The Lightning that Jumps Between

Twenty Six

Karl was focused intently on Maricara. Behind her, the daughters were cooking–meatball soup–and it smelled absolutely delicious. He had to fight both his intense instinct to salivate over the scent, and the noise in his addled brain to concentrate on her words. He had not ever mastered the Romani language, and the older woman spoke quickly. But he was content to listen, until two resounding crashes came from the master bedroom across the manor.

Everyone in the kitchen area paused; Karl turned to look over his shoulder down the long hallway. Rose had been methodically climbing up Karl's legs and torso, an endeavor he was helping her with by holding her securely. Now she too turned with him, hanging upside down from the crook of his elbow.

After the loud crashes came raucous laughter–was that ETHAN laughing? And another voice–high pitched, fairylike–Eva? Rose spoke with her arms still flailing over her head. "Dada." She babbled, then continued. "Eba. Uh oh!"

"Yeah, sounds like it," Karl answered, pulling her upright and heading down the hallway. Several other loud crashes sounded as Karl's boots thudded loudly on the wood. His heart rate had increased, he realized, but how could he think there was danger with the shrieks of laughter that still sounded? Maricara was rapid on his heels after the second crash.

"Jesus, Winters, can't do anything the easy way, not even grieve," Karl growled, the incessant worry growing as he approached the room. With Rose perched on one arm he pulled the heavy wooden door open. Whatever Karl had expected to see, he was doubly confused at the sight of both blonds taking turns propping each other up, trying to stand, while Donna sat quizzically behind them holding a golden dish.

At the sight of Karl, Rose, and Maricara in the doorway, the pair laughed even harder, now both sliding down the large bedpost and collapsing over plush carpet. The Roma woman muttered something in her own language, but she was smiling behind her hand. When Karl looked skeptically at her, she shrugged as if to say, Let them enjoy themselves.

"Uh oh!" Ethan jeered, and then mimicked the sound of Heisenberg's loud, stomping footsteps across the floor by kicking his feet. "HE ARRIVES."

Eva was trying not to cackle, and failing; she clapped her hand over her mouth. Shockingly, the laugh reminded Karl of Miranda, but he ignored the unpleasantness, exhaling through his nostrils as he tried to calm.

Karl rolled his eyes and looked at Donna expectantly. She shrugged, holding out the bowl, and said in a timid voice, "They...drank this, disappeared for only a moment, then reappeared." Her shoulders were at her ears. She looked down into the bowl, and then exclaimed a surprised, "Oh!"

"What? What is that?" Karl ignored the pile of limbs on the floor and stepped toward her, peering into an empty bowl.

"It had liquid in it, I swear! It was just there!"

"Uh oh!" Rose repeated.

Heisenberg studied Donna's clearly confused face, and then turned back toward Maricara, handing over the toddler. "Here, take Rose, go ahead and finish what you were doing, I'll handle these idiots."

Ethan made a noise as though he would argue, but then fell back again holding his stomach. "Oh please. Handle me. As if–if-"

"What did you drink? Do you know?" He stared down at the pair. Donna shrugged helplessly, and Eva faltered, looking as if she were thinking hard.

"wHaT dId YoU dRiNk?" Ethan echoed, mimicking Karl's accent. Eva again tried not to laugh, this time putting both hands over her mouth as Ethan's Karl-rumble increased in volume. "I'm A LORRRRD, ETHAN. ANSWER ME."