Aunt Candy and the Mysteries

Two

We land in London sometime in the afternoon. It's muggy and dark and I can't see more than a mile out. Occasional announcements come off and on in an English accent that's pleasing to the ear. "Remember what Officer Feid said: nearest police stand" Peter reminds me as we step off of the aeroway. I nod my head acknowledging that I've heard him.

We exit the gate and are pleased to see that there is one a few feet away. We hurry over, dragging our bags behind us. "Excuse me, ma'am." I say to the lady behind the desk. She has long, brown, wavy hair and brown doe eyes, much like the shape of mine. Difference being that mine are a blue/green hazel color, like my brother's. "Yes?" She asks, turning to us, her face as deadpan as Officer Feid's. "We just arrived, and we were told to come here. We've come to live with our Aunt Candice."

"Where did you just arrive from?" She asks, turning to her computer, holding her fingers above the keyboard, ready to type.

"Topeka, Kansas." Peter says

"Alright, one moment please." Her fingers fly over the keyboard telling me that she has a lot of experience with it.

"Are you the Holft twins?"

"Irish twins." Peter and I say in unison. We're born in the same year, but not on the same day... or in the same month...

We wait for a moment as she prints something out. "Go wait over there for a moment." the doe eyed officer then goes into the back room of the stand to talk to someone. We do as she says, sitting quite nervously at a table at the nearest cafe. I look around and see people giving us weird looks, making my paranoia come out full blaze. What do they know? Someone leans in to whisper to their friend. I focus all my focus into my ears to eavesdrop. "They're Candice's new children. As if she didn't already have enough. I wonder if she'll beat them too?" My whole body goes stiff. What?! I look at Peter, now even more frightened to meet our Aunt. Peter looks at me, unsure as to why I look so scared all of a sudden. "Listen." I tell him. More and more people begin to whisper. Some saying that she's had many affairs, other's saying she's super overprotective and won't let her kids leave the house, but most having similar forms of "She beats them." I take a deep breath and look back at Peter. I know he's heard them too. I wring my hands underneath the table as Peter continues to look around, listening to the awful rumors. I hope they are just that: rumors.

"Come along children." The doe eyed police officer says, coming over with keys in her hands. "Let's go meet your Aunt Candice."

♢⚿♢

I feel the world slow down, as if I'm to meet my doom. I can hear every bump we pass over in the tiny car. My eyelashes seem to cover my eyes in a slow manor and uncover them just as quickly. My heartbeat seems to be the only normal paced thing within this bubble. But if everything is slow...

I place a hand to my heart, and it's pace surprises me. It's way too fast for it to be normal. It's pace on my fingers quickens my thoughts, and I suddenly realize that my breaths are coming quickly as well. I look over at my brother, who gives me a weak smile and grabs my hand for reassurance. We'll be alright, his eyes tell me. I nod my head and focus on slowing my breaths.

We get out of the car in front of a brick townhome with three stories (not counting an attic). We grab our bags from the trunk of the doe eyed officer's tiny car and stand on the sidewalk, centered with the black front door. The whole place has a very elegant look to it: traditional yet not old. There are yellow flowers in the flower boxes under the windows. All of them nicely kempt. "Good luck kids." The doe eyed officer says, taking a long look at the house before getting back into her car and leaving us in front of our Aunt's house. "Here we go." Peter says, grabbing his bag and walking up the shrubbery lined steps to the front door, where a simple ring knocker waits to be used. I bite my lip.