Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Whisperer… though I do wish for Jim's hunky body!!
A/N To all the lovely readers out there and to the real-life Abbey...
Twin Trouble
Chapter Four
The Next Morning
Melinda walked through the town square, green tea in hand. She continued on, stopping for a car and walked into her antique shop setting the brass bell ringing.
"Hey. You feeling alright? " Delia questioned hearing the bell ring.
"I didn't sleep very well last night," Melinda replied. There were slight bags underneath her eyes, skillfully hidden by make-up.
"That kind of night was it?" Delia teased.
"If I wasn't so addicted to this drink then you'd be wearing it," Melinda threatened.
"Okay, okay. I give up," Delia said surrendering, but there was still a teasing grin upon her face. "Anyway do you mind if leave a few minutes early? I saw this really neat necklace down at the jewelry store and I asked them to hold it for me but I have to be there before it shuts."
"Sure. You owe it to yourself to be treated once in a while." Melinda held her hand up to her head and dropped down onto the stores' couch. Delia's face changed from teasing to concerned.
"Hey, you really are sick aren't you. I thought you got rid of that bug," she pointed out.
"So did I." Delia continued on.
"You know what. I have just the thing. I'm gonna write down the ingredients to this amazing broth that'll make you fell 100 better." She walked towards the back room for a pen and paper. "I used it with morning sickness when I was pregnant with Ned," she added. Melinda looked worried and confused unbeknown to Delia.
The other woman walked out a few seconds later, holding out a piece of paper with random ingredients listed on it. "Here. Make it tonight and I guarantee you'll feel better tomorrow," she promised.
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The "For Sale" sign still stood forlornly in the center of the grassed lawn. The late afternoon breeze made it swing back and forth, creaking eerily. Melinda walked up the empty driveway to the front door.
"Hello?" she called rapping on the door. She called again. "Hello?" No answer. A child's laughter filled the air a few seconds later. A pale face peeked out from the side of the house. It disappeared and reappeared behind one of the slightly overgrown bushes in the garden bed. The child laughed again and she could hear two different tones within the laughter. Suddenly Melinda felt dizzy.
"Abbey," she called holding onto a porch rail for support, "I know you're here. Your energy always makes me feel dizzy." The laughter ceased as two identical girls appeared. "Do you guys see a light?" Melinda asked.
Adelè looked at Abbey. "No," she replied slowly. Melinda looked frustrated.
"Then what might be holding you guys here?" she wondered. The twins shrugged. Abbey flickered over to Melinda, making her feel nauseous again. The ghost touched Melinda pulling her into a vision.
Vision
A girl hid behind a well-used couch, keeping a good lookout for her identical twin. Abbey tiptoed through the room trying not to make a sound. Adelè caught sight of twin and took off in the other direction. She passed her mother, busy talking on the phone.
Abbey raced after her twin, trying to bypass her mother but accidentally hitting her mother's prized ceramic vase. The vase fell, smashing to pieces on the floor. Both girls stopped suddenly. The air was deathly silent.
"Sorry mommy," Abbey stuttered out. The girls' mother looked livid.
"Out. Just out," she told them through clenched teeth. Both girls look crestfallen. They filed quietly outside, heading for the town square where there would be more room and other children to play with.
Three other children ran out from behind a tree to join the twins in the town square.
"What you playin'" the seemingly eldest child asked. Adelè skipped back to the tree the other children had just emerged from and proceeded to cover her eyes and count.
"Hide-and-seek" she replied still counting.
All the other children including Abbey hid behind various other trees and bushes. Adelè and Abbey played until it started to get dark. If they played any longer their mother would send out a search party.
"Home time," they chorused skipping towards home.
"Race you," said Adelè, taking off up the street.
"No fair… you cheat," stuttered Abbey, trying to catch up to her twin. Adelè stopped allowing Abbey to catch up. They both took off across the street, trying to be the first to the other side. From out of nowhere, a car came flying around the corner, hitting one twin a split second before the other.
From inside the house, a woman heard a screech of tires and children scream. She raced outside to see her two beautiful children lying in the middle of the street.
"No!" she screamed. She bent down first to Adelè then Abbey. Seeing Adelè wasn't breathing, she tried to revive her. After a few futile minutes she realized one of her children was dead. Unbeknown to her, the paramedics had arrived and were busily strapping Abbey to an emergency bed.
"Ma'am, would you like to ride with this child?" a paramedic asked pointing to Abbey. The woman nodded. She climbed in beside her remaining daughter hoping that she wouldn't die.
End Vision
Melinda came out of the vision wobbling.
"This was where you lived?" she asked the girls. They nodded. "And you want me to go and talk to your mother?" Again the girls nodded.
"Not blame mom," Abbey managed. Adelè translated for her twin.
"We want to tell mom that we don't blame her. It wasn't her fault that the car was speeding." Melinda's heart melted.
"I'll see what I can do," she promised, "But I'll have to wait until your mother comes home."
"Home 'morrow," Abbey said.
"I'll try again tomorrow," Melinda said as the girls disappeared. Giving the house one last glance, she walked back to her car. She would try again tomorrow.
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Monkeywand