Imposter

a/n:  this story shows an incorrect portrayal of a disorder. please read the next part for clarification and to avoid spreading misinformation.

tw: violence, blood, gore

"... and they lived happily ever after," Lianne smiled as she read the end of the story.

"Again! Again! Again!" The young boy in bed cried to his older sister.

"Come on bud that's the third time I've read this story to you tonight. It's time for you two to go sleep," Lianne got up from the chair between the twins beds.

"Please Annie please! I promise we'll go to sleep immediately if you read to us one more time. Please," Sara stretched out each letter of the word 'please'. She sat up in bed and looked over at her twin brother, "Right Josh?"

Josh nodded enthusiastically as he turned to look at Lianne. "That's what you two said last time and you're both still awake," Lianne stated as she looked at each of them in turn. Sara had pushed her bottom lip out pleading with her eyes and Josh furrowed his eyebrows sulkily staring down at the covers balled in his fists. "Okay, how about this; if you both go to sleep now you can have extra big deserts tomorrow night. Does that sound good to you?" Both of the twins' expressions brightened at Lianne's proposition.

"With extra ice cream?" Josh asked skeptically, looking at Lianne as she nodded.

"With extra ice cream," Lianne confirmed.

"Chocolate ice cream?" Sara asked and Lianne nodded.

"Gummy worms?" Lianne nodded again smiling at the twins' excitement. "Yes yes yes! Thank you Annie thank you!" Josh leapt out of his bed and into Lianne's arms. Lianne smiled and turned to Sara who had a giant grin across her face.

"Alright let's get you two to sleep," Lianne said as she picked Josh up and pulled the covers down allowing him to climb underneath them. She tucked the covers around his body, placed a kiss on his forehead, then walked over Sara's bed to do the same. "Now you two are snug as bugs in rugs," she smiled and walked over to the door. "Goodnight, sleep tight, and don't let the bedbugs bite. I love you two little bugs." Then she flicked off the lightswitch, though the room was still slightly illuminated by the Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick Star nightlights next to the twins' beds. As she walked out the door she heard faint murmurs of 'love you too Annie'.

Lianne made her way downstairs to the kitchen to wait for her parents to return from work. She busied herself with cleaning the counter, which was a complete mess as she had made chocolate chip cookies with the twins earlier in the evening. When the girl was finished she pulled out her phone and plopped down on a stool behind the counter. The bright white numbers '9:47' flashed on her screen with the words 'Friday, January 13' below them. She placed her earbuds in her ears and twisted them around to make them fit comfortably in her ears before she began to play her music. Roughly 15 minutes later Lianne heard the sound of a car driving down the driveway. She heard a car door shut and the sound of the garage door being closed. The basement door opened and Lianne looked over to see her father holding his leather briefcase as he tried to close the door quietly. "Are they already asleep?" His voice was soft but slightly hoarse when he asked Lianne about his two youngest children.

"I tucked them in half an hour and I haven't heard anything," she responded thinking about how the twins could hardly be quiet for 2 minutes, let alone 30. Fred Rivers placed down his briefcase and smiled at his oldest daughter.

"Thanks again for putting them to bed tonight, and you should probably get to bed too; it's getting late," Fred placed his hand on Lianne's head and ruffled her hair.