#Cammie Morgan & Brodie Morgan

[thevoyageurmoteplass-writing]

Cammie’s heart thundered against her chest. She looked over her shoulder even as she ran, not sure if she’d prefer to see someone there or not. She glanced back in time to careen around a corner instead of crashing into the wall.

But, she crashed directly into someone. She swallowed her scream desperately, tried to force distance between them. Strong hands gripped her arms, held her close even as she struggled.

‘Campbell!’ Brodie hissed, snapping her attention to her twin. For once there was fear behind his constantly moving eyes. He was sporting a split lip and a gash over his right eyebrow, but otherwise he looked unharmed.

Without thinking she crashed against him, wrapped her arms around him. Screw the maze, the massacre she was trying to avoid. Brodie was OK. They could weather this storm together.

After a moment, he pulled away. Pain flashed behind his eyes, but there was a steel there she was more familiar with. ‘Uncle Chuck?’’

Cammie shook her head slowly; the tears threatened to choke her. ‘He was protecting Maddie,’ she explained thickly.

Oddly, Brodie managed to nod, as if accepting a simple fact not hearing the horrific fate of their uncle. A man who had always insisted on taking them trick-or-treating, even when he’d had a stinking cold one year. The man who had helped hold their father together after their mother’s death.

[thevoyageurmoteplass-edits]

Haunted Maze Story Introduction

Seph’s life was good. Sure, there were things to complain about, but everybody had things like that. He’d never really had qualms about moaning about the little things, until he found himself face-to-face with Brodie Morgan. The new boy appeared to have made it his life’s mission to remind everybody they had no real reason to complain; he seemed determined to fight his way through the school. Seph refused to bow down to the threats, and quickly found himself with an enemy in the school he’d spent years flying under the radar in.

Moving schools was part-in-parcel of being Brodie’s twin, Cammie had decided. So, when he finds himself with an enemy in the first week, she thinks it’s a given they won’t be stopping long. Until a councillor decides that some teambuilding might help the two boys, and that having their families involved could mend the rift a little easier by calming them down. Cue Cammie finding herself in a haunted maze with her family and that of Seph Florence. A maze that seems to have other plans for them all than fixing relationships.

[thevoyageurmoteplass-writing]

Cammie’s heart thundered against her chest. She looked over her shoulder even as she ran, not sure if she’d prefer to see someone there or not. She glanced back in time to careen around a corner instead of crashing into the wall.

But, she crashed directly into someone. She swallowed her scream desperately, tried to force distance between them. Strong hands gripped her arms, held her close even as she struggled.

‘Campbell!’ Brodie hissed, snapping her attention to her twin. For once there was fear behind his constantly moving eyes. He was sporting a split lip and a gash over his right eyebrow, but otherwise he looked unharmed.

Without thinking she crashed against him, wrapped her arms around him. Screw the maze, the massacre she was trying to avoid. Brodie was OK. They could weather this storm together.

After a moment, he pulled away Pain flashed behind his eyes, but there was a steel there she was more familiar with. ‘Uncle Chuck?’’

Cammie shook her head slowly; the tears threatened to choke her. ‘He was protecting Maddie,’ she explained thickly.

Oddly, Brodie managed to nod, as if accepting a simple fact. Not hearing the horrific fate of their uncle. A man who had always insisted on taking them trick-or-treating, even when he’d had a stinking cold one year. The man who had helped hold their father together after their mother’s death.

[thevoyageurmoteplass-writing]

‘This is bullshit,’ complained Brodie, hands stuffed firmly in his pockets and a scowl all but etched into place on his face.

‘Language,’ their father chastised. Not that he was paying much heed to their mood. His attention skimmed the carpark, waiting for a sign of the other family.

‘This is utter fucking crap,’ Brodie amended in a whisper meant only for Cammie. She sniggered into the folds of her scarf; which turned into real laughter as their uncle Chuck gently hit the back of Brodie’s head.

‘Number one rule of swearing?’ Chuck asked, casting the twins a brief side long glance.

‘Don’t?’ suggested Cammie innocently.

‘Don’t get caught,’ elaborated Brodie, the barest flicker of a smirk tugging at his mouth.

‘Got it in one,’ Chuck said, winking at them before clapping their father on the shoulder. ‘Watching ain’t gonna get ‘em here any faster. May as well wait in reception.’

Cammie watched as their dad heaved a breath, as concern settled into place on his face and he gave his little brother the barest of nods. She knew that reluctant acceptance all too well. There was no real acquiescing there, he’d just needed someone else to voice his own suggestion to him.

‘They might have a coffee machine,’ she said, offering him a small smile.

Her father returned the gesture.

‘I was hoping something stronger to cope with this shit-storm,’ admitted Brodie.

‘After,’ their father vowed, ruffling Brodie’s hair before gently knocking his head forwards. ‘And –’

‘Language,’ they all chorused, sharing a small grin. A grin that, for a moment, allowed Cammie not to think about the fact all of this was to try stopping Brodie and Seph from killing each other; or the fact that Seph would be there soon and she’d have to force solidarity with Brodie about his utter awfulness, force herself to ignore the butterflies that twisted her insides.

[thevoyageurmoteplass-writing]

Cammie drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, trying desperately to expel a little of the nervous energy that was bubbling up inside her. Usually, her father or uncle collected Brodie. Usually, she only had to deal with the back end of her twin’s anger. But not today. Today she was the only one free to pick him up. Not that she minded. Far from it in fact. Brodie was many things, but a threat to her was not one of them; no matter what most people were afraid of.

No, the reason Cammie was reluctant to come was Joseph Florence. Part of her wanted to hate him. He was the reason for Brodie’s current spate of counselling sessions and the most recent inexplicable enemy of the slightly older Morgan twin had made for himself. Hating Joseph would have been easy. It should have been, on principle. But it really wasn’t.

The door of the office flew open and Brodie stormed out. Already he was stretching and clenching his fingers, craving a cigarette in the hope of releasing some of his energy. Cammie was just glad she’d hidden his stash, replaced it with some Godawful gum Uncle Chuck had suggested.

Not a few paces behind him, stalking out of the place before the door had even closed, was Joseph. He glared after Brodie, but didn’t engage. An hour long counselling session together was obviously more than enough. Instead, he walked briskly to where his motorbike was waiting for him.

Brodie heaving the car door open instantly pulled Cammie back to the immediate surroundings.

‘How was it?’ she asked, glancing at her twin as she started the engine.

‘How’d you think?’ Brodie grumbled, reaching for the glove compartment. ‘Where are my cigs?’

Cammie glanced in her mirrors before shifting the car into reverse. ‘You said –’

‘Fuck, Campbell!’ he groaned, slamming the little door shut. He ran a weary hand down his face. ‘Why you gotta be so efficient?’

She shrugged as she eased the car out of the space. ‘Definitely isn’t genetics.’

‘Fraternal twins,’ he reminded her, and she could hear the grin behind his voice, knew that this whole exchange was the perfect distraction for him. ‘Literally could be.’

‘Whatever makes you feel better,’ she teased. ‘You should try the gum though.’

Brodie sank further back in his seat. ‘Hard fucking pass. Think cold turkey’ll do.’

Cammie sighed but decided an argument while driving wasn’t the best idea. Cold turkey had never worked before, but perhaps this time it’d be different.

[thevoyageurmoteplass-writing]

‘The Incredible Hulk,’ he grumbled, the barest flicker of a smirk on his lips though. ‘That’s what Cammie always says, anyway. And, like, all my family. I get what they mean.’ He scratched his jaw gently, felt the raising of a spot. ‘But without Bruce Banner at the helm ninety percent of the time.’

[thevoyageurmoteplass-writing]

‘This is bullshit,’ growled Brodie, pacing the small piece of pavement at the back of the car. He took a long drag of his cigarette, not looking at any of his family. Cammie leant on the boot of the car, closest of the Morgans to her twin. Their father and uncle were at a loss for what else to try calming him; their own attempts at pacifying him had done little other than irk him more than the whole situation. But they’d had to try.

‘It might not be,’ reasoned Cammie, her attention trailing over the outside of the maze. From here it looked like nothing more than a non-descript building in the middle of nowhere. It didn’t even have a creepy feel to it. She felt the disappointment like a shadow hanging over her. She forced herself not to dwell on it, though. None of this was for her. All of it was for Brodie. And Seph.

Brodie scoffed harshly, pulling her attention back to him. He irritably tapped ash onto the pavement, surveyed her with his blank expression. ‘How’d you work that out?’

With a smirk, Cammie pushed herself off the car. ‘This place looks so dull there has to be something worthwhile here.’

Her brother shook his head dismissively, but she wasn’t so easily pushed aside as most. Not so easy to scare off with a cold exterior and too many swear words.

‘Think about it. If this place looked good there’d be queues for miles. We wouldn’t get to see it, let alone go inside.’ She nodded firmly, as if that put her whole argument to bed. She didn’t mention that the Doctor probably knew better than to put Brodie and Seph somewhere that wouldn’t distract them. If there was nothing here to stop them ripping each other apart, what was even the point?

‘Kids, you coming?’ Uncle Chuck said before Brodie could argue the point. He held the reception door open, a small smile pulling at his lips. At least one of them was eager for what lay ahead, and wasn’t trying to temper their reaction to deal with Brodie. Cammie just hoped the testosterone fuelled dislike wouldn’t sour his excitement.

[thevoyageurmoteplass-writing]

‘It’s like the start of a horror movie,’ said Uncle Chuck, excitement obvious in his voice. He was lapping up the atmosphere, especially seeing as everyone else in the small reception area appeared to be talking in their own little groups in hushed voices; as if they weren’t about to be working through a maze together. ‘The calm before the storm.’

‘Chuck,’ groaned Cammie’s father wearily.

‘What, it is,’ countered Chuck, dropping onto the sofa beside Cammie. The brightness behind his eyes was infectious, and she felt a grin slipping easily onto her face as he draped his arm along the back of the sofa so he could face his brother a little easier. ‘But we know the rules.’ He tapped her shoulder gently with the back of his fingers.

‘This is bullshit is what it is,’ growled Brodie from the window, back purposefully to the room, not that he could see anything through the frosted glass in front of him.

‘Language,’ chastised their father.

Brodie’s back tensed. Cammie felt the rising argument and quickly jumped in before her brother spouted out as many swearwords as he could think of for the sake of it.

‘Just gotta follow them,’ she answered Chuck, but she looked to Brodie, tried to mentally force him to behave.

Uncle Chuck chuckled. She heard him take a breath, as if he were about to embark on some long and winding story for the rest of them, but was cut off by the office door opening.

Joseph Florence stalked into the room, eyes skimming the place as if checking for his own escape from the forced bonding. His mouth twitched into a scowl as his eyes drifted over Brodie. He made a beeline for the other side of the room, hands tucked firmly into his pockets. Behind him trailed a nervous looking man, Cammie assumed his father. He nodded politely their way before all but scurrying after his son, eagerly awaiting the cavalry that was the rest of their family.

Cammie’s stomach knotted slightly. No matter how excited she and Chuck might’ve been for the whole thing, for the mystery and the adventure they were about to go on, there was a reason they were there: to stop Brodie getting expelled again. This time she really hoped they might be able to help, and that they might even make a couple of friends along the way.

[thevoyageurmoteplass-writing]

★★★★★

Despite being twins, Cammie and Brodie weren’t actually born on the same day – in fact, they weren’t even born in the same century. Brodie was born on the 31st of December 1999 while Cammie was born on the 1st of January 2000.  

Fox is left-handed. Her father and his best friend took great pains to try figuring out left-handed things themselves so nothing would be odd for her – hence why when people only model things right-handed she gets a little confused.

Hal is a lot more modest than people think. Despite the airs he gives off as a royal, he mostly underplays the skills he has with magic. Partly, he does this in the hopes of making his friends feel better when they are having doubts about their own skills.  

Robbo has an appreciation for magic tricks because there’s a kindness in the trickery they present people with. He mostly knows card tricks, but he’s willing to pull them out whenever somebody needs a slight distraction from things.

For a time, Ross used to keep a dream journal in the hopes of fighting off nightmares. He thought if he wrote them down, they wouldn’t come back. But, after a bout of a recurring nightmare where everyone he loved was gone, Ross stopped and instead started talking to people about his fears instead.

[thevoyageurmoteplass-writing]

Haunted Maze Story Introduction

Seph’s life was good. Sure, there were things to complain about, but everybody had things like that. He’d never really had qualms about moaning about the little things, until he found himself face-to-face with Brodie Morgan. The new boy appeared to have made it his life’s mission to remind everybody they had no real reason to complain; he seemed determined to fight his way through the school. Seph refused to bow down to the threats, and quickly found himself with an enemy in the school he’d spent years flying under the radar in.

Moving schools was part-in-parcel of being Brodie’s twin, Cammie had decided. So, when he finds himself with an enemy in the first week, she thinks it’s a given they won’t be stopping long. Until a councillor decides that some teambuilding might help the two boys, and that having their families involved could mend the rift a little easier by calming them down. Cue Cammie finding herself in a haunted maze with her family and that of Seph Florence. A maze that seems to have other plans for them all than fixing relationships.