Short Stories

The Twins of Vengeance

Fawn poked me, waking me up. I groaned and rolled over. She started shaking me. I rolled over further, not realizing I was practically falling off the bed. She grabbed my arm to keep me from falling. I hissed and grabbed the pillow under my head with my free arm. I swung the pillow and hit the side of her head with it.

"What do you want, Fawn?"

"C'mon Dawn. It's 1:00. You've slept all day."

"No. I'm still tired. I was up all night studying."

"Pleaseee? Mom's making ramen noodles."

I groaned again. Fawn knew I loved ramen noodles... and that I would do anything to get them. I sat up, rubbing my eyes.

"Fine."

Fawn smiled and got off my bed. She walked out of our room, her shoulder length auburn hair gleaming in the light. I only put up with Fawn because she's my twin sister. I got my black sweatpants and hoodie on, not even bothering to brush my waist length auburn hair. I trudged down the stairs, my hood up. My eyes are sensitive to the light, so I try to keep our room dark. In fact, I try to keep the whole house dark but Mom, Dad, Fawn, Zack, and Ash always go and leave the lights on.

I plugged in my earbuds and turned on my most listened to playlist, turning it up to the loudest it can be. I was so engrossed in my phone that I didn't notice Jasper's toy car I was about to step on. I stepped on it, my foot sliding forward and out from under me. I hit the ground on my back with a loud thud, landing on a pile of Ash's Legos. I winced, sitting up.

"ASH! LEARN TO CLEAN UP YOUR TOYS! I JUST LANDED ON A PILE OF YOUR LEGOS!"

Ash appeared, peeking around the corner at me. His eyes were wide. He knew that when I'm mad, I'll be mad for the rest of the day.

"Sorry big sis. I forgot about them when Mom called us to lunch." He edged around the corner, inching towards me slowly in case I make to grab him, which I probably will. I glowered at him, brushing Legos off my back.

"Clean up the Legos. And put up Jasper's car while your at it," I sneered. He nodded as I got up. I headed to the dinner table, pushing him into the wall as I passed. I approached the table and grabbed a bowl. I filled it with ramen and turned to head to the bedroom.

"Dawn."

"What Fawn?"

"Be a little nicer to Ash, ok? He's only 7."

"He needs to clean up after himself. He isn't a baby anymore. He needs to learn more responsibility. We can't keep cleaning up after him all the time!"

"I know. But you don't need to be so harsh on him!"

I snorted, walking back to our room. I reached the room and closed the door, leaning against it in the pitch blackness. I turned on the dimming night light and made my way over to the desk on my side of the room to eat my ramen.

The door slammed open, light flooding in the room. I squinted in the light at the figure in the doorway of my big brother, Zack. I frowned at him.

"What Zack? You're supposed to be off at work."

He snarled, "Fawn called me and said you went off on Ash for having his Legos out."

I hissed back, "Yeah, I did. I stepped on Jasper's toy car and fell. I landed on Ash's Legos."

"You don't need to yell at him."

"You would have."

Zack stuttered, "W-w-well no. I would have talked to him calmly."

"Yeah. Sure. I'm not like you Zack," I looked at my noodles. "I don't handle things calmly."

I got up and walked out the door, pushing Zack out of the way. He grabbed my arm lightly, stopping me. I glared up at him, my emerald eyes blazing. My voice was gruff as I said, "Let me go Zack."

He looked in my eyes, trying to figure out what I was up to. We stood like this for a few minutes before he finally nodded and let go. I continued walking, going to find Fawn. I entered the living room and saw her outside. I walked to the door and slammed it open, scaring her. Her eyes were as wide as Ash's were when I yelled at him about his Legos. I leaned down and picked up a rock from our rock garden. I tested its weight in my hands, determining if it was good enough to throw and bean her in the head with. I decided it was and threw it with all my strength, hitting her square in the head. It fell to the ground, blood gleaming on it. She fell to the ground, unconscious and bleeding from a gouge in her head. I turned and went back inside, not caring about the trouble that would come or anything else. Mom just happened to be walking past and saw Fawn on the ground behind me. She rushed to my twin and picked her up. Mom looked at me, her eyes wide.

"She isn't breathing, Dawn."

Guilt hit me in the gut hard. Fawn was always Mom's favorite. Because of me, Mom would be devastated. I came up with an excuse of what happened, hoping she didn't see what actually happened.

"Mom, I just came out here and she was like this. I have no idea what happened."

I heard something in my ear and turned but saw nobody and nothing. I frowned, getting an unsettled feeling. I turned back to Mom, who has her hand on Fawn's heart. She laid Fawn down gently, tears rolling down her face.

"She's dead," Mom whispered. "My poor baby is dead."

I stood there in pure and genuine shock. I didn't mean to kill her. I never wanted her dead. I trembled, a cold breeze running down my back. Ash and Zack appeared in the doorway behind me. They saw Fawn's dead body and rushed to her side, comforting Mom. Zack looked at me.

"What did you do Dawn?"

I heard that whispering in my ear again. I looked around and saw nothing. I rubbed the back of my neck, goosebumps rising on the back of my arms. I turned back to Zack, Ash, and Mom.

"I didn't do anything, Zack... I came out here and she was like this... I have no idea what happened."

Mom wailed, clinging to Fawn's body. My heart ached a little as I turned and went inside to our room... well... my room. I closed the door and flopped on my bed. I sighed and mumbled, "I shouldn't have done that... I... I'm so sorry Fawn..."

A few weeks later, the funeral came and I was constantly feeling that cold breeze down my back and hearing that whispering in my ear. Each time this happened, I could have sworn I felt Fawn's presence, as if she were here but not here. The day of me and Fawn's birthday came around and I knew I felt Fawn by my side. I broke away from the rest of the family for a bit and recited a lyric from her favorite song. I heard her sing it back and I whispered, "Fawn? Is that you?" Silence. I sighed. I guess not. I went back out to the rest of the family. I still haven't told them about what I did to Fawn. I opened my mouth and something hit the back of my head. I whirled, my hand raising to the bump on the back of my head. I saw nobody, but I did hear a giggle that sounded almost like... Fawn! I smiled and turned back to my family, deciding not to ruin anything about this day.