I Became Her

PROLOGUE

"You look like a princess, Ate Nadine", I complimented her. She was wearing a black and pink balloon gown with a tiara on her head.

"You do, too," she said, smiling, while fixing my hair.

I was sitting in front of her boudoir, wearing a glittering black cocktail dress, and she was standing behind me. It's her 18th birthday and we were preparing for her party.

"Nah... you look like a princess and I look like your chambermaid". I was telling the truth. We look a lot like each other but she looks like the gorgeous version of my plain self.

"Well, then, this might be one of those stories when the princess's chambermaid is more beautiful than her," she said, "You're beautiful Madeline. You have a beauty that I can never have."

"Ugh. It's your special day but I'm the one being complimented. You are so unfair." I said in mock sadness. She laughed so heartily that I know I would never forget that sound and the look on her face.

"Shotgun!" I announced as the car came into view.

"No way! You're sitting beside me. Mom's gonna ride shotgun." Clearly, she's using her birthday authority to boss me around.

"Oh, okay." I said in resignation and got in the car.

It was an hour drive to the venue so I closed my eyes to catch a few winks. I heard Ate Nadine and our dad having a conversation but I was too sleepy to understand, but I did recognize a few lines like 'too fast' and 'brake'. Wait, what? Nadine's voice sounded panicky and so did Mom's, so I opened my eyes.

I felt Ate's arms wound around me as she and mom screamed.

There was a crashing sound and my head bumped on something hard as I felt that the car was spinning.

I was already dizzy and disoriented when the car came into a stop when it hit a tree. Sleep started to slowly consume my whole being.

The last thing I saw was my bloody unconscious sister, still embracing me.