The Everly Tree

Merly Village

It's the last day of Summer, and my friends and I are soaking in the heat. I look to the right at Rimone, my twin brother, and then to the left, at my best friends, Ernie and Bethan. Smiling up at the setting sun, I forget the stress of passing the test tomorrow. I let the silence of true friendship consume me, as I fall into the serenity of my mind.
"Guys, I think it's time we should go. We do have the test tomorrow, and I want to fit in a little more revision before bed." Ernie breaks the silence.
"Ugh, why did you have to remind me?" I groan, standing up and brushing down my swishing, yellow skirts.
Bethan and Ernie follow me up, but Rimone refuses to join us.
"Come on Rimone, we must go. We'll be late for curfew." Bethan urges, glancing to the sun-lit, orange, village below.
"Father shan't mind." He replied, completely calm.
I roll my eyes "Oh, he shall mind Rimone, he shall."
He sighs, closing his eyes, and forces himself up, "Let's go then."
So we start our descent down the hill.

The long Summer day starts to grow dark when Rimone and I finally reach our house, and we walk up the marble steps to the grand front door. Rimone slips his hand around the golden, lion-shaped knocker, and makes a large RAT-A-TAT-TAT!
I cringe at the sound, knowing father will be mad at the loud noise.
The door swings open, but I am surprised to find that it is not Father who opens the door, but Priest Stenmer, with a very stern look on his face. He sees our frightened faces and appears to try and crack a smile, but failing miserably, his fake grin looking more like Witch Ekkelstein cackling at the children she kidnapped, from my storybook.
"Hello... Rimone, Darren... Come in, come in. But go straight up to your bedrooms, the Mayor Milton - I mean your father, er, and the Doctor and I are, um, very busy right now." He says this in an eerie tone, glancing warily back at the sitting room door every few seconds, where from I can hear the arguing voices of Father and Doctor Smith. The conversation muffled by the hard brick walls, covered by the dark, peach-pink wallpaper.
I start to shuffle by the Priest, heading to my room, respecting his wishes, even though there was a hunger gnawing on my insides.
But Rimone doesn't move, and says "But Priest, what about our supper? My sister is very hungry."
The Priest, who had been speeding back to the sitting room, stopped in his tracks, turned, and glared at my brother. But behind the Priest's back I smile at Rimone, and wink at him, which is our secret signal for thank you.
"Well, I do not know, do I?! Just get some bread and cheese from your pantry! I do not care!" He retorts, starting to get red in the face, just as the voices from the sitting room get louder and fiercer.
"Of course, I am sorry for not thinking to get some bread and cheese myself, Priest. I shall pray for forgiveness at my idiocy tonight." Rimone says sarcastically, smirking as he does this.
Stenmer glares at him, but thinking a reply too beneath him, he just turns, muttering to himself, as he returns to the sitting room, red as a beetroot. But the moment the door closed behind him, Rimone and I meet each other in the exact same blues of our eyes, and burst out laughing.
"My, Rimone! You really turned his bolts!" I giggle hysterically, in between gasps.
"I know! Ha!"
"Come on, come on though, let's revise, we don't have much time now!" I breathe out.

Not stopping laughing, we walk over to our stone kitchen, a fire alight in the stove, and I warm my hands in the warmth of the flame, as I forgot my gloves when going out earlier today, while Rimone looks through the kitchen cupboards for something to eat. He pulls out something from the top cabinet, and lays it on the counter. I glance over to see what he had grabbed, and see Mother's biscuit tin.
"Rimone, are you sure?" I ask tentatively.
"I'm sure, let's treat ourselves tonight."
I look over to the mischievous glint in his eye, and grin. "Tonight, we feast like kings!" I proclaim.
We run upstairs with the biscuits to my bedroom, and I grab the Fairy Tales book I keep hidden under my mattress. I lay on my rose-gold bedspread, while Rimone takes place next to me, and I flip the book open to the tale of Cinderella, grab a butterscotch biscuit from the tin, and start to tell the story.
We both soon fall asleep, drunk on the mystical tales and sugary biscuits, no test revision done.

The next morning, I awake in my frock from yesterday, with Rimone beside me, him drooling on my sheets. I exclaim in disgust, and shake him awake.
"Good morning sister." He yawns.
"Good morning, brother." I say in a fake, playful tone. Smiling at Rimone half-heartedly, I then cry out "Now SCRAM!"
He laughs, and walks towards the door, but just before leaving my room, he turns back "You are a great morning person Darren."
I glare at him, but he just smirks, and closes the door behind him. I shake my head, and suddenly realize, thinking out loud "The test is today!"

I rush to my closet, finding my favourite green frock, and quickly brushing my hair, before I rush downstairs to get breakfast. As I quicken down the stairwell, I smell the sizzle of sausages and the crisp of toast. I silently say Yes! Excited for such a hearty meal as sausages.
I enter the Dining room, admiring the beautiful sunny day I can see from the large panel windows, the tea cups glinting in the early sunlight. I sit down at my place, in between Mother and my baby sister, Daisy. I wish I could sit next to Rimone, but Father's rules are clear. Father at the head of the table, always. Then men on the right of the table, and women on the left side of the table.
But Rimone and I are twins! Shouldn't there be an exception? That's what we think at least. But we don't complain. When we do, we have to eat downstairs in the basement, and the basement is scary.
I wait at the table for the rest of my family to sit and for father to say grace, so that I may start to eat. First Rimone sits, opposite to me, but we don't start conversation, to stressed about the test later today.
Mother and Daisy come next, Daisy giggling at the toy she was holding. Then 10 minutes later, Father joins us, and we put our heads down in silence, while Father starts to say Grace. He finishes, and the whole family watches him as he takes his first bite of his breakfast, the signal that the rest of us may begin. I then take a large bite of sausage, and soon finish my breakfast. Rimone and I were about to go back upstairs to collect our school bags and books, when Father stops us.
"Children, stop! Come to my sides," Rimone and I obey his command, and I fear that he is possibly going to tell us off for stealing the biscuits, but instead he says, "Darren, Rimone, I wish you both good luck today, and listen to me now! Do what is humanly correct."
Rimone and I glance at each other, thinking What the? In our heads, but tell father that we will do what he wants anyway, and then head upstairs to get our stuff. We then make our way back downstairs and wait in the Drawing room for Ernie and Bethan to come and pick us up, so that we can walk to school together.
The knock on the door soon comes and we open it to, of course, see Ernie and Bethan waiting for us.
We step out on to the marble patio and walk down the driveway to the road, where we start our trip to school, the same trip we'll have for the next year.

The dark, iron gates loom over my friends and I, the shadows of the intricate design casted over us as we enter the schoolyard. I take my first steps onto the playground for another year of school. Children of all sizes and ages are milling about, and the teachers are floating around welcoming the students back to school. Bethan and I leave