huddled in the middle of his bed, hugging a pillow. One shook his head at seeing his pitiful brother, then walked over and pulled back the sheets of his own bed.
"Good night!" One snapped before reaching for the lamp on the nightstand. The room went black except for the occasional lightening that could be seen around the drapes drawn in front of the sliding doors.
A loud burst of thunder followed a quick flash of lightening.
"One"
"Two, be quiet and go to sleep!" One mumbled while trying to fluff his pillow.
Another burst of thunder shook the hotel. One heard a scramble then felt his bed bounce a little. Wondering what it was he reached and flipped on the lamp. He turned to see Two huddled at the foot of the bed.
"Two! Get in your own bed." One pried Two's arms away from his legs and pushed his scared brother off and toward his own bed. "Get over there in your own bed and go to sleep! I'm right here, it's not like I'm going anywhere."
Shaking his head and mumbling, One turned out the lamp and settled back down under the covers. A few minutes after he felt a tickling around his face.
"Two, I'm going to get you if you don't stop it."
"What did I do now?!" Two's voice came from the other bed. One opened his eyes and peered across from him. If Two was in his bed, then what? One jumped up and flipped the light back on then screamed as loud as he could before rolling off the bed backwards onto the floor, his legs tangled in the sheet. Two jumped up and wondered what all the fuss was about.
"What's wrong, One?"
"There's something in my bed! I saw it just as I turned the light on!"
Two got out of bed and slowly walked over to One's bed, gently picking up the pillow and looking under it.
Nothing there.
"Two, there it is on the headboard." One pointed at something crawling. It was a cockroach. Two reached on the table for something to hit it with. Grabbing a book, he violently hit the headboard, but the roach fell off onto the bed before he could hit it.
"It's on the bed now! Kill it!" One's voice was about to go hoarse. Two stumbled onto the bed and slapped around with the book, following the elusive creature until it disappeared under the covers.
"Did you see where it went?" Two's eyes darted around him.
"There, under that crease in the sheet." One pointed a shaky finger. Two grabbed hold of the sheet and yanked it back, causing the bug to fly out and onto the floor where it continued its escape. Two leaped from the bed and managed to hit the thing with the book as he landed on the floor, upsetting a table and lamp in the process.
"You can rest easy, One. It's dead." Two cringed as he lifted the book up a little. One sighed as Two walked back to his bed.
"So you're afraid of roaches, huh?" Two tried to hide a giggle.
"No, they just gross me out." One didn't want to admit.
Once again the two brothers settled down in their beds and flipped out the light. By now it was pouring rain outside, drowning out any other noise. That is, except for the phone setting on the night table. One sleepily fumbled around until he found the receiver.
"Yes?" he growled. He started to raise himself up. "Who is this? No I am not George! I think you have the wrong number, miss."
Two rolled over in his bed and peered through the darkness at the figure of his brother.
"I said my name is not George!" With that, One slammed the receiver back on its hook and mumbled.
"What was that all about?" Two asked.
"Some old woman who can't hear good wanting to know if 'George' lives here." One sighed. Two snickered. Just then, that horrible screeching racket started coming from the bathroom again, actually sounding louder than the pounding rain outside.
"Now what?!" One shouted over the din of the rain and the moaning that sounded like worn out floorboards in an old house as he looked toward the bathroom.
"I think the water is finally going out from when you brushed your teeth awhile ago." Two said, hugging his pillow closer to his face.
"Gracious, is this night ever going to end?" One lay back down and covered his head with his pillow. "If everything would just keep quiet around here! You'd think as expensive and fancy this place is they'd have decent plumbing!"
The pillow muffled One's words, but Two could still understand them. He smiled to himself.
"Kill him!" One shouted loud enough in his sleep to wake Two up. Both Twins woke with a start to a blaring ringing. One's sleep talking was him actually waking up from whatever he was dreaming about. One looked around him then groggily reached for the phone.
"Yes?!" One paused. "We didn't order any wakeup call." One slammed the phone back down and rolled back over in his bed. About five minutes later, the phone again rang.
"What is it?" He growled, on the very edge of losing his temper. "As I said before, we didn't order any wakeup calls! Now leave us alone!" He slammed the phone down harder this time. One looked at Two who was staring in his direction.
"If they call one more time, I will be very tempted to pull that thing out of the wall." One pointed toward the phone as he spoke.
"What time is it anyway?" Two yawned.
"It's four in the morning." One groaned while glancing at the soft lit digital clock on the table.
Before the Twins could close their eyes again, a shrill blaring started coming from one of the rooms down the hall. A blaring that sounded like someone who had just started playing the trombone. Both twins silently looked up at each other through the darkness.
"Someone strangling a goose over there?"
"I don't know, but I'm going to go over there and let them know what time it is." One huffed while getting up and stumbling toward the door. He opened it and slammed it behind him. Two lay in his bed and listened. He could hear One pounding on the door down the hall. Whoever was blowing the horn must have answered the door because Two could now hear the guy and One in a deep argument.
"Do you have any idea of what time it is??" Two heard One shout. "Blow that horn again and I'll shove it down your throat!"
Finally the conversation resulted in silence, a yelp, which was soon followed by a door slam and One returning, fuming, to his bed. Two was about to say something but stopped when he saw a trombone slide neatly bent around One's neck.
"Don't say anything!" One snapped while struggling with the slide.
Two quickly shut his mouth.
"Remember that tough guy on the plane?"
Two nodded.
"Well I just found out that he's staying a few doors down from us. And you know what else?"
Two continued to stare.
"He plays the trombone." One yanked the slide loose and dropped it on the floor before climbing into bed. The phone rang yet again with a wakeup call and both Twins sighed in unison.