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A cold mist filled the shack. A biting terror that sent
chills up every spine in the place.
Watkins closed the Book and turned to see what horror now
was creeping up on him. The shongili muttered a low growl, and sweat
beaded on the minister’s forehead, but he wasn’t the object of the
monster’s wrath. And, the minister noted, the growl was more whine and
fear than anger.
A cute, pixie-like face topped by carrot red braids peeped
around the doorway. Grinning with gaps in the teeth and no less angelic,
a second joined her.
“Hi, Aunt Anna!”
The second echoed, adding, “Hey, y’all!”
Pointy jaws dropped. Green eyes widened.
“Gee, Unca’ Cahl.”
“Is that really you?”
Eyes rolled up in the ugly head, the shongili moaned and
thudded to the floor changing into a naked human man.
A shriek filled the air. The minister blinked and
shuddered. Squat, scabby, and so ugly it made him want to puke in
terror, a demon appeared. It stared at the sweet, grinning twins.
One yelled, “Can we keep it?”
“We need a new pet.”
“Please, Aunt Anna?”
“Pretty please?”
“We love it.”
“Ain’t our fault that last un caught fire.”
“Burned to a crisp.”
“Poor Booboo.”
A long, loud wail cracked plaster from the walls. The demon
fled.
The minister felt an odd warmth in his head, and the terror
lifted.
The girls marched in naked as jay birds and chattering just
as fast.
“Trixie, Dixie?” Anna grabbed a shoulder in each hand.
“What in the name of the living water are you doing here? Who sent
you?”
“Ow!
“Ow! We don’t know.
“We just showed up in some old bad place and some bad
guys run off.
“They was smoking.
“Burning.
“But it wasn’t us!”
“Swear it,” Anna said, giving the girls a small shake.
They raised crossed fingers, hooked them together and spat
on the floor.
“’Cause Jesus loves us, I do so solemnly swear.”
“Yeah, me, too.”
Anna snatched the Book from the minister’s hand and
thrust it in front of the girls.
“Kiss it.”
Bow-shaped mouths trembled. They glanced at each other.
Shivering and clutching at each other, the twins press
their lips to the Book and jumped back yelling in pain. A pair of
kiss-shaped scorch marks were burned into the cover.
“He hates us.
“Yeah.
“Makes us act like little bitty--
“Girls.”
Pure outrage marred the sweet faces. The pair wailed and
sobbed.
“You are little girls,” Anna said, slapping out the
fire with one hand. “Wolf only wants you to love him . . . As a
friend, not . . . what you used to do. I swear, I’ll see you both dead
before I let you abuse Creator’s love.”
Green eyes blinked and grew huge.
They wailed and threw skinny arms around Anna, sobbing and
weeping.
They spotted Benny and jumped at him cheering.
“Unca’ Benny!
“Gosh, you’re ugly, now.
Trixie whispered, “Weren’t much to look at afore the
wreck, Sis.”
They snickered but covered his face with kisses.
On the floor, Carl groaned, rising up on hands and knees.
The minister took a sheet and threw it over the heaving back. Anna
smiled her thanks. She knelt next to the man, stroking the greasy blond
hair.
Green eyes wide and troubled, the twins stared.
“Gosh.
“Unca’ Cahl is alive.”
“And sick.”
The tiny room filled with wails. They launched themselves
at Carl. Anna shot a cold look at them, and the twins huddled away. The
minister wrapped a blanket around them, and they offered him sweet
smiles.
“I’m Trixie.
“I’m Dixie.
“Wanna make a movie?”
“Death cometh." A scowling Anna loomed over the
pair.
Whimpering, the girls covered their faces with the blanket.
Four stiff braids pointed at the scabby ceiling. The pastor lay a hand
on each of the girls’ heads.
“Now, Mrs. Ivanovitch–“
“Pastor, you have no idea.”
"They’re evil,” Benny said, glaring at the
blanket.
Carl grunted and sat up.
“They need a good beating and then locked in a room in a
cave a million miles away on the moon. Even then, the brats would be
deadly.”
Shocked but smiling, the minister laughed.
“They have to be the sweetest kids I ever saw–“
“Demon possessed.” Carl stood with a little help from
Anna. “Even the devil is scared o’ them.”
Muffled by the blanket, a prim voice said, “Flattery
won’t get you nowhere, Unca’ Cahl!”
“Yeah!”
“Somebody get me a two-by-four.” Carl tied the sheet
around his middle. “Get me a baseball bat. I’ll get the truth out of
them.”
Screeching in terror, the girls bolted from the blanket to
cling to the minister’s legs.
“Don’t let ‘im,” one begged.
The second wailed. “Oh, please, mister.
“Save us!”
A sweet laugh came from behind Benny. The shrill cries
stopped. The twins beamed a grin at the pretty lady laying in the bed.
“Hi, I’m Trixie and this is my beeeoooteeful sister,
Dixie.”
“Are you an’ Unca’ Benny making a movie?”
Necks craning, they looked for a camera.
“I do not make movies.” The veins in Benny’s temple
throbbed and the girls stilled. “Neither are you. Got it?”
“But, you used to--“
“Carl.”
Every tooth showing in a-sort-of-a grin, Carl growled a
laugh and the girls scooted under the bed.
Hauling them out, Carl’s hand cracked on one bottom and
they both wailed in pain. He smacked the second and they screamed. Carl
sighed and held them both. Freckled arms went around his neck in a
chokehold and the big man sniffed.
“This is Sue,” Carl said, rising with them in his arms.
Tears dried in an instant. The girls beamed at Sue.
“Benny’s dream gal.
“Sure is purty.
“Give him wet dreams, I bet.”
They snickered.
“Sue, meet Trixie and Dixie, the Twins from Hell.”
“Ah, Unca’ Carl.” Dixie sighed.
Trixie gave Carl a wet smooch on the cheek.
“You say the sweetest things about a gal!”
©2004 StoriesByEmail.com
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