Gilda and Hilda both boarded the train and chose the same cart. While Gilda was busy rummaging through her bag for a certain work of non-fiction she wished to indulge herself in for the remainder of the ride, Hilda was coming in the door. She didn’t notice Gilda at all because she was staring straight ahead and Gilda was crouched down. She turned around to shut the door, but unfortunately the door was partially jammed because the architects that had manufactured it into the train had cross-tied the sliding door into its track, so when Hilda tried to close it, it produced a particularly loud noise. The bang caused both girls to jump and turn around. “Oh.” Gilda thought. “Someone was just bringing a mirror in here and the door closed incorrectly. That was what that loud noise was.”
“Cool! There’s a mirror in here. That means I can finish doing my make up.” Hilda thought. Neither of the girls noticed that their “mirror image” had different eye and hair colors than they. And if they did, then they probably would have assumed it was just some kind of magic mirror. Both Hilda and Gilda took their makeup out of their identical bags.
They both applied their mascara.
They both applied their lip gloss.
They both applied their foundation.
They both applied their eyeliner.
Hilda sneezed.
Gilda blessed her.
They both screamed.
“Who are you?” they queried simultaneously. “Me?” they both responded. “Yes you!” they replied. “OK stop that!” Hilda cried. “My name is Hildalahdrealeighaleenia augustinacorinthia Grant, but you may call me Hilda if you wish.” Hilda concluded. “I’m Gildalahdrealeighaleenia prevanolaimonakaitlyn Grant. People call me Gilda, or Gildie. I prefer Gilda though.” The two were silent for a moment before Hilda asked, “Are we twins? Cause we certainly look it.” Gilda was still letting the shock wear off when she responded, “I, I guess so. How else could we look exactly alike, because we do look quite similar? Well except for our hair and eyes, they’re colored differently.”
“I’ve once heard of twins who had different colored eyes and hair. I think they were called like janomical
—or something like that. Anyway, I think you’re right on your twin theory.” Hilda replied calmly. There was an awkward silence that lasted for what seemed to the girls to be, like, forever, until finally Gilda queried awkwardly, “So, ummmm, uhhhhh, tell me um, uh, about yourself.” Hilda looked up from the string on her robe she was playing with. “Well, um, hm. I’m a vegetarian. And it’s not because I stand for animal rights. It’s because for some reason I am allergic to meat, which I find strange because I’ve never had it. But I suppose that’s for the best since I am, of course, allergic. I also have caniphobia. Caniphobia is a pathological fear of canines. You know dogs and such. Anyway, I find it weird that I’m scared of them, because when I was diagnosed by our doctor as to having Caniphobia, I had yet to see a dog and I still have yet to see a dog. And, I’m not very particular to cake. I don’t like how sweet it is. It’s far too sugary for me. And um, I’m allergic to tomato related products. Oh, and I’m a Halfling. Do you know what a Halfling is?”
“No.”
“Well a Halfling is a moderately degrading name for someone who is part which and part something else. Usually it’s something like half human or half giant or something of that sort, but I am half mermaid. So I am what they call a mer-witch.” Hilda itched her cheek and was silent for a few moments before asking Gilda, “What about you?” Gilda thought a moment. “Well,” She said airily. “I like farming. I grew up on a farm. And I like cooking. Burritos are my specialty. Oh, and I quite enjoy those little cakes you have here in this worldkrickle cakes I think they’re called. I’ve had them only once but they are delicious. Taste kind of like caramel brownies. Oh, and I like daisies.”
