Trapped

03.

Ten years ago Anya was sent to the Buffalo state insane asylum. Bryce nor I were given permission to visit her...and we were okay with that. Our parents visited her regularly, atleast twice a week. Every now and then, mom and dad would fill us in on her status, so we weren't entirely clue less on our sister.
Today marked three days before my sweet 16...well Anya's sweet 16 too...since we are twins.
"Alex Hun, can you please come down here?" I heard my mom holler.
Closing my diary, I set it on my night stand, exiting my room.
When I walked into the kitchen mom, dad, and Bryce sat down at the dining table. Confused, I took my seat next to Bryce.
"What's going on?" I demanded to know.
Mom looked at dad, urging him to talk. He cleared his throat, folding his hands out in front of him.
"Well your mother and I have been talking....and ugh we decided to bring Anya home.."
Silence was all you could hear in the room. I wasn't breathing, my brother wasn't breathing, mom looked nervous, and dad looked apologetic.
After the initial shock wore off both Bryce and I sprung from our seats.
"What?! Why?!"
"Are you nuts?!" Bryce exclaimed, he was 13 years old and loved to voice out his opinions. In other words, he had a mouth on him.
"Watch your tongue boy!" Dad warned.
My head hurts.
"Everyone just...just calm down please," Mom pleads, bringing her tan hand to rub her face.
"We've already worked everything out. She's well enough to come home, she'll be kept under my supervision. " Mom explained.
I pushed my hair out of eyes.
I felt hot, sweaty, I still couldn't breathe. This room was suffocating me.
"Can I go?" I gasped out.
"You okay?" Mom asked, starting to stand up from her chair.
"I'm fine..I just have a headache," I easily lied, walking out the room. Why were they doing this? She wasn't ready to come back yet. Anya is not stable.
***********
"I can't believe this," I complained to my best friend Chelsea as she french braided my hair.
"C'mon it won't be that bad. I'd be so excited for my twin sister to be coming home." Chelsea leaned over my shoulder comforting me. Her blond hair fell into my pale face, I brushed it away.
"Trust me it's going to be horrible!"
No one from school really knew the full story about Anya. Since we were all so young when she was sent away. Everyone had been told she was sent to a special boarding school. Obviously that wasn't true. There was a knock on my door then my mom opened the door, peaking her head in. She had pulled her brown hair into a bun.
"Chelsea are you staying for dinner?"
"Yes Mrs.Frishette."
Mom smiled, although it didn't reach her eyes, and closed the door.
Chelsea tied the end of my hair with a rubber band. I got up from the floor and went over to my desk, turning on my laptop.
"What are you doing?" Chelsea asked as I logged into facebook.
"I'm checking who's attending the party."
Chelsea hovered over my shoulder, watching everything I clicked.
"Wow a lot of people are coming." She pointed out.
I nodded my head and scrolled down the list of the people who were coming.
"Alex? Mom said dinner is ready." Bryce walked into my room. I turned off the laptop and we headed down stairs.
************
"How about vanilla?" Mom suggested, we were talking about my birthday cake. I stuffed a fork full of pasta in my mouth, shaking my head no.
"How about strawberry?" Chelsea spoke, adding another helping of pasta to her plate. She had a huge appetite for someone as little as her. She weight about 109 pounds standing at 5'3. Compared to her I was a giant 125 at 5'6.
"I like chocolate," I said when I swallowed the food in my mouth. Dad and Bryce were talking about some video games. Lame.
"Anya doesn't like chocolate." Mom blurted.
I dropped my fork onto my plate. Everyone stopped talking, mom looked down at the food on her plate. She took a huge gulp of her wine.
"Pumpkin, you can have chocolate cake," Dad tried to fix everything, he told mom that they'll just order two separate cake flavors for me and Anya.
"I'll bring out dessert," Mom whispered getting up from the table. I had to keep from saying something I would regret. How dare she bring Anya into this conversation. As far as I was concerned, Anya didn't exist in my world. I wasn't that helpless little 7 year old that wanted her sister to love her. I was stronger now.
**********
"I hope she never makes it here," Bryce whispered to me as we sat in the living room waiting for the arrival of our dad and.....Anya. Mom scurried up and down preparing for her. I didn't understand the big deal. It was Anya, she wasn't anything special. Ten minutes later we heard a honk from outside.
"They're here," Bryce said with disgust looking out the window. You guys are probably thinking how can we think so lowly of our sister, but she caused us so much pain. What do you expect? From the memories I had of Anya she reminds me of that little girl Esther from that movie Orphan.
I watched dad get out his car, heading to the back. Most likely to get HER things.
Finally as if a scene from a movie she stepped out the car. Her blonde hair blowing in the wind, a mass of waves. Just like my hair. She looked around the area, smiling as she followed dad up the pathway.
So many emotions went through me, I was really seeing her after all these years. When dad opened the door, I held my breath. Not in anticipation, I dreaded this moment.
"Anya!" Mom cried pulling her into a hug. Oh please hand me a bag to gag in. Dad stood smiling while mom cried examining Anya. Bryce and I stood there rolling our eyes at everything.
"Come greet your sister." Mom turned to us. No one made an attempt to move.
"She's not my sister!" Bryce spat shocking everyone. The smile was wiped from Anya's face, remind me to give my brother a high five later. Mom gasped, bring a hand to her mouth in disbelief.
"Apologize to her now!" She demanded.
"Hahhaahaha or what? She'll stab me with a knife?" Bryce chuckled and walked out the room.
Bryce-1 Anya-0
I stood there awkwardly. I didn't know if I should leave after him, leave the house, or just stand there.
"Its fine...I understand where he is coming from." Anya told mom, then she turned her gaze to me. She waved slightly, which I did not return.
She walked over to where I was.
"It is good to see you." She whispered wrapping her arms around me. What was I suppose to say?
"...Welcome back?"
She pulled back smiling at me with a smirk.
"It is good to be back....cry baby." She said the last part so lowly mom and dad did not hear it. I knew it! She was trouble since the day she was born and she'll be trouble until the day she dies. I pushed her away from me, her eyes widen, then turned into daggers. She glared at me with hatred. How did mom and dad miss this little interaction? Well, they were too busy fussing over Bryce's award winning exit.
That night when I climbed into bed, I couldn't go to sleep right away. Just knowing that she was in the room next door made my head spin round and round.
The house had been modified just for her. The doors were all locked with a key which only mom and dad had. All the windows had alarms, so if they opened the alarm would go off. This was all so Anya would not be able to leave the house... but we all would suffer anyway.
Sleep finally engulfed me.
"Anya...Anya..do you want to play?" Someone sang into my ear.
"Anya..it can be our special game. Like hide and go seek. You hide...I seek." They sang. I thought I was dreaming so I didn't open my eyes. But once I felt someone stroking my hair, I sat up in bed and flicked on my lamp.
The light glowed in my room, I looked around. No one was there, closing my light I laid my head back on my pillow.
I turned towards my door, there was a small amount of light, which was the moon shinning in through the hallway window. I saw a shadow walk pass my door, confused I got out of bed and carefully opened the door. I looked next door and there was some noise coming from Anya's room. I tiptoed over and slowly opened her door. I looked in, she wasn't in her bed.
"Can I help you?" Someone asked from behind me. I jumped and turned to Anya who had a glass of milk and cookies in her hand.
"Sorry I heard some noise and came to see if you were okay."
"I have my radio on, it helps me sleep. Did you go in my room?" She eyed me. I shook my head no.
"Goodnight." She went inside her room and closed the door. Sighing I went back into my room and made sure I locked the door.
*********
Anya sat on the floor, annoyed that Alex was spying on her. All she wanted was a late night snack. Anya smiled as she pulled on object from under her night gown. Anya held the object watching as it glistened in the light. She touched the edge of it, smiling at the sharpness of it. She happily walked over to her bed, placing it under her pillow.
"Welcome to hell." She laughed burying her face under her comforter.