Who was that girl staring back at me? I mean it was me, but it just wasn't….me. She had my same luscious, curly, blonde hair and clouded, emerald green eyes. She even had the same visible scar on her cheek. However, her features were somehow unfamiliar. Even though her eyes were the same, they had an evil tint hidden behind the surface. She was more complex than it seemed and different in the strangest ways.
We had been together since I was 16, and to me, he was flawless. His dark, chocolate colored hair always settled in the perfect position, and his love of music never failed to inspire me. I was once  content with him, that changed.
“He said I was acting different than myself, Avery. What does that even mean? That’s just like calling me weird!” I cried. “Ugh, we were together for three whole years. Now he decides I'm weird?”
So many emotions were controlling my thoughts at the moment. Anger, sadness, confusion. Ranting to my sister was a soothing escape.
“Alice, if he broke it off with you, that’s his loss. You shouldn’t have to pay for it, so stop crying and bringing yourself down. Don't let his ignorant thoughts about your ‘weirdness’ bug you.”
I was about to respond, but before I could, Avery said, “Let's get your mind off of him…..maybe we could go to the new restaurant down the street? It has a karaoke machine!”
The rest of the night was a complete blur, I didn’t remember a single thing, all I knew was that I was having fun. 4;00 a.m.. Beep, Beep, Beep. My body shook in fear of the sudden awakening. Who was calling me so early in the morning? I glanced over to my old side table. The phone lay there, flashing like the siren on a cop car. I extended my hand out and grasped my phone.
“Hello, this is Gabe from the Montana Police Department. Am I speaking with Alice Johnson?” A deep voice questioned bluntly.
“Hi, um, yes this is Alice. Can I help you?”
“Yes, it is an emergency. Your mother has been in a terrible accident, it seems she has been hit by a car.” He spoke softly.
I was in disbelief. An urge came over me, I wanted to cover my mouth and block the screams of my fear.
“I know this is a lot, but we are going to need you to come down to St. Peter’s Hospital immediately.”
As he spoke, the life drained out of me. The warm, happy face I once contained grew into a troubled expression. I wanted to speak, but an odd sensation glued my lips closed, my mouth was numb. My eyes filled with tears, leaving my cheeks damp. “Ma’am?” Gabe’s voice asked worryingly, “The rest of your family is already on their way.” Without giving him a chance to finish I hung up the phone and dashed out the door. My skin tight pajamas could be seen for miles. Running through the garden, step by step, I could see that my car lights were still on… but my mind immediately drifted off to the thought of my poor mother. She had always been there for me, now it was my turn.
It was late, and I was still sat in the same place as hours prior. In my bed, and on my phone. The phone was an easy distraction from the horrible truth that my mom was gone. Gone forever. As I scrolled through Instagram looking at all my friends having the time of their lives, the phone rang. Shivers ran throughout my whole body leaving an icy cold remanence. An eerie vibe crept up my spine leaving me uneasy. My shaky hand picked up the phone and answered. Without saying hello, the woman on the other line shouted, “Alice Johnson, there has been a fire at your sister’s house. We are moving her to the hospital now! Her wounds are horrendous but we will do the best we can.” She sounded so urgent, it scared me. “I will be right down.” I said trying to keep calm, but inside I was the opposite of calm. Cantering down the wooden stairs, I glanced at the coffee table. My favorite candle was still lit. I blew it out quickly and flew out the door.
That night I slept at my parents house. Tired of crying, my dad fell asleep fast. Instead of being depressed I was terrified. Every night I sat in my comfy bed at 4:00 AM, waiting for the phone to ring. I was anxious. There was no way I could sleep because I knew that my dad was left, and I wasn’t going to let anything happen to him. He awoke silently and noticed I was still up, “Sweetie, get some rest. It will help heal the pain.”
“No, dad I can't. First mom, and now Avery. Who’s next?” I cried.
“Nobody, I am not going anywhere, and I am sure not going to let anything happen to you.” He responded. “Get some rest Alice. You need it.”
After that, my mind shut down. I fell asleep in a span of minutes, and it was the first time in weeks that I had actually been okay. Bling, Bling, Bling. The phone was ringing once again. My head shot up fast. I looked beside me and my dad was gone. A piece inside of me died, I knew that I had let my guard down and now my dad was gone. Only the sweat mark of where he once lay stood. I answered the phone, and was surprised to find no answer. The phone was quiet, no noise, just the sound of the telephone line fuzzing up. The urge to hang up the phone became apparent, but I didn’t want to. I just listened. Suddenly, the sound of a man’s rusty old voice came through. “Hello, am I speaking with Ms. Johnson?”
“Hi, this is her daughter. Ms. Johnson passed away a week ago.” I responded with a quiet tear.
“Oh, well I am so sorry for your loss, but there is something we think you need to take a look at. We found your father in the county lake, face down. Our guess is that he drowned, but we would like you to come down so we can make sure you’re alright.”
“Uh, ok.” My breathing suddenly stopped, realizing that I was all alone. I was hyperventilating. Crying and crying while trying to get in a single breath. There was nobody here, just me. No mom, no dad, and no sister. My family that had once painted a perfect childhood for me were gone, and the canvas had been ripped to shreds, taking my heart with it.
It took me a few hours to get out of the bed where I had once snuggled between both my parents as a child, but I finally got the courage to walk downstairs. Grabbing my stuff, and saying goodbye to the house, I knew I was not coming back. Too many valued memories, and now, too many corrupt ones. I ran down the stairs and saw almost immediately out of the corner of my eye, my dad's pair of shoes sitting on the counter. That wasn’t all. Dirty lake water sat inside the shoes. Out of nowhere, it felt like an uncontrollable force was pulling me toward a glossy mirror standing on the wall. That girl standing in the reflection, she was different. I couldn’t put my finger on it. She had the same features as me, but that girl was different in the strangest ways. Staring deep into the mirror, something changed. I could see a vision of myself doing the most horrible things. There was me, driving into the depths of the night purposely hitting my mom with a car. Sneaking into my sister's house and watching my favorite candle burn it down. Forcing my own dad’s head into the musky lake water. All of the things I was seeing before, the candle, the car lights, and the shoes drenched in water had all been clues. I had killed my family. Now I knew why my boyfriend broke up with me. He had seen the side of me that I hadn't. The side that killed my family. All of a sudden, the other half of me was taking over. I could feel it, but I could not stop it. It was way too powerful. Lifting my hand and typing in a phone number I did not recognize. When punched in, my phone recognized it as my boyfriends number. The force had almost full control now, just a little more and I would no longer be Alice, but the other half. I jerked. Now, I was complete.
“Hello?” He said unaware as to why I was calling.
“I'm coming over.” I whispered. I hung up the phone and laughed hysterically as I walked out of that old house, and never returned.