Shannon Patterson had informed Clint and Charlie that they would have to wait their turn. The judge was from another county and came into Sheffield twice a week to preside over cases. His schedule was hectic so they needed to be prepared for a long wait.
Soon after they took their seats, Shannon snuck in, followed by the county attorney. A few seconds later a younger woman, who looked to be in her early thirties, scooted into the pew beside Shannon. Charlie had done some research on who would be involved in the proceedings and assumed the young lady was Mira’s guardian ad litem.
In the past week, Charlie was subjected to police interrogations and mental health tests. Even Charlie’s mother had been harassed with the same questions over and over again: “Who was in the house the night the ambulance came? Who was with Mira before, during and after? How did Mira get the bruises on her arms and legs?” And, the most important question: “Where did the marks on her neck come from?”
Charlie sat rigidly listening as the judge sentenced a young man to three days in jail for a DWI, and then reprimanded Mrs. Brewer for shoplifting another tube of lipstick from The Dollar Store. Next, eighty-seven-year-old Jeb Weber tried to weasel out of paying the penalty for not making a complete stop at a stop sign, but lost his case. God, would this day ever end?
When the clerk stood and announced, “State verses Charlie and Clint Abbott,” Charlie and Clint stood. Charlie’s legs felt like rubber, her heart beating at a fast staccato pace.
The few steps to the front of the courtroom seemed to take forever. Clint opened the swinging gate and she took a seat at the counsel table, where Shannon told them to sit. Shannon led the pack as they took the table across the aisle. Everyone here had a briefcase but Charlie and Clint.
When Shannon stood and recapped why Mira was removed from the home, Charlie only heard snippets. “Called to the Abbotts’ home in September… six-year-old Mira Abbott was found… child taken by ambulance…” She’d heard all of this before, time and time again.
And when Shannon reviewed the written reports from the psychologist that Charlie had met with, it took all she could do to listen to the lies.
“In my professional opinion,” Shannon read from the report, “Mrs. Charlene Abbott has yet to accept Mira’s twin Faith.”
“Mrs. Abbott appears delusional at times.” Shannon read on as Charlie sat dumbfounded as to what she was hearing. “According to the Abbott’s six-year-old daughter Mira, her mother often refers to Mira as Faith. This, in itself, causes emotional distress and confusion.”
Charlie couldn’t hold back any longer and shot up out of her chair. “What the hell are you talking about?” She tossed an arm toward Shannon. “What Ms. Patterson is telling you are total lies.”
“Mrs. Abbott,” the judge stared down at her and adjusted his glasses. “Please take your seat.”
Her cheeks hot, her temper unraveling at an all-time high, Charlie slumped back down in her chair.
The judge shot Charlie a stern look and then turned back to Shannon. “Continue, Miss Patterson.”
“Thank you, Your Honor,” Shannon continued. “As you just witnessed, Mrs. Abbott has anger issues.”
Clint placed a heavy hand over Charlie’s forearm, knowing Charlie was about to charge the bitch.
“Mira Abbott also confided that until recently she had no knowledge of a twin sister named Faith,” Patterson continued.
This was the worst day of Charlie’s life. The lies went on and on.
“Mr. and Mrs. Abbott.” Judge Milo Davis finally said. “I feel that Mrs. Abbott needs help resolving issues, starting with undergoing intense counseling sessions.” Davis took off his glasses, his beady eyes focused on Charlie. “This is a serious matter, and I will not allow a child to be placed in a volatile situation.”
Charlie bit her lip, knowing the worst thing she could do right now was to buck a judge’s decision. If she didn’t comply, Mira might go into a foster home.
“I will need an assessment every ninety days.” Judge Davis gaze went to Shannon Patterson. “In family court, our job is to reunite families,” he said, “not to pull them apart.” His gaze went back to Charlie. “But you have work to do to make this happen.” He put his glasses back on and looked down at the papers on his podium. “Ms. Patterson will put together a visitation schedule. We’ll reconvene in this courtroom six months from today.”
“Six months?” Was this judge insane? “Six months?” Charlie repeated. “That’s like a lifetime to a child. Please, you have to believe me. I would never—”
“One more outburst, Mrs. Abbott,” Judge Davis said sternly, his meaty jowls shaking with his every word, “and I’ll hold you in contempt.”
Charlie burst into tears. Just like Shannon, the judge wasn’t going to listen. No one would.
Charlie felt deflated, defeated, with nowhere to turn for help. Why did Mira say she’d never heard of Faith? Maybe not as her twin sister, but Mira named her imaginary friend Faith.
They drove home in silence. When Clint opened the back door, the phone was ringing, and he quickly snatched the receiver off the wall. “Hello?”
He listened for a few seconds and then responded, “Yes. That will be fine.” Clint glanced at Charlie and nodded. “We’ll be at your office at three tomorrow afternoon. Thanks.”
“What was that about?” Charlie asked the moment the call ended.
“Shannon wants us to come to her office to see Mira tomorrow.”
“Oh God.” Charlie took hold of the back of her chair. Tears filled her eyes. “Did she say where she is?”
“No.”
“Damn her.” If there were stages parents went through when losing a child through DHS, Charlie was past shock and embarrassment, and well on her way to anger.
“We can see her tomorrow for an hour in Shannon’s office.”
“You doin’ okay?” Charlie asked Clint.
He shrugged a shoulder and walked past her. “What do you think?”
Of course, he wasn’t doing all right.
Charlie thought this would be over today and that, by now, Mira would come to her senses. They would have only sixty minutes to see their baby girl. When would this nightmare end?
After she poured a glass of iced tea, she carried it with her to the table. She’d racked her brain for days trying to think of anything she’d done that would make Mira so angry she’d turn on her, but the only thing she could think of was taking her to see Jason Harper.
Interwoven through her every thought, however, wasn’t Mira’s anger toward Charlie. It was the memory of Mira kicking and screaming, the bruises and marks on her neck, and screaming “Stop it” when no one else was in the room that haunted her.
She put her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands. Charlie needed to wrap her mind around and accept that, more than likely, Mira had this dissociative identity disorder like the psychologist had suggested. And, if she didn’t receive the help she needed, Mira could suffer the rest of her life.
And yet, Charlie couldn’t rid herself of the thought that something far more dark and sinister was happening.
CHAPTER NINE
CHARLIE HAD NEVER FELTTHIS STRESSED OUT. She was having a difficult time concentrating on anything but how Mira would react when she saw her.
Before they’d left for Shannon‘s office, Charlie grabbed Mira’s favorite doll, the fluffy pink blanket she slept with, and a picture of Mira and Hank.
Lately, Charlie found Hank under Mira’s bed and, even when she’d tried to coax him out with food, he wouldn’t come.
Charlie and Clint arrived at the DHS office fifteen minutes early and were escorted to the visitation room with a large picture window that looked into the office. Built-in shelving was stocked with everything from rattles, to crayons, to colored markers and books. A rocking chair sat in one corner of the rectangular room. In the middle of the room was a pint-sized children’s table and chairs. The room smelled like a hospital, the antiseptic aroma making Cha
rlie’s eyes sting.
“Mr. and Mrs. Abbott.”
Charlie tensed when she looked up and saw Shannon in the doorway, a sickeningly sweet smile on her face that revealed a crooked eye tooth that jutted out the side of her mouth. She was heavy set, and her clothes always looked a size or two too small. Charlie knew she was being overly critical, but couldn’t help but resent this woman who’d taken Mira from them.
“She’ll be here soon.” Shannon’s eyes went to Charlie. “Do you have any questions?”
“I don’t think so,” Clint answered. “Not yet, anyway.”
“I will be with you while you visit Mira,” Shannon told them and closed the door behind her.
Charlie expected Shannon to be there, but hoped she might leave them alone for a few minutes. Obviously that wasn’t going to happen. She clasped her clammy hands together tightly and set them in her lap. After Shannon left, Clint turned toward the window that overlooked a street in downtown Jamestown, which was even smaller than Sheffield.
When the door opened, and she saw Mira holding Shannon’s hand, Charlie had never felt so happy to see someone. “Hi, honey.”
Wearing a perfectly pressed cotton dress, white socks trimmed in lace, and black patent leather shoes, Mira slid behind Shannon. Charlie was surprised she was wearing a dress as she’d always been a tomboy, preferring sneakers and overalls.
Clint bent over and held out his arms. “Hey, pumpkin. I’ve missed you.”
When Mira ran to Clint, Charlie’s heart sank.
Clint swept her up in his arms and twirled her around. “How’s my girl?”
“Good,” Mira answered, giggling.
Shannon quietly took the rocking chair that was closer to Clint than to Charlie.
“I’ve missed you, Mira.” Charlie fidgeted with her hands, praying Mira would at least give her a hug.
Mira ignored Charlie as if she was invisible.
“I get to feed the kitties at my new house,” she told Clint with wide eyes.
“You do?” Clint plopped down on a chair under the window and set Mira on his lap. “That must be fun.”
“Uh-huh.”
Charlie opened her purse and took out the framed photo of Hank and Mira. “I brought a picture of Hank for you.” She reached over and picked up the doll on the chair next to her. “And look who else I brought.”
When Mira still wouldn’t look at her, Charlie asked, “Honey? Why won’t you come see Mommy?”
“I don’t like you.” Mira scowled, her lower lip quivering. “You’re mean.”
Charlie needed Mira to know that no matter what she said or did, her love for her would never change. She walked to Clint, and knelt down in front of Mira. “Sweetheart, what did Mommy do to—”
Mira jumped out of Clint’s lap and raced to Shannon. Crying, she wailed, “Make her go ’way. I just want Daddy!” Mira buried her head in Shannon’s lap.
“I think that’s enough for today.” Shannon started for the door with Mira in tow.
Charlie stood and crossed her arms across her chest. “What do you mean that’s enough for today? We haven’t been here fifteen minutes and you promised an hour.”
“I’m sorry.” Shannon hustled Mira out the door.
Tears ran down Charlie’s face when she rushed to the picture window.
Just before Mira disappeared around the corner, Faith turned around, grinned at Charlie, and then stuck out her tongue.
CHAPTER TEN
FAITH WAS PROUD OF HERSELF.
Everyone believed she was Mira, especially that lady Shannon who took her away from Charlie.
When Faith overheard Charlie talking about her being Mira’s twin, Faith couldn’t believe it. And then when she heard Daddy tell Charlie that she’d let Faith go once and needed to do it again, Faith cried herself to sleep. Why did Charlie want Mira and not her? The next morning when she woke up however, she had a plan. This time Charlie would have to let Mira go. And Faith would see to it that Charlie wouldn’t be with her and her daddy.
Mira had told her that she’d help her find her mommy and daddy and she had. Faith couldn’t wait until she could live in the same house with Daddy and do all the things she could only watch Mira do from a distance.
The family Faith was staying with had a mom, dad, and three kids. It was okay to live here because there were lots of kitties and some chickens, too. She saw lots and lots of things through Mira’s eyes, but had never seen them herself. Everything looked and sounded different where Mira lived, like watching a movie, only better.
She shared a room with Brittany, who was only a couple of months older than Faith. The bedroom had two beds that were ‘xactly alike with matching bedspreads. Bailey’s daddy grew corn, just like Faith’s daddy. And her mommy cooked a lot like Charlie, asking Faith if she wanted to help, just like Mira helped Charlie.
Faith was happy she’d convinced Mira not to tell Charlie or Daddy that she’d overheard them talking about her. She told Mira that it would hurt them if they knew Mira was sneaking around at night listening to them. Even worse, they might get really mad at her. But the real reason was that she didn’t want Charlie to know that Faith knew Charlie had killed her.
She missed Mira. They liked all the same things and had fun together, except when they’d fought over the doll. It was kinda like they were the same person. But Faith figured out how to take Mira’s place. All she had to do was close her eyes, concentrate real hard, and she’d find herself in the tunnel going to Daddy’s house.
Mira was happy that she and Faith traded places for a while as she liked to play in the sand and eat all the candy Faith had in her house. The hardest part for Faith was to remember that she had to answer when someone called her Mira.
“Are you girls ready for bed?” Shelly asked, coming into the bedroom.
Shelly was bigger than Charlie and had really short, curly hair. She wasn’t as pretty as Charlie either, but was nice to Faith, always asking her what she would like for breakfast or dinner.
“I’m ready. I just brushed my teeth.” Faith opened her mouth real wide. “See.”
“Me too,” Brittany said.
Brittany was funny and said things that made Faith laugh. Like one time she said, “Look, a chicken!” And when Faith looked and didn’t see anything she said, “Ha ha, made ya look, made ya look!” She had red hair that Shelly always pulled back into a ponytail and lots of freckles on her nose and cheeks.
Faith nestled under the covers and Shelly leaned over and kissed her forehead. “You doin’ okay, honey?”
Faith nodded. However, she missed Daddy. Hopefully, Charlie would go away soon and she’d have Daddy all to herself.
After Shelly kissed Brittany, she walked to the door and said, “I’ll see you two in the morning.”
When Shelly turned around and saw Faith staring at her, she asked, “Mira, is there something you want to talk about?”
“It’s just that… I wish I had a mommy like you.” Faith tried blink tears into her eyes, but they wouldn’t come.
“I’m sure your mommy is a good person.”
Faith looked down. “She’s not nice. She’s mean.”
Brittany wrinkled up her turned up nose. “Why do you call your mommy Charlie?”
“Cause she doesn’t like me. Mommies should like their kids.”
“Oh, honey, I’m sure that’s not true.” Shelley’s voice softened. “Your mommy loves you very, very much.” She walked back to the bed and pulled a soft blanket up around Faith’s neck.
Faith looked up at Shelley. “Are they gonna make me go home?”
“It would be good for you to be with your mommy and daddy. Maybe your mommy just needs some time to feel better.” Shelly patted Faith on top of her head. “You get some rest now, okay?”
“Okay.” When the door closed, Faith cuddled up underneath the covers. There was no way, however, that she’d let Charlie live in the same house with her and Daddy. No matter how many times it took, she would never tell anyon
e that Charlie hadn’t hurt her. If Faith told, Charlie might find a way to bring Mira back. Faith didn’t know how that could happen, but didn’t want to find out.
The nightlight cast weird dancing shadows on the wall, and if Brittany weren’t here she might have been scared.
Faith was getting better at controlling Mira. Oh, there’d been times when Mira was strong enough to pull her back into the tunnel, but every day Faith grew stronger. Mira would be fine. Faith had lived where Mira was for a long, long time. It was Mira’s turn to live there, and she could watch what Faith was doing.
As bits and pieces of Mira’s memories flooded Faith’s mind, she would to anything everything she could to have Mira’s life.
A warm feeling washed over her when she thought about living in the big house with just her daddy. She’d ride on that funny thing that had four big wheels through the cornfields with him, and they’d build snowmen together and everything.
It would be so much fun to play with “the girls” in Mira’s room and build castles in the sand pile, and have Hank sleep with her as he had with Mira.
Faith wished she and Mira could play together, go to school together, and sleep in the same room, but that couldn't happen.
Only one of them could stay with Daddy.
Faith wasn’t asleep long before she heard Mira whining. “I want to come home.”
“Leave me alone,” Faith answered.
Suddenly, Faith found herself speeding through the foggy tunnel traveling so fast she could barely catch her breath.
“Let go!” Faith shouted. “You’re gonna be sorry, Mira!”
When Faith tumbled out of the opening, Mira was waiting, her eyes narrowed, her hair a mass of tangles. She grabbed Faith by her arm and squeezed hard. “You left me here.” She let go of Faith’s arm and took a stand. “I want to go home right now.”
Faith slammed the palm of her hands into Mira’s chest, sending her backward. “No!” She turned to go back inside the tunnel, but Mira caught her by the shoulder, pushed her out of the way, and flew by her.
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