Veronica and Taylor Crane

A clearing in the woods spans the width of an emptied pond and the length of an ancient sasquatch. So a decent clearing, indeed. The forest circles this clearing, and a town stands not too far on the sunrise side. It was home to a standard northern town. A white chapel stood in the center, surrounded by shops and people happily enjoying their day. That side was dreadfully dull. However, the sunset side of the woods was interesting. A cave housed a dreadful wolf that growled when anyone got close. The trees would sometimes drop whispers of prophecy to a keen ear. The ferns would run about, for they had no master. And a gallowed tree stood in the middle of it all. The residents of those woods live in tiny cottages, though they hardly interact with one another. Usually, someone would end up dead if that happened. Though that’s enough about the woods, let’s talk about the clearing in the middle. An unofficial bridge from the normal to the supernatural. This house was crooked, bending towards the sunset side. It was a lopsided mess, creaking in the wind. Sparse plants grew around its dark oak exterior. The black wood shingles sprouted mushrooms if you looked closely. The garden out front was well-trimmed, and the masters of the place wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Crane family were the current owners, moving in not more than three months ago. They were a nuclear family. A master and his mistress’s faces were obscured by the vegetables they liked to wear on their heads. Sometimes, cutting them down to masks. Oh, the eccentric lord and his lady. They had two twin daughters, Veronica and Taylor. Which was which, well, one had triangular pigtails and a thin face. The other had a round face with long, straight hair. Though they didn’t even know which was which. But those were the differences. The girls were known for terrorizing the town. Eyes that had seen too much stared at the locals, causing some to flee. They enjoyed petting an old rabid dog that looked too scrawny to hold its weight. For the girls’ studies, they went to a school on the sunrise side and often got good grades, though the teacher usually gave those out of fear. They loved exploring the sunset side, where they had a supernatural friend. A vampire named Leviticus. Both girls loved to spend some days with him, playing in the way kids do. Leviticus didn’t attend the same school as them. Anyway, I’ve rambled for too long; let me tell you who I am. I’m the groundskeeper of the place; my name is Beverly the Ghost. BOO! Yeah… No, I’m not feeling it either. Anyway, I will tell you about the girls and their first day at school. It starts on a cool August day…

Two girls stood outside a dark oak house. Both were dressed in their school uniforms: a dark green sweater vest, a green plaid skirt, and a green tie. They were allowed to wear whatever button-down shirt they wanted, though. The one with pigtails chose a black shirt with white pinstripes, and the one with long hair chose solid black. “No sun today,” Observed Veronica. She looked at her sister, who seemed just as pensive.

“Good I hate the warm weather. It hurts our pale complexion.” Taylor responded.

“Agreed,” Said Veronica. Veronica hitched her red backpack slightly higher on her shoulders, and Taylor readjusted her dark green uniform tie. The two started moving through the forest.

“Good bye.” They both waved in unison.

“Have a wonderful day girls, just holler if you need anything and I’ll be right there!” Beverly waved a gloved, slightly translucent hand. Taylor or Veronica, the one in the solid black shirt, cocked her head.

“Your skin looks different today.”

“Agreed what is with that Beverly.” Beverly sighed at these proddings.

“I’m trying something out. Blue skin seems to be better than just translucent. Besides, I hear lovers like blue.”

“The only thing that would date you is a demon.”

“We can summon one if you’d like.” The girls offered.

“Oh, shut it! Go to school, girls.” They left. She sighed. Her last boyfriend was a farm boy from when she was alive, though she hadn’t seen him in forever. Probably due to dying, she hoped that wouldn’t ruin many other future prospects. She started raking the leaves again, clearing the path for her master’s way to work.

The girls arrived in town and began the search for their school, passing by the corner market and making their way down the boulevard. People passed them without a second glance, school kids were common in this town. They found the white chapel pretty easily but after that they discovered that they were lost. The one with pinstripes and pig tails tried thinking of something to do. The one who considered herself brighter decided to talk to someone.

“Excuse me mam.” She said politely. The man scratched his head.

“Did you mean sir? I’m a man.” He said confusedly.

“Oh, well, our parents simply said, don’t forget your sirs and mams, so I just used the first one that came to mind,” she explained thoughtfully.

“That’s quite alright. Can I help you with something.” He asked inquisitively.

“Well, it seems like my sister and I can’t find our way to the schoolhouse. Would you help us… sir?” she asked sweetly.

“Oh the schoolhouse, that makes sense judging by your uniforms. Just follow the red arrows that are marked from the poles. Follow the green arrows and you’ll die a wickedly horrible death, so don’t go there. Of course if you want to die a peaceful death follow the purple arrows.” The girl with the solid black shirt looked at the poles. The arrows appeared in a smoky haze. Her sister walked towards her. “Well I’m off now girls enjoy your visit to the school.” He tipped his hat and disappeared into the shadows of a tree. The smell of tar briefly wafted from the tree before dissipating.

“That man didn’t have a face.” The girl with pinstripes commented.

“Sometimes the obvious doesn’t need to be pointed out Taylor.”

“I’m Veronica.”

“No, I’m…never mind, I don’t waste time with dimwits.” The girl with the plain shirt walked towards the red arrows, and the girl in pinstripes followed. They made their way to the schoolhouse with no other incidents.

The schoolhouse sat in a gated area surrounded by tiny oak trees. A park sat in the back for recess. The building was small; it could only hold 60 occupants. It was white-washed with black shingles, and it had a golden bell in its tower to indicate the period. The girls made their way inside the wind from late summer, playing with their hair. The one in pinstripes looked at her sister with a look of disgust.

“You’re wearing plain black leggings again. Are you too intellectual to wear something white?”

“Please monochrome speaks volumes of control you wouldn’t understand. Striped stockings, striped shirt, and I’m pretty sure if I were to cut you open your brain would be striped. If not empty and full of cobwebs.”

“Stripes speak of creativity, and solid black screams of boredom. You have no intellectual status except for knowledge of the best way to fall out of a tree.” The one in solid black sneered at this. “Don’t make that face, with someone for such intellectuality she sure doesn’t know anything about climbing trees.” The girl with pinstripes smiled at her own victory. As if she hadn’t secretly weakened the branch with a saw enough to give at someone’s body weight. “Do you remember how Laviviticus laughed?” She had taken it too far and ended up sitting through class with a bruised arm.

The class was dreadfully boring. The teacher sat in front of the blackboard, reciting something some old dead poet recited long ago. The one in solid black almost fell asleep, her long hair the perfect length to shut out the light. However the girl in pinstripes listened to every word like it was gospel. Later, the two discussed their experiences outside during recess.

“Oh I do love Shakespeare.” The one in pinstripes sighed. “I want to learn necromancy just to resurrect him and discuss Macbeth.” The one in solid black didn’t get this at all. “Oh my hands are red, and it won’t come off. Why won’t the blood come off!?” She wailed in imitation.

“Shakespear and Veronica sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” The one in solid black mocked.

“Why must you hurt me vial sister! My name is Taylor, if you’re going to mock, do it right!”

“Hey, what do we have here?” The girls looked up from their endless squabbling to see a boy approaching them. He was wearing a purple shirt with his uniform, and a group of boys stood behind him. “Hows about we show these newcomers who’s incharge!?” He said slicking back his black hair.

“Ooooh do tell us what you plan on doing? My sister and I are well versed in multiple forms of torture.” Both of them nodded excitedly. The boys took a step back, except for their leader.

“Are you now? My father is the owner of Gȯmon Conglomerate, so I know some of it myself.” He glanced in a different direction. “Why don’t we try it out on him.” The girls followed his gaze to a dweeby-looking boy in a red shirt. The girls smiled and rushed over there to the boy, the boys on their tail. Though some of them dragged their feet, unsure of this new turn of events. The boy looked up just in time to see two girls walk up to him sweetly. A group of boys followed behind them. The girls knelt down where he was playing with a toy car.

“What do we have here dear sister?” The one in solid black asked.

“Well it would seem like we have a sweet boy with a cool car.” The boy smiled.

“It’s actually a Dodge Challenger, a red one like my dad has!” He said excitedly.

“Oh how cool.” A girl walked behind the boy.

“Cool indeed.” Suddenly, the boy was yanked by the collar, the girl by his feet, grabbing and hoisting him up. They shoved him against the barred fence. Grabbing rope from their backpacks, they tied him there. At this point, all the boys scurried away as the boy screamed in horror.

“Now what sister?” The girl with pinstripes asked.

“Veronica, do you happen to have a hammer with splinters?” The girl with pinstripes pulled out the material. The girl in solid black brought out a jar of bugs. “Let’s splinter his fingers and force bugs into his eyes!” The boy behind them laughed.

“You guys are hardcore!” He cackled to himself. “You know my father has an electric chair we could use.” The boy wet himself, crying out for help. A teacher finally came running. Her white blouse and green skirt flapping in the wind.

“Shane, Taylor, Veronica, cut this out at once!” She came to help the boy. “Girls drop that stuff and meet me in my office immediately!!” The girls did so; the hammer and nails made a clunk, and the bug jar shattered. Worms and maggots scurried about the teacher. She screamed in terror, and the boy screamed because many of the bugs thought up his sleeves was the best way to hide. And the girls and Shane laughed in pure enjoyment. That day, they had made their first friend at the old schoolhouse.

Their parents got a letter, of course, after the girls got a verbal scolding from the teacher. The letter said. “Dear Mr. and Mrs. Crane, we of the board at Silverleaf Nightshade School for young folks have a strict no-torture policy. Luckily your children only picked a middle-class boy, any higher and they would have to be punished. Your kids didn’t check the boy’s family status; if they are going to torture, always make sure of that. Your family isn’t the most wealthy and thus must go with caution. Your’s truly, The Board.” The girls’ parents recited this letter and told the girls to be good. Later, the girls found themselves around the table in the ground keeper’s cottage as Beverly served them tea.

“Well, it sounds like you girls had an eventful day,” she smiled at them. The girl in solid black chewed on a cookie as her sister recited the joys of the day.

“Yes and we even made a new friend named Shane! Oh he is just wonderful isn’t he sister.” Her sister nodded at this.

“And what makes him so wonderful.”

“He has torture devices at his home. Perhaps when we are invited over we can find new tools for our collection to steal.” Oh, to be a child again. Beverly sighed, looking into her tea. And listened to the Crane girls chatter about what adventures they would go on tomorrow.

The End