Eyes of White

Chapter 8: Awakening and Meanings

Zania fled to the third floor after Penelope had guessed the card. Mel followed with a distracted "Bye" and the twins were left alone.

"What just happened?" Persephone asked, staring at her sister. "How on earth did you guess?"

"I... I just... I just saw her eyes and they were gold. And before, when Mel and I were in the library, her eyes had a slight curl of white in them, so, from seeing how my card was green, like my eyes, and yours was blue, like your eyes, I just figured..."

"What about the milk?"

"I guessed that only because cats like milk. Anyway, why are you asking me? Zania would know, she guessed her card as well!"

"She probably knows all of the cards in the deck. That particular card probably has a blemish of some kind so she knew what it was. But you, you've never seen that deck before, so how did you know?"

"IT WAS JUST A GUESS!!" Penelope erupted, causing the air to crackle and flash.

"YEAH? WELL MAYBE YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT IT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE! I HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR HOUSE, IT STORMED INSIDE, AND I FEEL LIKE I'M ON THE SIDELINES WHILE YOU GET ALL OF THE ACTION!" Persephone spouted, and the tap turned itself on, they could smell salt, and gentle wave sounds flapped in their ears, calming them down. Zania stood in the doorway, and from the looks of things she could hear the waves too. Mel leapt unnaturally high, right onto Zania's shoulder. She whispered into Zania's ear, but it was loud enough for Penelope to hear. "I think she's got a water Gift."

Zania whispered back, "You think?"

"Maybe you don't get all of the action," Persephone said apologetically. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be..." Penelope said dreamily, entranced by the sounds and smells of the sea. "It'sssss allllll myyyyy faulllllllt..." She shut her eyes and went to sleep, yet she still remained standing. She snored lightly, and Persephone waited for her to snap her eyes open and for her to shout, "Psych!" but nothing came. She began to get really scared. "Sis? Wake up."

Penelope snapped awake. "Huh? Oh. Seph. What may I do for you, milady?"

Persephone looked at Zania, who remained standing in the doorway. "Just tell her that you aren't her lady and envision high tide becoming low tide."

Persephone shut her eyes and imagined a beautiful wave shutting off like a tap. She then said, from far away it seemed to her, "I'm not your lady."

Penelope laughed. "What? Of course not! Why would you be?"

"Both Gifts are revealed," Mel whispered in awe, and this time it appeared that both twins heard the cat, one coolly and calmly, the other in shock.

"Uhh... I think I'm going crazy," Persephone stuttered. "That - that cat j-just sp-spoke."

"Yeah. I think we all noticed," Penelope said sarcastically, looking at Persephone with an odd look, half satisfaction, half surprised. "I forgot you couldn't hear her."

"And you neglected to tell me this... why?"

"Zania told me not to."

"And all of a sudden you listen to her?"

Zania cleared her throat. "'Her' is right here, Persephone. Be mindful of that. Oh, look at the time. I'll begin on dinner. Bangers and mash sound okay?"

"Yeah."

"Sure."

"Okay then. Your mother has some old board games near the coffee table in the lounge room. I put them out before you came. Why don't you go play and I'll call you out when dinner's ready."

She didn't give them an option. The twins could hear in her voice that they had to go and play with the board games. So they scrambled out of the way, Penelope half tripping over Mel, and strode out into the lounge room.

~~You know the drill! (Um, or, if you don't, then vote!)~~