The Amendment

Chapter Six

I stand on the edge of the park, watching Brinx try to get Carlley to play with her. She just shoves her younger sister away and tells her she's not worth her time, and Jerod mumbles, "I'm glad I'm not related to her as a brother."

"Yes, she's quite the difficult teenager." I nod my head, "But we're still cousins."

"Sadly." Jerod rolls his eyes as I elbow him in the side, and he laughs before asking, "What was that for?"

"You can't blame her for being super moody. We just told her that her parents are dead." I say before turning back to watch Brinx come running towards us, tears running down her cheeks. 

"Here we go," Jerod mumbles as I look down at Brinx, who grabs my arm. She presses her side against mine and says, "Carlley said I was as good as dead."

I flinch in anger, and as I look ahead at Carlley who's just laying in the grass, I feel my fury rise. She's doing nothing, and Brinx just wants to be with her older sister. 

"Jailynn? Did you hear me?" Brinx asks as I put my hand on her head and say through gritted teeth which are in the process of going to a fake smile, "Of course I did. I'm just going to go over and talk to her."

I turn to Jerod and then mumble lowly, "Keep Brinx here for a second."

"Do your best not to kill her." Jerod says with a hint of a smile, and I nod at him before marching over to Carlley. As I look down at her, I see tears running down Carlley's cheeks. I crouch beside her and ask sharply, "What are you crying for?"

"Where am I? Which poor girl did I just harm with my words?" Carlley sits up as I keep straing into her eyes, wondering what on Earth she's mumbling about. I've never known Carlley to see her cry or say 'poor' with such empathy before. 

"Tell me who those people are," I point to Brinx and Jerod and she replies, once again monotonous, "Brinx and Jerod. The girl is the one I just told was as good as dead."

"Is there something wrong with you?" I ask as I see a flash of Dagon in my mind when he stated the same thing, "You just made your younger sister who's only ten, cry. That's an easy thing to do if you're Carlley, but to have sympathy for a second after is new."

She stumbles for words and then mutters, "Carlley."

"Yes, that's you." I roll my eyes in anger, tired with her toying. Why can't she just get her point across?  

"No, that's my twin." She says slowly as I ask, "I begon your pardon?"

"Carlley is my twin. I am Madison." She says as she takes a deep breath, "Where on Earth am I? Because this is not Mexico."

"Hold up. Don't make this so confusing," I say as I take a deep breath, "Do you know who I am?"

"You're Jailynn, and behind you is Jerod and Brinx." Madison replies as I take a deep breath in, and I say, "So you, Madison, are Carlley's twin who is supposed to be in Mexico?"

"I believe so. Carlley ordered me to stay there, and from then on, I remember nothing until now." Madison says as I pull her to her feet, and I ask, "Carlley ordered you to stay in Mexico?"

"Yes, she threatened that she'd kill me if she didn't stay put." Madison replies as she shakes my hand in a firm grip, "I am Madison Watts and I am Carlley's older twin by just minutes."

"Nice to meet you, properly," We share a laugh before I say, "I am Amethyst Taffern, and you and I have some things to discuss."

"Amethyst? I thought you were Jailynn?" She tilts her head sideways as I shake my head and reply, "I am one and the same, but I am actually your cousin. There's been quite a lot happening in our lives at the moment."