Seeing Samantha face to face was like staring at a shadow of myself. We stared at each other in awkward silence, neither one of us knowing what to say. The woman in the assassin suit was so much to me I did not know what to make of her. She was my abuser, my tormentor, and my nightmare. She was the one who tried to kill me several times. But more than any of this, she was my sister.
"It was you all along. The prophecy reads that the one with black eyes shall sow discord over the land." Aside from letting my sixth graders have at it with Notemaker, I don't see how I did that. "I can see Steve. He's right behind you." I did not move. "Come on! Don't you want things to go back to the way they were?" There was no way she was hurting Steve, not after everything we had been through together.
"Why? So I can die?" She looked taken aback.
"Caitlin, that's not true! You'll thrive! You'll be a queen, like me." She desperately fumbled for words.
"I'd rather be a peasant in the overworld than queen of the End!" That was so refreshing. Though my limbs ached, I felt a new surge of energy. I felt like I could fight forever.
"I can give you anything you want, Caitlin. Money, power, love, you name it."
"But money and power are not important to me! As for love, I already have it. I love Steve. I love teaching sixth graders. I love playing my instruments. Nothing can replace those. And, if you really want to give me anything I want, I want my sister back!" I meant Rosalie. I meant Vivienne, both of them!
"They are dead. If you can't accept that, move on."
"I already have. It is you who are stuck in the past. I renounce the ways of the Ender Dragon!"
"Then I will disown you."
"I don't care! Go away! Go wreak havoc somewhere else! I want you gone!" I wanted her gone, not dead. I used to want her dead, but now I only wanted her gone. Emmeline stood beside me, but only for a second later.
I woke up face down on the floor having no idea what just happened. I managed to scramble to my feet. Emmeline asked me what happened. This was normal for me. I fall over and get back up. It happens about seven times a day. It happened during Kaitlyn's adjudication.
"I'm sorry if I'm not the sister you wanted me to be." Emmeline was shocked, but she maintained her repose as always.
"Are you kidding me? How could you not be the sister I have always wanted? I want to be more and more like you each time I see you." Emmeline embraced me. "By the way, I think I'm getting an apprenticeship!"
"What for?"
"Blacksmithing. With Jordan Dupont! I came to apply, but he wasn't there, so Alex came out and told me all about you! Smart girl, isn't she?"
"Alex is very clever indeed." I had noticed that there was a pink jacket at my feet. Having heard my comment, Alex joined in.
"Oh, thank you!" She picked up her jacket and started home.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Doing a Mambo (Steve)
It's all my fault.
That same memory of the snow played in my mind over and over again. The EMTs carted Cory off the hospital. Back at home, I was in tears. I felt like the world had ended for me. It didn't help that my other brothers called me the spawn of the Ender Dragon day in and day out. I came out of it feeling sick and tired, not of any particular thing, just feeling like dirt in general. I curled up into a ball and just waited. There were a thousand things I wanted in this moment. I wanted to hear the sound of my band, of Alex's voice singing for Caitlin, of Andrew telling me for the millionth time that things will be alright even if he didn't know that they would be.
But I couldn't have them. My band broke off into sectionals. Alex was in school. Caitlin was teaching a class. Andrew was with a patient. I felt like vomiting. I was shaking violently and I felt cold even though there was no AC in the room. Andrew described the shaking as seizure-like in an attempt to explain what I felt, but I would have none of it. That description made me have one of these weird panic attacks. After getting me to calm down with Caitlin's aid, he put a blanket over me and let me sleep. Andrew's practice is weird to a lot of people, but it works for me. He will talk to you and let you cry on his shoulder before writing a prescription. He saved one of my students' lives by talking them out of suicide. I have even seen him write prescriptions for affection and attention as well as medications.
I pulled myself out of my daze, staggered to my feet, and alerted my band to rehearsal. The percussion was overpowering in Mambo. Kyle, on toms, lowered his stick height. The others, however, did not follow suit.
"Play quieter, percussion." I struggled to get the words out. We ran through the passage again. Andreas complained that he couldn't hear himself or the other second flutes. I quieted the first flutes and ordered Andreas to come out more. As usual, the alto saxophones were fine. They weren't the most confident, but they were okay. As I conducted the band, I became fully absorbed in their music. The steadily pounding percussion replaced my racing heart. The trumpet flourishes, the flutes' high notes, and the steady bass line lifted my spirits. The excitement of the music took the place of the thoughts spiraling in my head. When I cut off, the band said things like "That was really good!" and "I hope it's like this for the concert!" I agreed.
The concert was today. I thought for sure I would puke on the flute section during rehearsal, but I was so excited I was not bothered by the swirling music before me. My guitar class filled in. Emilia seemed to be in better spirits. Her guitar skills improved tenfold within the last month. The song she played was sweet and bright, but at the same time plaintive. Now that Adrian was out of the hospital, she seemed happier,but still maintained that thoughtful air. Drew, another guitar student, needed help with a scale. It turned out that he was playing just fine, but that his guitar was very out of tune. After working through it for about half an hour I eventually found out that Drew's guitar was out of tune.
At home, I found Caitlin standing outside the door with a puddle at her feet. Her pants were wet as well. She was crying as well. I checked my pocket for the house key and found it. I unlocked the door and we went in.
"Today, didn't you wear..?" Totally wrong sequence!
"I was wet when I got home and I had to go again. However, I was locked out, so I..." Caitlin burst into tears again. In her small, quivering voice, she asked "Can you change me? The toilet paper holder keeps breaking under my weight."
"I will. Let's get you cleaned up."
I really should get a grab bar for Caitlin so she doesn't have to risk falling in the bathroom. However, I never seem to get around to doing it. I assisted in drying her legs so she wouldn't have to bend over too much and risk a fall. After that, I helped her re-diaper and put on another pair of pants. After that, she thanked me and ended up falling asleep in my arms. It was common for her to be tired and need a nap at the end of the day, but she rarely included me in her repose. To watch her in this ultimately vulnerable, yet peaceful state calmed my nerves. Feeling the delicate wisp of hot air she exhaled after each breath and the silkiness of her hair soothed me more than music.
I got up and changed into my tuxedo, which was an awkward and cumbersome thing to put on. Aside from that, I looked good and felt awesome in it. Caitlin woke up and tied my tie (because I couldn't) as well as making sure I had my Mambo score. She made sure I took my stomach medicine so I wouldn't be too queasy during the concert. After a good luck hug, I went on my way.
At Mindcrack, I warmed up the band. The flutes were atrociously out of tune, the saxophones weren't articulating well, and the trumpets were too loud. These were just minor problems, which I tried over and over again. Andreas was flat despite having his flute in all the way. A clarinet was sharp. Kyle was playing the toms too loud. (For goodness sakes, Kyle! Your stick height is 24 inches! Half that will do.)
I should let the music take over.
I mambo-ed through the problems and rolled with the screw in Andreas's flute coming loose. (Bad day for Andreas.) Andreas finally fixed his flute and re-joined the band. When the time came for the concert, my students filed in order of section and sat down to watch the numbers that came before us.
As usual, Mrs. Abbot completely monopolized the concert with some boring music from the choir and note block ensembles. What a waste of their talent! Have them sing their hearts out! This choir needs someone like Alex to liven things up. Emmeline's sax could elevate their "jazz number". Luckily, the time came quickly when the band had to play and awaken the audience! Finally!
The band and I strode onto the stage. Each member filed into their seat. When everyone settled in, I raised my baton and conducted. I didn't even look at my score for the most part, just mambo-ing through the music with the Mindcrack band. They sounded like an entirely different ensemble, more composed and balanced. One of the Minecraft SO's flutists is named Andreas; my Andreas sounded exactly like him. An alacrity was in the band that had never been present before.
When I lowered my baton, I felt great. The crowd roared and whistled for the band, whose members totally earned that applause. I gestured towards the band because they worked hard for this. Mrs. Abbot tried glaring disapprovingly at the audience, but that just caused the cheers to swell louder. The dance team was supposed to go up, but TNT blew off the roof of the theater.
The dance team drew their swords and fought. Seriously, dancers make the best fighters. I charged into the fray penguin suit and all. Andreas speared a creeper in the head with his flute. Kyle threw various percussion instruments at a blaze, which made for some interesting sounds. Everyone sprang into battle when I saw a woman leaping from hole to hole in the roof. She looked like Caitlin, but was definitely not her. She had these icy blue eyes, like a twisted version of Vivienne.
Then, I saw another figure trying to get her attention. The figure's gait alone indicated that it was Caitlin! I motioned for her to get down, but she refused. On and on they debated until Caitlin did something amazing. When the other woman fired an arrow, Caitlin caught it and shot it back at a skeleton. That shot made the skeleton clatter to pieces. She used her cane to block a zombie attack and soon descended into the room using the same climbing technique she uses to get from the floor into a chair. After that, she found me and, breathless, she said
"She told me...a lot of things. I never realized..." She puffed on her inhaler. "I never realized the toll the slaying took on her. She feels displaced. She feels lost. But that does not give her the right to hurt you." I was taken aback. Emmeline came from behind me and met Caitlin and the woman I now identified as Samantha Netherfield. While they talked, I mambo-ed into the fray along with my students. It was only natural that I fight at their side.
That same memory of the snow played in my mind over and over again. The EMTs carted Cory off the hospital. Back at home, I was in tears. I felt like the world had ended for me. It didn't help that my other brothers called me the spawn of the Ender Dragon day in and day out. I came out of it feeling sick and tired, not of any particular thing, just feeling like dirt in general. I curled up into a ball and just waited. There were a thousand things I wanted in this moment. I wanted to hear the sound of my band, of Alex's voice singing for Caitlin, of Andrew telling me for the millionth time that things will be alright even if he didn't know that they would be.
But I couldn't have them. My band broke off into sectionals. Alex was in school. Caitlin was teaching a class. Andrew was with a patient. I felt like vomiting. I was shaking violently and I felt cold even though there was no AC in the room. Andrew described the shaking as seizure-like in an attempt to explain what I felt, but I would have none of it. That description made me have one of these weird panic attacks. After getting me to calm down with Caitlin's aid, he put a blanket over me and let me sleep. Andrew's practice is weird to a lot of people, but it works for me. He will talk to you and let you cry on his shoulder before writing a prescription. He saved one of my students' lives by talking them out of suicide. I have even seen him write prescriptions for affection and attention as well as medications.
I pulled myself out of my daze, staggered to my feet, and alerted my band to rehearsal. The percussion was overpowering in Mambo. Kyle, on toms, lowered his stick height. The others, however, did not follow suit.
"Play quieter, percussion." I struggled to get the words out. We ran through the passage again. Andreas complained that he couldn't hear himself or the other second flutes. I quieted the first flutes and ordered Andreas to come out more. As usual, the alto saxophones were fine. They weren't the most confident, but they were okay. As I conducted the band, I became fully absorbed in their music. The steadily pounding percussion replaced my racing heart. The trumpet flourishes, the flutes' high notes, and the steady bass line lifted my spirits. The excitement of the music took the place of the thoughts spiraling in my head. When I cut off, the band said things like "That was really good!" and "I hope it's like this for the concert!" I agreed.
The concert was today. I thought for sure I would puke on the flute section during rehearsal, but I was so excited I was not bothered by the swirling music before me. My guitar class filled in. Emilia seemed to be in better spirits. Her guitar skills improved tenfold within the last month. The song she played was sweet and bright, but at the same time plaintive. Now that Adrian was out of the hospital, she seemed happier,but still maintained that thoughtful air. Drew, another guitar student, needed help with a scale. It turned out that he was playing just fine, but that his guitar was very out of tune. After working through it for about half an hour I eventually found out that Drew's guitar was out of tune.
At home, I found Caitlin standing outside the door with a puddle at her feet. Her pants were wet as well. She was crying as well. I checked my pocket for the house key and found it. I unlocked the door and we went in.
"Today, didn't you wear..?" Totally wrong sequence!
"I was wet when I got home and I had to go again. However, I was locked out, so I..." Caitlin burst into tears again. In her small, quivering voice, she asked "Can you change me? The toilet paper holder keeps breaking under my weight."
"I will. Let's get you cleaned up."
I really should get a grab bar for Caitlin so she doesn't have to risk falling in the bathroom. However, I never seem to get around to doing it. I assisted in drying her legs so she wouldn't have to bend over too much and risk a fall. After that, I helped her re-diaper and put on another pair of pants. After that, she thanked me and ended up falling asleep in my arms. It was common for her to be tired and need a nap at the end of the day, but she rarely included me in her repose. To watch her in this ultimately vulnerable, yet peaceful state calmed my nerves. Feeling the delicate wisp of hot air she exhaled after each breath and the silkiness of her hair soothed me more than music.
I got up and changed into my tuxedo, which was an awkward and cumbersome thing to put on. Aside from that, I looked good and felt awesome in it. Caitlin woke up and tied my tie (because I couldn't) as well as making sure I had my Mambo score. She made sure I took my stomach medicine so I wouldn't be too queasy during the concert. After a good luck hug, I went on my way.
At Mindcrack, I warmed up the band. The flutes were atrociously out of tune, the saxophones weren't articulating well, and the trumpets were too loud. These were just minor problems, which I tried over and over again. Andreas was flat despite having his flute in all the way. A clarinet was sharp. Kyle was playing the toms too loud. (For goodness sakes, Kyle! Your stick height is 24 inches! Half that will do.)
I should let the music take over.
I mambo-ed through the problems and rolled with the screw in Andreas's flute coming loose. (Bad day for Andreas.) Andreas finally fixed his flute and re-joined the band. When the time came for the concert, my students filed in order of section and sat down to watch the numbers that came before us.
As usual, Mrs. Abbot completely monopolized the concert with some boring music from the choir and note block ensembles. What a waste of their talent! Have them sing their hearts out! This choir needs someone like Alex to liven things up. Emmeline's sax could elevate their "jazz number". Luckily, the time came quickly when the band had to play and awaken the audience! Finally!
The band and I strode onto the stage. Each member filed into their seat. When everyone settled in, I raised my baton and conducted. I didn't even look at my score for the most part, just mambo-ing through the music with the Mindcrack band. They sounded like an entirely different ensemble, more composed and balanced. One of the Minecraft SO's flutists is named Andreas; my Andreas sounded exactly like him. An alacrity was in the band that had never been present before.
When I lowered my baton, I felt great. The crowd roared and whistled for the band, whose members totally earned that applause. I gestured towards the band because they worked hard for this. Mrs. Abbot tried glaring disapprovingly at the audience, but that just caused the cheers to swell louder. The dance team was supposed to go up, but TNT blew off the roof of the theater.
The dance team drew their swords and fought. Seriously, dancers make the best fighters. I charged into the fray penguin suit and all. Andreas speared a creeper in the head with his flute. Kyle threw various percussion instruments at a blaze, which made for some interesting sounds. Everyone sprang into battle when I saw a woman leaping from hole to hole in the roof. She looked like Caitlin, but was definitely not her. She had these icy blue eyes, like a twisted version of Vivienne.
Then, I saw another figure trying to get her attention. The figure's gait alone indicated that it was Caitlin! I motioned for her to get down, but she refused. On and on they debated until Caitlin did something amazing. When the other woman fired an arrow, Caitlin caught it and shot it back at a skeleton. That shot made the skeleton clatter to pieces. She used her cane to block a zombie attack and soon descended into the room using the same climbing technique she uses to get from the floor into a chair. After that, she found me and, breathless, she said
"She told me...a lot of things. I never realized..." She puffed on her inhaler. "I never realized the toll the slaying took on her. She feels displaced. She feels lost. But that does not give her the right to hurt you." I was taken aback. Emmeline came from behind me and met Caitlin and the woman I now identified as Samantha Netherfield. While they talked, I mambo-ed into the fray along with my students. It was only natural that I fight at their side.
(A/N: This is probably what Steve's band would have played at the concert.)
Monday, February 15, 2016
The Lost Sister (Caitlin)
The next morning, I met a girl at the door. From underneath her impeccably worn suit shone a confident repose that marked a natural leader. Each piece of music is Looking at her was like looking into a mirror of my own hopes and dreams. She heavily resembled Alisha with the sharp, penetrating gaze from her kaleidoscopic eyes boring into my soul.
"Caitlin?" She recognized me almost immediately. I wanted to say "Emmeline?" in reply, but, once again, my words got caught in my throat. We shared no warm embrace, but Emmeline sat down as Steve ran into the room fretting about something. Something told me that he was reliving an upsetting memory, but I wasn't sure what. He panicked and cried out for help. Emmeline looked confused, but otherwise unruffled. She, instead asked for a glass of water. Aside from the sweaty strand of hair clinging to her forehead, I could have never told that she was tired. She asked for a glass of water, which I gladly filled for her.
Suddenly, I started to feel sick and jittery. I could hardly sit still. Steve grabbed my hand and simply said "Stay here." I was taken aback by this gesture, but I stayed with him. "I do not like them. Not at all," he said. Unable to speak, I pulled out my phone and typed:
You don't need to worry. It's just you, me, and my sister, Emmeline in here. Typing those words felt strange. Normally, he would have been the one who told me not to worry. He stroked my hair half protectively and half anxiously as if worried that "they" might bring harm to me. Meanwhile, Emmeline rested her feet on what looked like a saxophone case and read her comment sheet; presumably, she came back from solo and ensemble. After pressing into me for a few seconds longer, he recovered. As if the incident had never occurred, he encouraged me to talk to Emmeline.
"Want some apples? Alex and I have been gathering." I took one. It was glistening red and looked perfect. The flesh was crisp, sweet, and the juice trickled down my chin. Emmeline curled up next to me as if we knew each other all our lives.
"Are you back from solo and ensemble?" I noted the blue sheet she held in her hand.
"Yes. I got an Excellent rating. I could have received a Superior if my accompanist wasn't late and dressed in a T shirt and jeans, but I'm happy. I'll have junior and senior year to go to regionals!" At the Minecraft solo and ensemble festival, I adjudicated the clarinets. Some of them were from Mindcrack, so they were pleased to see my face. Wendy, one of younger Mindcrack clarinetists, played primarily in her clarion register, but she played with courage. Tim's altissimo register rang strong and clear as did his clarion register, but his chalumeau register was insipid at best. In contrast, Naia's chalumeau register was sublime while her altissimo notes were squeaky and harsh. I was supposed to judge two others: Kaitlyn, a sixth grader, and Mark, a freshman in high school, but I had a seizure in the middle of Kaitlyn's adjudication. Mark I could judge fine, but I felt Kaitlyn's shock. I know it's something I can't control, but I felt sorry for Kaitlyn having to see me at my worst. I ended up giving Kaitlyn a Superior for playing on (and doing so quite well) despite her fear.
Emmeline told me all about her experiences with solo and ensemble.
Bryce, Jayden, and Colin sounded like an excellent tenor saxophone section. She told me about the funny comment she received on her sheet which was: "Be SAXY and have some fun with it." I couldn't help but laugh. Steve eventually came out with hot chocolate for both of us. There were drips down the sides, but I didn't care. He left, presumably to slay some creepers. "So, I presume Alex takes vocal lessons from you. Does she have as much energy as I think she does?"
"Why yes, she does. She has a lovely voice. All I need to do is teach her the techniques and she goes from there." It was true. Alex really does have a talent for finding the pitches once I point her in the right direction. I noticed that Emmeline had several wristbands on, each in a different color. I asked about them.
"Oh, these? Well, the black glittery one is a way of honoring the black-eyed Endernymphs who were killed as sacrifices. The red ones are from my sports, such as volleyball and track. This orange one was a souvenir from a random event. I got this green one from band and I got this purple one for exceeding my fundraising goal for a concert to benefit the Minecraftian Epilepsy Foundation. Havencraft High School is cool like that with all its fundraisers and things."
"What was your goal?"
"It was 25 iron ingots. I ended up getting 5 diamonds, 4 iron ingots, and a platter of cookies from Alex's father and two gold ingots from Alex herself."
"Where have you been all this time? How come I never knew you?"
"Well, I was banished because of some random prophecy. You can read it here. I've been compiling them. The bottom is kind of scratched out, but I kind of know what it means. She handed me the scroll, which had seven female figures on it. The one fighting the dragon was definitely Vivienne, Alisha was the one sitting on a throne at a meeting with what looked like her soldiers, the two dancing figures were Marcinia and Lorelai. I couldn't tell which was which, but I could tell that the dancing pair was them. Samantha was some sort of ethereal figure, almost flamelike. Rosalie was tending a field as if she were a villager. I was not in the scroll.
"Unroll it further," Emmeline coaxed. I did so and, to make sure, I blew on the scroll. Dust floated up everywhere. It stung my eyes and my throat felt like it was closing. I reached for my inhaler and puffed on it once. It didn't work. After four or five times, I still got nothing. I finally got back to normal. On the scroll, I noticed a wraith of a girl sitting in the corner stoically while being tormented. That was probably me. I noticed that Emmeline was the one who was pointing a staff as if either doing magic or pointing her sisters in the way they should go.
"Well, Alisha did become CEO of the Minecraftian school department." I remembered her standing like a queen when she spoke to Mindcrack's teachers.
"That doesn't surprise me. Samantha is a terrorist, Lorelai is a hermit, and Marcinia is a professional women's parkour team! Go skellies!" Though Alisha tortured me ruthlessly, it was Samantha who actually tried to kill me. She was the one of us that actually liked the Ender Dragon. Though she was bullied in school, she refused to empathize with me and instead found solidarity with an evil dragon. Now, she was out to get revenge on an unknown target while killing many innocents in the process.
Sportive and competitive, I'm sure Marcinia enjoyed herself doing parkour. It surprised me, though, that Lorelai would be a hermit. She seemed concerned with her social status in the past. Maybe she shut the world out in frustration or maybe she finally found the lifestyle that suited her. "And Rosalie..." Emmeline scrolled on her phone. "Rosalie died protecting a village from Samantha's attacks. It says here that Rosalie Netherfield was a "hero whose bravery could slay a thousand Ender Dragons." Rosalie took over for Vivienne on certain occasions. She did not like to do it, nor did she have to do it, but she did it. I'd say that she was the second kindest to me out of all of them. We talked on and on about our lives, just like sisters.
Because we were
"Caitlin?" She recognized me almost immediately. I wanted to say "Emmeline?" in reply, but, once again, my words got caught in my throat. We shared no warm embrace, but Emmeline sat down as Steve ran into the room fretting about something. Something told me that he was reliving an upsetting memory, but I wasn't sure what. He panicked and cried out for help. Emmeline looked confused, but otherwise unruffled. She, instead asked for a glass of water. Aside from the sweaty strand of hair clinging to her forehead, I could have never told that she was tired. She asked for a glass of water, which I gladly filled for her.
Suddenly, I started to feel sick and jittery. I could hardly sit still. Steve grabbed my hand and simply said "Stay here." I was taken aback by this gesture, but I stayed with him. "I do not like them. Not at all," he said. Unable to speak, I pulled out my phone and typed:
You don't need to worry. It's just you, me, and my sister, Emmeline in here. Typing those words felt strange. Normally, he would have been the one who told me not to worry. He stroked my hair half protectively and half anxiously as if worried that "they" might bring harm to me. Meanwhile, Emmeline rested her feet on what looked like a saxophone case and read her comment sheet; presumably, she came back from solo and ensemble. After pressing into me for a few seconds longer, he recovered. As if the incident had never occurred, he encouraged me to talk to Emmeline.
"Want some apples? Alex and I have been gathering." I took one. It was glistening red and looked perfect. The flesh was crisp, sweet, and the juice trickled down my chin. Emmeline curled up next to me as if we knew each other all our lives.
"Are you back from solo and ensemble?" I noted the blue sheet she held in her hand.
"Yes. I got an Excellent rating. I could have received a Superior if my accompanist wasn't late and dressed in a T shirt and jeans, but I'm happy. I'll have junior and senior year to go to regionals!" At the Minecraft solo and ensemble festival, I adjudicated the clarinets. Some of them were from Mindcrack, so they were pleased to see my face. Wendy, one of younger Mindcrack clarinetists, played primarily in her clarion register, but she played with courage. Tim's altissimo register rang strong and clear as did his clarion register, but his chalumeau register was insipid at best. In contrast, Naia's chalumeau register was sublime while her altissimo notes were squeaky and harsh. I was supposed to judge two others: Kaitlyn, a sixth grader, and Mark, a freshman in high school, but I had a seizure in the middle of Kaitlyn's adjudication. Mark I could judge fine, but I felt Kaitlyn's shock. I know it's something I can't control, but I felt sorry for Kaitlyn having to see me at my worst. I ended up giving Kaitlyn a Superior for playing on (and doing so quite well) despite her fear.
Emmeline told me all about her experiences with solo and ensemble.
Bryce, Jayden, and Colin sounded like an excellent tenor saxophone section. She told me about the funny comment she received on her sheet which was: "Be SAXY and have some fun with it." I couldn't help but laugh. Steve eventually came out with hot chocolate for both of us. There were drips down the sides, but I didn't care. He left, presumably to slay some creepers. "So, I presume Alex takes vocal lessons from you. Does she have as much energy as I think she does?"
"Why yes, she does. She has a lovely voice. All I need to do is teach her the techniques and she goes from there." It was true. Alex really does have a talent for finding the pitches once I point her in the right direction. I noticed that Emmeline had several wristbands on, each in a different color. I asked about them.
"Oh, these? Well, the black glittery one is a way of honoring the black-eyed Endernymphs who were killed as sacrifices. The red ones are from my sports, such as volleyball and track. This orange one was a souvenir from a random event. I got this green one from band and I got this purple one for exceeding my fundraising goal for a concert to benefit the Minecraftian Epilepsy Foundation. Havencraft High School is cool like that with all its fundraisers and things."
"What was your goal?"
"It was 25 iron ingots. I ended up getting 5 diamonds, 4 iron ingots, and a platter of cookies from Alex's father and two gold ingots from Alex herself."
"Where have you been all this time? How come I never knew you?"
"Well, I was banished because of some random prophecy. You can read it here. I've been compiling them. The bottom is kind of scratched out, but I kind of know what it means. She handed me the scroll, which had seven female figures on it. The one fighting the dragon was definitely Vivienne, Alisha was the one sitting on a throne at a meeting with what looked like her soldiers, the two dancing figures were Marcinia and Lorelai. I couldn't tell which was which, but I could tell that the dancing pair was them. Samantha was some sort of ethereal figure, almost flamelike. Rosalie was tending a field as if she were a villager. I was not in the scroll.
"Unroll it further," Emmeline coaxed. I did so and, to make sure, I blew on the scroll. Dust floated up everywhere. It stung my eyes and my throat felt like it was closing. I reached for my inhaler and puffed on it once. It didn't work. After four or five times, I still got nothing. I finally got back to normal. On the scroll, I noticed a wraith of a girl sitting in the corner stoically while being tormented. That was probably me. I noticed that Emmeline was the one who was pointing a staff as if either doing magic or pointing her sisters in the way they should go.
"Well, Alisha did become CEO of the Minecraftian school department." I remembered her standing like a queen when she spoke to Mindcrack's teachers.
"That doesn't surprise me. Samantha is a terrorist, Lorelai is a hermit, and Marcinia is a professional women's parkour team! Go skellies!" Though Alisha tortured me ruthlessly, it was Samantha who actually tried to kill me. She was the one of us that actually liked the Ender Dragon. Though she was bullied in school, she refused to empathize with me and instead found solidarity with an evil dragon. Now, she was out to get revenge on an unknown target while killing many innocents in the process.
Sportive and competitive, I'm sure Marcinia enjoyed herself doing parkour. It surprised me, though, that Lorelai would be a hermit. She seemed concerned with her social status in the past. Maybe she shut the world out in frustration or maybe she finally found the lifestyle that suited her. "And Rosalie..." Emmeline scrolled on her phone. "Rosalie died protecting a village from Samantha's attacks. It says here that Rosalie Netherfield was a "hero whose bravery could slay a thousand Ender Dragons." Rosalie took over for Vivienne on certain occasions. She did not like to do it, nor did she have to do it, but she did it. I'd say that she was the second kindest to me out of all of them. We talked on and on about our lives, just like sisters.
Because we were
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