crowl_and_crowli crowli both of them blinked with unseen fear, instinctively reaching for each others hand when the massive wooden door slammed closed behind them with a wind driven bang, plunging the room into sudden inky darkness. 100726 ... cr0wl "molly?" graham uttered, his voice erupting with a hollow desperation, as if the sound had been forcibly trapped deep inside his nine year-old diaphragm. 100727 ... crowli her stomach tensed when she heard the raw panic in graham's voice, but molly somehow managed to hold onto him with one hand, shrug off her multicolored plaid backpack with the other and simultaneously squeeze her eyes closed, recalling from a nancy drew mystery that doing so might help her to see in the dark sooner. 100727 ... cr0wl "are you scared?" molly shot forth, her words coming at graham like a fluttering bat, swirling around his head. 100728 ... crowli molly knew perfectly well that he was terrified of the dark, but the obvious challenge graham heard in his best friend’s question wiped away his fear, at least temporarily, because all he could think about was protecting her. 100728 ... cr0wl they had secretly entered the abandoned, dilapidated mansion built in 1890 known in the rolling hills of southwestern pennsylvania as chokecherry, a former coal baron's estate, seeking the ghost of madam fury, who was the final resident and had been rumored to have gone mad and brutally murdered not only her husband but the housekeeper and the gardener. 100729 ... crowli after several months of definitive trespassing disguised as innocently youthful exploring, molly and graham knew every inch of the sprawling, overgrown landscape contained within the imposing, arrow-tipped, ten-foot tall iron fence surrounding chokecherry estate. 100729 ... cr0wl yet, it was this cricket infused night, when smudgy clouds stretched languidly across the endless expanse of a blackboard sky and obscured the fingernail moon, that they attempted their first evening foray into the mansion's crumbling interior and suddenly found themselves in the grip of this unknown interruption. 100730 ... crowli graham swatted away the unseen assault of spider webs he felt grazing his cheeks, forehead and lips in the darkness, and instantly realizing that afraid as he was of being trapped in this smelly dark basement, he was much more terrified of his stepfather's wrath over him being outside after dark, he found his voice and croaked, "molly, we have to get back to the door!" 100730 ... cr0wl he fumbled about, bumping into things, some damp and clammy, and through slow careful maneuvering managed to lead molly to the door only to find it did not contain a handle. 100731 ... crowli "this can't be right," graham thought to himself in disbelief, his stomach lurching as he frantically ran his hand along the rotting door jamb, reaching first as high as he could, then down its entire length to where the splinter ridden wood met the cold stone of the basement floor. 100731 ... cr0wl "what's the matter?!" molly gasped, her voice a hollow, empty attempt at normalcy, but graham, now thrusting valiantly at the door with his lowered shoulder, could only hold her plea like a baby bird in his hands, knowing as he pushed in vain that he would have to let it go. 100801 ... crowli somehow forcing back the dam of tears that now threatened to burst from his blue eyes, he ran his sleeve across the unfamiliar line of sweat that had formed across his upper lip, and said in a flat, defeated voice he barely recognized, "there's no handle, molly....what are we going to do? " 100801 ... cr0wl "let's push together," molly said, and graham felt her soft shoulder against his, both a comfort and an inspiration, renewing his desire to break through the barrier that was keeping them unwilling captives from their world of peace and safety. 100802 ... crowli they labored together, delivering blow after blow against the door, but their combined youthful strength was simply no match for the apparently locked mass of solid oak, and with a sad collective sigh they gave up, out of breath and spent, and slid shoulder to shoulder to the floor.     100803 ... cr0wl they listened to each other's exasperation settle slowly like a thunderstorm losing its strength, their thunder quieting to a rumbling mumble and then a whispering hush. 100804 ... crowli after several silent minutes ticked away, molly abruptly gathered her wits, and with her ice cold hand still firmly gripping graham's, she stood up quickly, accidentally yanking his arm harder than she intended, and with a whispered apologetic voice that somehow echoed a newly found certainty, she announced, "we need to find another way graham....let's go." 100804 ... cr0wl that's when he saw the slight sliver of silver light appearing inside a narrow fissure along the basement floor catching his eye like a welcoming milky way in a universe of enduring hope, a moment of such perfect, welcoming possibility that had graham rushing molly to the spot. 100805 ... crowli like white winged moths to a burning flame, they stealthily made their way through the uncertain darkness toward the dim glimmer of light, both of them certain they would find an unlocked door, yet neither one remotely considering what might possibly exist beyond it. 100805 ... cr0wl graham was somewhat shocked and surprised to arrive slightly ahead of molly and discover beyond his dropped jaw, not a door, but a stone well with its faint light source coming from beneath the still water, its flat surface beckoning them like a siren, her mouth silenced by a lifetime of calling. 100806 ... crowli molly caught up to him within seconds, and her brow creased immediately with frustration as she swallowed hard over the persistent lump in her throat and uttered bleakly, "what's that?"  100806 ... cr0wl "look at this," graham said, on his knees over the well pointing and urging molly to follow his stiff index finger to the still surface of the strangely-lit water that seemed to emanate from one source until closer inspection revealed it to be a countless series of lights, one replacing the next without a pause in the shining and it was here that they ascertained that what was producing the illumination were a school of headlight-like eyed, hot dog-sized fish. 100809 ... crowli her fear of their predicament momentarily forgotten, molly was completely mesmerized by the strangely engaging creatures, and her sudden loud giggle sliced through the quiet darkness as she immersed her own hand carefully into the cool water, fully expecting the eerie fish to flee her reach, but then gasping in surprise as they swam closer to her wiggling fingers, their eyes curiously brightening even more, as if they were reaching out to warmly greet their visitors. 100809 ... cr0wl "did you see that?" graham said, jutting his right hand into the water and before molly could blink he had snatched up one of the fish and brought its wriggling body out of the well, dripping, its bright white eyes now flashing yellow, its body displaying an odd black ink formed into a single word on both sides. 100810 ... crowli "what are you doing?" molly yelped, tearing her gaze away from the well to watch her wide-eyed best friend fearlessly cupping the glowing slimy fish with both hands while protecting it next to his chest, as he brought it towards his face in an attempt to get a closer look at it. 100810 ... cr0wl "there's words on the side of its body!" graham explained with a relish that intoxicated molly, "read it, molly, it says, come in." 100811 ... crowli “come in where?” molly asked, her voice becoming a high-pitched whine like the trapped, uncertain kitten she was beginning to feel like, and with her chocolate brown eyes darting anxiously back and forth between graham and the brightly glowing well, she pointed to the calm water and added hesitantly, “in there?” 100811 ... cr0wl graham could no longer hold the wriggling fish and it plopped back into the still surface of the glowing well producing a single ripple that rode from the center outward to the edge of the stone. 100812 ... crowli molly and graham got onto their knees to watch the water still itself, and as they independently contemplated what to do next, the peculiar school of fish suddenly began to swim into an odd formation, eventually defining a circle with their bodies while directing their glowing eyes down and inward to their collective center, casting a spotlight on the bottom of the well, accomplishing their apparent goal of brightly illuminating the single brass key that rested there. 100812 ... cr0wl "it's a key!" graham gasped, thrusting his face forwards, his tiptoes pushing against the dank concrete floor, forcing molly to grab on to his shirt lest he dive in after it. 100813 ... crowli "molly!" graham exclaimed excitedly, "i have to go in and get that key, maybe it's our way out of here!" and by the time those words were uttered, he had already removed his shoes and socks in preparation for his unexpected swim with the strangely inscribed, yet welcoming school of fish. 100813 ... cr0wl she watched him strip down to boxer shorts and before he entered the water, with an awkward mix of anxiety and courage, he looked at her, his eyes speaking much more than his words, "i'll be right back," he said, and he sucked in air as if survival required it from him. 100815 ... crowli as molly nodded, graham did not miss her biting nervously on her lower lip, and though he felt her unspoken worries beginning to fill the space between them, he simply shrugged, and with the intent to reassure her he said with as much authority as he could muster, "it's going to be okay molly, please trust me....i can do this." 100815 ... cr0wl he breathed in again, gulping at the darkness with necessity, filling his greedy lungs with as much oxygen as he could and entered the well head first, his hands cutting the surface of the illuminated water like a knife through a birthday cake. 100816 ... crowli molly bent over the well, fully submerging her face and blonde curls into the cool water in an attempt to get a closer look, and as she watched graham's blurry form swim deeper and deeper, her confused emotions churned furiously within her, making her wonder briefly how it was possible for her belly to knot with such worry while her heart swelled huge with pride, seemingly all within the same moment. 100816 ... cr0wl meanwhile, graham, finding the shimmering water to be much colder than he feared, felt his breath already waning,leaking like warm air in a balloon blown up by a loving mother, yet, he followed the easy guidance lights of the enchanted fish, past the algae-dressed, stacked stone walls to where the brass key shone bright in the spotlights and there he snatched it up in his grasping fingers that key to the future of now. 100817 ... crowli not realizing she had been holding her breath, molly freed her lungs with a warm gush of relief when graham broke through the surface of the water, but as he hoisted himself out of the well triumphantly waving the shiny brass key like an olympic medal, she could see in the fish-eye aided dim light that his lips were tinged with blue, and she quickly enveloped his soaking wet, shivering body with her own, holding him tight until he stopped trembling.  100817 ... cr0wl "molly," graham said, his teeth chattering a demanding insistence which mesmerized her,"we both have to go down...the fish...they....sh...sh..showed me another door...on their bodies it said open this door...i came back up for you...you gotta go back down with me." 100818 ... crowli molly heard him, and struggling in disbelief to process his words, she buried her head into his shoulder and muttered with a nervous giggle, "don't mess with me graham....let me see that key..." but when she took a step back to assess the color of his lips, she saw him press them together into a thin, unsmiling line, and one glance into his sparkling blue eyes clearly confirmed that he was absolutely not joking.           100818 ... cr0wl graham, unable to prevent his hand from shivering, held the brilliant brass key up long enough for molly to see that though it resembled a key, there was an otherworldly, intoxicating quality to it and gazing back up at his determined face, she felt herself being pulled forwards with an impetus impossible to resist. 100819 ... crowli they both flinched when they felt cold water suddenly splash them from the surface of the well, and when molly saw the fish swimming frantically and that their eyes had dimmed to a barely visible orange glow, she hastily removed her shoes and socks, dipped her feet into the freezing water, and spoke with complete certainty as she stated, "well, this was not part of the plan, graham, but, let's do this....look, when i stuck my feet in, they quieted down, and their eyes...they brightened right up again....it's almost like they need us." 100819 ... cr0wl "look at the words on their bodies!" graham shouted, grabbing molly's hand, drawing her down to her knees, where they sat enchanted, watching the fish gracefully appear at the surface and then gently roll to one side and then the other revealing the easily readable statements of "please" on their translucent skin. 100820 ... crowli "look at them graham, they DO need us!" molly exclaimed, giddy now with excitement, "i KNEW it...." and reluctantly tearing her eyes away from the beckoning fish, she turned around, pulled off her jeans and hoodie, and tried to ignore the chill she felt now that she was wearing only her boy-shorts and a tank top.       100820 ... cr0wl graham eased back up to his feet and reached out for molly in the dimly lit area surrounding the well, grasping her wrists and pulling her close, "i'll go first and you follow me, ok," he said, teeth chattering, "the fish will light our way," and then, palming the key in his right hand, slipped silently back into the water. 100821 ... crowli quickly sliding into the well next to him, molly grimaced, her heart pounding in her chest as much from the physical assault of the freezing cold water as from the second thoughts she was trying to squash, but seeing only confident reassurance in graham's eyes, she nodded her silent agreement, and they took a collective deep breath before disappearing together below the surface.   100821 ... cr0wl the pleading fish were obviously thrilled that both molly and graham decided to enter for the frigid water turned a hundred times brighter with what appeared to be a blast of illuminated happiness from a countless addition of the spotlight-eyed species, their rainbow-hued bodies rolling and revealing words such as "thank you," "welcome," and graham, his shoulder length hair swishing like seaweed all around his head, couldn't help to point out to molly the one that said, "right on." 100822 ... crowli as she read those words on the boldly emblazoned fish, molly immediately flashed him a knowing secret_smile, and through the swirling cloud of bubbles that suddenly escaped her lips, she saw graham pointing excitedly again, only this time he was motioning to the small moss covered door just below them.             100822 ... cr0wl with their effulgent eyes blinking off and on in calculated unison, the fish formed a live frame around the height and width of the door and as graham nervously inserted the shining key into the lock and molly steadfastly treaded water beside him, each one of their excited, wriggling bodies revealed the same, identical phrase, "this is really happening." 100823 ... crowli as soon as the peculiar lock was released, the door immediately opened on its own volition with a muted swish, and allowed just enough room for girl, boy, and the entire school of friendly fish, their bodies now reading "let's roll," to slide through its opening in a gush of brightly lit water, before closing behind them with a commanding final thunk, leaving molly and graham gasping for breath and staring in stunned silence at what their eyes beheld.      100823 ... cr0wl the fish appeared to be swimming in the air in an erratic formation before them, and then as they assembled and began to create a perfect circle, they also transformed, exchanging their fins for wings and their mouths for beaks, changing into singing birds, moving faster and faster until the bright lights of their eyes became a humming, whirring sphere of fiery whiteness. 100824 ... crowli after squirming in a futile attempt at freeing herself to get a better look, molly whispered gently into his dripping wet hair, “jeeze graham, it's okay...let go of me, will ya?" and as he slightly loosened his protective hold on her, they sat down mesmerized, side by side on the floor, and became completely immersed in the birds' hypnotic serenade. 100825 ... cr0wl as the sphere continued to revolve, its velocity gave off a comforting heat that removed any chill molly and graham felt upon exiting the frigid well, yet the brightness soon became so intense they had to shield their eyes and as the birdsong dissipated and was replaced by a high-pitched hum, they were forced to turn away and cover their ears, only to discover upon the aftermath of a brief, popping explosion and a smattering of glitter that the sphere disappeared and before them sitting at a simple, turquoise and mango painted wooden table, adorned with guacamole, lime chips, and glasses of seltzer water was what appeared to be exact, clone-like replicas of themselves, dressed in over-sized, turkish cotton bathrobes, their wet hair combed back, quietly eating and chatting. 100825 ... crowli when their collective curiosity accelerated to match their heart rates, they grasped each other by the wrists, quickly helping one another to stand in a single swift motion, and while still attempting to process what they had just witnessed compared to what they were now seeing as they moved cautiously toward their apparent doppelgängers, graham was the first to find his voice, nervously stammering, "m....m...molly?" and as if they had rehearsed their response, the identical girls looked directly at him and responded in harmonic unison, "yeah, graham?"      100826 ... cr0wl graham looked at the freshly bathed molly sitting at the table and as he swallowed his anxiety, comforted by the realization that the twin mollys were the same person, only now separated, like the two hemispheres of the brain itself, as his science teacher, mr. steiner had taught him, breathed deep, wiped the slickened hair from his eyes, breathed in the enticing aroma of the chips and dip, and with a regathering of confidence, addressed her, "what are you doing here?" 100827 ... crowli "we could ask the same of the two of you," she answered with a dreamlike lilt, and the welcoming smile in her eyes enveloped him like a swirling cloud of stars as the robe-clad graham stood up to politely greet them, motioning his open arms toward the two empty seats at the table.    100828 ... cr0wl the old molly and graham joined them at the table and helped themselves to the chips and dip, all the while looking over at the new molly and graham and each one wondered a different thing; the old graham wondered if that's what he looked like as he ate, guacamole sticking to his bottom lip, crumbs from his chips settling on his chin, the new graham thought about a life in reality, how dangerous it must be, the old molly missed her mother and father and feared she could be stuck in this world, while the new molly anticipated the arrival of the Tiger King. 100829 ... crowli as the four of them sat together in comfortable silence, the new molly's deep brown eyes widened suddenly and she broke into an involuntary wide grin as her imagination raced through adventures that she felt would soon come, but then, seemingly accepting a responsibility she had just become aware of, she stood up, crumbs flying off the front of her robe, and said, "look, i almost forgot....there was a note on my chair, it's for us...." and she held it up so the other three could read the creme colored envelope inscribed with the red calligraphic words, 'open this when the time is right.'   100829 ... cr0wl "i guess the time is right," the new graham said, licking stray salt from his fingers, "go ahead and read it," and so the new molly stood, opened the envelope, cleared her throat and proceeded, "now that the four of you are together," she said, carefully, "i'd first like to welcome you," and she took a moment to gaze up at the old molly and graham with a coy grin and continued. 100830 ... crowli "to properly celebrate your arrival, i would like to invite you, my new friends, to attend a special party," molly continued, reading with an added dramatic flair while obviously enjoying the suspense she was creating among her captive audience, 'and since you four will be my guests of honor, i would like you to go now and open up the mahogany wardrobe next to the purple and gold door, and choose some festive clothing to put on...' and it's signed, the Tiger_King." 100830 ... cr0wl as the old molly turned, beheld the wardrobe and rushed to open the door, the old graham pinched his bottom lip, contemplating the letter and the mysterious identity of the Tiger King, amidst the excited gasps of his best friends thrills, "oh my god, look at this!" the old molly shrieked. 100831 ... crowli 'she is such a girl,' graham thought to himself, watching molly in boyish wonder as she fingered the elaborate offerings in the wardrobe one by one, but when he heard a noisy chuckle erupt from behind him in a voice so like his own, he turned around to see the other boy pointing at the bathrobe-clad molly as he muttered under his breath, "yeah, i know what you mean....so is she."    100831 ... cr0wl the old graham managed to squeeze past the mollys as they tried on a myriad of outfits, cooing and primping one another before the floor to ceiling mirror and he quickly found two comfortable velvet ensembles for himself and the new graham which they sinched at the waist with a wide leather belt, and huffing their exasperation at the girls'indecision, they retired back to the table to grub up the last of the food. 100901 ... crowli completely immersed in their newfound camaraderie as they talked and joked about the girls' behavior, neither graham noticed when the girls quietly disappeared behind the ornate screen next to the wardrobe, however all their hearty chatter was quickly replaced with wide-eyed, open-mouthed awe when both girls emerged wearing stunning, identically styled velvet gowns; the old molly's in pale lavender trimmed with ivory, and the new molly's in forest green trimmed in gold.          100901 ... cr0wl "wow...look at you!" the new graham said with unrestrained relish, his elbows raising him stiff-backed in his seat, beholding the new molly as they rejoined them around the table, causing the old graham to give an equal observational glance at the old molly, yet he didn't say anything, opting to offer only a pleased smile which she accepted, dropping her gaze with an obvious twinge of timidity. 100902 ... crowli and so, while the others chatted animatedly about the impending party and of ultimately meeting their Tiger King host, the old molly sat quietly lost in her own thoughts, and as she absently examined the intricate pattern of pearl beads sewn on her sleeve, she struggled to make sense of the funny fluttering feeling that she felt inside her belly. 100902 ... cr0wl and so as per our recent text communique we bring this introduction to a close. the true story of molly and graham, or mg, now continues...thanks for reading along. put on your seatbelts. the one sentence restriction has been lifted. we are free to fly. 100905 ... crowli let_it_fly baby. 100905 what's it to you? who go blather from