WindSwept Narrows: #21 Charlotte Bell & Natalie Templeton
Karen Diroll-Nichols
- Faith
- Morrison
- stood
- with
- two
- seventeen
- year
- olds,
- talking
- games
- and
- waiting.
- They
- had
- a
- match
- set
- and
- a
- room
- reserved
- for
- them
- for
- a
- four
- played
- shooter
- game
- in
- the
- arcade
- at
- the
- resort.
- They’d
- been
- working
- together
- and
- talking
- to
- one
- another
- for
- almost
- three
- months
- before
- the
- teens
- had
- moved
- into
- the
- local
- area.“You
- think
- dad
- would
- freak
- if
- he
- knew?”
- Jamie
- Hunter
- asked
- his
- twin
- sister
- when
- Faith
- Morrison
- wandered
- to
- the
- main
- desk
- to
- get
- their
- room
- code.“That
- we’re
- meeting
- some
- gamers
- we
- met
- online?
- Oh,
- hmm…”
- Jenna
- rolled
- her
- dark
- eyes
- and
- shook
- her
- head.
- “Freak
- probably
- isn’t
- a
- strong
- enough
- word
- for
- his
- reaction.”“Yeah,
- probably
- not,”
- Jamie
- watched
- the
- older
- woman
- and
- friend
- meet
- up
- and
- hug.
- “You
- just
- never
- get
- the
- picture
- right
- in
- your
- head
- when
- you’re
- playing,
- you
- know?”“They
- don’t
- look
- old,”
- Jenna
- agreed,
- smiling
- broadly
- as
- the
- pair
- of
- woman
- approached.“Hi!
- I’m
- so
- glad
- to
- finally
- meet
- you
- guys,”
- Charlotte
- Bell
- offered
- a
- hand.
- “Charlie
- and
- you’ve
- already
- met
- Faith.
- This
- is
- going
- to
- be
- a
- great
- match,”
- she
- promised,
- taking
- the
- lead
- and
- guiding
- them
- to
- the
- small
- room
- where
- the
- game
- was
- waiting.You
- learn
- a
- lot
- about
- people
- talking
- and
- gaming,
- Charlotte
- realized
- as
- they
- played
- the
- popular
- shooter
- game.
- Working
- as
- a
- team,
- as
- they
- had
- been
- for
- months,
- they
- had
- an
- advantage
- over
- the
- other
- teams
- that
- appeared
- when
- cued
- for
- play.
Jamie
- and
- Jenna
- Hunter
- enjoyed
- the
- social
- part
- of
- the
- game
- as
- much
- as
- the
- action
- and
- strategy.Both
- had
- dark
- hair
- and
- eyes.
- Both
- were
- smart,
- listened
- well
- to
- instructions
- and
- had
- good
- ideas
- when
- the
- team
- discussed
- how
- to
- play
- a
- mission.Faith
- and
- Charlotte
- had
- gone
- through
- several
- people
- trying
- out
- to
- join
- their
- team
- until
- they
- both
- agreed
- on
- the
- twins.
- Anyone
- watching
- from
- the
- outside
- saw
- a
- blonde,
- a
- redhead
- and
- two
- brunettes
- all
- about
- the
- same
- age.
- Few
- would
- realize
- the
- women
- were
- over
- ten
- years
- older
- than
- the
- teenagers.Ninety
- minutes
- later,
- controllers
- were
- set
- down
- and
- congratulations
- rang
- through
- the
- room.
- Water
- bottles
- and
- tall
- containers
- of
- soda
- were
- drained
- when
- the
- door
- opened,
- Charlotte’s
- eyes
- and
- body
- stopping
- in
- the
- entry.“Now
- what
- is
- wrong
- with
- that
- picture?”
- She
- said
- softly,
- watching
- the
- two
- definitely
- out
- of
- place
- men
- wander
- around
- machines
- and
- people.
- Her
- hand
- went
- up
- to
- automatically
- twirl
- the
- long
- red
- ponytail
- she
- wore
- while
- gaming,
- full
- lips
- pursed
- and
- taking
- in
- the
- size,
- shape
- and
- demeanor
- of
- the
- pair.
- They
- were
- searching,
- she
- thought.
- And
- the
- only
- thing
- to
- search
- for
- in
- the
- arcade,
- was
- people.
- Mostly
- kids
- in
- the
- portion
- they
- were
- stalking.“They
- don’t
- belong,”
- Jenna
- said
- instantly,
- stepping
- forward
- and
- standing
- next
- to
- Charlotte.“You
- look
- lost,”
- Charlotte
- said
- loudly,
- catching
- their
- attention
- with
- a
- quick
- step
- forward.
- She
- saw
- their
- eyes
- do
- a
- quick
- scan,
- taking
- in
- the
- low
- scooped
- tee
- shirt,
- her
- chest
- dotted
- with
- freckles.
- Men.
- “Can
- I
- help
- you?”“Just
- lookin’
- for
- someone,”
- the
- shorter
- one
- commented,
- casting
- his
- glance
- around
- at
- the
- group.
- “You
- kids
- go
- play.”“Who’re
- you
- looking
- for?
- Maybe
- I
- know
- them?”
- Charlotte
- pressed,
- fixing
- a
- bright
- smile
- on
- her
- face
- and
- sinking
- her
- other
- hand
- in
- the
- pocket
- of
- her
- jean
- shorts.“Kid
- brother,”
- Came
- an
- absent
- answer,
- the
- pair
- of
- them
- looking
- around
- the
- large
- area.“Hmm…I
- wouldn't
- need
- a
- photo
- to
- find
- my
- brother,”
- Faith
- commented
- casually.“Go
- find
- security.
- Give
- Cat
- a
- call…I’ll
- keep
- an
- eye
- on
- them,”
- Charlotte
- turned
- to
- Jenna
- and
- Jamie.
- “You
- might
- want
- to
- stay…”“I’m
- going
- with
- you,”
- Jenna
- declared
- instantly,
- frowning.
- “If
- they
- were
- after
- my
- brother,
- I’d
- want
- to
- stop them.”
