The Streets of Transylvania
“Who is she?” asked a young girl with gold brown hair and grayish blue eyes.
“Jorden, who cares who she is, we are not supposed to be here,” Logan cried as he used discreet movements to catch up to his twin sister. “Laura will be furious with us if she ever finds we snuck out of the orphanage!”
“Well, as long as we keep quiet, how is she going to know?” she inquired, pulling her long wool coat more tightly around her against the sharp winter air nipping at her youthful, succulent skin. I should have worn something more than this dress under my coat, she thought shivering.
“I guess you are right. But what if someone saw us leave?” He stayed as close to Jorden as possible, for he was overwhelmed by the fears of getting caught and losing sight of his sister.
“She’s crying. Maybe we can help her?” whispered Jorden, ready to help the weeping woman who was laying in inches of soot.
“I don’t know, sister. We don’t know who she is or anything; besides the rest of the building may fall in on you.”
“Logan,” she sighed. “Will you, for once, stop being so critical about everything? You are starting to drive me crazy with all your insistent worrying.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t help it,” he muttered.
“Listen, I’m going in to help that poor lady. You can do whatever you want,” she said, stepping carefully over a few sizzling boards and into what was formerly the kitchen.
Logan’s heart sped up as adrenaline made its way through his body; he realized he was now standing alone. “Jorden! Jorden, don’t leave me by myself. Wait up!” he called, wondering how his sister could be so courageous and he so shy.
Jorden looked back to see the frightened face of the tall lanky boy as he trotted up to her, and she became sympathetic. It had never occurred to her how scared her brother was and she suddenly felt sorry for dragging him out here. “Hurry up,” she pleaded, lifting Arayah to her feet.
“That’s strange,” he said, grabbing a hold of the woman’s right arm and noticing how incredibly weightless she was.
“What is?”
“Well, this lady is as light as a child’s book. She must be underweight, or sick, or something.”
Jorden peered at her brother from the gypsy’s other side. “You have noticed that, too?”
“Yes, but it’s not just with her. Other things that should be heavy for someone our age, are not heavy at all,” he replied as all three of them made their way, unharmed, to the shadowy street.
Jorden smiled. “That makes me feel a lot better. I thought I was the only one dealing with that.”
Logan shook his head. “No. You’re not. Yet, it’s awkward that you and I are the only ones like this. Well, the ones we actually know about. If there are others, they are keeping it a secret. And if there is another thing I have learned, you are never alone in this world because there is always someone else going through the same things you are. At least it seems that way most of the time.”
“You know, Logan, we are more alike than I figured. I have often gone over everything you have said,” she remarked, hearing a skittering of leaves behind them.
Logan jumped. “What was that?”
“It’s just leaves blowing around,” Jorden said laughing.
“No, it didn’t sound like that.” He listened for the faint mumbling voice to return. “See? There it is again.”
“Yes. I heard it that time. It’s like someone is talking but kind of low, right?”
