Her Unknown Shades

  Annette sat up straight, crossed her legs and let out a deep sigh. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped as if considering the right words to say to her therapist.      "Did you really hear my question Ann? I asked if you still have your episodes." The woman lowered her glasses and narrowed her eyes.     Annette looked at her and wanted to say yes. she forced a smile and leaned forward to give her an answer. "No. No I don't."     "What about the nightmares? Do you still have nightmares?" The woman asked not believing her.     "No." She forced a smile again. It was like her thing.     "Are you sure?" The therapist gazed deep into her eyes. That had to intimidate her.      "Well, occasionally. But am fine really."     "How about your ex boyfriend? Does he still talk to you?"      "He tries to but I ignore him." Annette sighed wondering how this was helping her in any way.      "Have you talked to him about what happened to your sister?"   "I have just told you that I ignore him. And also he wouldn't tell me what happened that day."      "Do you think that he could have killed your sister?"     "I don't know that yet."  Her eyes were outside the window.   "Are you still affected by the fact that he chose your sister over  you?"      Annette furrowed her eyes at the woman. She sounded like her mother. Maybe that was why her mother recommended the woman to her.      "You know what? Am done for today." Annette stood up and walked out of the room and headed straight to her car. She let herself breath slowly. Oh how she was struggling to answer the questions correctly. She had to prove to her mother that she was okay so that she would stop bothering her with questions.     For some reason her mother strongly believes that she killed her own sister out of jealousy. Jealousy that Annabelle was more beautiful than her. Those were her exact words. As shocking as it is, Annette was so used to taking the blames ever since they were kids. She was the black sheep of the home. Their father had always wanted nothing but his daughters to take over the family's business and continue his empire. Annette on the other hand had different views in life. A business woman was not one of them.     She drove to her house, opened the door and switch on the lights. She was shocked to see her mother seated on he couch. What could the woman possibly want from her?     "What do you want here Karen?" Annette threw her bag on the couch next to her mother and stood still waiting for her to talk.     Karen, her mother, sat up straight and crossed her legs. "Is that how you welcome your mother? I came to check on you dear. You know how much damage a loose wild dog can cause when set free?"      Annette clicked her tongue and grabbed her mothers arm pulling her up on her feet.      "If checking up on me means insulting me you better leave now Karen."      Karen removed her hands from her grip and clicked too. Annette wondered  if the woman really had nothing to do with her life. And how did she even got inside her house?     Karen was about to leave but forgot that she had something to say.     "I just remembered something dear. This thing had been eating me up a lot and I need answers from you. You know that day before the hospital called me about your sisters death, she had called me earlier. She said that you hurt her and that you are not okay. What did she mean? Did you really hurt her?"      "Me hurt her? As far as I am concerned she is the one who hurt me by taking Josh from me. But of course am always the one with a mistake right?" She shouted.      "Its just that she sounded so serious and sincere."      "And I don't?" Annette rolled her eyes.     Karen breath out. She had hope that her question didn't offend her at all but it did. She turned to walk away and closed the door behind her praying in her heart that Annette was telling the truth.     Annette banged the door and let out a loud sigh. she headed to her room and her eyes landed on a picture of her and her sister that they took years ago in high school. She took the picture in her arms and turned it on the back where it was written in a crooked handwriting-The Falen sisters.     Annette always loved to keep albums with pictures of every memories in her life, even the worst ones. She took a box from under her bed which had pictures of her and Josh together. She scanned the photos as tears flowed down her cheeks. Pictures of them together created something hard and evil in her heart. Hatred. Or maybe jealousy because the man chose her sister over her. Note that this was not the first guy to do this to her.      Her heart suddenly darkened with no love and she had one thing in mind.  She collected all the photos of her ex-boyfriend, Josh and her sister, Annabelle and went for a matchbox. She was going to burn all their memories. All the dark memories that made her cry all night and pretend to be okay during the day.      With just one matchstick, all the photos were slowly reducing in size and disappearing into ashes. She sat on her bed as she watched the papers burning in front of her and a crooked smile formed on her face.  One thing she was sure with was that she was not okay and was not even interested in being okay. Annette strongly believed that nothing in her life was ever going to be right and that happiness was not something she was waiting upon. who would blame her?  As much as her eyes were pleased to watch the photos burning, deep down her heart cried for her sister.