If You're Looking For A Short Mystery...

Clara woke up to feel the cold breath of night on her face. 12AM glowed bright green on her bedside clock, giving an eerie atmosphere. She felt strangely uneasy; there was a dark shadow lurking in the base of her stomach and her heart was beating fast. She decided to get a glass of water so she pulled back the covers, slipping her slippers on as she got up.
Her fingers felt for her lamp switch and flicked it on. The darkness was flooded out by light. She squinted until her eyes adjusted and grabbed a hair tie, roughly doing up her long, black hair in a high ponytail. She moved out through her door, flicking on the hallway light as she came to it. Her skin was prickled with goosebumps.

The sixteen year old was home alone because her mother and stepfather had gone somewhere… She knew they had told her where they had gone, but she just couldn’t remember.
She stopped at the end of the passage. The lights in the lounge were on and a soft shiver ran across her back. She always turned the lights off.
She went into the kitchen, got a glass and filled it up at the tap. After drinking it she placed the glass in the sink. She turned the lights off and went into the lounge, to turn those off.
That’s when she saw it.
A hand print of blood sprawled on the cupboard doorknob.
For a moment she was struck by fear, unable to move, unable to breathe, she stood frozen like a manikin. She anticipated what was behind the door and her brain was screaming at her to get out of the house. But she didn’t.
Clara was overcome by curiosity, and step-by-step, she walked to the cupboard. Shakily she raised her hand to rest on the blood print.
Her heart was raging, sending what seemed like liters of blood to her head.
She turned the doorknob and dragged the door across the carpet.
Clara’s eyes scanned the closet and widened as she let out a deafening, blood curdling scream that strained her throat.
Her fingernails found her face as she tried to cover up her mouth, scratching at her pale skin.

There was a girl, dead in the closet.
It took a few seconds to move her eyes from her dead, chalky face. When she did, Clara could see an angry slash in the girl’s beautiful red dress, the hole going right through to her stomach and leaving a round pool of blood around the stab.
She hadn’t seen so much blood in her life. It was everywhere. On the girl’s stomach, on her lips, chin, and in her mouth… On the blade of the knife thrown carelessly to the floor of the closet.
Clara’s shaky fingers tamed at last, and clasped over her mouth. She felt weak.
Familiarity weeped from every cell of the young girls body. Recognition sparked a deeper sense of fear inside Clara's soul.
Like a madwoman, she raced to the mirror.
The person who stared back at her in the mirror stared back with steely blue eyes. They had full, red lips, black hair, and pale skin. The living version of the life-less body.
Were there two of her?
Her mind was desperately trying to put the pieces together, but none of the pieces fit.
She heard her stepfather's car tyres scrape along the gravel outside.
The next thing she knew her stepfather and mother were standing in the passageway, staring at the slightly bleeding scratches on her face.
"Ebony? What happened to your face?" her mother asked her worriedly.
Ebony?
The name sparked vague memories in Clara’s mind, but nothing she could make sense out of.
“Who’s Ebony?” Clara asked in a weird voice.
Her mother and stepfather forced a laugh.
Clara stared at them and they realized she wasn’t joking.
“You’re Ebony, honey. Are you feeling okay?” her mother answered.
She was silent.
Her breathing was coming short and fast, and her heart was pumping fast. She was absolutely terrified, because she knew there was something she didn't know, something she couldn't figure out.
What was it?
"If this is supposed to be a trick, it's not working, Eb. We can tell you and your sister apart as good as you two can," her stepfather said.
Her mother shook her head quickly, like she was shaking off Clara's stupidity. "Anyway, is Clara home yet? I hope her date with Jason went well.”
Jason… Her mother’s last comment undid a net of memories and, as if a dam broke, they started washing through her mind.
She wasn’t Clara at all! Like her mother had said, she was Ebony. Her twin was Clara, and her boyfriend was Jason… The Jason with the beautiful blue eyes and the beautiful blonde hair. The Jason that Ebony loved.
But Clara got the boy, and left Ebony heartbroken.

So tonight, on Clara and Jason’s third date, Ebony waited.
He picked her up at eight, just a little while after her parents had left. Ebony waited 3 hours.
At 11 they arrived home. Ebony smiled and hid her anger. Clara was so identical to Ebony that it was like watching herself with Jason.
After he left Ebony allowed Clara to tell her about the night in detail. They had gone out to a gorgeous restaurant, had an expensive meal, and then danced. Clara hadn’t left out that Jason was just the best dancer, or the fact that he couldn’t keep his hands off her.
As she listened, Ebony’s rage heightened, her jealously grew, and her bitterness bubbled.
Her sister got everything. She didn't even need Jason.
Ebony couldn’t remember much after that… Only grabbing a long, sharp knife out of the kitchen drawer.

Ebony’s parents were looking at her and waiting for her response, but she didn’t respond. Instead, warm tears began to slide down her face.
“Honey, what’s wrong? Don’t you feel well?” her mother said as she went to hug her. Ebony pushed her off. She didn’t want her mother hugging a murderer.

Slowly she led her parents to Clara, her twin, dead in the closet.

As she stood beside her hysterical, sobbing parents, she realized something.
Jason was single.




If you got to the end... You have my respect

 

Got creeped out at the hand on the doorknob. Liked that "we can tell you apart" [sic] (did I use 'sic' right?), but she can't. I've got various little comments but I'll just leave you with one: "giving an eerie atmosphere" - don't say it, show it. You have to give the eerie atmosphere to the scene with description. e.g. what does the light do to what she sees?

 

Thanks weasel!

This story is like a year old... I can't be bothered changing a thing about it. Lost all impact Just wanted to share a lil something.

Thank you so much for your comment...
Although, I don't know what [sic] means lol

 

Absolutely rad! Very well detailed, and a great twist

I loved the end bit:
As she stood beside her hysterical, sobbing parents, she realized something.
Jason was single.

Sounds odd, but it made me chuckle

 

thats twisted, suspencefull and tottally well done!

 

oh wow.. i wasn't expecting it all to be on this page!