Chapter #20The Copy-Part 3 by: Seuzz   "Why didn't you tell us who you were?" one of the girls--now identified as Aizhan Aliyev--yells.
"Why didn't you tell us who you were?" Frank retorts.
You don't speak, being unnerved by the way the other girl--Aizhan's twin sister, Zarina--keeps looking between you and Frank with a dreamy expression on her face. The rope she'd used to drag in the monster curls at her feet.
"We've been tracking that reliquary for six months," Aizhan hisses. "It was our business--"
"Well, we found out about it three days ago," Frank says. "Reilly--" He glances at the ceiling; your colleague is nursing Mrs. Kenealy upstairs. "He's one of us too. So we swung in. We didn't know--"
"Alright," Aizhan grumbles. "I thought there'd be better coordination between the Stellae and the Akshardham, but--"
"Did Dr. Joshi send you?" you ask. "Yeah, I met her three months ago."
"Oh," says Aizhan. "You're the chameleon."
A slight look of disappointment appears on Zarina's face, and she shifts her attention solidly to Frank, who (like you) is still looking like Joe.
"Well, it's nice to meet you," Frank says. "Was this your first solo assignment? You girls did well." Aizhan bridles, but says nothing. "If I had to guess," Frank continues, "you are both adepts of Hanuman?" Aizhan nods. "Viritrilbia," he says to you. "It's often twins with Viritrilbia."
"I also serve Murugan," Aizhan says.
"We too are adepts of Malacandra," Frank replies with a bow.
"And--" Aizhan jogs her sister, but Zarina doesn't respond. "She serves Kalika."
"She cast her influence over the house?" Frank asks. "No wonder we couldn't keep our feet under ourselves. Catilindria," he adds in a growling undertone.
"Zarina and I came together at the start, but I sent her away, intending to play both parts myself," Aizhan says. "When the Tischebourne twins suddenly arrived, I called her back. It seemed kinder--as we did not know who you were--to use her influence to curb you. I didn't anticipate she could beguile the guardian of the reliquary as well."
"All's well that ends well," Frank says, and bows again.
But you've felt him growing stiffer and stiffer all this time under Zarina's ardent gaze. "I think I'll take this mask off now," he says, and sits down.
"You mean that isn't your face?" Zarina cries. Frank doesn't answer, for he's already ripped it away, and fallen unconscious against the cushions. "Oh, Aizhan," Zarina wails. But then she catches sight of you, and smiles. "Oh well, as long as this one--"
"There's something you have to know," you say. You grasp your newest imago and draw it around you. Your hair lengthens, your body shrinks, and boobs pop out.
Zarina's eyes widen. "Oh, Aizhan!" she wails again, and runs from the room.
"I didn't mean to hurt her feelings," you gasp, turning to her sister. You freeze.
For now it's Aizhan whose face is pink and whose eyes glint. Her cheeks dimple.
To wake from this reverie: "The Boy from Before Everything, Part 2"    indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
| Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
<<-- Previous · Outline · Recent Additions © Copyright 2024 Seuzz (UN: seuzz at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
Seuzz has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work within this interactive story. Poster accepts all responsibility, legal and otherwise, for the content uploaded, submitted to and posted on Writing.Com. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
More by this author