Can't you hear me now?

Penny and Jacob were born and left abandoned in a small town almost sixteen years asgo. They were found in a basket covered in a mans flannel shirt, near a Massey Pizza restaurant. They didn't know much about thier past; only a note saying

' Please keep my twins together I am unable to care for them, Thier names are Penny and Jabob'

The local news named them the Massey Twins. The names stuck. When no one came forward to claim the twins they ended up moving from one foster home to another. They never stayed long in each home. They were not bad kids, they kept mostly quiet and mostly to themselves. Penny was born unable to speak, but this was not discovered untill she was nearly ten years olf. Most of the foster parents assumed Jacob spoke up for Penny and let it be. At the age of three the twins had already been in three differnt homes. on the fouth home they were placed with an abusive older woman, she used to beat Penny for not talking when spoken to. The old woman would say its rude to not speak when spoken to and Jacob would get in trouble for trying to stop her. Even at three years old Jacob could speak very well and he was so smart. He would yell at the old woman for hurting his twin sister. But all this would earn Jacob his own beatings. 

He tried to tell the old women his sister could not talk but the old woman never believed him. Penny would yell out slient screams. but nothing would come out but air and tears.

 But Jacob could hear her screams in his head, he could hear her voice. she would sob and wail and beg him to tell her to stop. But no matter what Jacob said that old women never listened to him. It hurt him as much as it hurt her.They would get beatings with a long switch that Jacob would have to get from a tree in the back yard. He hated having to get the weapon what would be used on his defenseless sister and himself. They used to get beat several times each week and Jacob would have to get a new switch when the current one would break from overuse. The abouse also went as far as no dinner and being loced in thier rooms with they did not share, but Jacob would talk to his sister in his mind and keep her calm to help her feel better.

Jacob and Penny spent five years with the old women till she died, she was old after all, he body eventualy wore out. The twins were thankful for her death they were sad to moce again but at  least they would no longer receive beatings from her. 

Jacob protected his sister as well as he could during thoes five years. As they aged , he would tell his sister he would always protect her and take care of her, no matter what home they were sent to. The state became incolced with their care again after the old woman died and were moved to several more homes over the next two years. Jacob would always talk for his sister and most familys that took them in would think Penny would not talk because Jacob did it for her. Eventualle the state sent her to an ENT ( ear nose and throat ) doctor to find our if there was a freason she never spoke. By then they were ten years old. When they finaly found out Penny had no vocal cords at all. It was a birth defect that managed to get over looked for ten long years.

Where Penny had no vocal cords Jacob was gifted with speach at an early age, He was speaking in full sentences at the age of one with complete comprehension, which is how he was able to verbally defend his sister at such an early age.

Penny was very smart and did well in school, she was a straight A student as well as Jacob. The teacher just gave up calling on her and would pair the twins together. They had no friends; kids would stare at penny becase when someone new would talk to her she would just walk away, or her brother would speak for her and people were just uncomefortable with that. But the twins were not bothered by them, they had each other.

There was a time when they did try to teach Penny sign language, but she did not care to learn, it was easier for her to just talk to her brother. She did use hand gestures when communicating with her foster parents, especially if Jacob was not in the same room.

Since she had no outside friends, she just thought it was best not to get her hopes up. Penny was very shy. The twins would talk to each other all the time, they had long conversations in each others minds. Jacob always knew what Penny needed. Jacob did try to tell their foster families about how he can hear what she says but most people dismissed it as a twin connection.

The twins didn't know how they could talk to each other they just knew they were special somehow, but they did not know how special they really were. Penny and Jacob Massey are now fifteen years old.  Penny has long stright as a arrow plain brown hair that lands at her hips. Her eyes are a crystal clear green, like looking at green sea glass. Which helps distract from her dull brown hair. Her brother Jacob also has brown hair wich he keeps like a military cut, high and tight. He also has the same crystal clear green eyes. They share very similar fratures. Even at fifteen years old Jacob is over six feet tall while Penny is about 5 foot 7 inches. Both have thin athletic bodies. Other then the difference in hight they share the same small noce and thin face ware Jacob is masculine and Penny is soft and feminin. Both lightly tanned skin and wide knowing eyes.

Notes from author: Please feel free to leave notes and comments.