Chapter 4
I was sure that was the stupidest thing I had ever done.
"Be quiet!" A familiar voice hissed in my ear. Then I realized who my captor was.
"Orion?" I asked.
"It's me." He said and let me go. I was thankful that Cynthia and my brother were so engrossed in a conversation with Ella and Char that they hadn't heard me scream. If Bran had heard my scream, I would never live it down.
"You wanted to have the first prank of the summer didn't you?" I asked Orion as he stood beside me, looking at his family.
"Why else would I do that?" He asked me. I turned my head to get the first glimpse of my friend and came face to face with a broad shoulder. I had to look up to see my friend's face. Orion stared down at me now when we used to be the same height. Green eyes just like his mother's met mine in a mesmerizing gaze. Dark Brown hair was as messy as ever, but was lightened by the sun.
"Quit looking at me like that." He said in annoyed tone.
"How am I looking at you?" I asked, seeing nothing wrong with how I was looking at him.
"Like my sister when she sees an ogre."
I laughed at that. His sense of humor hadn't changed one bit, which I was glad. His easy going personality drew people to him, unlike his sister who used looks and batting eyes to get people's attention. With him around, I never had to worry about his sister.
"I am not," I said between giggles.
"Maybe not that bad, but maybe like the way your brother is staring at my sister?" Orion said, directing my attention to my twin. My giggles died when I saw My twin.
Bran had the puppy dog look he got whenever he saw a pretty girl. That happened a lot when we were at home and wandering around the town where we lived. Bran would be looking at me one second and be staring off at a girl the next. That I could forgive, but giving Cynthia that look was another matter. I was going to kill Bran.
"Do you want me to hold him while you kill him, or would you prefer to do it on your own?" My friend asked, seeing the shadow that came over my face. Sometimes he could read me better than my own brother.
I turned to Orion and gave him an evil look, one that he had seen quite often.
"I have an idea for a prank," I said, motioning for Orion to lower his head so I could whisper the plan to him.
"Shhh!" I hissed. Orion had bumped into something.
"You try carrying two full buckets of water in the dark." He hissed back.
"I am, and I'm doing better than you are." I pointed out. It was past midnight and we were wandering through the secret passages that lead us from the well to just over the room where which Bran was staying. We had discovered these passages about three years ago and we had used them ever since.
I stopped when I felt the iron ring to the trap door above bran's bed. I set down the two buckets I carried and lifted the trap door. Below I could see my twin brother. He was sleeping soundly like he usually did, oblivious to the world.
Silently I tied the rope I carried over my shoulder around my waist and handed the other end to Orion. He would lower me down so I could tie a rope around my brother's foot. Orion lowered me down carefully, not wanting to wake my brother. If we made enough noise to wake the dead, my brother would still be asleep.
It was about fifteen feet to the ground and I was there soon. I pulled the covers from the bottom of the bed to expose my brother's right foot. Quickly I tied the rope around it and tugged it tight. Then I motioned for Orion to bring me back up again. That part done, we only had to rig the buckets to fall when my brother woke up and started for the door. That was done quickly and we were out of there in a few minutes.
The next morning, a sopping wet Bran came to the breakfast table. Neither Orion or I could keep out laughter in check.
I was sure that was the stupidest thing I had ever done.
"Be quiet!" A familiar voice hissed in my ear. Then I realized who my captor was.
"Orion?" I asked.
"It's me." He said and let me go. I was thankful that Cynthia and my brother were so engrossed in a conversation with Ella and Char that they hadn't heard me scream. If Bran had heard my scream, I would never live it down.
"You wanted to have the first prank of the summer didn't you?" I asked Orion as he stood beside me, looking at his family.
"Why else would I do that?" He asked me. I turned my head to get the first glimpse of my friend and came face to face with a broad shoulder. I had to look up to see my friend's face. Orion stared down at me now when we used to be the same height. Green eyes just like his mother's met mine in a mesmerizing gaze. Dark Brown hair was as messy as ever, but was lightened by the sun.
"Quit looking at me like that." He said in annoyed tone.
"How am I looking at you?" I asked, seeing nothing wrong with how I was looking at him.
"Like my sister when she sees an ogre."
I laughed at that. His sense of humor hadn't changed one bit, which I was glad. His easy going personality drew people to him, unlike his sister who used looks and batting eyes to get people's attention. With him around, I never had to worry about his sister.
"I am not," I said between giggles.
"Maybe not that bad, but maybe like the way your brother is staring at my sister?" Orion said, directing my attention to my twin. My giggles died when I saw My twin.
Bran had the puppy dog look he got whenever he saw a pretty girl. That happened a lot when we were at home and wandering around the town where we lived. Bran would be looking at me one second and be staring off at a girl the next. That I could forgive, but giving Cynthia that look was another matter. I was going to kill Bran.
"Do you want me to hold him while you kill him, or would you prefer to do it on your own?" My friend asked, seeing the shadow that came over my face. Sometimes he could read me better than my own brother.
I turned to Orion and gave him an evil look, one that he had seen quite often.
"I have an idea for a prank," I said, motioning for Orion to lower his head so I could whisper the plan to him.
"Shhh!" I hissed. Orion had bumped into something.
"You try carrying two full buckets of water in the dark." He hissed back.
"I am, and I'm doing better than you are." I pointed out. It was past midnight and we were wandering through the secret passages that lead us from the well to just over the room where which Bran was staying. We had discovered these passages about three years ago and we had used them ever since.
I stopped when I felt the iron ring to the trap door above bran's bed. I set down the two buckets I carried and lifted the trap door. Below I could see my twin brother. He was sleeping soundly like he usually did, oblivious to the world.
Silently I tied the rope I carried over my shoulder around my waist and handed the other end to Orion. He would lower me down so I could tie a rope around my brother's foot. Orion lowered me down carefully, not wanting to wake my brother. If we made enough noise to wake the dead, my brother would still be asleep.
It was about fifteen feet to the ground and I was there soon. I pulled the covers from the bottom of the bed to expose my brother's right foot. Quickly I tied the rope around it and tugged it tight. Then I motioned for Orion to bring me back up again. That part done, we only had to rig the buckets to fall when my brother woke up and started for the door. That was done quickly and we were out of there in a few minutes.
The next morning, a sopping wet Bran came to the breakfast table. Neither Orion or I could keep out laughter in check.