Alabama had gone to bed like usual; she would normally sleep looking to the left away from the door. Tonight she looked to the right, staring through her door at the darkness leading down her hallway. She was having trouble sleeping, she didn't know why, but she was. It was dead silent, you couldn't hear anything but the occasional cars pass by. These are the nights Alabama wished she wasn't all alone.

"What was that?" Alabama said as she froze staring at her door, "I think I heard something….." A few minutes past, "I heard it again…It sounds familiar." Alabama's heart skipped a beat. "God no." Swoosh, CRACK! A shadow passed by her door and stopped at the entrance, you could see only an outline of a woman, and she appeared to be holding something in her left hand. The shadow laughed and disappeared for a moment before reappearing in front of Alabama.

"Well if it isn't Miss Goodie Two Shoes," The shadow began, "Remember me?"

"I don't believe we've met," Alabama responded in a rude tone. She could sense this woman, something about her wasn't right. Yet Alabama felt as if she'd known this woman for years, just by hearing her speak. The shadow laughed at her before responding.

"Oh. Is that so?" The shadow said with a grin, "I'm just your suppressed feelings, nothing more nothing less." Alabama glared up at her; she had gotten into a position on her bed where she faced the shadow.

"So you're the bitch that hurt Mississippi," Alabama responded, she sounded like a whole other person. Her voice had gotten rude; she let herself say what she wanted.

"Oh yes, Mississippi. Nice guy," the woman responded, "He looks better when he's suffering." Alabama shook a little at the thought of Mississippi in pain; she turned her head for a moment before looking back at her opposite.

"Why are you here?" Alabama asked bluntly.

"Why? Can't I see myself every once in a while? Or have you forgotten about me already?" The shadow had raised her arm, "Remember this?" Her arm swung down and hit the wood floor near Alabama's bed. Swoosh, CRACK! Alabama frowned at the sound.

"What do you want from me?" Alabama asked after some hesitation.

"Alabama, do you remember Ruby Bridges?" Alabama looked confused.

"Yes, sweet little black girl, why?" Alabama glared at her dark side.

"Is that all?"

"What do you mean?" Alabama responded.

"She was the 'lucky' one. She was the first black girl to be integrated into an all-white school. Correct?"

"…" Alabama sat there; this wasn't going to be pretty.

"I'll take that as a yes," Dark Alabama responded gripping her whip, "And how did you deal with this Alabama?"

"I didn't-"

"YOU didn't do anything. But how did your people react? What did they do? How did they make YOU feel?"

"…." Alabama didn't respond, she just sat there staring at her enemy.

"They protested. They sat out there and yelled at sweet little Ruby. 'I hope you burn in hell ya little Niger!' 'God hates you!' 'You're tainting this country!' Remember that? Let's not forget the signs such as 'All I want for Christmas is a clean white school.'" Dark Alabama grinned, "This made you upset, but not for the right reasons. You knew it was wrong, but your feelings told you different."

"I-"

"You felt the same way they did. This little black child ruined what the white children had. You felt that, maybe you knew it was wrong, but you still felt that way. Is that why you didn't do anything about it? I mean you sent Police to keep them from killing her. But it wasn't what you felt. The only reason you sent that little black child to school is cause the president made you."

"But-" Alabama never finished what she was going to say. It was true, as hard as it was to admit.

"You're just as screwed up as Texas, darlin'." Her opposite grinned, "Speaking of Texas. You're awful jealous of him. Correct?"

"….No." Alabama said, but hesitated.

"Oh c'mon Alabama. You and I are one of the same. You're downright jealous of Arkansas too. Let's start with Arkansas. He's in the way. He's in the way of Texas getting to Louise and he's in the way of you getting to Mississippi. Admit it. You're jealous. Arkansas comes first, he's more important than you. Mississippi worries more about him too. And you know what bugs you the most? He won't let you spend the night or even bother to see if you wanted him to stay with you for a night. But when Arkansas is scared, he'll stay there. He must care more about him than you, correct?"

"Bitch," Alabama muttered.

"I heard you, but you didn't deny it, also. You're jealous of Texas. Why?"

"…."

"He gets to show his anger towards others. He can bully Arkansas for being in the way, you can't. He can yell at Mississippi, you can't. And you know what else you're jealous of? He gets to spend more time with Louise than you get to spend with Mississippi. You're just one jealous bitch."

"I-"

"Speaking of Mississippi, you're angry at him." Dark Alabama smiled.

"But I-"

"But nothing. You're upset. Why? Because he should be able to know how you feel. Why, if he's so smart, can't he explain why you feel this way? Why doesn't he notice? It's like you could never feel bad in your life."

"…" Alabama just stared at her. This was true, all true.

"Yet one thing I don't understand. You still love them. Arkansas is like your child, you still love him. No matter how jealous you are of him. He's sweet and innocent, he did no harm. Just like Ruby, correct?"

"Fuck you," Alabama responded in a whisper.

"You still love Mississippi, you always have. Even after your separation of the Mississippi territory. Almost twenty years and he leaves. That made you upset as well. You hated that he'd leave like that. You wanted to be with him, you pushed yourself to be a state... Yet, this didn't fix everything. He hadn't let you spend the night. He wouldn't talk as much. He had changed. And it was partially your fault, Alabama."

"…" Alabama sat there, she tried not to cry. She knew this was true; she's a terrible person inside.

"You want to be like me Alabama," her shadow responded. "You want to be able to torture others. Like you're tortured on the inside."

"….NO!" Alabama screamed, "I WILL NEVER BE LIKE YOU!" Her dark form chuckled.

"Is that so? You'd have so much more fun. You'd have Mississippi at your mercy."

"I SAID NO!" Alabama responded, "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

"Okay then," her shadow replied, "Just remember, I understand you better than they do."

"…." Alabama's shadow had disappeared, leaving Alabama to lie down and stare at her ceiling.

"Why God? Why am I like this?" Alabama said before falling silent.