The Long Way Home

Part 1, Chapter 1: Sick

A/N: Hello!  This is just a short story I wrote for fun.  it is an original as well.  I wrote it for fun and then I was like, 'Hey!  I should put this on Wattpad!' so I am.  Enjoy :D

Avis and Nyx. Those were the names our parents had given us. And now things were about to change. We had come home from school that day, bickering as you would expect from 13-year-old twins. I was annoyed with Nyx because she didn't understand that the world didn't revolve around boys and gossip, and she was mad with me because I had no sense over common trends. Yup. If that doesn't explain how different we are, I don't know what does. We entered the door, expecting to continue bickering until we made it to the bedroom to start on homework. Reality was quite the opposite. The candles were out in the cabin and there were muffled voices from upstairs. Nyx and I looked at each other. Something was wrong.

We stormed up the stairs, me taking them two at a time. There was a light in Mother and Father's room. We burst in to see Mother and Father asleep in bed with the local healer peering over them. Our neighbor was also there. The healer and our neighbor spun around.
"What's going on here?" I whispered, fiercely. Mrs. Varga, our neighbor, put an arm around Nyx and my shoulders and tried to lead us out of the room. Nyx looked ready to leave, but I crossed my arms and stood firm. Nyx did as well. The healer spoke.

"Girls, your parents have come down with a serious illness. I-I don't know if they'll make it, but they still have a chance." His eyes were down, guilty, even though he had only helped. I was shocked. Just yesterday, we were all having dinner, although they had insisted on going to bed early because they were tired. I mentally kicked myself before spinning on my heel and turning to my bedroom. I slammed the door and flopped on my bed.

I hadn't cried in years, but now I felt like I had to. Mother and Father were-no. I couldn't bring myself to say it. A few minutes later, Nyx walked in and sat on her bed with her head in her hands. She looked up at me.
"Avis, what are we going to do? Mother and Father are-" she said before breaking down and crying. I laid a hand on her arm.

"It's not over yet. Healer Matthew said they still have a slight chance." I said, trying to reassure my twin, but my voice faltered. I knew most likely it was over.

Later that night, the healer instructed us how to take care of them. We nodded, sadly. He couldn't stay there full time due to some private things, some medical conference he had to attend. I rolled my eyes. A bunch of mumbo jumbo when my parents' lives are at stake.