Ivory Irony

I couldn't. There was no way I could kill them. Two toddlers; two little girls. They were so innocent, so naive of the dangerous world around them.

They were completely and utterly lost, yet wide grins were spread across their faces. So oblivious, they held hands, happily resting on the boulder in the clearing. No one else was there. No one knew where they were. It would be so easy. Two bites and they'd be dead. Two bites and my mission would be complete. So simple, so easy, but I could not find the will to kill them. Just one meager thought could stop all movement:

How can these two little girls be the end of my world?

~16 years later~

"All right ladies," I called, clapping my hands. "That will be all for today."

"Work on that turnout and extension. Evaluations are next week," Velena added, standing by my side.

Our exhausted ballet students line up and curtsied to us one by one. Each would topple over themselves in a rush to get out of the class and back to their homes, where they would inevitably collapse upon fluffed up cushions. There they would nap for a couple of hours, completely unable to move from our intense regiment.

As soon as the last of the students trickled out, my facade dropped. "I'm huuuungryyy…!" I whined, plopping down on the rubbery, black dance floor and taking off my silky but worn pointe shoes. When I got them off, I rubbed at my numb, red toes. Velena grinned at me and strolled slowly to her dance bag. I eyed her suspiciously as she, with great deliberation, reached in and pulled out two energy bars. My eyes grew substantially and my mouth watered as I edged closer to Velena.

"Luna Bars!!" I screamed suddenly, jumping and tackling my friend back down to the ground, grabbing for a bar. She fell with a shriek that changed into a laugh as she hit the floor with me reaching futilely for the Luna Bar she held just out of my reach. I clawed at it with a determined pout, kicking our bags and scattering hairpins as I went.

"Don't break anything this time or I'll dock it from your paychecks!" a voice called from outside the door. Velena and I quieted down long enough to yell "yessir!" before resuming our tussle. It took me a full five minutes to get my hands on a one of the delectable treats. I scrambled up with a triumphant cry. "Ha! Success!"

From behind, I heard a cough. I spun around to see my next class standing there, their hands pressed tightly to their lips to stifle the giggles. I smiled sheepishly at them and turned to sneak a glare at the girl who whistled innocently behind me.

"You knew class had started, didn't you?" I accused.

"Yup," Velena replied without a moment's hesitation, a small grin encasing her lips.

With an exasperated sigh, I waved my hand for the students to start their warm-ups. Unwrapping my trophy, I took a large bit a said through the mouthful, "Mmmph mu…errghui… mumph mimph. Murrgh mooph urugh mphreg."

Velena barely spared a second before translating, "Alright girls…and guy…let's start with splits. Two minutes people and no cheating!"

I nodded my head in agreement. I hid my mouth behind a slender hand as I grinned so as to spare the students the sight of the disgusting amount of food I had just shoved in my mouth. I needed no "facade" here. This was my atmosphere, the type of dance I lived and breathed for. This was lyrical class, where all expression was born through the flowing -- and sometimes violent – movements of each step.

~~~~~*~~*~~~~~

I yawned, stretching my tight muscles. "That was a workout. Wish we had more time to dance ourselves, though."

"But wouldn't that mean more bruises for you? I mean, I would think you'd try and avoid continuous injury to yourself," Velena answered sweetly, fluttering her lashes.

I slapped her lightly on the shoulder, laughing. "Like you're any better. Besides, I don't always hur--- oomph!......ow."

Velena burst out in laughter, wiping tears from her eyes. I sat where I had fallen, slightly dazed. I shook my head slightly and looked up, eyeing the stop sign I had just run face first into.

"Where'd that come from?" I wondered aloud, scratching the newly formed lump on my head. Velena flew into another fit of violent giggles. I growled and tried to stand up, accidentally tripping myself and tumbling forward. I reached up and grabbed Velena's arm to try and steady myself, but instead pulled her down as well. The two of us landed in a hysterical pile atop one another. Neither of us was hurt, but we were having trouble breathing through our laughter.

By the time the two of us had gotten ourselves under control again, we had drawn the attention of many a passerby. Both Velena and I were getting twitchy under the stares of the strangers. She pulled me away, glaring at the pedestrians until they looked away uneasily.

"Nosy bumpkins," I muttered. The two of us strolled awhile in silence before I suddenly spoke up. "You know what? We should visit our parents soon. They haven't called or contacted us in a while. A long while. Good Lord, it's almost been a year now that I think of it…"

Velena cringed. "Next week's spring break, we could go then..."

I froze. "Spring break's next week?! Why didn't you say anything before?"

Velena looked at me with an eyebrow arched in refined amusement. "Wow Nera, that's a definite first. Forgetting about something as big as spring break?"

I smiled impishly. "So…next week, hmm? Ugh, you realize we'd be giving up a weeks worth of partying and getting drunk to go see our parents, right?"

"Yea, but most likely we'd be 'partying' with just the two of us," she replied, glancing at me carelessly out of the corner of her eye.

"Ah, how true," I laughed taking her hand and pulling her along. "How about some Starbucks before we return to ---" I shuddered for effect. "--- studying."

"A Tall for you! No bigger. I'd rather you not break my bed like you did last time. Or the lamp the time before that. Or the door before that. Or…" Velena began her long list of things I had broken or dented on a caffeine high. I let her continue, not even bothering to mention that most of those had been "coke" moments. (Coke as in the drink people.)

~~~~~*~~*~~~~~

I watched the girls as they strolled below, as I had watched them grow older and older. The burden I bore grew heavier and heavier each year and I knew that I was risking everything by letting them live. I glanced at the bundle I clutched in my hand.

'No matter what, they cannot meet. Not yet,' I thought. A slight rustling in the tree caused me to avert my burning gaze from the letters and glance at my partner. He, like me, was restless. We knew better, we were trained better. They had to die.

Not yet. Not yet. Not yet.

The little voice echoed in my head. The little voice that would not allow me to harm them; to harm her.

Not yet. Not yet. Not yet.

Why? Why was it so hard? What was stopping me? Why couldn't I do it? Why couldn't we do it?

Not yet. Not yet. Not yet.

Even the winds whispered their cautions. "I know," I murmured back. "More than anything, I know."

I sighed, a habit no longer needed but still used. I moved to put the bundle back into my cloak. A breeze blew through and plucked a letter from the bunch, carrying it quickly out of my reach as I lunged desperately for it. My partner held me as I tottered, looking after the dancing, taunting paper that was possibly the most horrible mistake I had ever, and would ever, make......

Not yet. Not yet. Not yet.

~~~~~*~~*~~~~~

"Ack! My eye!" Velena squeaked as a piece of paper flew into her face. I snorted loudly in an attempt to stifle my laughter. She glared at me with her one good eye. "Thank you so much for the concern. Oh yes, I'm fine, no need to worry."

"Sorry, sorry," I giggled. "But you really should have seen your face. It was like...like..." For the lack of a descriptive word, I trailed off and used a noise. It was a common form of conversation between us.

With me still snickering and Velena rubbing ruefully at her tearing eye, I picked up the paper and stared at it.

"It's a letter," I said, stating the obvious. "And it's addressed to us—"

"—from our parents?!" Velena finished, her eye wide. We looked at one another, then around us nervously.

"Why does this not feel like a coincidence?" Velena asked. Although it was rhetorical, I answered anyway.

"Probably because one, were just talking about not having heard from our parents...es, and two, the letter came from absolutely nowhere to hit you smack dab in the face," I stated.

Feeling more than slightly paranoid, we agreed to skip Starbucks—I pouted a little about that—and head straight home.

~~~~~*~~*~~~~~

The two of us snuggled down on one of our overstuffed couches. It was so puffy we both sank several inches into the cushion. We each held a steaming mug of hot chocolate to satisfy our caffeine cravings. Comfortable, warm, and feeling far safer than we had on the street, we stared at the letter. Something about the plain white envelope and archaic looking letters felt foreboding. An emotion bordering along the lines of terror erupted when I looked at the innocent seeming letter.

The feeling of anxiety was heightened from the simple fact that our parents' had addressed the two of us together. To anyone else, this would be normal, but to us, it was unsettling. Ever since I could remember, Velena's and my parents had always addressed the two of us individually, refusing to put the simple "and" conjunction between our two names. It had never been "Velena and Necora" or "Velena and Nera," which was my nickname. It was just never said together. Though we had always found this strange, it eventually became an odd fact about our lives. Now that a letter had come bearing that conjunction, it felt that something was about to go seriously wrong.

"Well we have to open it," Velena stated, though she sounded as if she was trying to convince herself as much as me. "We can't very well ignore a letter from our parents. Mine would kill me, and yours would feed you sauerkraut for a month. Then bitter, Chinese herbal drinks for another."

I winced as the memory of herbally bitterness coursed along my taste buds. Spluttering with disgust, I gulped a bit of the hot chocolate to rid myself of the memory, burning my tongue in the process.

"I geuth we hath tho readh ith," I mumbled, trying to cool off my tongue as I talked. Velena shook her head tolerantly at me and picked up the letter. With anxious fingers, she tore open the top and slipped out the sheet folded crisply inside. The two of us glanced at each other, hesitating. Then, together, we read it.

Our Dearest Velena and Necora,

My dears, how are you? It's been so long since we've heard from you.
You haven't answered our phone calls, emails, or letters and we are beginning
to get worried—

We had barely read three lines before stopping and staring wide eyed at each other, knowing what the other was thinking. How could we miss all of our parents' attempts at reaching us, but manage to get this one letter that came out of nowhere? With one more careful gulp of hot chocolate each, we both resumed reading.

Well my dears, I truly do hope you get this letter because we are becoming quite
desperate. You, Necora, know how your father is about leaving the house to travel
anywhere, so we can't come visit either. But of course none of this is the real reason
we are writing to the two of you (Though we truly are worried).

This next week—

I stopped reading to take a peek at the date at the top. It was this week, still recent. Good, so they had meant spring break.

—we are having a celebration of sorts. A family reunion, more like. I know you
both hate parties, but this one we must insist you both attend. I'm afraid if you refuse
your fathers will be, God forbid, forced to board an airplane to retrieve you. (I truly
wish I was joking on that note.)

Well dearests, we all love you and are eagerly awaiting your reply. Or better yet,
your presences.

Eternal love,
Your parents

The letter was short and lighthearted, but Velena and I could both hear the firm voice behind the words. They truly did mean that we had to be there whether we liked it or not. I glanced at Velena. She looked a shade paler than usual, which was quite frightening seeing how she was already the color of ivory. Velena met my eye.

"We're doomed," she whispered and I knew exactly what she meant. We both were terrified of our relatives.

[[IN PROGRESS]]