Bethal Moore Voorhees

Eleven Years Ago

My sister Evalyn grabbed me by the hand, her hair a red that almost looked blonde, securely tucked into a hat. "Come on Beth!"

"Wh-where are we going!?" I cried as I was pulled to my feet.

My sister and I looked nothing alike, she has her father's red hair and our mother's hazel eyes. Freckles upon her cheeks and on the bridge of her nose.

I have my father's black hair and eyes so blue they look purple. I even have his slightly tanned skin. Easily able to mistake us as black or Hispanic. So little is known about my father so I just might indeed be either black or Hispanic.

We are each other's opposites, not only in appearance, but in personality as well. She always could have a lot of friends; people easily described her as eccentric and easy going. A lot say she's like a little sister to them... everyone loves her.

Me, however? I complicate her life... I say "Could have a lot of friends" because she really can but she chooses to stay by my side and people don't like me as much as her.

I'm...creepy. Standoffish... silent and when I speak often it comes out as cold. I don't mean for it to sound that way, but...

I am the shadow to her flame, and I don't partially mind.

"A-are you dragging me off to meet new friends?" She was running, dragging me with her. Her grip firm on my hand there was absolutely no chance of escape.

Her mischievous giggle was all the answer I needed. I let out a pained groan and tried to pull free of her grasp, but she only tightened her grip.

"It'll be fine Bethy!" She says without breaking stride.

"Y-you always say that!" I caught glances of people staring and whispering as they observed our outlandish behavior. I felt myself grow embarrassed; I was glad I didn't have my sister's light skin.

Suddenly she stopped. I crashed into her back. "Ouch!" I complained.

She giggled, "Sorry" She released me and turned to look down at me.

Sometimes I really hate that she's older.

"Are you okay?"

I looked away, "What is it?"

She noted my change in tone, slightly tensing. "I'm sorry, I wanted you to meet my brothers."

I looked up at her in surprise, "Your brothers?"

She turned back around and glanced around, "Yeah my dad has kids."

"Oh." I lowered my head, blinking back tears. She and I were so different....

"Oh, there they are!" My headshot up, though I don't remember telling it to. Two boys were approaching, very wide ranges in age though.

"Evalyn?" The oldest boy asks. I knew immediately that they were related. They had the same hair, same freckles, same skin tone. Only their eyes were different. He was brown eyed.

"Hi!" She said with a wide grin.

"Hey!" He says a smile of his own pulling across his lips as he offers his hand. She took it and they shook hands. "I'm Ethen." He looked down to the other boy who had pure white hair.

I realized he looked more like me than his two siblings. "This is Jaquan, we call him J.J."

When J.J looked at me, I saw his eyes were gray, a feeling of familiarity coursed through me, though I had no idea why. I never met this boy before.

Eva placed her hands on my shoulders, "This is my little sis, Bethal, she's six."

The feeling of embarrassment came back in full flush.