Golden Threads

Chapter 8: Let The Good Times Roll

The boys welcomed Marco back with thorough enthusiasm as the smell of food wafted through the air, making Mallory's mouth water.

"Chinese." David drawls as he observes the container of rice Marko passed to him. "Good Choice."

Mallory smiled in thanks as she's handed a container of noodles as Marko walks by, he also tosses a similar boxes to Dwayne and Laddie before straight chucking one at Paul which he catches with a laugh.

"Guests first."

"No, no I'm good."

"You don't like rice? Tell me Michael, how can a billion Chinese people be wrong." He grinned as someone snorted out a laugh. "Come on."

Mallory grimaced as David said that comment, but kept her mouth shut, feeling that challenging energy build again. Apparently whatever reprieve they had earlier had been forgotten, David back on... whatever it was he was proving.

Marko handed David another box almost instantly which David opens and begins mixing it as Marko takes a seat on the other side of Mallory -further away from Michael - with a box of his own.

"Hey," he whispers softly.

"Hey" she responds as softly... "Do I need to be worried?" She gestures to the scene in front of her with the two boys.

Marko grins. "Nah, just pecking order shit." Before he opens up his container and begins to eat.

"How are those Maggots?" David's voice cuts through the air. Causing both Mallory and Michael to freeze.

When Michael doesn't say anything David keeps going, leaning forward to empathize his words. "Maggots Michael. You're eating Maggots how do they taste?"

Paul's laughter almost made Mallory relax, thinking it was just harmless banter, maybe something to throw her brother off guard. But then he threw the container on the ground and spit the food out of his mouth. The resulting laughter filling the room.

It urged her to join them, but Mallory couldn't bring herself to laugh at her brother's expense, no matter how much of an ass he's been.

"Leave him alone." Star snapped with a grim tone, her unsmiling expression looking over them all, but the boys still laughed.

Mallory limped her way to her brother, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder as she looked around him at the spilled container.

Indeed... it was moving, but something about it was wrong, it wasn't smooth, it was too fast... 'Lies', Her knowing whispered in the background of her mind. 'Deceptions, Lies, Illusions... see past the veil.'

"It's not real..." Mallory murmured as she stared at the wriggling mass.

"What?" Michael looks at his twin finally with something other than irritation.

She shakes her head, utterly fascinated in what she is seeing. "It's not actually moving... but it is, it's just rice, but every sense is saying it's not... it's a lie, it's not moving."

She shakes her head again and then meets David's eyes of painfully pure blue, utterly entranced, completely fascinated. "How are you doing that?"

David stares back at her almost in wonderment before he seems to decide something and looks back at his container of noodles.

The twins look back at the ground and see it is indeed rice, just as it always was. They glance at each other. Things were weird here, and Mallory thinks maybe there was something in the pain medication Laddie gave her.

"Sorry about that... no hard feelings though. Why don't you try some Noodles?" David holds his container out. Michael looks and then tenses as he looks away, his eyes closed. Causing Mallory to look as well seeing a different type of wriggling mass.