[Past] Snake Eyes 4

"Why?" she added after a long pause, her head still cradled by the pillow.

"I need to clean these scales," he said, gesturing to the scatter around their cots, his finger trembling slightly.

"You don't need to. Just do what you can reach."

"Or wait 'til we're gone," the white-haired girl chimed in, her first words to him. She scratched her cheek again, two more white scales drifting down, landing with a faint tick on the floor.

"But…" He hesitated, swallowing hard, his mind racing. "I can't lose this job. I'm sorry if I'm bugging you, but please, can you move just a bit?"

The black-haired girl rolled onto her side, her dark eyes finally meeting his. She propped herself on an elbow, raising her left leg and crossing it over her right, her gown shifting slightly. "Do whatever you want, but I'm not moving," she declared, her voice firm, a challenge glinting in her slitted pupils.

"As you wish," he said, his tone resigned but edged with defiance. The sisters' curiosity piqued—what would this bold little cleaner do?

He stepped forward, his hand closing around her left ankle. Her skin was cool, smooth beneath his grip, her scales faintly visible under the surface.

"Are you gonna lick my foot?" she asked, her brow arching, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"Waaaa—"

Before she could finish, he yanked, pulling her ankle with a quick, firm tug. She slid across the floor, pillow and all, her gown flipping up to reveal white shorts beneath, her milk-white stomach exposed to the chill tiles. He dragged her to the room's far end, her body bumping lightly against the floor, her laughter swallowed by surprise.

By the time he stopped, black scales erupted across her skin—80 percent of her body cloaked in them, her eyes narrowing to sharp, reptilian slits. She transformed before him, a monstrous silhouette against the white wall, her petite frame swallowed by something primal, alien.

The boy stumbled back, horror seizing him. His feet rooted to the cold floor, his breath bursting in ragged gasps, his scream trapped in his throat—audible only to him. White-coated figures passed the glass doors, their clipboards clutched tight, their eyes sliding past the scene with practiced indifference. No one cared what happened to him here.

He gripped her ankle tighter, his knuckles white, unable to let go, his mind reeling. He'd expected weirdness—scales, oddities—but not this, not a girl turning into a creature from a nightmare right in front of him.

Then, as quickly as it came, the scales sank back, melting into her skin. The cute, black-haired girl reemerged, her expression sour, her leg still in his grasp. She shook it, glaring up at him. "Hey!"

"I'm sorry, very sorry, really sorry," he stammered, bowing with each apology, his voice quaking.

"My leg!"

"Oh! Shit, I'm sorry, very sorry, very very sorry, really sorry—" He released her ankle and dropped her leg like it burned, his hands flailing, his face pale with terror.

The white-haired girl, still sprawled at the room's center, watched from the corner of her eye, a faint smile curling her lips. She knew something he didn't, and it amused her.

"Shut up!" the black-haired girl snapped, sitting up, her gown settling around her.

"…"

"Take me there," she said, pointing to the room's opposite end, her tone clipped but oddly calm.

"…" The boy blinked, thrown by the anticlimax, her command jarring against the chaos in his head. Her twin's smile faltered, surprise flickering in her silver eyes.

"Here," she said, stretching out her right leg, her foot dangling expectantly.

"Umm…"

"Fast," she ordered, her gaze sharpening, a glint of impatience flashing in her reptilian pupils.

"Okay, okay!" He grabbed her right ankle and pulled, dragging her across the floor again. This time, no scales surged forth—her skin stayed smooth, her expression softening into something girlish, almost gleeful. She giggled as he tugged her to the far wall, her pillow sliding beneath her like a sled.

"Now there," she pointed to the left end, her voice light, playful.

He paused, catching his breath, then nodded and pulled again, her laughter bubbling up as he hauled her across the tiles.

"Now th—"

"Got it," he interrupted, grinning despite himself. He saw her now—not a monster, but a kid, playful and pure beneath the scales and strangeness. He dragged her in random circles, her giggles rising, the pillow skidding under her weight.

"Hahahaha!" she laughed, her voice bright, unburdened. "Faster… faster…"

"That's enough," a voice cut through, firm and cool, from the room's center. The white-haired girl sat up, her silver eyes narrowing, her patience frayed by their game.

They ignored her—the boy pulling, the black-haired girl laughing—lost in their childish whirl. Her annoyance flared, a spark igniting in her chest.

She thrust her arm forward, white scales bursting from her skin, cloaking her limb in a shimmering sheath. Her hand warped, fingers melding into the head of a red-eyed albino snake, its body stretching—long, sinuous, matching her arm's width. It slithered through the air, reaching the boy and coiling around his waist, yanking him to a halt.

"Wait, what the hell is this? A snake? Get it off, get it off!" he yelped, clawing at the scaly grip, his voice pitching high with panic. The black-haired girl stopped laughing, her eyes darting between him and the white snake.

"Sis, is that—?"

"Come here," the white-haired girl commanded, her tone softening with a shy edge. The snake pulled, dragging the boy to her feet. She lifted her leg, her gown shifting, a faint flush coloring her usually stoic face. "Do me the same."

He froze, the snake's coils loosening, his mind catching up to the surreal shift. First one, now the other—both strange, both childish in their own way. He exhaled, a warm smile breaking through his fear.

"Sure," he said, his voice steady, accepting the absurdity as he took her ankle and prepared to pull.