Chapter 1
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Caroline had gone to great lengths to prevent this, but it was impossible. Maybe if she'd had more time, but Lizzie and Josie were approaching their 22nd birthday. This was the moment Caroline and Alaric had feared since she first learned that she was pregnant, the day the twins would have to merge. All of their research said it was a curse placed on their family, but they hadn't found a way to stop it. According to the ritual Josie and Lizzie would merge, the stronger one would absorb her sister's strength and power, and the weaker one would die. Noone wanted this, but if they didn't merge during this upcoming eclipse, both would die. It must have been a very cruel and malevolent person to place this kind of curse on a family. Both girls practiced for this moment, neither wanted to kill her sister, but neither wanted to die herself. Josie was speaking to her girlfriend Hope.
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Hope: Are you scared?
Josie: Of course I'm scared, who wouldn't be?
Hope: Sorry, stupid question.
Josie: Am I selfish for wanting to survive this?
Hope: No. Maybe I'm selfish too because, I want you to win also. I know you would regret killing Lizzie, but you would be alive to regret it. Maybe I'm selfish too, because I want my girlfriend alive for a long time.
Josie: I wonder how mom and dad would look at me after.
Hope: Either way they'll mourn one daughter and be grateful that another is still alive.
Josie: Will they always look at me as the one who killed their daughter, even when they comfort me?
Hope: I don't know. I doubt it will be easy, for anyone.
Josie: It might be a painful life ahead of me, but I still want to live. For better or worse I am going to try and win this merge. And if that's selfish of me, so be it.
Hope: Good for you.
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Lizzie was pacing nervously. Her boyfriend MG tried to comfort her, but it wasn't helping much.
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Lizzie: I appreciate all you've tried to do. But in a few days I either kill my sister or I die. No offense but there's not much you can do.
MG: I know that family can be complicated. My father chose his twisted version of God over me, and my mother chose Triad over me. And despite everything, I still want them to hold me, to tell me everything will be okay.
Lizzie: That might be unlikely, but it is possible. And yeah, my mom and dad will still love me, but they'll always remember what I did. And don't forget, my mom's a vampire so she'll remember for a long time. But Lizzie won't be able to say that she still loves me.
MG: So you're going to try and win the merge?
Lizzie: Of course I am. I know it will be painful, but I'll be alive to live with it. Call me selfish if you want, but I want to live.