Shattered Reflection

She walked through the hallways. Past the classrooms. Empty except for the desks. The school was always silent once everyone went home. She usually stayed later. It was nothing new to her. Just a habit she had never been able to break. She would walk the halls, open the classrooms, stare inside, and think about what they did during the day. Of course, she already knew the answer. It was the same almost every day. Occasionally the school would have a sports event or some theatre production. She never cared for those. She was not athletic or smart. Her grades were average. For whatever the average grade was, she did not know, she neither excelled nor failed at anything.

Continuing down the halls, the silence of the late afternoon looming over her, she turned to stare out the window. The winds were calm today, they ran through the trees, not with ferocity, but with smoothness. Like the passing of the water which ran through the town’s river. There was rain in the forecast, many students disliked it, she did not. She enjoyed the cold rain, the kind that falls just before turning into snow. It washed away any worries she had. Glancing at her phone she saw it was quarter to four. She had not walked for long, but she felt like she had been walking her entire life. Through these halls. Through these streets.

The only escape she could find was within the arts room. Descending the stairwell, she headed for her escape room. Her safe place. Not athletic or excelling at academics paved way for a more creative life. The courtyard between buildings was dry. The grass was baron, and the trees were shedding their leaves. Small daylilies attempted to sprout across the soil by the arts building, yet it was too dry for them now; they would never develop. Once she reached her destination, she opened the door to yet another empty classroom. It was odd, usually there were a few students in here working on their outlines or attempting to find the correct colour blend for their image. Pacing around the easels she reached her station. Removing the cover and turning the canvas she saw her work.

It was a female, slim arms, one resting upon her bent knee. While her head faced down, the eyes were still. The lids barely ajar, yet not to the effect the eyes themselves were not still visible. A still expression, one of echoing despondency, lay across her lips. Staring at the image the girl wondered what to add. She thought there was something missing to her picture; yet she couldn’t figure out what.

The ringing of her phone broke her concentration. Answering it she quickly turned away from her painting.

“It’s me,” the voice rang through the speaker.

“Hey, I didn’t think you’d be in town today.”

“Surprise, hehe, can we meet?”

“Jenny has to leave this evening for a meeting, I have to watch the store tonight; come on by, I’ll meet you there.”

“Can’t wait.”

The phone clicked off and the girl departed the room, making sure to cover up her artwork before leaving.

As she strolled the streets there was an eerie silence to the evening. The wind was still calm, but the streets themselves were empty. A few cars drove by occasionally, yet it wasn’t consistent enough to really occupy the mind. The lack of human presence shaped the town. Sometimes it was lively, other times it was lifeless. A strange town.

Rounding the corner, the girl saw the shop. Someone was staring into the window, glancing at the books on display. Hearing the approaching footsteps, the observer turned. The girl was met with a reflection of herself. She smiled, and the reflection smiled back.

“Hey May.”

“Hey May.”

The shopping center was busy. Quite a few students walked the halls, glanced into stores, some opted for the elevator while others took the stairs. Many eyes turned and stared as the two girls walked into the clothing store.

“What are you doing?” the girl asked as the shirt was thrust against her body.

“Modeling, I mean come on, you are perfect for it.”

“I had never thought of it like that.”

She smiled before grabbing a different shirt and comparing it to her doppelganger. They modeled for each other in several different outfits, a store clerk came by, but as soon as he saw the two of them, he quickly averted his eyes and walked the other way. The girls giggled.

“Still enjoy your vanilla ice cream I see.”

“Says the one who always gets rocky road.”

She smiled as the two of them sat on the bench. Their new outfits held in bags beside them.

“How’s your art coming.”

“I’m stuck, I want to expand it but I don’t know what to add.”

“Umm…have you thought of wings?”

“Wings?”

“Make her an angel.”

Her expression stayed neutral as she contemplated the option.

Smiling she replied, “I think that will work.”

“Great, can’t wait to see it finished.”

Her smile disappeared as a new thought struck her.

“Hey, do you think Jenny ever intended to tell us the truth?”

“About how you and I are twin sisters?”

“About how they separated us at birth?”

“Well, we do keep meeting in secret like this Luna, I’m sure they half expected us to find out the truth eventually.”

“I don’t think so, I think Jenny intended to keep it a secret all her life.”

“I’m sure it will be fine Luna. Our parents have their different struggles in life, but I’m sure eventually they would have told us.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah.”

Luna smiled.

Her sister had been given away to another family, they had a miscarriage and were devastated. The Smith family had given birth to twins, yet because they were struggling financially; they could not afford to care for two children. So, Luna, the eldest of the twins by twenty seconds, was given to the other family. The two families had been close in the past, yet they distanced themselves after Luna was given away.

“How long’s it been since we started meeting like this?” May asked.

“Does it matter?” Luna asked.

“It feels like it’s been a hundred times at least.”

“Maybe, but I never really kept track.”

“Anyway, we should probably get back, I told Jenny I was out with a friend from school, so I probably have to get back to the store now.”

“Okay.”

Upon their arrival at the store the sisters were met with a woman staring into the store. Turning to them the woman’s face changed from one of solitude to surprise.

Feeling the tug on her arm May stopped and glanced back at her sister, who held her sleeve as her face turned to disappointment.

“What’s wrong?” May asked quietly. Luna stood still and didn’t answer.

“Oh Laura, you should have told me you were in town today” A voice called from the store entrance before a woman stepped out. “I was just heading out for-“

May stared at Jenny, her mother. Jenny stared back.

“What are you doing here mom?” Luna asked towards the two women.

May turned towards Luna before quickly turning back to the woman standing beside her mother. “You’re-“

“May, I have to get going to the meeting now, you can close up the shop early tonight if you need to do your homework.” Jenny said quickly before turning and fast walking in the opposite direction.

The woman who was identified as Laura turned to watch Jenny leave before turning back to the sisters.

“Come on Luna…we have to get back to the house,” her words were soft as she talked.

Luna remained silent, but gave a slight nod before walking over, leaving May alone on the sidewalk.

The next day it rained, the downpour swept through the school. Many students rushed into the cold embrace without umbrellas, others had thought ahead. Couples were sharing the cover of the handheld tarps; close friends did the same. May stared at them from the art classroom. She tried to stay calm over the reality she faced. She could already hear her mother’s words in her head.

“I didn’t want you to meet your other mother, do you know how much this breaks my heart?”

Or something much worse than that. Those words would probably be the least of her worries. Rising from her seat May grabbed her umbrella and headed home for the torrent of words that were about to strike against her; much like the rain which beat upon her from above.

When she entered she found the shop was empty.

“Must be the rain” she thought to herself.

Heading upstairs she prepared to enter the living room, taking a deep breath she opened the door.

Jenny was there, sitting at the table, but she was not alone. Luna and her mother, Laura, were there as well.

May felt a weary chill within the room, so she entered and sat down next to her mother without saying anything.

“I’m sorry about what happened yesterday,” Luna’s mother said, breaking the silence. “My name is Laura May.”

“Hello, my name is May Smith” May replied quietly.

“I assume you know the truth?” Laura asked.

“That Luna and I are twins, my mother Jenny is our biological mother, and you are Luna’s adopted mother?”

Laura turned towards May with a neutral expression upon her face.

“We found out a long time ago, well I did at least, but we only met each other a few times now.” May explained.

“How long have you been meeting each other?” Laura asked.

“A little over a year now; it hasn’t been easy, seeing my sister in secret while not meeting my mother at the same time.”

“I was surprised,” Luna said, “when I found the old pictures of us I couldn’t believe how we looked so alike when we were born. It only made me want to see May more.”

“I’m sorry I kept the truth from you two,” Laura said, “Jenny here is my sister, when I experienced the miscarriage, her kindness saved me, she gave me a daughter.”

She turned to look at Luna, “she gave me you.”

“It was difficult for me to make that choice,” Jenny explained, “when I heard what my sister was experiencing, the trauma it caused her, I felt like I had no choice but to help her.”

“It’s alright,” Luna and May spoke together in unison.

Jenny and Laura both glanced at May and Luna as they turned to each other.

“You really are two of a kind,” Laura said.

The group of sisters laughed. It was odd how in sync the two younger sisters were. That’s what they though.

Until Luna collapsed.

“A weak heart?”

“That’s what the doctor said” Luna answered as she lay upon her hospital bed sheets.

“Is it treatable?” May cried.

“They said it was minor, but I should still be cautious.”

“Can we get an organ donor?”

“That is an option, I think the doctor is outside talking with our mother about that.”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

Luna smiled.

“I’m almost finished my painting.”

“Did you give her wings?”

“Yeah, I just have to paint the colors. I’ll show you when it’s done.”

“I’d like that sis.”

The phone rang later that night. The voice through the receiver was calm, at least the doctor tried to be, May couldn’t hear anything past the first full sentence.

As the phone fell to the floor May turned around and glanced into the body mirror on her wall. She saw her sister, yet as she reached forward she only felt glass. Tears flowed from her eyes.

The funeral was quiet. Once everyone had left May stayed behind. Placing the angel within the sky upon the morgue slab she quietly said goodbye to her sister. Her reflection. Her friend.