Novel Critique circle : Forum : Exact


Exact

9 Years Ago


  There are things people say about twins. One is smart and one is dumb, one is a good person the other is horrid. But what if we were exactly alike in every way, form and fashion.
From birth we were always exact. Same eyes, nose, mouth, birthmark; we were exact from head to toe. But maybe we had something that was different, I like to believe so. I like to think that my brother was driven to insanity and that he wasn’t that way since we were born. Because if that’s true, maybe I’m insane too… I mean we are exact right?
 June 6, 1992  At approximately 6:43 AM Daniel Tyler Moore was born; I was born. And my mother must have had a pretty horrible doctor to not realize my twin was going to be born just minutes after me. Dylan Oliver Moore, born at 6:45 AM; my identical twin.
May 2, 1999 Growing up my brother and I were insufferable. We did everything together, we were best friends. But one summer that changed. My brother and I liked the outdoors and like any other child we liked to explore, 7 year olds never thought there’d be life changing consequences. We lived in Wyoming, separate from everyone else; another house was at least miles away. Behind our house was a beautiful forest by day and a terrifying one by night. One night after mommy tucked us in Dylan convinced me to go out into the forest with him. I knew it was wrong, I knew something would go wrong but I ignored it. As we were walking we heard trees rustling, twigs snapping and before I knew it my brother was being dragged off into the darkness. I never saw him again. A year later he was pronounced dead and to this day I continue to blame myself because it was my fault, I should have been the older brother and told him to go back to bed. But maybe I did see him again, maybe I saw him every single day without even knowing it. But that’d be impossible because he’s gone and he’s been gone and he will always be gone.
Present Day  June 3, 2014 “You obviously blame yourself Daniel, you may have been older by two minutes but you were not the older brother; you were both children and what happened to your brother was and unfortunate incident.” Hailey Brookes, my therapist, says. Her mouth opens to form words, she knows she’s just made a mistake, but nothing comes out; instead I talk “An unfortunate incident?” I chuckle not actually finding anything funny “You do not understand and I do not want you pretend to, you’re a therapist you’re here to try and fix my problems but it’s not a problem is it!” I scream standing up. “My own mother couldn’t even look me in the eyes, she couldn’t handle living with the person who looked exactly like her son let alone the person who allowed him to be attacked. But no, no, no that’s not the worst bit is it? It’s every morning I wake up. For the first few seconds you forget, you forget he’s gone, but then you realize and it’s like getting the new that he’s dead over and over again!” I shout, punching and hole in the wall. Silence and my heavy panting fill the air. I look at Hailey and she sits in her chair with wide eyes. “I’m sorry” I say grabbing my coat and heading towards the office door. “I’m sorry too” she says, but I know what she means and I most certainly do not want her pity.