The sister in the dark

Chapter 33

Rose has been talking to the girl for an hour now. I've been lying in bed and just eavesdropping. It's interesting, listening to the two of them talk.

Her name is Iris and she's in the year above us. After a while of talking, she warmed up to us enough to tell us about her girlfriend, but told us that she has to pretend otherwise because her parents and practically everyone would not approve.

"Isn't it illegal for girls to be with girls?" Rose asks.

"No, but it is illegal for men to like men. It's stupid, really. Just because the Bible put Adam and Eve together."

"Yes, it is stupid," I agree. "We should be allowed to love who we want."

"Mhm." Rose nods, a flush spreading across her cheeks.

"Rose, I don't care who you like. You're my twin sister, and I'll always love you."

"Thanks."

Iris is biting her lip and her face is screwed up in pain.

"You okay?" Rose asks.

"Nah," She groans, falling onto her bed.

"What's up?" I ask.

"My older sister hit me with her car about three weeks ago. Tried to kill me. She thinks all homosexuals should die."

"Really? Are you okay?"

"Yes, really. I'm okay now, but it'll be ages until I get to play hockey again, or run, or climb. I don't recommend it."

"Well, I hope you get better soon."

"Me too. I'm going to sleep now. "

Iris is no longer a distraction from the pain in my stomach. I feel like I'm going to throw up, or pass out, or something.

Carefully, I undo the buttons at the bottom of the hospital gown that I'm wearing, and inspect the wound from where I stabbed myself. There's stitching underneath cotton wadding, and lots of blood. Why did I do this to myself? It was my choice, nobody else's.

I roll over, trying to get comfortable, and regret it almost instantly. Just painful.

Rose throws something over to my bed. "Read it,"

It's a newspaper article, dated today, and before I even read the headline I know what it's going to be.

Stowe killers caught!

Olivia Graham and Michael Curtis, ages thirteen and fourteen, have been arrested for the murders of Charlotte Grosse, Amelia Martell, Emily Caprio and Hamika Driver. The two are denying all accusations, and have been unavailable for comment.

This means that, excitingly, Rose and Evelyn Hyde, twins, are both alive, despite public belief that Rose Hyde was murdered. Both are in good enough health and have small injuries. Rose has been available for an interview, in which she said: "I've always... ah... liked Michael, ever since I met him, so when he asked me to go for a walk with him, I was all up for it. However, this was when he and Olivia kidnapped me. I was locked in a tower for two weeks, being abused. I watched him kill so many, and every time it was someone I cared about. I'm glad that he's gone."

Hirah Khalil, who found the body of Emily Caprio, has spoken to one of our reporters, saying: "Rose and Evelyn are my best friends. It was horrible for all of us to watch this unfold. My heart is with the families of the poor victims."

The parents of Olivia Graham are shocked that their daughter would do such a thing, as many other students and teachers at Stowe School believe. Some have come forward trying to defend the two accused, but Michael Curtis has deflected all who are trying to help, which seems to add to his show of guilt.

As well as that, scientists have managed to prove (a little too late) that the body was Charlotte's, not Rose's as people had assumed.

Come back for tomorrow's issue, where we will dive deeper into the case of the Stowe murderers, and purple candyfloss.