" Mrs. Hart you have a visitor." Said the syrupy sweet voice over the intercom.
" One moment please." I reply as I close my game of solitaire and spring out of my seat, relieved to finally get out of my stuffy office. I almost skip down
the mirrored hallway, only pausing to check my honey gold hair along with my perfectly tan complexion, before reaching the spotless secretary desk of Amanda Hazel. Just as I am about to add the false cheer into
my voice as I thank her, I am over thrown by an immense force that leaves me breathless.
" Why hello Skylar, sweetheart." I squeak, trying to catch my breath, as I gaze lovingly at my son. Looking at him is almost like looking in a mirror. We both have a honey blonde hair, ocean blue eyes, and constantly look like we just came from the beach, even in the winter.
" Skylar sit down and let your mother breath." Damon Kally says trying to sound stern but failing miserably, as Skylar pouts but obeys. Damon is definitely the odd one out as far as looks go. Black hair as dark as night, skin so pale it looks as if he has never seen the light of day, and eyes that match his hair perfectly. My family,
what can I say? Honestly, I am part of this uncanny family. Many people question me on why I did not take Damon's name, why I kept the name
Hart. Well, my only answer for that is " My father died a hero's death. He was living in a small apartment in Maine at the time of a large fire. He heard his
neighbor's two year old daughter crying. They were the last people left in the building, the smoke was black as it sucked all the air out of their lungs. In summary, he alerted the others outside the window, waving his red scarf he had been using to breath through. The only thing that was keeping him alive. If he had ignored the child he would have lived. The girl was saved but my father died. The only thing I have left of him is his name." After the explanations people usually look at me as if my hair was made of snakes, then walk away muttering something like " There goes a half hour I will never get back." I try not to take it personally. But none the less I love my life and my family. "Well, what are you two doing here?" I ask looking at Skylar but including a hint of despair meant only for Damon.
" We are takin' you out for a night on the town. We ain't gonna' stop 'til the night turns into day." He says in his best 'New York' accent, then pausing to say normally " Or in other words, we are taking you out for an ice cream cone, and we will be back by bedtime."
" That is very sweet of you both but... well.. you see... there is a big staff meeting and I really cannot miss it." I admit sounding sheepish.
" Sigh...." Damon begins acting as if he has just been heart broken." You always have to play it ' by the book'. Oh well I guess we will have to take on the huge burden of having to eat sundaes, instead of cones, you know, to fill the fresh wholes in our hearts." He finishes, smiling from ear to ear.
"Yae!" Says Skylar as he runs out the door, with Damon right on his tail.
" Well, Ms. Hazel, do you happen to know what this meeting is all about?" I ask politely.
" Hey, hey, hey, no need to be so formal honey, call me Amanda, and cupcake, just between you and me, I heard ms.Lark is the new 'big man upstairs' so to speak, and someone is getting canned." She says in her L.A. slang. I have always envied Amanda for her chocolate brown hair, that flows over her shoulders like a warm waterfall. My hair is just so plain, mostly because my job requires me to put it in a bun day after day.
" Well, I wonder who that could be.." I mutter sarcastically as I force myself through the navy blue doors of the common room, not sure what to be prepared for.


" Attention fellow workers!!" Macey Lark's scratchy voice cuts through the stiff air like a knife. " I am sure you all know, thanks to the office gossip Ms. Hazel, that someone is, as she would put it, 'getting canned'. I am also sure that, that person knows who they are. Mrs. Hart please come to the stage." She calls, with almost too much pleasure. I have always liked macey, more for her way of getting what she wants, than she actual personality. I stand, careful to keep my dignity in my last hours, feeling dozens of eyes burning holes into my back. I swallow my pride as I attempt to strut towards the stage, wearing my best poker face.
" Hello Macey" I say with a slight chill to my voice, as I eye her new threads, and look. Her pale blonde hair is hanging loosely over her shoulders, her complexion almost as smooth and dark as mine, all while her cat green eyes are turning into slit right before my eyes.
" That is Ms.Lark to you Lauren." She says, her voice so low, that only I can here, then in a voice filled with so much sugar that it is sickenly sweet. " Lauren, dear friend, comrade, amigo, I will truly miss you. Because. You. Are. Fired." She says, trying her best not to jump with joy, as she watches the eyes of my fellow employees bulge out of their heads, and their jaws drop so low they almost hit the floor. I myself cannot believe what had just happened, for I am one of the best lawyers this firm has ever had. I have been here for over 15 years and I have never lost a case, while this is Macey's first day. So I just stand there, staring through the crowd as if I am the only one there. But just as I am considering what my next move should be, I hear the high pitch ring of a cell phone. I am in such shock that it takes me a few seconds to realize that the ringing phone is actually my phone and that it is Damon calling.
" H-h-hello? D-d-damon?" I stutter after I receive no response.
" Lauren.. S-sk-Skylar, is dead" says the bleak voice on the other side of the line. At that moment the line might as well have gone dead, for my heart stopped mid-beat, my skin turned to ice, my eyes glazed over, and I just fell....


They all thought I was dead. And in hind sight I was. For the day my son, Skylar Kally-Hart died, was the day that I knew that I was not going to be far behind him.


"How. How did it happen." This is all I could manage, among hard gasps of breath. I have been crying ever since that day on the stage. So many of my tears have fallen that I swear I could have filled an ocean. Here I am sitting on the cold, hard curb out front of my lovely home in Mariland Oaks, in the dead of winter, as my four year old son is rotting in his grave. This place that was once filled with joy, is now drowning in sorrow.
" Nobody knows for sure. But they are suggesting a murder. You know, blood on the ceiling, limbs in various rooms, his head was actually found in your bed. There is no way that it was natural." My twin sister Charlotte says non-chalantly, as she picks at her beef jerky, looking as if she enjoys my pain. And just like that I break into sobs again.
" Mrs.Hart, we have to escort you off the premises. Grab the stuff you want and make it quick old lady." Says a greasy man who has just broken away from the police circle.
" Excuse me?! But this is my home, and currently a crime scene in which my four year old son has been murdered and you are trying to tell me to leave?!" I scream, ready to bite off his head as I feel myself being pushed over my mental edge.
" Whatever. But I have an order to repossess this house, and I get paid so nothing is coming between me and this house grandma."
"I am only 31!" I retaliate but I know that this battle was over before it started. Then I see something on the road. I would know that brown waterfall of hair any where. " Oh no! Please do not let that be Amanda!" I scream as I run onto the road, some how avoiding all traffic.


"She was dead before we even arrived on the scene." The doctor says as we stand in the cold hospital room, waiting for the verdict. "She was initially stabbed to death before being thrown onto the road, I am deeply sorry." As he says this I notice Damon approaching me. Damon was on a business call during the death of my dear friend.
" Hey." He whispers into my ear.
" She is dead." I say without feeling. I am beyond caring. Nothing will ever make me cry again, it is as if I am out of tears. But just as I am about to mention this to Damon I notice something red on his new shirt. " Damon did i not just buy this shirt?" as I try to wipe off the stain. When he realizes what I am looking at his face turns as white as a ghost. Quickly he pushes me away. I look at him feeling hurt by his motions.
" Oh that, is just, um...raspberry jam, no biggy." He says, seeming a bit jumpy. As he says this I hear Charlotte snicker.
"You have had such a hard day." Charlotte cooes as if I am a child who has lost their favourite toy. " Why don't you stay with me for a while? I have enough room at my house, and it would mean so much to me, Damon can stay as well." She offers me but her eyes never breaking off Damon. We accepted.


These passed weeks have made me realize that there is no such thing as fate. If there is then mine has twisted drastically. Yes a twist of fate. A few months ago I thought I had my life all planed out. I thought Damon and I would be together for ever. But as we were moving our belongings into the home of my dear sister, Damon just happened to walk in on me As I was going through Skylars old toys. In the hospital room I never thought that I would be able to cry again, boy was I wrong. I just cannot help thinking about how, while my baby died, my husband was on the phone convincing an older woman that know one name Ettolrach Trah was presently living at our home. I found this out a couple of days ago, while I was going through the phone bill, I noticed a long distance call, so I asked Damon about. I wish I had been there, even if just to say good bye to him, to hold him in my arms as he died would have meant so much to me. And just as fast as I thought these things, Damon left me. Not just for the day, but for eternity. Yet day after day I must look him in the eye, for this is the only home I have left and the same goes for him.


"Mornin' sister." Charlotte greets me cheerfully as the smell of her home made pancakes reach my nose, suddenly making my Mini Wheats very unappealing. " Hey do you mind helping my with some yard work? You know, weeds and stuff? I was going to ask Damon but he is really into that book I bought for him." She asks, knowing that just his name will take a stab at my heart.
"Sure." I say simply. I finish cleaning up my breakfast, then I walk out the door into the blood boiling sun. Pulling weeds is tough work, but I have done worse.
As I am working in the garden, I hear my doll of a sister fire up the old lawn mower. No one is more sweet then her. As this though fades from my mind, a pain so fierce I suddenly knew how my father felt as he died, sets into my sides. My mind goes blank, as I lose feeling in all my limbs. I look around only to see myself spread all over the lawn. I hear laughter. My eyes are forced up. Only to see my dear sister stained in blood. My blood.
" Lawn mowers do come in handy don't they?" Charlotte asks in her sweetest voice. I struggle to move, only to remember that I am no longer a whole. I feel like a manikin. This is it. I am going to die.
"All of my life, I have been in 2nd place. I was always 'Lauren's sister' or ' the other twin'." she crys
" Well, when there are two people one has to be mentioned first." I choke out, gasping for air. Feeling no need to be kind in my last moments on earth.
" Shut up! You have everything, or should I say had! I have had to struggle trying to keep my job! I make bread crumbs compared to you! While I am on this roll, I might as well admit that I killed your son. I also hired Macey to fire you. And Amanda, poor Amanda I like her, but she knew what I was doing and she could not ruin my plan so I killed her." She ranted on and on, her eyes red with fury, I could practically see the steam shooting out of her ears.
" You are not that smart, no way you did all that." I hear, to far gone to realize that it was coming from my own mouth.
" Hey, looky here someone pays attention! Yes well, your husband, Damon. He helped me. He killed your son, and threw Amanda out on the street. You notice the stain on his sleeve that day in the hospital. Yes well he is a very bad liar, I could not help but snicker.
" I l-l-love y-you." I squeak as I let myself go. I see her eyes bulge out of her head, looking panicked, and almost sorry, as I feel a warm glow surround me. My mind is filled with peace. I see my son standing at a large gate waving to me. I walk closer. Take his hand. And for once I am truly happy.


" Damon! Get out of the shower!" Charlotte screams through the closed door. " I love you but come on! I am late for work!" minutes ticked by and eventually Damon walked out.
" Mornin' honey. Hey, I have been thinking, why did you have to kill Amanda?" Damon says sweetly
" Duh! She knew. Well anyway, it doesn't matter. Can you drive Sarah to day care? I am late for work." She asks sounding exasperated.
" Sure. I will drive our daughter, she is our little angel. Have a good day." He answers calmly, as Charlotte runs for the door. She carefully walks down the steps, to her shiny, silver Volvo. It has been exactly four years since the murders. The snow was falling hard as Charlotte quickly turned the key in the ignition. As she drove off into the mass of clouds and snow she rolled down her window.
" There has been a twist of fate." She laughed. For once Mariland Oaks looked almost still as the snow delicately fell to the frosty hard ground and the brisk wind slowed to nearly a halt.