This Tale of Omphalos freebie story about Danyel and Tayel was the result...
Danyel reached out for one of the freshly baked cookies cooling on the kitchen table. Not that he normally craved food, but the smell of ginger and cinnamon tickled his nostrils, awakening his stomach.
Was he actually hungry?
Map would have been delighted at his desire to eat. Only she’d warned him to wait until they cooled down. Surely she’d understand. Right now she was sitting on her chair, snoring with her mouth open.
She wouldn’t miss just one.
He reached out to grab a particularly large one which had rippled and puffed out in a particularly tempting manner…
…only for a painful, burning sensation to bite his fingers.
“Ow!” Danyel withdrew his stinging hand in a hurry, knocking over the rack of cooling cookies.
“Oh, no!” He managed to right the tray, saving several of the sweets from falling. This didn’t stop four of them from hitting the floor. They crumbled, sending chunks and crumbs in every direction on the stone ground.
“Greed doesn’t pay.”
Danyel looked up from the mess to see his twin gazing at him with solemn, reproachful eyes. “Neither does stealing sweets from the rest of your family.”
Tayel knelt and began grabbing chunks of warm crumbs off the floor, shoving them into his mouth.
“You’re eating?” For a moment Danyel could only stare in shock at his twin, who didn’t usually want food any more than he did. “That’s disgusting, picking stuff off the floor like that!” He knelt down next to his twin and started to collect the pieces. “Save some for me!”
“Greed reflects greed. Map likes a clean kitchen,” Tayel observed with his mouth full. “I’m just helping out.”
The twins chewed, swallowed, grabbing as much of the mess on the floor as they could. Yes, it was disgusting. It smelled delicious. It tasted delicious. They were eating, they were actually eating more than a tiny amount, and it was good! No wonder Map wanted them to do this…
…only their stomachs rolled over with a painful lurch, reacting to the food they’d eaten.
The twins spared each other a glance before cupping a hand over their mouths. It was another race, this time to the door and the flower beds outside the window where they vomited up everything which they’d eaten.
“Ugh.” Danyel wiped his mouth, looking at the mess in guilty shame. “That truly was disgusting, yet somehow a relief.”
“Not human enough to handle that much solid food, yet human enough to try.” Tayel stood up on wobbly legs. “I agree. Disgusting.”
Still feeling shaky, they headed back into the cottage, only to find Map awake, in the kitchen, standing with her arms crossed over the mess.
Danyel and Tayel shrank back from the severe look of bristling eyebrows she gave them.
“Well, I should be angry.” Her lips twitched in spite of her scowl. “I think you’ve just been punished enough, though.”
The twins exchanged guilty glances.
“Sorry. The cookies smelled so good. You’re always wanting us to eat. I thought you wouldn’t miss just one.” Danyel scuffed the floor with his toe.
“Where Danyel goes, I can’t help but follow.” Tayel peeked out at their mother from behind golden eyelashes. “When one is tempted, the other can’t help but give in.”
“I see.” Map’s lips were definitely twitching.
“I guess we just proved we’re not much like real boys.” Danyel gazed at the few remaining crumbs on the floor. His stomach lurched in a grumpy fashion before quieting down. “Eating all that and being unable to keep it down.”
“On the contrary.” Map finally allowed the grin creeping over her mouth to show itself. “You acted exactly like real boys. Stealing and making yourself sick is quite normal.”
The twins exchanged startled glances.
“What I’m going to have you do about it, however, is also normal for mothers who’ve caught their sons doing such a thing.” Map pointed a finger in the direction of the broom in the corner. “Sweep up the rest of the mess. Now.”
Danyel and Tayel hung their heads before heading where she pointed.
Map covered her mouth, stiffling a little chuckle, watching them go.
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