18th Birthday

Epilogue

A conscious-reviving alarm disturbed the worn-out Dorothy. It rang for quite some time. She kept her self bedridden without stopping it. Then, she recalled a memory where somebody got hit by a speeding car. It was an eerie pitch black image of the event.

“What is this?” she asked as she scratched her head in confusion. Slowly regaining consciousness, her eyes widened and she said, “It was Christmas Eve… That person died for someone, for an unrequited love…”

*START OF FLASHBACK*

It was Christmas Eve at that time when Dorothy had a conversation with Evon during breakfast. They were chit-chatting about different things until she asked, “Heard about what happened to his father?”

Evon just nodded, but didn’t say anything. She rather kept composed than be dismayed about her best friend’s father. After that meal, she immediately rushed to the hospital where his father was admitted. On her way to his room, she encountered her best friend running away, so she frantically went after him.

“Ian! What happened?” she asked. Ian kept running until he reached the streets outside the hospital. Good thing she was athletic that she could catch up with his running, and she tried persuading him to listen.

“Don’t go after me, Evon!” he shouted. Meanwhile, Dorothy went inside her bedroom and saw a book on top of her desk. As she flips it to the foreword page, she saw a letter and read it.

“Twin sister, sorry for asking you all of a sudden but, can you finish writing this book for me?”

(A pain in the ass, as usual…) she thought. While she read the book, Ian at that time recklessly crossed the street. When a speeding car was about to hit him, Evon leapt towards him and pushed him away to safety. However, she had put herself in harm’s way.

“EVON!!” Ian shouted in regret as he watched the car hit her.

Then, he drastically shook her body in desperation but it was too late for Evon: she was already dead before her head hit the ground. While reading the book critically, Dorothy felt sudden chills on her spine and said, “Brrrr~ what was that eerie feeling?”

A few minutes later, she received a call from Ian. Sounding hysterical, he uttered the words, “Evon… got… hit… by… a… car…”

These words echoed in Dorothy’s heart, as she screamed in shock.

*END OF FLASHBACK*

Dorothy remembered the dreadful accident that led to her twin sister’s death. She was hurting in agony as the day marked the 1st year death anniversary of Evon. In memory of her loving sister, she decided to visit her at the memorial cemetery.

“Evon…” she muttered. In front of her gravestone, she brought with her a copy of the book and a bouquet of flowers and placed them down. She offered a prayer, and said…

“Twin sis, I managed to finish and publish the book you started.”

She was teary as she continued talking, “But I had to make a lot of changes to this sad story yours, sorry. I hope you won’t mind?”

She cried in reminiscence and continued, “This Christmas was supposed to be your 18th birthday, that’s why I titled your book ‘18th Birthday’. I didn’t want anybody to know your tragic life story. I’m very sorry…”

After offering another prayer, she left the area and looked at the sky saying these words, “May your soul find peace, Evon. Happy 18th Birthday…”

THE END