Balancing Act

“Come on Bert, it needs to stop!” He snapped, glaring at the man amid the burning crimson mist.

The black haired young man grinned and shrugged, “It’s not a habit, relax. Honestly, you’re making it sound like I’ve missed a week’s sleep or something. I just got distracted, no biggy!”

“No, look, I’m going to be exhausted all day during work because of this. How hard is it to ask you sleep your half? Four hours, three at least, it’s not much to ask.” He grimaced, the exact double of the other one, down to the hairs on his head.

“Why aren’t you sleeping just now then, Rob? If you’re such a big fan of it, why drag me into our head and waste time?” He smiled, hands spread out, “For that matter, what’s our body doing just now without a mind?”

“Resting.” Rob muttered bitterly and spread out his hands, red mist gathering there, collecting into a thickly bound book with a white jewelled amulet on the front. “Now, if we look at…”

“No! No, no, no! Not the stupid contract again, I still don’t know how I stayed awake when we made that!” His doppelganger groaned, eyes growing wide.

“You didn’t. I had to wake you. Like, five times.”

“Ah, yeah, look I get it. I just missed some sleep, sorry, it’s been some busy nights, you know. Tonight, soon as I get in, I’ll sleep till we’re healthy. You have my word.” Bert said, trying to look serious.

Rob bit his lip and let up, the book vanishing away back into red smoke. “Fine. Because your word’s worth sooo much. You’ve broken every rule in the contract at least once.”

“You’re the one that wanted some power, proposed the entire thing.” He grinned and shrugged, “If you don’t like it, maybe I should just take…”

“No.” Rob snapped, “Just go sleep, I don’t want you nattering inside all day.”

Bert laughed and turned, waving behind him casually as he strode off into the mist, vanishing. Rob scowled and shook his head, turning around to march in his own direction, where a doorway formed out of the pure consciousness. He turned the handle and entered into complete darkness.

Then he jolted, feeling the duvet over him, the mattress and the pillows. And weariness. He groaned and rolled over, closing his eyes as he dropped off.

*  *  *  *  *
He was still tired when the alarm went off and he woke up in the early morning, blinking stupidly. His hand found the clock and hit it off, before he scrambled upright and surveyed their small bedroom. It was still pretty meagre, mainly bed, a wardrobe, and a table with the computer, but it was theirs, home. He smiled and stretched, before getting dressed and moving through to the kitchen.

That was something nice about his other half, he did take good care of the flat, both of them felt the same joy of independance, same pride of owning their home. The kitchen was neat and tidy, washed, and he got a drink and some breakfast, leaving the dishes on the counter when he left the apartment.

“I’m up! I’m up! Did I miss anything!?” A loud voice shouted in his head suddenly, and Rob rolled his eyes.

“No, it’s just coming up for seven. Go rest your spirit.” He thought, descending the blocks stairs casually. He felt a surge of disappointment from the presence of Bert, and shook his head, “Seriously, what do you think could be so interesting that you’d miss out on?”

“I dunno, big bro, if I knew then I wouldn’t ask, eh?”

“Thanks for cleaning up anyway.” Rob thought eventually as he emerged outside, blinking in the dim light under grey clouds. That was enough to send him off really, and he smiled. Bert wasn’t that bad, he was young and new to this, enthusiastic about nearly everything. In contrast with his own quieter more diligent personality, hence their nicknames as the elder and younger.

He walked to work as usual, to a large workshop of handcrafted furniture. It was a normal day even, unlike the other he was practically minded, and skilled at working the wood and metal all day. Bert slept at the back of his mind, surfacing now and then at random points, impatient for his own turn.

“Just remember, if it wasn’t for me doing this then we wouldn’t have the flat, and you wouldn’t be able to get up to your antics.” Rob would tell him, and he would grumble and sink back down away from hard labour. He was not one for actual work.

“Hey, Robert, you seen the news today?” One of his co workers, Andy, asked while they were taking a small break.

“No, so I can’t even make an ironic statement about which part. Which news is so interesting?” He asked curiously.

“Mystics again.” Andy replied, “They’ve been setting up these camp places. Full on villages, any race goes I guess, mainly up north. This one place found dragons!”

Rob breathed in, everyone else was new to the existence of magic after all, but he had known about it for a long time. It had come out when the charm had been picked up, the spirit within contacted, a hungry spirit searching for a body. Not that anyone else had noticed; to the world, Robert Adamson was still just Robert Adamson, sometimes reckless and wild, and sometimes calmer, more steadfast.

“Dragons eh? I mean they said lots of myths were real, why’s that a surprise?”

“Because, they’re literally dragons, big flying fire breathing lizards!” He whistled, “And I mean big, I seen this picture of a coppery old one, supposedly the strongest one in the world, he was the size of a house!”

“Old? How old do those monsters get?” He wondered, feeling Bert perk up inside, listening.

“Hundred and eighteen apparently. Apparently, they walked up and asked him, and they figured out what he said. I dunno, maybe he stuck up his claws a hundred and eighteen times.”

“Eleven times.” Rob corrected him, smiling slightly. Compared to the spirit, that wasn’t so old, the necklace had been a prison to it for far longer, a fact Bert was oddly proud of. “And eight.”

“Aye, that. But imagine, real dragons, running around, it’s a scary thought eh?”

“I kinda feel bad for them. They might end up just being tourist attractions now, freak shows. They can’t be that bad, its not like they didn’t exist till now, they’ve existed all along and not done enough damage to be found. They’re only emerging now.”

“I suppose. Aw I would like to see a dragon, you make me feel guilty now, dammit.” Andy pouted.

A sudden vibration in his trousers made the an stand up, and fish it out of his pocket, glancing at the screen.

“Oh, Bert, your turn, it’s your parents. Don’t act too different alright?” He said, suddenly shifting, finding himself in the red misty depths as the young an sauntered past, giving a mocking salute.

“Sure thing, gollum, sure thing.” He said and entered the door, taking control of his body once again.