The In Between

Maggie and Jennifer were the best of friends since they shared a womb. Maggie always had to one-up her sister, and Jennifer liked the competition. The girls just graduated from Jr. High and were heading to high school. This is where the fun began, well according to Maggie. Maggie was the social one. She had long dark blonde hair and blue eyes. Her body developed early and she was a curvy girl. Her sister on the other hand developed slowly and was a little behind Mags. Jennifer also had the straight long dark blonde hair, but her eyes were chocolate brown. They stood the same height though, and both girls had a love of life itself. If one had a bad day the other could feel it and they would send messages to one another through their minds. This little trick almost got them expelled in Jr. High a few times.

Overall our little family was very happy until the day of the incident. Maggie was at cheer practice and Jennifer was doing tryouts for the volleyball. She loved all sports and was very good. We knew she would get on the team with ease. I let Maggie drive the jeep that day. They were to come home together. One thing that they argued about was whose turn it was to drive to school. Sometimes I had to step in and take the keys and do the pick the number with them. Maggie won the keys to drive to school, but Jennifer was to drive home. "Of Course", Maggie said, "Jennifer has always been your favorite".

"That's right", said Jennifer," And you have always been daddies little girl".

Maggie knew that was true. She loved to please her daddy. Each of them would admit to being spoiled. The girls could have had their own rooms, but they decided to share one room for sleeping and the other room would be their closet with a couch and organizers. It was the best. One of their friends said it was like a Hollywood mansion with how their closet was set up. When my husband and I bought the house a few years ago, we renovated the three rooms upstairs to having a master suite for the girls and one downstairs master for myself and my husband. An extra pool house was added for guests. The pool house was like a little apartment, Some times I would see a candle in the window of the pool house flickering in the darkness of the night sky. We found out later that it was Maggie and Jennifer's signal if they had a guy over, Maggie had many guys that would come around for her, but Jennifer had Brian. Brian was her best friend since second grade when he moved into the area. He was a cute kid and grew to be a nice-looking young man. Sometimes I think Maggie is a little jealous of her sister. Mags goes through a lot of guys. lately, the guys are ones her dad and I do not approve of. We have tried to catch Mags with her latest guy, but she is one step ahead of us.

The day it happened our whole world was turned upside down.

I had just returned from work. I work at a local college as dean over social sciences. I have been at the job since the girls went back to school. At first, it was an adjustment to make sure I was home at the same time as them or a little before. Then I would make dinner or order in and their dad would come home.

It was December and there was a fresh coat of snow on the ground. After school, Jennifer was ready to drive she just had to find Maggie. Maggie was in the parking lot with her friends from Cheer. "I think I will go to Joan's house for a little while. Will you tell mom and dad I will be home later. We have a project to work on for Chemistry class".

"Sure", Jennifer said as she started towards the Jeep. She didn't mind because she could stopover at Brian's house and see him for a while. She didn't have time at school to talk to him much today. He was hanging out with the team. He was captain of the football team and was busy with games and practice. The last game is Friday, and then he will have more time.

When Mags got home we were mad. "Your father and I had been calling around to try to find both of you. Brian said that he saw Jen at about 4 pm but Mag's you were not with her. We have been worried out of our minds"

"Jen is not in her room", Mags asked. "Is she in the pool house with Brian watching movies"?

"No, I told you Brian hadn't seen her since 4 pm.", Luke, their father said. "We have called the school all the girls on the volleyball team" he fumed.

"I have even started calling the hospitals in case something happened, But there is no one fitting her description'. I grumbled. Worried and upset,

"OMG", Maggie cried "this is my fault. If I had only come home with her. I would know where she was".

"Maggie, sweetie", I said. " Can you use your link and find her". I begged.

"I have a bad feeling something happened to her and I can not shake it", Luke said as he walked around pacing the floor.

Maggie went into her room and focused on connecting with her sister. The only thing she got was a feeling of cold and then nothing.

Maggie ran out of her room. " Something is wrong", she said frantically. " I can not hear her, but there is a freezing feeling in my body. There is also something else. I feel darkness and water. I think she is halfway hanging on to life. She must have been in a car accident".

I picked up the phone and started to call the police station. I was not sure what I would say, but I was going to get them to try to look for her if I had to drag them out myself. "Maggie call Brian and see if he will meet you to troll the streets", I said automatically making a list in my brain. "Luke gets a city map off the internet. We will divide the area".

Luke went into his office and was back in a blink of an eye. "I have a copy for all of us. The more we have out there the better. I can get our neighbors to help too".

I was glad Luke was composed. I was about to lose my mind. He grabbed his coat and ran out the front door to get the neighbors to join in the hunt for Jen.

It was not long until we had a house full of people. Police officers, neighbors, Brian and the three of us.

The night was dark and cold. It was said that the temperature was dropping to freezing, and all that was in the outside air would not survive the newscasters said to bring in all animals. I did not want to think of it.

The phone rang. Luke picked it up. "Hello, where did you find her? Is she alive? We will be right there. Thanks". Then he hung up the phone.

I just looked at him. "Well", I said, " Please don't make me beg". I tried to joke. It did not come off like I would have liked.

"They found the jeep and Jen was inside. She hit some black ice on the road and the car flipped into the river. The Jeep was half submerged. Jen was in her seatbelt but she hit her head and submerged in the murky cold water. She is at the hospital right now, the officer said we needed to get there right away. I am not sure how long she was under.

I dropped everything and headed out the door. My husband was right behind me with keys, my coat, and my shoes. I looked down at my feet. He came over picked me up and carried me to the car where he put on my socks and shoes.

My mind was twirling, and I could not think in a complete sentence. "thank you Luke", I finally got out.

He looked at me and smiled, though his eyes held a deep pain. It was there I saw the truth of what was said on the phone. We made it to the hospital and went in holding hands, but in silence. Once we were recognized the Doctor came over to us.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Deangelo. I am Dr. Lee. I was called in by the OR to work on your daughters case. My specialty is in neurology. I have been monitoring her brain activity.

"Can we see her", I blurted out before he could finish his words.

"Yes, but I want to warn you. She is on life support. We noticed on her license she wished to be a donor. She is a minor so we must ask you if this is something you would like.

My mind was not wrapping around what he was saying. Why was he talking about donation. Then everything clicked and dread came rushing in. " She is not going to make it", I said.

The Dr. looked and shook his head. "We want to give you a chance to say your goodbyes. There are five families that will have their loved ones live if you decided to keep her wishes of donating her organs".

"Yes, of course", I said right away. I wanted to keep her memory alive and if she could save lives that is what she wanted.

"I do not want to pressure you in any way", said Dr. Lee. "I know it came out a little blunt".

"She was a person who loved life and would do anything for people. I know she would want this". Luke said.

Just then Maggie ran into the hospital doors. " I heard they found her".

"Maggie, This is Dr. Lee", said Luke. "He has been caring for your sister".

The tears started to flow down my eyes, and I looked over at Maggie. She was a mess. Her eyes were swollen from crying. She already knew. "Mom, I know. She is already gone. She told me to tell you to let them take her organs and let others live".

Dr. Lee was astonished. He was not use to the twins communication link.

"Maggie, We were just talking about that", Dr. Lee explained.

Maggie cut him off. "I do not want to be rude, but there is a life depending on her organ now. Please can we go say our goodbyes to her body".

The Doctor surprisingly walked the family to the room where life support sustained Jennifer's body,

I think my goodbye was the longest and Maggie had to drag me away. She kept telling me that I would see Jen at home. I did not understand, but finally I released her to go into surgery where here organs that gave her life, would be transferred to another.

Luke, Maggie and I walked out of the hospital. Luke and I had the funeral and all the burial arrangements to plan. They would release the body the day after tomorrow. We called the funeral home to pick up the body and get a service ready for next weekend.

All that week I would hear Maggie in her room speaking with Jen,. It was like she was in the room with her, but that could not happen. Jen was gone. Maggie might need to see a therapist after the funeral.

Every time I would go into the room to put cloths away or something of Maggie's I would feel her, Jen was in the room. I knew that my mind must be playing tricks on me. Luke and I asked Maggie if she would go through Jen's clothes and things. We needed to give them to the shelter, and other places where they could be used.

Brian came over on Monday to get his class ring and some other mementos of Jen. He blamed himself. If he didn't hang out with the team that day and was with her he could have prevented this from happening. It was at this moment that he heard her. He looked behind him into the mirror. At first he saw only his reflection, but then he saw her. She was in the mirror smiling at him. She waved and blew him a kiss. He could not believe what he was seeing and ran out of the house.

I saw him running and before he excited the door I tried to stop him. He said something then took the items he came for and left as quickly as he could. He was mumbling Jen's name. I could not make out what he was saying.

Maggie would stay in her room most of the day just talking to herself. Every time I would go into the room, it was like I could feel Jen watching me. Maggie would ask me if Jen spoke to me. I would remind her that Jen was gone, and that if she heard her voice it was just the voice mail that I listen to over and over again.

One day before the funeral I heard the voice mail I had saved from Jen play. It then turned off and I could hear the phone say that the mail was erased.

My one connection to her voice was gone. My heart sunk. Maggie, I called out. Why did you erase the voicemail. Maggie?

There was no answer back. Luke? Was it you? Luke? just then I walked passed the girls room and I saw it. A flash of light coming from the mirror.

I turned around and start into the room. It was then I saw her. She was just as she looked the day she died. She smiled and said. "Mom I'm ok. Do not worry. I am not alone". Then she was gone.

I did not know what to think of what happened. I saw Jen. Was she the same person. I did not know. I was not sure of anything. There was a darkness in her eyes that over powered the light that I saw at first and it scared me. I started to hurry out of the room. I looked at my arms and there were bruises.

Her finger marks around my wrist. I did not even know There were hands there. I must have fainted.

I told Luke what happened. At first he did not believe me.

At night I would see him sneaking out of our rooms. I followed him and saw him speak to the Mirror in Maggie’s room.

Maggie started to sleep with me in my room. Luke would go stay in the room talking all night. If he was not there he was at work. He started to do experiments and even started working in a new job experimental science.

There were days that Maggie and I would look out the window and see a black candle lit in the window of the pool house. The feeling of the house was heavy and dark. Jen needed to go and move on. We loved her, but this was not her. It was a shadow of who she was.

I took it upon myself to talk with Jen and try to help her move on.

“Jen, I love you but you must move on and so must we. This made Jen mad. She started yelling saying Luke and Maggie did not want her gone. I tried to calm her, but I felt hands around my neck. Jens face started to change. There was a deep voice coming from her. This made me question if it was even her.

I started to break away and run from the room. The figure followed hoping from surface mirror to mirror. Then there grew a dark mist that took the form of a man. The figure was dark with red eyes. I screamed. Running never to return home again.