Introduction

There has been a rise in the amount of legacy stories posted on Insim, and this is another one to add to the list. It was partly these other stories that inspired me to start my own, and it was a song by a band called Blackmore's Night that gave me an idea for the founder to use.

More notes and a more in-depth explanation can be found in the preface, including the fact that this is meant as nothing more than a light break from a heavy story. With all that in mind, hope you enjoy this tale as much as the guys on Insim plainly are :)

Thursday 12 February 2009

Chapter Twenty

As told by Dylan Paul and Jackie Stanley

Darya seemed pretty nonchalant when I told her our parents’ verdict. She went on to warn me that I’d have to watch them go at some point, confessing that she’d seen Neptune mourn his father when he died. While I was glad to see there is actually a caring side to her, I reminded her that the main thing would be spending time with them before that happened. She just shrugged and went on her way – I sense an underlying fear of death, if I’m honest. Whether it’s the actual dying or having to watch I’m not sure, but she seems to forget it’s not about how the story ends, it’s making the most of the preceding moments.


Dylan is so romantic – he decided to give me a musical reception when I woke this morning. It’s funny how different the twins are; there seems to be a classic light and dark story going on with these two. While Dylan has an affectionate streak a mile wide and is more receptive of strangers…

… Darya is more intense and constantly grumbles about the people charging through our house. To be honest I don’t blame her, especially with the streakers, but some of these folks are amicable enough if she gives them a chance.

Even Steve gets on well with Edwin, and he’s incredibly shy. Mind you, Edwin seems to have a knack for bringing people out of themselves; Dylan mentioned that he’d worked his magic on him too.


Dylan and I both heaved a sigh of relief when she finally got talking to him.

“Oh, she’s a good enough girl when you give her a chance,” I smiled at Jackie, “Just don’t tick her off!”


Steve found that out too, when she finally felt brave enough to step their relationship up a notch.

I couldn’t help but allow the biggest, soppiest grin to spread across my face as I watched them. I’m a terrible romantic, I’ll freely admit – even when Jackie is usually the one to make the moves.

“Dylan!!”

My smile took on a different manner as I recognised the tone in her voice.

“What is it this time?” I asked, feigning a cracking of the knuckles as I turned to face her.

“Three guesses,” I grumble as I thumb towards the room I recently left, “That thing’s useless!”


Not for me it isn’t! Although the picture that forms in my head every time I fix the shower, as I recall Mum telling me her stories about this very thing, never fails to make me chuckle while I work. I’ve already found out through swimming in the sea, that one thing I didn’t inherit from her was her fish tail. Things would be so awkward if I did – poor woman. Curiously enough, even though she didn’t pass on the scales, she did her amphibian qualities, and both Darya and I tend to add cooking salt to the bath before we use it. Just goes to show; we may look normal, but there’s things like that to serve a reminder of what really lies beneath.


I’m comparatively easy to figure out though. For all her dark attire and gloomy outlook, Darya gets pulled to the easel an awful lot – to the point where she’s now a master artist. I hope Steve knows what he’s getting into with her; she’s a tough one to handle, and I’m saying this as her twin brother.

Just when we were settling nicely in our uni house, the next day we received an unwelcome visitor. Larry the cow mascot showed up, and started flirting with everyone – including me!

Jackie was practising on the easel at the time – it was about then I became grateful that things hadn’t got that heavy between us yet. Steve wasn’t so lucky when Larry tried his luck with Darya.

He was furious! Even though she turned him down, Steve launched into a slapping frenzy – which, I have to admit, I was secretly pleased to see by this point. I’m normally tolerant of the people we meet here, but this cow guy was quickly wearing my patience.


I retreated outside to play catch with Steve, but even there I wasn’t safe. Well, I was, but the same couldn’t be said for Darya. When the flirting didn’t work, he just started shoving people about for no reason – even Dylan!


By now, he had literally pushed me too far.

“That’s it,” I snapped, “I don’t know who you think you are, but this is our home and I’m not going to put up with your crap anymore!”

“In short,” Darya added, “P*** off before I find the steak knife!”

She had more bearing than me; he soon scarpered, thank heavens. But she wasn’t finished.

“Right, Edwin or not, we’re locking the f***ing doors!” she screamed as she marched off.

I nursed my brow as I watched her go. Of course I agreed, but looking between Steve and her after that, I couldn’t help wondering how much damage had really been done.


As the evening drew in, I decided to cool off by having a dig in the front garden. The atmosphere inside was already getting strained, and I had frustrations of my own to work from my system. I knew one thing for sure; if I never saw that cow again it’d be too soon.