One at the price of Two

“Two” can’t become “one”. No matter how much pain is endured, or how many tears are shed, two can never go back to being one.

A simple white lie can change the lives of people. From who says it to who hears it, no one can hope to remain unaffected by a lie.

“Is anyone home?” shouted someone from the entrance. The house was relatively empty, save for the sleeping woman in one of the bedrooms and the child playing in the back.

Closest to the entrance, the child went to the door. “There’s no one home,” she answered. She was instructed to shoo away anyone who came around.

“Oh... Ella, right?”

The little girl looked up, recognizing her aunt. “That’s wrong,” she said. “I’m Anna.” She hadn’t intended to sound offended, but she came across as extremely irritated.

The older woman laughed, short and almost soundless. “Right, you have the same face as your sister. You should sue your mother for that.”

It was meant as a joke, but the girl didn’t see the humor in it. Adults were all the same, was a thought she was becoming familiar with lately.

“Hehe, that’s fine!”

“Is your mom home? I need to talk to her.”

“She is! I will call her!”

When she reached the bedroom, her mother was already awake. It didn’t take her long to tell her about the aunt waiting at the door.

“Who was it?”

Upon going back to the backyard, she met with her mirror reflection. It moved towards her and she moved towards it.

“That senile old aunt Olivia...”

The two came to a standstill before each other. Twin reflections of each other, right down to the clothes and shoes. Not a single difference could be found.

“You played the game again, Ella?”

That’s right. The girl who had answered the door was Ella, the girl who stayed back was Anna. Their aunt hadn’t been wrong, but how she so easily doubted and how she so easily believed had left the girl feeling hollow.

“She said: Ella, right? That senile woman should get new glasses.” She laughed. She laughed because there was nothing else she could do.

Whenever her sister laughed, Anna felt the urge to cry. The feelings that were hidden in that gesture were connected to hers, and she responded to them earnestly.

“Oh no, Anna, come on, don’t cry. If they can’t tell us apart... it’s just because they don’t love us.”

She wasn’t crying for that. She was crying for them, for her sister and her. But she nodded otherwise.

“I will do it this time.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t mess up the game.”

They have always been curious about their mother. If she dressed them identically, it meant she could tell them apart, right? That’s the hope that always pushed them forward.

“Mom!” she shouted, running up to their mother. This wasn’t usually her doing, it was more of a Ella thing, but it shouldn’t matter if she was really able to tell them apart.

“I’m having an important talk right now. Go play with Anna.” Without hesitation, even after having looked at her, their mother answered.

Something shattered.

“Mom... I’m Anna!” She put on a pout, crossing her trembling arms for greater emphasis.

“Then go play with Ella.”

She turned and marched right out of there. A frustrated: “Just because it’s cheaper, buying the same clothes makes it harder to distinguish them.” accompanied her exist.

Oh, that’s right. She and her sister never had problems wearing the same clothes, but they were oddly stubborn about the plushies they slept with. She had a teddy while Ella had a bunny. Their mother always called them by the right names just when waking them up.

She never noticed.

“Why are you crying? Did you slip up?” Ella asked immediately.

“I’m not crying.”

Putting a hand to her own chest, Ella made sure to keep eye contact with her twin. “Our hearts are connected. I know when you’re crying."

The tears came again. Her twin hadn’t heard that conversation, but she knew immediately that she was hurting. They two of them were one.

“The one that is Ella isn’t Anna.”

“And the one that isn’t Ella is Anna.”

They were one, never two. As logical and indisputable as A=A, this twins believed that they were one soul wrongly born into two bodies. Two bodies that were the mirror image of each other.

However, even mirror images differ. It wasn’t a matter of love or philosophy, the two of them could be told apart, they simply refused to let anyone not willing to take on the challenge to try.

What protects them is the fact that they act as one. As one person the loneliness and emptiness is halved, as two it is doubled. It’s logical, but it’s also painful. Their sense of self could very well crumble to the belief that they are the other and that the other is them, that’s why they need a reminder:

The one that is Ella isn’t Anna.

The one that isn’t Ella is Anna.

Until they can be two, until they can be separated, they will continue halving their loneliness. Until the day when their happiness will be double, the lie shall continue.

Author's Note

Criticism is highly appreciated, as good criticism can make a story evolve further. And, sorry if the story is bizarre and disjointed at places, it's meant to be like that for the most part.

Reviews

[M.E.Lyle]

This is a pretty neat story. It's unusual and very different from most things I've read.
Who would have thought about writing about twins? Great job.
I can't imagine what it must be like not to have your own identity not shared by another.
Does that make sense?
Getting reviews on stories is difficult.
Most people want to read poetry...short poetry.
I don't write poetry, much.
Have a wonderful day.

[Camellia]

Thank you for the review! My day wasn't wonderful, but this review made it.

[M.E.Lyle]

Sorry to hear about your day. I hope the brightness returns soon.