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Gradually, we began to accept each other's presence.
Realizing I had a covert, conjoined twin all along, living within me and observing my life and thoughts, I could
only hope that the two of us could have a better relationship than Kelley had with her sister.
I consulted a number of doctors to confirm my twin's existence. Not one of them confirmed or accepted what I knew
for certain to be the truth. She was inside of me. I could feel her and I needed to let Kelley know about this
miracle.
I learned she would be visiting Portland that week with accommodations at the city's most luxurious hotel. The
time had come for me to seek out and reunite with my much, missed friend. I placed a call to the front desk hoping
to get in touch with a manager of some sort. Much to my surprise, the arrangements were easily made and I set a
time to visit her. I was very eager to tell her how much she and I had in common after all.
It was a day I will never live the end of.
I signed in at the desk and rode a gold gilded elevator up to her penthouse suite on the fifteenth floor. I walked
past elaborate oil paintings to the end of an ostentatious hallway. I rang the bell of a massive door composed
of what appeared to be solid maple. The door opened to the smiling face of Kyley. After her cold greeting, I heard
Kelley's voice from behind, demanding that her sister turn so she could see me. As soon as Kyley turned, she immediately
proceeded to walk Kelley away from me over to a large, plush love seat in front of a giant TV screen. I followed
and pulled up a footrest behind the large seat. For the first time in several years, Kelley and I were once again,
face to face with each other.
Just ten minutes later, I found myself riding the elevator back down to the lobby. I was feeling confused, betrayed
and nauseous with bottomless disappointment. Had it not been for my own twin, I would have felt completely alone
in a heartless world.
Kelley was not the same person I once knew. She had become arrogant and tainted much like her sister. The two of
them apparently had merged into a single, fused personality. The Kelley I had met was almost a complete stranger.
I had hoped the news of my conjoined twin would ease the tensions I felt. It succeeded only in causing me to run
out of the suite after a humiliating request from both sisters that I get professional help for my "mental
illness".
In tears, I took the bus back to the apartment. A change inside my brain was taking place as my twin and I seemed
to be alternating back and forth for dominance over my mind and body. Our integrity was being compromised as a
result of all the sudden emotional duress. All I could manage to do by that evening was to lie curled up in the
moldy corner of the bathroom, falling back within myself, becoming lost to my twin. It was as if my entire body
had gone asleep on me and was taken over by another mind. By morning, she was the new occupant of my body and I
was the secondary observer. Could it have been possible, I thought, that a similar process had taken place within
Kelley?
I scarcely had time or energy to process that idea before my consciousness was flooded with the thoughts and feelings
of my newly dominating sister as she quickly made her motivations known.
I was alarmed to discover that she was determined to act on an irrational mindset. It was becoming clear to me
that she was very far from who I had hoped she would be. She was being guided by my own buried hatred and frustration.
It was no use trying to reason with her as I watched us purchase the largest carving knife in the culinary department
of the store and then securely tape it against our leg, hidden beneath our slacks. I had no choice but to play
accomplice to her plans, falling headlong into the tumult of her insurmountable will.
So here we are, oh dear friend, back in your fancy hotel suite, but this time, I'm afraid we are leaving behind
quite a mess for everyone to clean up. I'm very sorry my sister had to watch as I sliced apart your manager and
all your lovely new friends. Most of all Kelley, I regret not allowing her to avoid seeing all of my effort to
carve your flesh and bone to provide you with one final act of friendship. Does it feel good to finally be forever
free of that toxic sister of yours, you two-faced bitch?
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