6
Jack Jr. entered the leaning mansion with his father. The pair ascended to the kitchen where Nicholas was already eating his lunch. He appeared considerably brighter than he had earlier that day, even smiling cheerfully at his brother and father as they came in. Sally hummed to herself as she peeled potatos by the iron sink. Her king cuddled up behind her, slipping his elegant arms about her waist. He whispered into her ear.
"Hello love. I trust you had a nice morning? Did you and Nicholas…talk?"
Sally smiled.
"Yes, we talked."
The couple looked at one another and then turned to their sons. Jack jr. had taken his seat beside Nicholas. Sally kissed Jr. lightly on the skull and placed a sandwich and soup before him. She then looked expectantly at her husband, who nodded. The pumpkin king and his queen sat down across from their boys.
A short while later, Jack found himself running late for his meeting with the vampires but things with his sons were so muddled that it didn't seem fair to leave.
"You are telling me that Nicky can see the future?", Jr. demanded.
"Yep. I can.", Nicky answered triumphantly before either of his parents could step in.
"Mama can too?", asked Jack Jr. He felt cheated, and aside from that he wondered why this information had not been disclosed to him earlier. It made him imagine all manner of things his family could be keeping from him. This was unfair.
"I wouldn't say we can see the future. That isn't right really.", Sally tried to explain. "I can sense things. I see things which give clues to what will happen, but the meaning isn't always clear. Nicholas it seems is developing the same ability. That is why he hasn't been feeling so well as of late. It is a gift of sorts, but the visions can be difficult to tolerate."
Nicholas nodded happily and took a bite of his sandwich. His twin regarded him with quiet, uncertain resentment.
"I don't understand.", Jack Jr. said finally. His father reached out, patting the boy's skeletal hand with his own.
"Heh. Well, the good part is we know our Nicky will be okay. I've been so worried about these headaches, and the fainting. It never occurred to me that this could be what the problem is, but it makes all the sense in the world! You have many of your mama's traits after all Nicholas."
"It's difficult to explain I suppose.", Sally said gently. "When I was very new to the world I got sick frequently. The doctor was always worrying about my head, worrying about my mind…" She laughed softly. "It wasn't long before I began to realize that I saw things he couldn't."
Nicholas grinned at his brother.
"Don't be boastful Nicky.", Sally scolded. "You may find this to be a gift you wish you could give back."
Now both boys scowled in silence. Their father shook his head, then looked to his wife. Sally smiled reassuringly.
"You need to go back to work Jack. We're fine."
"…and Jacky?", the king asked.
"I will keep him close.", said Sally with a sigh. She teasingly patted her firstborn on the head with a potholder. He squirmed. Jack kissed his wife goodbye and headed out to the town square.
"Why do think I'm gonna get hurt?", Jack Jr. asked his mother. Sally returned to her potatos, peeling each one before dropping them into a pot of water. She spoke over her shoulder to the boy.
"You brother had a vision. He saw your cup in the bathroom fall to the floor and break."
"My bathroom cup is okay. I used it this morning.", Jr. puzzled outloud.
"Duh. That's why it's a 'vision' dummy! It didn't really happen, I just saw it in my head.", said Nicholas. He explained it as if it were the most simple, natural thing in the world. Jack Jr. ignored him and continued speaking to their mother.
"How do you know it means I could get hurt? It might just mean that we should be very careful with my cup."
Sally shook her head.
"Visions aren't trivial Jacky. They use simple things as symbols." She wiped her hands on her apron, then turned to her sons.
"Your father and I want you to be extra careful for awhile Jacky, that's all. Do you understand?"
Jack Jr. said nothing at first. Sally tapped him on the shoulder. She repeated:
"Do you understand?"
"Yeeees, mama.", he answered.
"Did it hurt Nicky?", Jack Jr. asked his brother. They sat across from one another in their bedroom, playing their third game of snakes and ladders. Nicholas shrugged.
"It didn't hurt. I had a headache before, but once it happened it didn't hurt."
He crinkled his nostrils as his play piece slid down a snake.
"It was really real Jacky!", he said looking up. "I mean, I could see it so clearly! I thought I broke your cup!"
"I didn't know mama had anything like that.", Jack Jr. said. Nicky shook his head.
"Me neither."
Nicholas threw dice across the board, hoping to make up for that last snake. As the prince reached for his game piece, the twins were startled by a sharp tap against the window.
"What was that?", asked Nicholas. Jack jr. had already jumped up and ran to the glass. He pused the pane open and waved to someone below.
"Hey Nicky! It's Lock!"
Nicholas made a face.
"Tell him to go away Jacky. We can't go outside. Well, you can't anyway, and mama won't let him play here today."
"Hush up Nick!", said Jr. He waved downward again, then motioned for Lock to come up. A moment later, the older devil-child slipped through the window.
"How'd you get up here?", Nicholas asked accusingly. Lock smirked.
"Climbed, that's all. It was easy."
Nicholas snorted. Tattling was an attractive option at the moment…
Jack Jr. entered the leaning mansion with his father. The pair ascended to the kitchen where Nicholas was already eating his lunch. He appeared considerably brighter than he had earlier that day, even smiling cheerfully at his brother and father as they came in. Sally hummed to herself as she peeled potatos by the iron sink. Her king cuddled up behind her, slipping his elegant arms about her waist. He whispered into her ear.
"Hello love. I trust you had a nice morning? Did you and Nicholas…talk?"
Sally smiled.
"Yes, we talked."
The couple looked at one another and then turned to their sons. Jack jr. had taken his seat beside Nicholas. Sally kissed Jr. lightly on the skull and placed a sandwich and soup before him. She then looked expectantly at her husband, who nodded. The pumpkin king and his queen sat down across from their boys.
A short while later, Jack found himself running late for his meeting with the vampires but things with his sons were so muddled that it didn't seem fair to leave.
"You are telling me that Nicky can see the future?", Jr. demanded.
"Yep. I can.", Nicky answered triumphantly before either of his parents could step in.
"Mama can too?", asked Jack Jr. He felt cheated, and aside from that he wondered why this information had not been disclosed to him earlier. It made him imagine all manner of things his family could be keeping from him. This was unfair.
"I wouldn't say we can see the future. That isn't right really.", Sally tried to explain. "I can sense things. I see things which give clues to what will happen, but the meaning isn't always clear. Nicholas it seems is developing the same ability. That is why he hasn't been feeling so well as of late. It is a gift of sorts, but the visions can be difficult to tolerate."
Nicholas nodded happily and took a bite of his sandwich. His twin regarded him with quiet, uncertain resentment.
"I don't understand.", Jack Jr. said finally. His father reached out, patting the boy's skeletal hand with his own.
"Heh. Well, the good part is we know our Nicky will be okay. I've been so worried about these headaches, and the fainting. It never occurred to me that this could be what the problem is, but it makes all the sense in the world! You have many of your mama's traits after all Nicholas."
"It's difficult to explain I suppose.", Sally said gently. "When I was very new to the world I got sick frequently. The doctor was always worrying about my head, worrying about my mind…" She laughed softly. "It wasn't long before I began to realize that I saw things he couldn't."
Nicholas grinned at his brother.
"Don't be boastful Nicky.", Sally scolded. "You may find this to be a gift you wish you could give back."
Now both boys scowled in silence. Their father shook his head, then looked to his wife. Sally smiled reassuringly.
"You need to go back to work Jack. We're fine."
"…and Jacky?", the king asked.
"I will keep him close.", said Sally with a sigh. She teasingly patted her firstborn on the head with a potholder. He squirmed. Jack kissed his wife goodbye and headed out to the town square.
"Why do think I'm gonna get hurt?", Jack Jr. asked his mother. Sally returned to her potatos, peeling each one before dropping them into a pot of water. She spoke over her shoulder to the boy.
"You brother had a vision. He saw your cup in the bathroom fall to the floor and break."
"My bathroom cup is okay. I used it this morning.", Jr. puzzled outloud.
"Duh. That's why it's a 'vision' dummy! It didn't really happen, I just saw it in my head.", said Nicholas. He explained it as if it were the most simple, natural thing in the world. Jack Jr. ignored him and continued speaking to their mother.
"How do you know it means I could get hurt? It might just mean that we should be very careful with my cup."
Sally shook her head.
"Visions aren't trivial Jacky. They use simple things as symbols." She wiped her hands on her apron, then turned to her sons.
"Your father and I want you to be extra careful for awhile Jacky, that's all. Do you understand?"
Jack Jr. said nothing at first. Sally tapped him on the shoulder. She repeated:
"Do you understand?"
"Yeeees, mama.", he answered.
"Did it hurt Nicky?", Jack Jr. asked his brother. They sat across from one another in their bedroom, playing their third game of snakes and ladders. Nicholas shrugged.
"It didn't hurt. I had a headache before, but once it happened it didn't hurt."
He crinkled his nostrils as his play piece slid down a snake.
"It was really real Jacky!", he said looking up. "I mean, I could see it so clearly! I thought I broke your cup!"
"I didn't know mama had anything like that.", Jack Jr. said. Nicky shook his head.
"Me neither."
Nicholas threw dice across the board, hoping to make up for that last snake. As the prince reached for his game piece, the twins were startled by a sharp tap against the window.
"What was that?", asked Nicholas. Jack jr. had already jumped up and ran to the glass. He pused the pane open and waved to someone below.
"Hey Nicky! It's Lock!"
Nicholas made a face.
"Tell him to go away Jacky. We can't go outside. Well, you can't anyway, and mama won't let him play here today."
"Hush up Nick!", said Jr. He waved downward again, then motioned for Lock to come up. A moment later, the older devil-child slipped through the window.
"How'd you get up here?", Nicholas asked accusingly. Lock smirked.
"Climbed, that's all. It was easy."
Nicholas snorted. Tattling was an attractive option at the moment…
