DOUBLE TROUBLE

The two girls watched from over the rail of the balcony as 2 boys were brought in. Both were shaking, one whimpering softly, shivering like a whipped dog, the other almost thrashing, low growling sounds coming from within as he was laid by the menservants on the floor of the atrium.

“My, my, Aunty Needle wasn’t kidding when she said that he was a fighter,” One purred, tapping her cigarette lazily with a manicured nail to dislodge some ash. “She always gets us something special, doesn’t she?”

The other nodded, leaning over the balcony slightly, her eyes narrowed, intent, like a cat watching a fish swim in its bowl. Poised.

“Shame we have to give them back.” She trailed off, then looked up. “Fun time.”

Aurelia looked into her own eyes, and smiled. The two twins were radically different, and yet perfectly the same. Identical twins, but the products of divorced parents; a Japanese actress and a Russian fighter/fight-scene choreographer. Both had strange, smokey silver-blonde hair, and delicately tilted black eyes, a button nose and cupids bows for mouths. They were both exactly 5 foot, with slender, almost boyish figures. And that was where it ended.

Aurelia had been taken by her mother and raised in Devon, England. Her mother, an Actress, had married a rich man and she was the classic rich child. Her voice was cut-glass English, as precise as a scalpel, elocution fit to make the prissiest school-teacher cry. Everything about her was carefully maintained, the long soft waves of hair, the careful layers of make-up, the black dress that flared around her knees, revealing pearlescent white legs.

And then there was Anisiya. Her hair was short, a crew cut around her face, only accenting the beauty and the delicacy of her features... and the hard look in her onyx eyes. She was dressed in a black strappy top, fringed in black lace, tight-fitting black jeans, and shiny black Doc Martins, laced up tight. She spoke with a Russian accent, usually in short, clipped sentences, drank neat vodka, could take 3 men down without thinking twice... and yet never smoked. Otherwise a perfect big sister, smoking was the only thing that she ever nagged Aurelia about. For good reason, her father had died of lung cancer, and she had appeared on Aurelia’s mum’s doorstep, and commanded that they took her in.

Despite the distance, despite the radically different upbringings... they were very alike. Pretty to look at, sadistic inside. Daughters of darkness, sisters in sin.

And both of them snapped around at a commotion below. One of the boys had slammed his head into that of the man holding him... and the man had staggered. Taking this opportunity, the boy had pressed his advantage, kicking him hard. He ricocheted off him, hitting the man holding the boy’s brother...

The other boy ran. Aurelia twitched, worried... and looked at Anisiya, who was settling back, enjoying the show.

“If we lose them...” Aurelia said, then sighed. “Don’t worry, I’ll get them.”

At Anisiya’s disbelieving snort, she just shot her sister an evil glare and ran down the stairs into the fray. Anisiya settled back to watch. The two boys were only wearing a pair of black jeans, their feet bare and mud-stained from the walk up the drive, but their legs were free. They were handcuffed, police-issue rigid cuffs behind their backs... a collar around each of their necks with a name-tag... and yet this one chained boy was decimating both of their trained staff.

And then, with a click, the handcuffs were off. Clever boy, Anisiya approved, interested.

The other boy had scarpered to the other side of the hall, but had hesitated, watching. And she saw his brilliant blue eyes, wizard’s eyes, widen as the boy turned on Aurelia. The boy advanced on Aurelia. She threw a punch, it went wide, and he slapped her across the face. Anisiya’s hands balled on the balcony railing... Then she vaulted over, landing between the boy and her sister.

“Now you die,” Anisiya hissed softly.

And she moved in. He threw a punch, she ducked, and stepped in, sledgehammering a left hook straight into his gut. He doubled up, coughing, and she brought her right fist down in an overhead punch. He sagged to the floor, on all flours, barely conscious, and she caught one of his arms, her boot on the centre of his back, twisting his arm savagely. It would take such a little effort to pop it clean out of its socket.

He was crying in pain now, pressed against the floor...

“Ani...” Aurelia began nervously. “Ani, I’m fine, let him go. Ani! He’s not our toy.”

Anisiya twisted further... revelling in the boy’s scream... then was knocked backwards. The other boy, with his hands still chained behind his back had just thrown himself at her. Laughing, she recovered, sweep-kicking his legs out from underneath him... then placing the same black boot that had been on his brother’s back, onto his chest, gazing down into the finely chiselled face.

Aurelia, recovering, clicked the handcuffs back onto the prone boy’s wrists... and Anisiya leant down.

“This one is Kyle,” She read. “So the other must be Kevin.”

“And I suppose you want this one,” Aurelia said, sounding depressed.

Anisiya looked up.

“Oh no Ray. I want the quiet one. I want to make him scream.”

She felt Kyle shudder underneath her heel. Aurelia’s face twisted into a grin, and she nodded to the two menservants.

“Take him to the dungeon,” She commanded them, then turned to Anisiya. “Dinner is...”

“At eight. I know,” Anisiya said. “Enjoy yourself.”

She gazed down at Kyle as they left. The boy was trying his best to avoid her eyes. She wasn’t sure how long it was before there was a long-drawn out scream. Kyle’s eyes widened, and suddenly snapped to hers. She grinned at the second scream.

“Relax. She hasn’t touched your brother. That is Roy and John. The servants. She’s punishing them,” She stepped back. “Are you scared?”

Kyle swallowed, but didn’t answer.

“I said, are you scared?”

He nodded hesitantly.

“Look little mouse, if I ask you a verbal question, I expect a verbal answer. I don’t do rhetorical. They are pointless,” Anisiya stated coolly. “And if I want you silent, I’ll gag you. So?”

“Yes Mistress.”

He flinched at Anisiya’s ‘tcha’ noise, watching as she withdrew her boot, stepping back.

“Do I look like a Mistress to you?” She demanded.

“Well... no...”

“I’m not a slut dressed up in leather. You will call me Anisiya, or Ma’am. Get up.”

Kyle, clearly uncertain, got up. Anisiya’s eyes drank him up, then she took him firmly by the arm and marched him out of the room, dragging him out into the back garden... where there was a bottle of Smirnoff balanced in the snow and a shot glass. She sat down on the garden wall, giving Kyle a long look.

“I’m going to tell you something,” Anisiya stated. “You can run.” She straightened up and clicked off the handcuffs. “Run. Run little rabbit, I dare you.”

He stared at her, those gorgeous blue eyes widening, long black lashes touching his pale cheeks. Kyle hesitated, looking at her, then at the house...

“But you’re not going to run,” Anisiya said quietly.

“Because you’d stop me,” he stated.

“No. Because you’d stop you,” Anisiya pulled the bottle towards her and poured some into the glass. “You’re twins. Me and Aurelia. We’re twins. I know. You won’t run for the same reason that I couldn’t let her get hurt. It’s a powerful thing.” She smiled, and slugged from the bottle of vodka. “I know you probably think that I’m like Kevin. The fighter. Truth is, he’s more like Aurelia. He owns you in a way you don’t understand, just like she owns me. You can’t be where he is not. I know.”

Kyle looked away, his black hair blowing in the cold breeze, goosebumps playing over his skin, wrapping his arms around him.

“Go on,” She nodded towards the shot glass.

He gave her an incredulous look, then took the shot glass and drained it with an obvious shudder. She smiled.

“Lightweight,” She teased, setting the bottle down and getting up. “So, being as you’re not running, let me tell you. I’m going to have you.” She tilted her head on one side. “And I dare you to stop me.”

He froze... and she leapt. Knocking him back to the snow, she gave him a euphoric smile, catching his wrists and forcing them away, kissing down the length of his neck, feeling him shudder underneath her with something that was more than cold, and she laughed down at him, sliding her hands down the length of his arms and cradling his neck. She leant down and kissed him, long and slow and hard, straight on the lips, and felt him melt into her, opening his mouth to let her in.

She felt his gasp as she toyed gently with his nipple... then she straightened up, and pulled her cami-top over her head, and felt him gasp again. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and her skin was as pale as the snow all around her, her chest patterned with swirling black tattoos, playing over her rounded breasts. She put her hands either side of his head, her black eyes boring into his.

“Stop me,” She whispered to him. “I dare you.”