Episode Two: Conversation with The Hippie

In the last episode: Our hero was in the bathroom that he shares with his notorious twin sister, Jess, when she suddenly opened her mouth and started speaking of things she didn't know anything about... and not in a High School-esque attempt at answering a question when you haven't read the book, either...

Finally, Jess said...

       "Somebody close to you will die today."
       And then, still looking at me, Jess started laughing again - picking up in mid-laugh, right where she'd left off.
       After a second she stopped laughing and seeing the look on my face, she asked, "What?"
       I didn't know where to begin. How do you tell someone they were just speaking in tongues if they don't remember it?
       Instead, I did the next best thing... I ran from the bathroom and headed downstairs to the kitchen to tell my mom - not out of any concern for my sister, but purely as an attempt to prove, once and for all, that I was the good, honorable, drug-free son of their dreams, while my sister was, in fact, a glue-sniffing, LSD snorting, slutty freak.
        Mom wasn't in the kitchen though. Instead, it was the Hippie, sitting at the kitchen table clipping news paper stories about the government while simultaneously laughing and mumbling under his breath. Fairly convinced that my drug-popping sister would not get due justice from my long-haired other parent, I asked, "Where's Mom?"
       Too many years of divide and conquer attempts had made The Hippie well aware of my tactics, however, and he replied, "Why?"
       There was no sense trying to seek an impartial jury at that point, so I just said, "Jess has gone mental."
       The Hippie sighed. "Now what?"
       "I don't know. She just started talking in tongues, saying all sorts of nonsense."
       This got the Hippies attention.
       "What did she say?"
       "Some nonsense about the stock market and a car crash..."
       Mom came in the living room and said good morning. Both the Hippie and I stopped talking and looked at her.
       "Taylor said that Jess started speaking in tongues," the Hippie noted.
       Mom looked at me and I could tell that she believed me - though somehow it wasn't the kind of belief that I'd been hoping for.
       "What did she say?" she asked.
       I repeated what I'd just said to the Hippie and then added, "She also said someone close to me would die."
       Mom gave the Hippie a grave look, then turned back to me with a smile.
       "Probably nothing... maybe she was sleep walking. Hon, will you get the medicine for that?"
       "Sure thing, dear," said the Hippie.
       The Hippie got up and left the living room. I looked from Mom to the retreating Hippie and decided to try my luck again.
       "Sleep walking, Mom? This could be a serious mental breakdown. We should have her committed or lobotomized or something..."
       "Uh, huh... sure, honey..." Mom was clearly distracted.
       She walked into the kitchen, not really paying attention to what she was doing - her mind obviously racing through some idea or another. I followed her into the kitchen, hoping to get one last dig in before the medicine came out and it was too late to convince her of my awesomeness and Jess's inferiority. But then Mom said something that changed everything... forever.
       "Oh crap," she said, "I burnt your toast."

To be continued...