Love in Death

Allison's Sister

            Over the few days there were whisperings, whisperings that Allison's sister was coming to Briarcliffe. Coming to retrieve her dead sister's body, and to see me. To see the girl that was the last to see her alive, the girl that everyone blamed even with evidence to say otherwise.

I held my breath whenever the doors to the common room would swing open, waiting to see if she would come to see me. Come after me for her sister's death. One day, almost exactly a week after the incident she finally appeared. The doors opened wide, and sister Jude, a scowl that she was obviously trying to hide was displayed on her face, looked about the room until her gaze locked on me. "She turned and said something to a woman beside her, a headscarf and sunglasses obscuring and real view of her face. The mystery woman replied before giving her a nod and coming my way. Instantly I tensed up, wondering if this was the sister people had been whispering about all week.

"Samantha Hodge?" Her voice seemed familiar, even with its chirp and sunny sound.

Clearing my throat, I answered, "Yes?"

She nodded, her mouth in a grim line for only a moment before she sat down. Slowly she removed the colorful scarf and black sunglasses. "My name is Denise Bradley. Allison Bradley was my twin sister." I gape at her, the face of the woman who tried to kill me was looking back at me. Her blue eyes were a shade lighter and her blonde hair was well kept, falling down past her shoulders in beachy waves. Her make-up was light and her eyes sad, and she was a far cry from Allison. It seemed to me that they could have been completely different people from completely different families, but with the same face. Doppelgangers. They say there are like seven people around the world who look like you.

"Allison." I blink rapidly, as if that would change her appearance.

"Yes." She looks down to her lap, biting her lip before returning her gaze to mine. "I wanted to apologize for what she did to you. My sister was-"She pauses, searching for the words, "a bit off her rocker, crazy if you will." She waves a hand through the air while she talks.

I open and close my mouth a few times while I myself try to say something, anything.

"You didn't deserve that. And for what it's worth, I've read your file. I don't think you're guilty. I've seen the shadow you described in the report, I've felt that accompanying sense of death, dread, serenity." She shakes her head, staring into space before blinking herself back to reality. Looking around she leans forward, putting a manicured hand on mine in my lap, "I'd like to help you get out of here Samantha Hodge." Her voice is low, a whisper.

My eyes widen, "You would do that?" my chest tightens as I picture freedom. Everything I'd been hoping for, a life outside of these walls raising my little baby.

"Of course I would." Her eyes seem kind and they bore into mine. "You're an innocent girl who was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Thank you." I manage to whisper out as tears spill form my eyes.

0000000dwjc?