Tasting

415–Giant Panda

Nash:

After Silas took the glass of medicine upstairs, we brothers stood silently in the kitchen, exchanging uneasy glances for a moment. Without speaking, we shared a look, each of us instantly understanding what the others were thinking.

“Do you think he’ll pull it off?” I asked Cain, who was holding a beer can, staring at it blankly before taking a sip and shrugging.

“Let’s hope so. We need answers, and it feels like we’re just one step away from getting them,” Ryker agreed, his voice low with anticipation.

All we could do now was wait for Silas to return. The tension between us was so intense as we exchanged anxious looks, our body language stiffening with anticipation. Cain set his beer down on the counter and fixed his gaze on Silas, who had reappeared suddenly, hurrying towards the refrigerator.

“What are you doing back here?” Ryker was the first to speak, stepping forward to confront him.

“What? She asked for some ice,” Silas groaned, clearly irritated by our impatience, his face showing frustration at our skeptical stares.

“Alright, but make it quick,” Ryker muttered, giving him a sharp look for wasting time.

“Don’t worry, she already took a sip of the medicine. I’m confident she’ll give us the answers we need today.” Silas replied, sounding more certain this time.

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We wanted to believe him—Silas rarely failed—but there was something about Nora that kept us on edge. She had become sharper, always prepared to counter any question we threw at her. Even when we knew she was lying, she had a way of making it impossible for us to call her out on it.

“Well then, go get those answers from her,” Cain said, placing a hand on Silas’s back and giving him a gentle push forward.

Silas nodded and rushed off with the tray in hand. We fell back into silence, but curiosity was gnawing at us.

“Let’s go see what’s happening upstairs,” Ryker finally suggested, breaking the quiet. We all agreed without hesitation.

After exchanging determined looks, we headed up to the third floor. As we neared our destination, we slowed down, tiptoeing cautiously. I led the way, hunched over slightly, carefully raising each foot before setting it down gently to avoid making noise.

Halfway down the hallway, I heard snickers behind me. I paused and turned to see my brothers pressed against the wall, their faces flushed with stifled laughter.

“What’s so funny?” I hissed at them, keeping my voice low.

“You—you look like—a giant panda—trekking—through the hallway,” Ryker stammered, barely able to speak as he pressed a fist against his mouth, trying not to laugh.

I knew exactly what he meant, and shot him a stern look. But before I could respond, we heard faint murmuring from the room ahead—Silas was already questioning Nora. We exchanged quick glances, then hurried toward the door and peeked inside.

Nora sat across from Silas, who was watching her face intently, as if

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waiting for the moment she would finally crack. We held our breath, our eyes glued to her every move.

I felt a lump in my throat as we anxiously watched Nora’s reaction. And then—before anyone could anticipate it—she raised her hand and slapped Silas across the face, so hard that my ears seemed to ring from the impact.

“You’re trying to hypnotize me!” she snapped, standing up abruptly and shoving the chair aside, while Silas, stunned, slowly lowered his head.

That’s when she noticed us. We were no longer hidden—she looked up and glared at each of us, her fury unmistakable.

Cain, who had been inching closer, hoping Nora was already under the spell, froze. His attempt to be clever backfired, and he now clung to the wall awkwardly. Half of him was still visible, and I was certain she could see him.

With his hand on the wall, Cain tried to save face. “I, uh, just came here to check this wall. Do you think we should paint it blue?” His voice trembled with fear as Nora’s eyes narrowed.

“Maybe we should wait, and she’ll paint it red,” Ryker muttered under his breath, glancing away to avoid her seething gaze.

Nora’s anger was volcanic. She shot each of us a deadly glare. “I can’t believe you all stooped so low,” she hissed, stomping her foot. Just as she was about to leave, Cain spoke up again.

“I didn’t do anything! I just paint, like an innocent teddy bear,” he protested. I couldn’t believe my ears. My brother, who usually played it cool and aloof, was now trying to seem harmless to Nora. I was definitely jealous.

“And you know me, Nora. I don’t lie,” Ryker added, using his smoothest, most romantic tone. That’s when it hit me—I had to say something too. I

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couldn’t be left out.

“And…everyone calls me a panda,” I blurted out. It sounded far better in my head, but the moment the words left my mouth, I regretted it. I should‘ ve stayed silent.

“Then you animals belong in the wild,” Nora snapped, brushing past us as we all turned away, trying to avoid her wrath.

Her slap had left Silas speechless, and we were genuinely worried she might leave the rest of us with missing teeth or bruises. Once she was gone, we cautiously entered the room to check on Silas.

“How does it feel to be on our side of things?” Cain, ever the smart–ass, patted Silas on the back, referring to all the times we’d had to sacrifice our dignity to save Nora.

“Did you guys know she’d figure it out?” Silas finally spoke, rising from his chair. He couldn’t direct his anger at Nora, the one who had left a visible handprint on his cheek, so he directed it at us instead.

“What—no!” Ryker exclaimed dramatically, shaking his head in denial, while Silas glared at each of us in turn.

“I want you all out of my study. Right now,” he ordered, his voice dripping with frustration. We had seen this coming—Silas kicking us out was inevitable.

All jokes aside, we were back to square one.