The Girl of Many Floods- Linh Song

I

Quan, Mai , and seven-year-old Tam and Linh Song walked through the streets of Atlantis, whispers following them with every step.

"Quan and Mai brought the twins to Atlantis?"

"What a disgrace!"

"Twwwwinnnssssss"

That word, the word that haunted Linh's dreams every night. She did not understand. What was wrong with being twins? Her mother had told her that multiple births were not common in the lost cities and hence discriminated against. But she still did not understand, since multiple births were so rare, should twins not be special in that case?

She walked along the streets of Atlantis, her father taking long strides, her mother fidgeting with her bag nervously. Both of them wanted to get out of Atlantis as soon as possible after running their errands. They had not wanted to bring the twins at first, but they did not trust them to be alone at Choralmere.

The family bumped into an elf with blonde slicked-back hair, ice blue eyes,and immaculate clothing, he looked intimidating to Linh and he had a little boy in tow. The boy was about their age and he was tall, and had messy blonde hair and the same ice blue eyes as his father.

"Lord Cassius," her father said, bowing, her mother curtsied. She and Tam followed suit.

"Long time no see, I see you've brought the twins with you?" Lord Cassius asked, frowning.

Her father stiffened. "There're not twins, Tam is a year older," he replied.

"I highly doubt it,"Lord Cassius said.

"But we are twins!" Tam argued, and Linh nodded meekly.

Their father glared at them, and she gulped, she knew what that look meant. They were in trouble.

Her father had always told the both of them not to tell anyone that they were twins. He always tried to cover that fact up to avoid all the stares and whispers, the unnecessary attention. "You are not twins, you're brother and sister,and Tam is a year older," he had always told them, and they were supposed to tell the same to anyone who asked. Her parents had tried to conceal the fact that they were twins from them from the very beginning, and had lied to them, but they still found out in the end. Their parents still tried to conceal it from others but the similarities between them always gave the game away. A game Linh never wanted to play.

Lord Cassius raised an eyebrow and changed the topic, "I believe you've yet to meet my one and only son, Keefe," he introduced. Linh felt that those words were specifically directed at them as she saw Tam clench his fists as Keefe gave them a shy wave.

"Now, if you don't mind, I have errands to run, let's go Keefe," Cassius said, nodding at her parents before taking his leave, Keefe right on his tail.

"Let's go," her mother said, starting to walk away from the heart of the city, and the family walked to the way out.

Linh took one last look at Atlantis, not knowing when they will next go back, before their bubble carried them up,up,up and popped before her father raised his pathfinder and they leaped back home.