Author: Nikki
As Alice was chatting with her dad, she noticed a faint noise coming from upstairs. At first, she thought it was just the creaky old house settling, but then she heard footsteps. Light, cautious footsteps. Alice's heart skipped a beat as she exchanged a nervous glance with her dad. But to her surprise, he just smiled and said, "Oh, that's just... our guest." Alice's mind racing, she asked, "What guest?" But before her dad could respond, a figure appeared at the top of the stairs. It was a girl who looked eerily similar to Alice herself.
The girl's eyes locked onto mine, and I felt a chill run down my spine. She didn't smile or acknowledge me in any way; she just stood there, frozen, like a statue. My dad, however, seemed completely at ease, strolling over to the stairs and saying, "Ah, Emily, come on down. I'd like you to meet my daughter, Alice." Emily. The name echoed in my mind as the girl slowly began to make her way down the stairs, her eyes never leaving mine.
As Emily reached the bottom of the stairs, my dad put a hand on her shoulder, and she finally broke eye contact with me, turning to smile at him. It was a small, enigmatic smile, but it sent a shiver down my spine. There was something unsettling about Emily's demeanor, something that made me feel like I was looking at a mirror reflection that was slightly off-kilter. My dad seemed oblivious to the tension, however, and he beamed at us both, saying, "I'm so glad you two are finally meeting. Emily, why don't you show Alice to her room?"
Dad, what is this supposed to mean? What or who is Emily? I asked frantically, discreetly calling the emergency number. Then Emily just picked up my phone and said, "How rude is that? Am I that scary?" she asked. Jack said, "Alice, how could you do that to your twin sister?" I have a twin sister? Shock was evident on my face as I looked at Emily, who sounded a bit different from me but looked exactly the same. Her eyes locked onto mine, just like I looked at her, not knowing what to say. "Dad, what exactly happened while I was away?" I asked, while shifting my gaze to Jack.
Jack's expression turned somber, and he rubbed the back of his neck, a habit I remembered from when I was a kid. "Alice, there's a lot to explain, and I'm not sure where to start," he said, his voice low and hesitant. Emily, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the drama, a mischievous glint in her eye as she leaned against the banister, her arms crossed. "Why don't I start?" she suggested, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "After all, I'm the one who's been living here with Dad all these years, not you."
Jack said, "Emily, I'll do it." "Your mom and I had to live separately when you two were born because of your mom's condition. She had to go to a better hospital. Your mom decided to take care of you, Alice, and I took care of Emily. We thought it would be best if we raised you separately, given the circumstances."
I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, my mind reeling with questions. What condition? Why did Mom and Dad decide to raise us separately? And what did Jack mean by "given the circumstances"? I looked at Emily, who was watching me with an intensity that made my skin crawl. She seemed to sense my unease and smiled sweetly, but her eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint that made me wonder what she was thinking.
"But, Dad, I lived here when I was six," I responded, clearly fearful. He said, "Don't ask too many questions, Alice. When the time is right, you'll know." Now, Emmy, show her her room. Emily smiled and said, "I think we'll have a great time together, getting to know my sister."
As Emily turned to lead me upstairs, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. The way Emily smiled, the way my dad seemed to be hiding something, it all felt like a puzzle I couldn't quite piece together. I followed Emily up the stairs, my heart racing with anticipation. What secrets was my family hiding? And what did Emily mean by "getting to know my sister"? It sounded innocent enough, but the glint in her eye made me wonder if there was more to it.
We reached the top of the stairs, and Emily pushed open the door to my old room. It was just as I remembered it, the same bed, the same desk, the same bookshelf.