The Miller Twins (1)

House of Pendulums

Patricia's POV

I stood stock still on the beam, I couldn't quite believe this was happening, I mean really Robert Frobisher Smythe.

Nina"Okay, turn around, Patricia, Don't move, just turn around."

Patricia" Nina, make sense"

Alfie "Go now,"

Patricia "I can't go now."

Amber"Okay, just—one, two, and then go,"

Patricia" Okay, anyone who does not have a pendulum swinging in front of their face, shut up,"

We watch as we try and give Patricia points but let her try and figure out how to get back, I mean this is serious. I breathe in and takes a few minute before dodging a star pendulum and a moon pendulum. I stand there and can't quite believe what just happened.

Amber" You made that look so easy, honest, I actually thought you might die"

Fabian" We can learn this. It's just like a song."

Patricia"Uh, it's not like a song. It's like a chopping board, Fabian"

Fabian" No, it's got its own rhythm, Uh...the most I know about music is the few things I retained from music class growing up. Which is, like, nothing. I don't even think I have rhythm...? "So think of each pendulum as a chord."

We all look at Fabian as if again he has spoken a foreign language. Fabian sighs.

Fabian" Okay, look how about this, the sun's A and C and the moon's B and D, get it A and C and B and D"

Alfie" Yeah, it's like pendulum hip-hop, man,"

Amber rolls her eyes.

Amber "Oh, here we go."

Alfie "This is finally useful."

Alfie starts hip hoping and beat boxing and everyone rolls their eyes.

Amber" Alfie could you just stop it"

Patricia"What's up with you two?"

Alfie then stops beatboxing.

Alfie" We broke up."

Amber stamps her foot like a toddler insisting they didn't break up.

Amber" We didn't break up, we are still together"

Alfie" No we are not"

Amber" Yes we are!"

Amber stamps her foot this time even harder.

Fabian" If we could get back on topic, it's a refrain. If we learn the song, we learn the gaps."

Nina "We learn the gaps, and we walk straight through."

Fabian "Exactly."

Patricia" So that means more practise, uh I'm tired of all these booby traps, and who knows how many more there are until we reach the final tunnel?"

Alfie "More practice?"

Fabian" Yeah but maybe not with real pendulums"

We make our way back to the study and Fabian is trying to tell us that it is all okay.

Fabian" It's okay, we can get the song"

Patricia "It's not the song I'm worried about, "It's the swinging pendulums of doom."

Nina "That's why we need to practice, by the time we're finished, you'll be able to do it with your eyes closed."

Amber"That's the only way I'll be able to do it."