Don't Let Me Drown

Prologue

September 2021 - 261 Turner Lane. Three nights after Tara's attack.

Her face was burnt to a crisp. What once was Amber Freeman, your fraternal twin sister, was now a burnt girl. A gun held to your head as you kneel in front of Sam.

"Don't make me shoot you," Amber could barely speak but she wasn't done. She needed to end this. For Richie. "Move Y/n, or I swear..."

You suck in a shaky breath, feeling one of Sam's hands press against your back while the other grips your shirt. You hold your arms out to show that you were going to protect the older Carpenter sister no matter what it took. Your sister growled at you and cocked the gun.

You should have been scared. Because half your sister's face had melted off. But all you felt was shock, pure shock. Because how could your twin sister, the one you shared a womb and a room with for most of your childhood, be this deranged? How could everyone be right about her without knowing her? It angered you because you wanted to believe that the kids at school pushed her to this point. But you'd be stupid to believe that. Because a dead man, that laid with his throat slit, was the real reason.

"I said move!" Amber yelled.

"NO!" You yell back. Once you do the room gets silent. And you look up just as your sister raises the gun until it's pressed to your forehead.

"You really should have listened to me, Y/n because I really didn't want to do th-"

The sound of a gunshot filled the room, it caused you to jump, and then.... Silence. The gun held to your forehead had clattered to the floor and then a thud could be heard. You open your eyes and see Tara standing there, tear stains on her cheeks and sweat covering her face. You both share a look of relief but then your eyes lower and the sight of your sister's dead body struck you so hard that you stopped breathing for a second.

Thankfully Sam was there to pull you into her arms and hold you as you try to process what had just happened. You were numb but you had also slipped into a state of shock.

~~~~~~~~

January 2022 - Four Months Later.

"Y/n, I'd like to talk about Amber."

"No."

"Y/n, you've been seeing me since the attack. Which was four months ago. I think it's time we push on towards the biggest topic at hand."

"I said no."

The woman sighs. She sat in front of Y/n, her hands folded over her lap.

"Then if you won't open up about her, why do you still come every week?"

The question threw Y/n off. She wanted to say 'because my mom makes me' but she knew that'd be a lie. Because in truth, she comes back for the company that her therapist gave when they talked.

But now, even that was being jeopardized. All because she didn't want to talk about how her dead twin sister haunts her dreams. Y/n grabbed her bag and left without another word. She'd never come back to this lady as long as she lived. That meant a third psychiatrist down the drain. Her mother was going to be mad at her now.

After her sister's death, Y/n had distanced herself from Samantha Carpenter and her sister, Tara. For four months she kept away from them. Didn't talk to them. Nothing. She couldn't. Not when her sister put them through so much hell. And she felt so guilty over it.

Her parents had a funeral for Amber but no one came. Their father ended up leaving a little after. Which meant Y/n's mother was left to tend to everything on her own. For the first month, she was okay. Put Y/n into therapy. Made her continue to go to school. They even moved into a hotel for a few weeks so the house could get renovated.

But the day their house was deemed worthy again. Y/n went back to the house, her mother did not. She couldn't bare to go back. So she stayed away. Worked long hours. Barely spoke to Y/n. It got to the point that Y/n didn't know where either of her parents were. She would go home, sleep, wake up and go to school. And repeat.

If this was how 13 year old Tara felt when Sam left then Y/n could sympathize with her. Except in this scenario, Y/n doesn't have an estranged sibling to come back to her. This time around, Y/n was truly and utterly alone.