Reunion

Allow me to introduce myself. I’m me. Oh, you wanted my name. Well, that isn’t important. What is important is that I have had a curse thrust upon me. I have been cursed to roam. I am a wanderer. Never quite placing my roots all the way down. Never quite getting too close to anyone for fear that they might be hurt. You see, I am being hunted. Yes. He has been looking for me my entire life. It’s important that I continue to roam, because the second he finds me, he’ll kill me. Worse than that, he will kill everyone I love out of spite. So I stay away from them. I haven’t seen my mother in years. I don’t even know if my grandfather is still alive. But it’s for their own safety. I am a curse upon our family.

I hear the train’s brakes as it begins to slow down. Finally, I am here. Where? I’ll never tell you; you could be looking for me too. I will tell you that it is unbearably hot. I feel a bead of sweat make its way down my back, slowly; as if it is leisurely enjoying my discomfort. I place my shades over my eyes and step onto the sidewalk. I have only one suitcase. It is all I need since I never stay long. I go to the tiniest motel I can find and check in under a fake name (can’t tell you that either). I make my way to my room and start to unpack my suitcase. I don my nicest skirt, button-down shirt, a cardigan, and my most sensible shoes. I head to the library. Here, I will be a librarian. There has been an open position since the previous librarian had her baby. It was a temporary job, something I very much needed.

The temp walks me through how the catalog and computer work, but it is simple and I have done this before. I thank him and begin my first day in my new home. I try to keep to myself, but in a town this small; it is inevitable that some kind soul should try to befriend me. This time, she is named Sophia. She has dark brown curls, a round face, dimples, and a smile that lights up her bright green eyes. She sees me sitting at the front desk and approaches me. She smiles and introduces herself. I smile back and tell her my fake name. She invites me for coffee. I decline. She insists. I accept. I will meet her after work. This always happens, but I will remember that I must keep a safe distance and guard myself.

Did I ever tell you why he is hunting me? Why I am constantly looking over my shoulder? Why I move from city to city? It is because he hates me. He hates everything about me and my life because I had the one thing he didn’t: a mother. Why is that important you ask? So many people don’t have moms and some do, what makes you so important? Well, dear reader, I have a twin. My mother chose to keep one of us and give the other up for adoption. My father couldn’t stand the sight of my pale and sickly-looking brother. So he was given up, and he never forgave me for that.

At 4 pm, I start to pack my things. I lock up the library door behind me. I walk into the small cafe that Sophia mentioned earlier. I see her sitting and when she sees me she waves. I sense something. She almost looks guilty. I join her and ask her what is wrong. She apologizes and begins to cry. Only one person, one thing could make this sweet girl cry like this having just met me. I turn around and he is there. The one I have been running from this whole time. He has found me. How? I was so careful. He smiles at me and I look at him with my chin held high. I see so many familiar features in his face that I have known my whole life. I have never met him, but I recognize him. I have never seen him, but I know those features because they are my own. He is almost an exact copy of me. He steps forward with a gun. “Hello sister,” BANG!