“Are you looking through those albums again?” Lilly, my little sister, came into the living room, where I was sitting on the couch. I was. I look at them a lot to see the other kinds of me. I learned that the cheerleader has blonde, curly hair, blue eyes, and her name is Chelsea. She’s one of the top cheerleaders at my school, J. Carter Middle School. We’re the Carter Cheetahs, our colors are orange and black, and our rivals are the Sherman Scorpions. The drama girl, Delilah, she has long wavy brown hair with hazelnut eyes. She’s been in all the school plays, some parts major, some minor. Mostly major, though.
C-average-me is gorgeous! She has wavy dirty blonde hair and hazelnut eyes that turn green in the sunlight. I remember the first time that Mom had found out about Kathryn (that’s her name). Robert showed me a video that he shot. He used to always want to be the first one to see the new me. Besides, he is my brother. When I watch that video with my brother and Kathryn walks out, I can sometimes hear Robert say, ‘she’s hot’. That was the same day that Kathryn’s first report card came back. Mom started squealing and then became really red in the face. You could practically see the steam coming from her ears.
My favorite is shy me though. Lavender has dark brown hair with tiny little waves. She has hazelnut eyes with purple Ray-Ban glasses. I’ve seen pictures of her before and, boy is she a wallflower! She just naturally blends into the background. But Rob once sneaked up on her in my room and she was singing. She was FABULOUS! She was like a 13-year-old Katy Perry, but probably better.
Lilly, my little sister, came over and looked over my shoulder at the photo album.
“I never noticed her,” Lilly said.
I looked at the one that she was pointing at.
“I’ve never seen her either,” I reply.
It was a black-and-white photo of a girl with what looked like it could be reddish hair and lots of freckles. She was holding an ice cream cone. I noticed that there were two photos in that pocket. As Lilly rushed to greet Mom, I pulled out the other photo. It was the same photo but in color. The date in the corner was this year, and the other one was about 25 years ago. I was right; she did have red hair, a lot of freckles, and green eyes. I stared at them; there was something different about them. The girls looked somewhat glowing. I turned the photo over and there was a letter.
“Summer, can you come over here?” Mom bellowed. I slowly walked towards the stairs.
“Summer Sarah Lynn Green, hurry up!”
I rushed up the stairs to see what was going on. Mom, Dad, Lilly, and even my brother Robert were there. They were all standing in front of the storage room.
“Robert? What are you doing off campus?” I asked.
Robert got a scholarship to UGA and seldom came home. Dad had pulled out the old computer.
“You finally decided we should donate that old thing?” I sighed with relief.
We were always trying to sell it a garage sale.
“Yes,” Dad said, “until we found this.” Dad swiveled the screen towards me. There was an email sent to me. “We’re going to let you read this by yourself, okay?” Mom started to walk away. I clicked on it after they left. Here’s what it said:
To: [email protected]
CC: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], lil’[email protected].
From: [email protected]
Subject: U & Me
Hello! I’ve always wanted to meet you, Summer, seeing we share the same body, you know. I won’t tell you who I am or what I look like. Oh! I have magical powers, in case you were wondering. I have something to tell you but you may want to ask your mom if it’s okay first. Oh, and Chelsea, Delilah, Kathryn, and Lavender, if you want to know too, then you’ll have to work together. Good Luck J.
From,
Mysterious Force
REPLY TRASH
Then I got an Instapound and ChirpChirp request.
Mysterious Force Mysty Force
Sent YOU, Laviedeer, Chel Sea,Kit-Katy, D-Drama, an InstaPOUND
Sent you and 4 Others a ChirpChirp request
Request. ACCEPT NO
Oh Yeah! Oh No!
“Hey Sums, we’re having a UGA party, wanna come?” Robert said, standing at the top of the stairs.
I shut down the computer then went to find my mom when all of a sudden, I felt a tingle. Blonde hair started growing from my scalp and I felt cold. Uh-oh, I felt a switch coming on. I started getting woozy and stumbled around.
“Oh, no,” I said.
Robert escorted me back to my room. I collapsed back onto the bed. Then I blacked out.
Chapter 2: Kathryn
I woke up in my room, for once, in the middle of the afternoon. Robert was standing there with UGA face paint on.
“What’s going on?” I climbed off the bed and felt the urge to look at myself. “Do I have any marks from the switch?”
I looked all over, nope. I had to change my clothes, though.
Confused, my brother asked, “Who are you: Summer, Chelsea, Delilah, Kathryn, or Lavender?”
“Kathryn, I am Kathryn.” I shooed him out of the room.
“Just so you know, we’re having a UGA party downstairs.” He poked his head in one last time.
I changed into red and black then my phone vibrated. Someone had sent me an email. I read it quickly then rushed downstairs. Which photo book? There were so many of them. I looked at the coffee table. Aha! I found the picture. That was Mysterious Force? I grabbed the photo then searched for Mom. I figured the older one must be Mom. She was always saying how red her hair used to be, and that people would say she was glowing. Well, now I knew that they meant it literally.
“Hey, Mom. Do you know who this is?” I whipped out the picture. Mom looked like she was about to panic.
“Please, um, Kathryn?” I nodded. “Do not make me look at that picture.” Mom leaned in. “She was one of your personalities. But for some weird reason, she also had her own heart. A few days later, the girl and the heart were gone. Her name was Willa. She was really evil.”
I rushed back upstairs then sent little ‘Mysterious Force’ an email.
To: [email protected]
CC: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected].
From: [email protected]
Hello Mysterious Force, or should I say, WILLA!
Yeah, I found out, and I know that you’re evil. But, how did you get your magical powers? I have experienced bed chaining and firefly swarms. What’s next, fairy princesses falling from the sky?
Yours truly,
Kathryn
Ha! I cracked it, and it didn’t take long! Then I got another message.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
My name isn’t Willa! I swear.
-MF
Chapter 3: Lavender
I got the email. I’ve seen the picture too. If she wasn’t Willa, then who was she? MF had to be lying, of course. She or he doesn’t want us to know who the heck they are.
I woke up today with wings, as in, fairy wings.
“Why, hello missy, are you okay? Do you need something?” A strange lady asked.
“Yeah, where am I?” I asked.
I tried to move my arm and realized I was chained to my bed.
“Robert! Mom! Dad! Lilly! Help!” I screamed, wiggled and shook.
They all came rushing over. Mom whipped out a bobby pin then jiggled the locks. Mom and Dad looked relieved, Robert and Lilly looked confused. They must not know who I am.
“I’m Lavender, the shy one.” I sat up and looked at the clock.
Time for school.
I quickly got ready. As I got on the bus I looked at my hands; written in marker was:
Sincerely, MF!
I looked in my backpack for tissues then found Chelsea’s pom-poms for cheerleading. Some of the little plastic thingies were missing; one trail was M, the other an F. I p
ut the pom-poms back. I unzipped the first little pocket and out came the photo. The picture of the girl, or as Kathryn said, Willa. I flipped it over and read the letter on the back:
To D, S, C, K, and L,
You must have finally read the back of this. I know that Lavie has figured this out already: Willa is NOT MF. But I am! J So here is your clue. I have blonde hair and I AM in one of your pictures.
Yours truly,
Mysty Force
“Hey, Lavie, are you coming?” My best friend Tara got out of her seat. I followed her off the bus then headed straight for class. I made it to class still thinking about the photo albums. Something no one knows about me is that I have a photographic memory. I mentally flipped through the album. I saw one picture that caught my eye.
I’ve always thought it was Chelsea, but I wonder if that was really she or not. I sat down at my desk and got out my books. I started thinking about Mysterious Force. I admire her sneakiness and stealth. Come on, you have to give her some credit. You have to agree, most villains are pretty skilled. For example, Darth Vader must have been really sneaky to keep Luke from knowing that he was Darth’s son, right?
Then I felt a tingle but it was more than a switch tingle. I knew something was happening. I could feel it in my bones. I raised my hands. “Yes, Lavender,” Mrs. Lawton called on me. “May I please go to the bathroom?” I knew the other kids were thinking that I was such a Goody Two-Shoes for saying ‘may’, and ‘please’ in the same sentence. Mrs. L shooed me away. All teachers think that I’m the poster kid for good behavior. Sometimes, it pays off, like if Stephanie, the most popular girl in school and class bully would have asked, the answer would’ve been no.
The tingle became stronger; I felt more pain with every step. I stepped into the bathroom and hurried into a stall. I put the toilet seat down just in case. I looked at the mirror in the stall. I was changing, fast. But it wasn’t anyone that I recognized. My hair was slowly becoming redder. Freckles started developing, and a glow came to my body. One word came to mind, Willa. She has come back! I was just on the edge of transforming completely into Willa, and then I thought of something. PROOF! I snatched my phone then took a picture of me. Then I collapsed onto the toilet seat. Told you it would come in handy. But I was still me, not Willa.
I looked at the picture; it was half me, half Willa. I sent the picture to everyone: Chelsea, Summer, Kathryn, and Delilah. Then I added a little message: Willa is back! I also sent it to Mom. I wondered if that was a mistake. Next thing I knew I was standing in front of my house. My mom was opening the front door, crying. I’m starting to wonder if Willa disappeared for a reason.
Chapter 4: Chelsea
My reputation as top cheerleader and assistant leader of the Populars is in jeopardy because of me! Well, sharing my body with all these other people is just too risky. You never know when a switch is coming; it’s like, a silent killer! People say Populars are snobby, but, hello? We worked very hard to get to the top, and we aren’t just gonna give that to some nobody. Although, the truth is, more athletes are stealing the popularity away from cheerleaders. Let me just say, I’m not fond of those Nike, Reebok, Adidas obsessed freaks.
“Hello, Summer? Lavender? Anybody!” Mom crowded over me. I sat up and looked around; I was in the school clinic.
“Yeah, I’m here. I’m Chelsea.” I looked up at Mom’s worried face. My phone started vibrating. Omigosh! Willa, she’s back! If my popularity was at risk before, then, it was practically gone now.
“Chelsea, what are you doing here? You missed cheerleading practice.” Alyssa came over.
She was the leader of the Populars.
“Um, something really weird just happened to my body and stuff. Did you see me do anything strange?” Technically, what I said was not a lie. It’s true, something weird did happen.
Alyssa had clearly lost interest. She was scrolling through her emails on her cell phone.
“I’ll text you,” Alyssa said then went to the nurses’ desk and snatched a mint.
“What time is it?” I glanced at the clock, 4:00. I looked down at my hands and formed a fist. I felt like punching something, someone. I unraveled my hands. I closed my eyes and began to think, just random thoughts, about purple, cars, anything really that would take my mind off this horrible situation.
The nurse finally released me so I hopped off the cot and took two deep breaths. I hopped into Mom’s car.
I can’t believe this happened. How could Willa have come back, and why now, I thought.
Mom paced around the living room. I felt so much better in these clothes, tight fitting tee, skinny jeans, and black boots. My phone started to buzz; Mysterious Force has sent a text:
To: Chel-Sea, Laviedeer, and etc.
From: Mysty Force
Hey friends,
I know about the Willa thing. But frankly that’s not me. You know that Willa is just another personality. It’s impossible for her to have had her own phone. Hint #1: I may have misled you in the 1st email I sent. Hint #2: Yeah, I did mislead you. I have my own body. Hint #3: Your mom knows everything.
Sincerely,
Mysty F.
I went straight downstairs to find Mom and show the email to her, once and for all. As I passed the storage room I heard a crash and spotted someone running away. She was a blond, freckle-faced girl. I wondered what she was doing in there. I followed my instincts and went into the closet, turned on the light and saw a piece of notebook paper on top of the old computer. I picked it up and read the letter:
Hello Chelsea,
Yeah, I saw you, too. In case you’re wondering, I am NOT Mysterious Force. I mean, if that’s even her name, BTW. So since you have found this note I guess you deserve a hint, so post it along to your little ‘friends’. Hint: I know you deeply, we may even be related.
Sincerely,
The Unknown
P.S. I’m. I am not Mysty Force.
As if I was going to listen to her. Of course that was Mysterious Force, duh. I took a picture of it then sent it to each of our emails. I grabbed the piece of notebook paper, just for evidence, then I slipped it into a folder that I usually use to put invitations in. I went downstairs and showed Mom all the texts, emails, and letters.
Mom’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “Mysty Force, huh. Misty Forrest.”
Mom was silent for a long time until she quietly said. “She’s your sister!” There was a tear in her eye.
“Sister? I have a sister named Misty Forrest?”
“Yes, she ran away when she was eight. We looked all over for her. She and Summer were fraternal twins. They were 10 minutes apart. I have a picture of Misty, if you want to see it.”
Mom left the room to retrieve the album. While she was gone, a girl came from behind the couch. She had blonde hair and freckles on her cheeks.
“Are you Misty?” I asked. I had so many questions. “Why’d you run away? Do you have multiple personalities, too? Or is that just a one sister thing? Why are you playing this game?”
“Are you scared of me?” Misty asked.
I said nothing.
“You should be. I had a reason for running away, you know? It’s not easy living with a twin who has other people living inside of her. The only ones I actually liked were Willa and you. But since Willa disappeared, I’m left with you. No one will ever know about this, got it?” Then she snapped her fingers and I blacked out.
Chapter 5: Delilah
I woke up on the couch. Mom was sitting next to me with a photo album on her lap. My phone buzzed and I glanced at it. The text was really long but I read it all like a book. It actually was a book. She called it Mysterious Force. I went through all the emails again and reread them over and over again. So, Mysty Force is a stalker, who according to the last email has seen Chelsea. Also she has blonde hair, is probably related, and Mom is the key. I looked at Mom, sitting right next to me. She needed to tell me everything.
“What do you know about Mysty Force
? Is she a sister or a cousin or something?” I turned to Mom. I was on the verge of crying.
“Mysty Force is your long lost sister, Misty Forrest. She ran way about five years ago. Here’s a picture of her.” She placed the heavy photo album in my lap. There were two little girls standing side by side. The one on the right had blonde pigtails and freckles scattered along her cheeks. She was resting her head on a little girl with light brown hair.
“Who is that?” I pointed to the girls. They were both standing in front of Mount Rushmore. They were both smiling as if nothing in the world mattered. If only they could see themselves now.
“The little brown haired girl is Summer, your dominant personality. The blonde little girl is Misty. She broke our heart when she ran away. She was so sweet and so kind.” Mom started tearing up. I handed her a tissue. Then Dad walked in. He was home from work early. He looked at Mom.
“Do you want to tell Dad what happened?” I nudged Mom and she shook her head.
“I will then,” I sighed.
“So there was this stalker….” I explained to Dad everything that happened, Mysty Force, the picture, and everything else. I picked up the photo album and handed it to him. I could see his eyes soften and his whole body just calm down. He sat down. His eyes were glued to the picture.
“This picture brings back so many memories. It just makes you think about the meaning of happiness, you know. They look so free and careless, ready to take on anything. They didn’t know what was coming their way. Our worlds changed the day Misty ran away. I remember that day. Lilly was still a baby when it happened. We searched everywhere for her, but she was nowhere to be found. There was a search party for about a year, but no one could find her.”
I saw a tear in both Mom and Dad’s eyes. I wondered where Mysty had gone. Then suddenly a girl with blonde hair, freckles, and hazel eyes came out from behind the couch.
“Misty?” Mom said.
We all looked up in shock.
To Be Continued
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shallowford Falls Short Story Collection Page 6