Dramatic scene: A Spy's Life

Twist crouched under a fern, so tightly wound into a human ball that she was getting cramps everywhere. T'was very tempting to unwind and twist around to crack each of them. A sound came from her comms unit in her earring: White Mage.

"How're you doing, Twist?" she whispered, the comms crackling slightly.
Twist touched her heart-shaped necklace and felt confidence come back to her. "Fine. He hasn't shown up yet, though." She smiled, remembering a fourth-grade day, a fake camera with a ready picture of a toucan in it and an inside joke about a boy. How silly it seemed now - but to this day she was still laughing. "Toucan might have gotten his beak stuck in a pineapple!"

There was muffled laughter from the other end. Twist chuckled too. YKW was still associated with that toucan picture to them. In fourth grade, Twist had had a pink camera that switched pictures whenever she clicked the button - picture of a lion, a toucan, an elephant, a whale, and so on. Guess who they pretended the toucan was?

There was movement along the path through the jungle, off of which was the very fern that Twist was sheltering behind. "Movement," she said softly. "Heavy steps. That's no jungle cat." A jaguar or leopard walked with a soft tread, regal or hunting. This was more like the inexperienced blunder of a city teen . . . her stomach flipped with anticipation. See him again. What would he be like?

Twist sprang smoothly from behind the fern, doing a side flip in the air to stand on the path, blocking the way the figure was trying to walk.

"Unbelievable," she murmured. He looked so much like before although she hadn't seen him for eight years. Bronze hair. Dark eyes. Tan. No mistake: this was the person with whom (unknowingly to him) they were playing cat and mouse.

Twist straightened up slowly, regarding him with what she hoped was the same stare that a Siamese regards you with (those who have walked in on the Queen cleaning her teeth will know the expression). YKW's eyes widened slightly, and he scanned over Twist's face, obviously seeing something that made him try to think back.

"Remember me?" she asked softly.

Twist could almost see the gears in his head line up and click, unleashing an alarm. So he did remember her. Interesting. "I've never seen you before," he retorted. "Get out of my way." He balled his fists at his sides.

"Not likely," said Twist, "because although this is neutral ground - nada, Switzerland - we're in control here."

He tipped his head to the side, scrutinizing her. Twist raised one eyebrow. "Let me jog your memory."

His eyes widened another fraction when Twist pulled the cap off of her head and let her now-long strawberry-blond hair fall, blowing a little in the wind. Recognition dawned on him, but the surprise was replaced smoothly by a smirk.

"Who's we? A spy agency?" A subtle smile spread across his face. Twist knew the gist of what he was going to say next. "Because, you know, I've been part of one since I was nine. I confided that in you - and, you know, they implanted a chip in my ear, allowing me to know wherever and whenever somebody is getting murdered . . . have I ever told you that?"


Twist made a menacing sound no less than a hiss. "You were playing around. Making fun of me. Because you knew how much I wanted to be a spy? Or because I was a stupid girl who would believe anything that one person said to her? I remember everything. You and I have a game of cat and mouse to play, and you've no chance of escaping. Our boss only wanted to ask you a few questions."

YKW frowned and crossed his arms. "Boss? Don't tell me that you're trying to redeem your dignity now. It's too late to present yourself as a spy."

"Is it?" Twist asked. "I never lied to you. You knew it and took advantage of it. I'll never forgive it. And it's too late to return to your mouse hole."

A slow smile lit his expression. "'When the mouse laughs at the cat, there is a hole nearby.' Ever heard of the exprression? Well, cat lady, catch me if you can!" He turned and started to run. I held my ground, crossing my arms, and smiled smugly. Because the next moment, White Mage was standing over YKW's still - but breathing - form, holding a frying pan with a face-shaped indent in it. We high-five.