"Attennn-tion!"
Carson and Caiden stood as still as statues. Their backs were stiff, their eyes focused on the wall of the factory that loomed before them. "Time for your daily inspection, you know-nothings," Marston, their administrator, sneered at the line of boys before him.
Caiden did his best to keep himself awake. He hadn't gotten but a few hours of sleepthe night before, and he was hoping his face didn't show any signs of fatigue. "How are you holding up?" Carson leaned over and whispered to Caiden.
When Carson broke the silence, it startled Caiden a great deal. He jumped straight up in the air and yelped.
"WHO WAS THAT???" Marston said, nearly ten boys away from the twins. "I SAID, WHO WAS THAT?!?!"
A tall boy by the name of Dominic stepped forward out of line. Still staring straight ahead, he reported, "It was Caiden Lanchester, Sir!" Dominic stepped back into line without another word.
Caiden started to sweat as the whole world spun quickly around him.

He shook so badly from fear that his teeth chattered.
His brother, on the other hand, was cursing himself for doing such a foolish thing. 'I know how jittery Caiden gets when it's time for inspection. I shoulda thought things through more carefully.' Then, without even knowing he was doing it, Carson stepped out of line and looked Marston straight in the eye. "It was me, Sir. I sneezed," he lied, hoping that using an uncontrollable thing such as a sneeze for an excuse would make Marston go a little easier on the punishment.
"Percy!" Marston called for his helper. "Take this Lanchester kid and do what you have to do."
A single tear rolled down Caiden's cheek. He didn't know what they would do to his brother, but he knew it wouldn't be good.

End Chapter Two.