Paper Doll

Chapter Twenty-Six | Leigh

2 MONTHS AGO

My eyes widened at the view of my sister bleeding on the floor. Her eyes were closed. Her hands were cold. I shook her. I called her name. She didn't open her eyes. I patted her on the cheek. She didn't get mad. She had to wake up. No, she couldn't be...

         "Grace! Wake up!" I shook her again and again. "No. No. Who... who..." Then I saw my hand... my bloody hand. I got up, confused. I didn't even know how did I got here. "Grace, Grace, Grace..." I wiped my tears and calmed down my nerves.

         I saw a paper on the coffee table so I got it and started writing on it.

                   Dear Grace,

                   I'm so sorry. I don't know what I did. I don't know. I love you so much. If you will be able to read this after what happened, I hope you can find the time to forgive me. I have no idea. I can't remember being back in the cabin on my own. This is so far from home, so being here on my own, I don't know how I get here.

         I kept on wiping and wiping my tears. They never stopped from coming out. My eyes narrowed at my reflection in the coffee table. I put the paper back down and ran to the bathroom. I saw the broken mirrors on the floor. Did I do all those things? I turned back around and went to the room instead. I saw the full length mirror in there. Once I got to see my reflection, I gasped.

         I was brunette, and my eyes were... gray? I leaned in closer to the mirror. They were really gray.

         How did I become so much like...

         "Grace?"

         If I can return everything to the way it was before, I will. I will, Grace. I'm sorry and I love you.

         I folded it up, wrote Grace's name outside and placed it back on top of the coffee table. I wiped the last of my tears. I didn't want to go to jail for something I didn't do. I had to do something.

        I had to hide her body.

         Before all that, I cleaned the cabin. I picked all the broken mirror. Grace mentioned to me that there's a nearby river, about thirty minute drive away. But if I was going there with a dead body, it's going to be more than thirty minutes. Oh right. Grace had a car. I could use that. I'd get here body there by midnight, when no one was around.

                                                                              ░ ▒ ░    

It was exactly twelve midnight. All the courage I needed was with me. Grace's body was in the car. The piece of broken mirror in a plastic bag. I'd drop all those pieces in the river. I'd clean the cabin and make it spot on clean that no one would notice something happened in it.

        This was not the person who I was but I needed to do this for my own sake. After all, Grace was the one who did it. Grace killed herself.

        I got out. All the lights were off so no one would notice it. I drove quietly to the river. As I made my way there, tears started to well up again. I thought I was over crying but no, they kept on coming down. I could feel Grace's pain. I could feel the loss in my life. I was completely alone now. No one would want me. No one would love me the way my sister did.

        It was quiet by the river. I dropped the pieces of mirror in the river. Now for Grace's body...

        She's taller than me. I had to practically drag her down the slope to the river. Accidentally, I tripped on a stone causing me topple down it and on the water. I gasped when I hit the cold water of the river. Grace's half body was on the river. I swam to the shore. I think that's okay.

        For the last time, I kissed her on the forehead.

        "Goodbye, Grace."