Inactive
"There." Eloise stood back, admiring the pillow fort she and her brother had constructed in the attic. Consisting of a bed sheet draped over the backs of two chairs, it was well-fortified with as many pillows, cushions, and stuffed animals as they could find.
It was past their bedtime. Marcus had been summoned from his bed by Eloise, and together the twins snuck up to the attic to play without their father's knowledge. The fort was Eloise's idea, though Marcus had overseen its construction.
"Okay, hopefully it won't fall apart..." Cautiously, she crawled in underneath the sheet, then poked her head out again. "Pass me the provisions!" she whispered conspiratorially.
Marcus handed her some snacks, drinks, and a few toys, then joined her inside the fort. Within seconds, Eloise yelped in pain. "Ow! You jabbed me with your elbow!"
Before Marcus could utter a word, she elbowed him right back. Her arm caught on a fold of the sheet, pulling it just far enough out of place that the "roof" of the fort collapsed. Marcus pulled the fallen sheet off of his head, running a hand through his red hair, then turned toward Eloise. She suddenly burst into tears.
"Louise, don't cry," he said. "We can rebuild the fort. It's easy."
"I don't care about the fort," she whimpered, hugging her knees to her chest. "I want Mom to come here."
Marcus patted her arm as she continued to cry. "It's gonna be okay."
"I'm scared that they're gonna get a divorce and go away and leave us with Grandma and Grandpa again. I just want things to go right for once..."
"No, no. Daddy said we'd just be here for a few days. They aren't getting a divorce." He moved closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "We're going back to Zaathru soon. I saw it happen in a dream."
"I don't wanna go back to Zaathru! I wanna stay here!..."
Marcus sighed and continued to hug his sister, until eventually both fell asleep among the pillows. Come morning, as sunlight began to stream through the attic window, Marcus stirred.
It was past their bedtime. Marcus had been summoned from his bed by Eloise, and together the twins snuck up to the attic to play without their father's knowledge. The fort was Eloise's idea, though Marcus had overseen its construction.
"Okay, hopefully it won't fall apart..." Cautiously, she crawled in underneath the sheet, then poked her head out again. "Pass me the provisions!" she whispered conspiratorially.
Marcus handed her some snacks, drinks, and a few toys, then joined her inside the fort. Within seconds, Eloise yelped in pain. "Ow! You jabbed me with your elbow!"
Before Marcus could utter a word, she elbowed him right back. Her arm caught on a fold of the sheet, pulling it just far enough out of place that the "roof" of the fort collapsed. Marcus pulled the fallen sheet off of his head, running a hand through his red hair, then turned toward Eloise. She suddenly burst into tears.
"Louise, don't cry," he said. "We can rebuild the fort. It's easy."
"I don't care about the fort," she whimpered, hugging her knees to her chest. "I want Mom to come here."
Marcus patted her arm as she continued to cry. "It's gonna be okay."
"I'm scared that they're gonna get a divorce and go away and leave us with Grandma and Grandpa again. I just want things to go right for once..."
"No, no. Daddy said we'd just be here for a few days. They aren't getting a divorce." He moved closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "We're going back to Zaathru soon. I saw it happen in a dream."
"I don't wanna go back to Zaathru! I wanna stay here!..."
Marcus sighed and continued to hug his sister, until eventually both fell asleep among the pillows. Come morning, as sunlight began to stream through the attic window, Marcus stirred.