It was a bright morning, seemed quite normal, which was what I wanted. Each day, I would make my way to work by car, and each day I would drive by this strange tunnel.
Just awhile back, I went to get my hair done. You know, at the hairdresser's there would always be heaps of gossip floating around; and when I went the previous time, they were talking about the tunnel. Pockets of chatter echoed through my head.
"Have you heard about the tunnel?"
"Oh yes, the tunnel."
"I've heard someone died in there before."
"That's just nonsense"
"No, there's evidence? It's true, a recent death just occurred a day ago, but who knows?"
Before I wanted to say something, some part of me realised that I couldn't.
This morning I drove by the tunnel again, and it seemed to get stranger than ever. It was as if something was calling out to me. Panic stricken, I sped past the disturbance.
After work, I headed down to the supermarket to buy some groceries, where I started to hear even more about the tunnel.
"You know the person that died?"
"She was someone from this neighbourhood, right?"
"Yeah, she went to the hairdresser's a few days ago."
"Oh, did she?"
"Yes, it was the tunnel."
"What about the tunnel?"
I wanted to ask them what they were talking about, but then I realised the cashier was waiting for me to pay. He stood there, watching.
When I passed by the tunnel today, somebody stood there; which was very odd since that tunnel had been abandoned for years, till this day nobody knows why.
After work, I made my way down to the park to jog. Even though sun was still out, the park was as dull as ever. At this time, kids would be playing and running around, kicking the leaves constantly. But, there was almost nobody, until two joggers passed by me.
"Hey, it's her."
"What about her?"
"Don't you know? It has to do with the-"
"The tunnel?" I shouted out to them. As soon as they appeared, they vanished.
I avoided going to work today. There was something up with that tunnel, wasn't there? I began to feel sick even thinking about it.
It was about midday, when I got a call from my husband.
"Are you there? Are you okay?"
"Yes, what's wrong?" I started to get nervous for some reason.
"Hello?! Are you there?" He started to panic.
"What is it?" I wanted to shout, but almost nothing was working.
I started to feel tired, and my head begun spinning.
I blacked out.
I awoke on the rough concrete ground, with a dress I wore years ago. It was the dress that I had deemed my favourite since childhood, even though I couldn't fit into it anymore; yet somehow this time, through some miracle, I could, though I was an adult.
Lights started to flash around me, it was the ambulance, while the police were on standby. As soon as I could, I stood up, only to be met by the sight of me. She had a fractured skull, bits of brain oozed out onto the ground, her dress soaked to the tee with blood. The paramedics didn't even have to do anything, she was pronounced dead on the spot.
I looked down at my dress, mine was as clean as day. I started to get confused, what was going on? As the police placed her body into the body bag, I remembered.
The tunnel, abandoned for many years?
No, it was just her.
I didn't die, my twin did.
She was playing in the tunnel during construction.
The tools that fell on her.
She was so stubborn, so complacent.
I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen.
We wore the same dress that day, we were so close, but we were so young. My parents grieved and blamed her death on me, yet at the same time they wanted me to have a happy life. I grew up forgetting about my sister, wishing that the past wouldn't catch up and haunt me... But of course, that wouldn't happen.
Years later, they stopped construction of the tunnel. News reported that it was because its use was pointless, or that the tunnel only caused more congestion; but all that didn't add up, and none of the silly reasons they gave ever came close to making sense. Never once had they announced my sister's death, it was all swept under the carpet.
I approached the body bag while she was struggling inside. Suddenly, time just stopped on it's own. The moment I unzipped the bag, her hand flew out, rotted and decomposed. I tried to back away; but her arm reached out and her fingers dug into the flesh of my face with pressure so immense to the point... I could feel my eyeballs slipping out. My skull started to cave in, and I could hear my insides squelch.
She pulled me in with her, the last thing I heard was her cackling laughter. She hugged me tightly, her lifeless palm caressing my hair.
"We're going to be together now, just you and me."
"Why did you come back for me?"
"I was robbed of my life. If I didn't have the opportunity to have mine, why should you have yours? We're sisters, remember? We are always stuck together, forever."
I stared up, only to see the stars resting on the bed of black night. They were so bright and full of hope. I stared at it as hard as I could, to catch any glimpse of light as my sister zipped up the bag for good.
