Simulation

Chapter 1

My world was a simulation. 

~

I sat overlooking the frozen lake. Snow was falling down at a graceful speed, not too fast, not too slow. I saw my twin sister, Estelle, skating with her boyfriend, Keith. Though we are the same age, (she came out first), we look drastically different. We don't even look remotely like siblings. I'm taller, and she's shorter. We're both skinny because we don't have enough food on the farm, especially during winter season. Keith will bring Estelle food, but apparently every time he comes, it was "forget-about-Ivory" day, and he forgot to bring me food. It's fine. I'm alright. I have a layer of muscle, but Estelle doesn't. I do the work around the farm, but she stays inside with mom and does all the house chores. I'm naturally tan, with no help from the sun, and she's as pale as a ghost.

But that's not what sets us off. Her hair is golden, and I mean golden, and super curly. She has light brown eyes. My eyes are red. Not from crying or a phenomenon like that, they're naturally red. Not because of a disease either. My hair is naturally white. My mother says it was platinum blonde when I came out, but because I've been working outside it's permanently bleached to white. My mother tries not to look ashamed when we go out, but everyone still gives me wrong looks. Maybe it's also because I wear more-or-less gothic clothing. I'm not into the voodoo stuff, I'm Christian like the rest of my family. My mother looks like my sister. Exactly like my sister. My father, well, he left us before Estelle and I were born. Wonderful, right?

The farm is my step-father's, the only person who doesn't ridicule my white hair and red eyes. He has light blue eyes and slightly blue platinum hair. He loves my mom with a burning passion, and me too. So you must be thinking that I'm living the dream life? No, not really. Estelle may be my twin, but we are certainly nowhere near friends. She doesn't hate me, per say, but it's not like she likes me. She teases me about being eldest, prettier, and "not albino" she says. My step-father, Neal, knows that she teases me, but doesn't do anything about it. Why? I have no idea. My mother is nice to me most of the time, but she is truly embarrassed and ashamed of my looks. Keith sometimes forgot I existed.

I go to school, but it's not like I have friends there either. More bullying and ridiculing. I'm in my senior year with Estelle, whom everyone loves. I'm just a ghost.

For eighteen years, my life was pretty nice. If you count bullying, ridiculing, ignorance, and embarrassedness nice. But then I figured it out. The Simulation.

~

"Get up, Albino!" I heard Estelle yell from the doorway. I slid out of bed and pulled on my ripped grey jeans, white tank top, and black sleeveless jacket and a thick white belt. I put on my mascara and eyeshadow. I headed down stairs to the breakfast table to see all of my family already eating the oatmeal.

"Good morning Ivory," Neal said with a smile. My mother, Louise, just nodded and Estelle smirked. I brushed my hair over my left eye and sat down, but just as I sat down, Estelle got up.

"Time to go to school," She said to me with a smirk.

I sighed and took one last bite, then I grabbed my black messenger bag and headed out the door with my sister. We normally walked to school, even in the cold.

"How's Keith?" I asked.

"He's just fine." She spat. She hates me.

"How was ice skating at midnight?" I said, knowing I had the upper hand. Estelle wasn't supposed to go out because of the incident.

"How do you know?" She asked bitterly.

"I saw you, Estelle."

Estelle turned to me and looked me in the eye menacingly. "If you tell a soul, I will hurt you, Ivory." She threatened.