Nigs stared at his little sister in gobsmacked horror. She stared straight back, eyes wide, mouth fallen open. Carmen hovered to the side, grinning like an idiot. It seemed life had become a melodrama. Any minute now, she would be meeting the love of her life who she had thought long dead. From here on in, it could only get more interesting.
"Nigel," the girl stammered. "I mean, sir. I mean, what are you doing here?"
Nigs didn't reply. He only gaped, his mouth opening and closing like a goldfish.
"Shall I make the introductions?" Carmen asked, stepping between them. "Young miss, this is Nigs Martini, better known as Nigel Measure. He's your brother. Nigs, this is your baby sister."
"Nigs," the girl said the name hesitantly. "Of course. I...uh..."
"I'm Carmen," Carmen held out her hand. "I'm a pirate captain and a scholar. Nigs was just telling me how beautiful I am."
The girl stared at her hand but didn't shake it. Eventually, Carmen removed it.
"You're my sister," Nigs managed, a little hoarsely. "My sister. I...I have a sister."
The girl's cheeks burned red. "I...um...yes. But we've never, I mean, we've never officially met...I mean..."
"What's your name?" Nigs interrupted. "What should I call you?"
"My name is Berenice Measure, sir," the girl gave an untidy salute.
"Don't call me sir, I'm your brother!" Nigs was still staring at her as though she were a being from another planet. "I...Berenice? Your name is Berenice?"
The girl was still blushing furiously. "Yes. That's...that's what our parents named me. But everyone calls me Pippa."
"Why?" Carmen asked, bluntly.
Pippa shrugged. "It's just a name, sir. Just a name."
"Enough with the sirs," Nigs snapped. "I'm your brother. You can use my name. And she is...um..."
"Your friend?" Carmen suggested, helpfully.
"My friend," Nigs nodded his approval. "She is my friend. So you can use our names. Alright?"
Pippa nodded. "If you say so."
The two siblings were staring at each other as though there was nothing else in the world. Nigs was as white as chalk, Pippa red as wine. Carmen watched them with idle fascination as they stammered and stuttered their way towards conversation, never quite reaching it.
"What is this place, Pippa?" she asked, when the embarrassment became too agonising to bear. "Why aren't you with the youth corps?"
YOU ARE READING
Awake
Science FictionWhen Jonathan Sand died one night trying to save the girl he loved, he did not expect to wake up the next morning and find that everything he had ever known was a figment of his imagination. Rising from a simulated dream, six members of the Junior...
