Wearing Racquel

The reflection in the mirror was just a girl with skin porcelain and fair. Her long dark locks of charcoal hair danced down her white face, winding around her petite frame and resting silently in her lap. She wore a cream dress laced with the most dainty ribbon, the corset forcing her boyish body into an hour glass of femininity. Although her eyes, they were not focused on her divine reflection, no. They were complete with fear as they indulged into what was behind her, nothing; nothing except her new surroundings of a grand bedroom with only the most expensive of furniture and decorations.

Raquel would often lose herself for hours in the mirror, just waiting to catch the reflection of her other half, her identical twin sister. She never did, people could not see the dead. She could feel her though, in this very room her presence was taking prey. Sometimes Raquel thought she could feel the heat of her eyes cursing her every move and her every heartbeat, or sometimes like this very moment captured in the mirror, she could feel her touch, her breath faintly lingering on the surface of her neck.

Raquel imagined that if she could see her sister that she would look like one of Dracula’s mistresses, crouching over her body, smelling the blood in her veins preparing herself for her next meal. The thought made Raquel hold her breath, close her eyes and be in suspense for her pending death.

When Raquel finally opened her eyes, her heart froze at the sight of another crouched over her. The imposter dived towards her neck, there jaw opening slightly and the warmth of their mouth caressing her neck.

“You frightened me, Joe!” laughed Raquel, lolling her head back revealing more of her bear neck. Joseph’s deep brown eyes met her icy blue eyes in the mirror, and for that moment, without words, they spoke with their hearts. One did not need to hear Joseph speak to know how he adored his new bride, and was madly in love with her. As for Raquel, it was blatantly obvious she was obsessive about him, it was possible it was even a slightly ill kind of love that she obtained.
“I’m sorry, my darling. I won’t startle you again while you prepare for supper. I was just curious about the long time you have hidden yourself up here,” he spoke with his husky charming voice. “Will you be much longer, my love?”
“Oh! I forgot time my dear, terribly sorry. Forgive me for I just got lost in thought,” Raquel pleaded to her new husband of only a few weeks.
“Don’t be sorry. What ever is it you are thinking?” he asked, and for a second Raquel’s face revealed her darkest secrets.
“Just about you, of course. I am so happy we are finally married, and I cannot express my eagerness for us to start our own family. I was thinking about what we shall be calling our children,” she rolled off the tip of her tongue. “Our first hall be called Chloe, do you agree it is such a pretty name?”
“It is a name fit for a princess,” he assured. “Now come on, I’d expect our supper to have gone right cold by now.”

The following night as Raquel ran the brush through her soft hair, the familiar feeling of being watched filled the pit of her stomach. Again, she imagined her sister; pale and drained of all life just like a vampire, an empty corpse with no heartbeat and cold to the touch. Raquel smiled her perfect smile, a victorious gesture. She laughed in a low tone and became wicked.
“Sister, you cannot hurt me, you are 10 feet underground. Now now, don’t be bitter. I always suited the name Raquel better then Madeline. But it doesn’t matter now, I am a better wife to Joseph than you would have been…if I didn’t kill you.”

Madeline glanced at herself in the mirror, fixed the innocent expression Raquel wore and left the bedroom to accompany her husband to supper.

- 2009