Memories of Death

A pale hand reached towards me, pleading, calling. I tried to answer, tried to help her, but her milky face was washed away, hidden by the fog.
"No!" I screamed, reaching through the dark.

I rolled over, moonlight showering through my window. I closed my eyes, trying to erase the woman's pain from my mind, but still her {blood-covered} face swam before mine, her black hair limp, her eyes bleak and empty of hope. The blood-stain over her heart, dripping. Shivering, I pulled my dressing gown around me and sat up. Careful not to look in my mirror, I padded downstairs.

Sitting at the kitchen table, orange light surrounding me, it was easy to forget how scared I had been only moments before. Pouring myself a glass of milk, I tried to slow my heartbeat. The cool sweetness of the milk running down my throat relaxed me. Glancing at my glass, I was horrified to see a {blood-covered} face reflected in its shine.
I paled upon hearing her voice, calling, "Serena, Serena! Serena, please help me!" My mouth opened and closed like a goldfish, and I sat, stunned. "Serena, please! I need your help!" I gaped at her disfigured face.
Suddenly, a voice burst the bubble. "Reeny? Are you okay?" I turned to see Tamara, my twin, standing at the end of the table.
"Oh Mara, I had another one of those dreams!" Instantly she was by my side, stroking my hand.
"Want to talk about it?" she asked.
I took a deep breath. "There was a lady, wearing a ... a white dress. She had pale, pale skin and long black hair. Her face was scratched and covered in blood, and she had a big... a bloodstain on her chest, over her heart. It... Oh Mara, it was awful!" I whimpered, burying my face in her shoulder.
"Reeny, that's terrible! Did she talk to you?"
I lifted my head. "She... she called to me, asking for help. And... just now, I saw her. I saw her reflection behind mine, in my glass. She said she needed my help. She asked me, and I just sat there!" I cried. Tamara gave me a quick hug and pulled me to my feet.
"Come on, let's go back to bed." She took my hand and we walked up the stairs. Involuntarily, I glanced in my mirror.
I gasped, "Mara... Oh Mara, it's her!" Mara looked into the mirror, but I could tell she couldn't see her. I pointed, "She's right there, next to my teddy." We glanced in that direction, but saw nothing. Suddenly I froze. "She's talking to me," I whispered.
"What's she saying?" Mara urged.
"Um... Serena, I need you to help me," I repeated. "Uh... okay, I'll help you. Please, who are you?" I clutched at Tamara's hand wildly. The woman in the mirror smiled. "Ah, you listen. My name is Christine. I was murdered, murdered by my own mother. I need you to help me avenge my death, find out why she killed me." Tamara's eyes widened as I relayed that sentence. I nodded, staring into her pale, hopeless eyes. "I... I was born in 1874. I think I... I died in 1890. Please, help-" I cut myself off, watching in awe as she disappeared.
"Reeny? What happened?" Tamara touched my shoulder.
"She left," I said simply. My sister stroked my cheek.
"Well done," she whispered. "Come on." We crawled into bed, fingertips touching. I closed my eyes, finally feeling at peace.
The sun peeked through my curtains as I rolled out of bed. Mara's side was already made up, and I could smell pancakes cooking downstairs. "Mmm..." I pulled my hairbrush through my frizzy, long brown hair and surveyed my wardrobe. "Hm," I considered wearing a navy skirt with my white blouse, but decided against it. "I want to be bright!" I declared to no one in particular. I pulled on a floor length rainbow skirt of Tamara's and a white t-shirt with a smiling sun on it. I pulled my hair into a high ponytail and snapped in a smiley face clip. I glanced warily in the mirror. Seeing no massacred body, I took a look at my outfit appraisingly in the mirror. "Not bad," I muttered. Skipping down the hall, I knocked on my parents' door and went to wake up my baby brother. Peeking through the door, I could see Bradley jumping up and down in his crib. "Hey Bradley," I called, opening the curtains.
"Weena!" he called excitedly.
I smiled. "Come on, let's go wake up Samuel." I changed Bradley's diaper and took him to Samuel's door. Finding the handle in amongst all the "Do Not Enter" signs, I opened the door. Putting Bradley on the stomach of my brother, I stifled a giggle as Bradley patted Sam's face.
"Where Sam?" Brad asked me. Suddenly Sam woke up, and was about to yelled at me when Brad cried, "Sam wake!" and hugged his face. I burst out laughing and luckily Sam did too.
"Get up lazybones," I scolded, taking Brad downstairs.
"These taste great Mara," I complimented, digging into the pancakes. Tamara grinned.
"Thanks Reeny. You look great today; that skirt really suits you," she replied.
I laughed, "Hah, maybe I'll steal it." We both started laughing when Dad walked in.
"Hey girls. Sleep well?"
Tamara and I exchanged looks and said, "Yeah." I pushed my chair back and took my plate to the sink. "Want me to pack your lunch Mara?" She nodded, her mouth full of pancake. I chuckled and filled two paper bags with snacks. "I'm going to go early today, I have to go to the library," I winked at Mara. "I'll catch the early bus."