Twin Sacrifice

hree dollars and forty-seven cents. The prescription in my hand cost eighty-six dollars. The pharmacist behind the cou

asked, my voice steadier tha

ty-eight

cket and walked out of the pharmacy into the cold evening air. Willow Creek was quiet this time of night. The kind of quiet that felt

two weeks before that. But the bills kept piling up, and no matter how hard I worked, I could not catch up. Elara was dying. The doctors said it was Stage Four lung cancer

s on, which meant Elara was still awake. She always waited up for me, no matter how late I was. I pushed open the door and found her at the kitchen table, a cup of tea gone c

late," s

close," I lied. "She's been h

lying. She always knew. But she never called me out on it. That was our arrangement.

ge was small, two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen that barely fit two p

u eat?"

some

la

itched. "Ha

ike it came from a can that had given up. I heated it up and set it in front of her. She gave me a look that said

e red stain spreading across the white fabric. She tried to hide it, crumpling the cloth in

I said, my voice li

fine,

re ti

m f

hed half the soup before pushing the bowl away. I did not push her to eat more. I had learned not to. Instead, I sat beside her and took her hand.

t was a real smile this time, the kind t

ind of

about the

er cough. I waited for her to catch her breath, my heart clench

tle by the sea. She had eyes like the ocean and hair like midnight, and ev

er. I had heard this story a hundre

not want the princess. She wanted a son. So she took the baby to

aid, because I knew

rincess as her own, and the princess grew up strong and brave and kind. She did

"And they lived ha

ey lived honestly ever after

r what she meant, but something in her expression stopped me. There was someth

id, "who were

, fear, maybe, or grief. Then it was gone, replaced by the

ere a baby," she said

me a

ood people. They loved you. But they died, and I took y

were buried somewhere deep inside her. I opened my mouth to ask again, but the look on her face stopped me. She looked

I listened to the sound of my grandmother's breathing, slow and labored, and I tried not to think about what I would do when she was gone. I would be alone. Truly alo

startled by the urgency in her tone. Her eyes were wide,

yth

someone ever comes for y

ked. "

gers dug into my skin

re not makin

ot. But please. Just promise me. If someone comes t

ace, casting strange shadows. She looked like a stran

or me?" I asked.

prom

was talking about. But she looked so terrifi

breath and slumped back in her ch

whispered. "

went to her room. I do not know why I did it. I do not know what I was looking for. But something about her warning had unsettled me. Something about the fear in her eyes had made me want

phs. A newspaper clipping. I picked up the photograph first. It was a picture of a woman. She was young, beautiful, with dark hair and eyes that looked just like mine. She was holding a baby in h

April 17th. The day

nty-three years ago. I stared at the words until they blurred. Twenty-three years ago. That was the year I was born. The article mentioned a celebration. A party. A family that was famous for its wealth and influence. The Blackwoods.

I turned. Elara stood in the doorway,

u doing?" sh

ge to my own ears. "Who is Elizabeth Blackwood

ok a step toward me, then sto

e said. "I ca

ruth," I said. "I

heeks. "You don't understand. If I tell you,

r from

skin was burning hot. She was breathing, but it was shallow. Wrong. I held her in my arms and screamed for help. But there was no