Alright guys! Here it is! Hope you all enjoy!
Grace:
Sunday morning dawned upon me quickly. I opened my eyes to the pale darkness of the early morning and I dragged myself from bed and downstairs to the kitchen, where I piled some food on a plate for my breakfast. I looked over at the clock and almost jumped in surprise at the time. I needed to hurry or I wouldn't be able to make my usual stop at the bakery.
I sped to the bathroom where I put on a change of clothes and brushed my teeth. When I reached the front door I stopped in surprise. There, on the mat, was a beautiful rose. A flutter of happiness rushes through me and I decide to take it with me as I head on my way.
I make my way into the familiar sight of the bakery. I hold in my hand the rose, smiling. James was behind the counter, silent, as I walked in.
"Good morning." I tried that out for size, but to no avail.
He walked away towards the far wall taking a loaf of bread out of the oven. He slams it on the back counter and begins cutting it with a knife. Eventually, out of frustration, he throws the bread against the wall and sticks the knife in the wood.
"James?" My voice is weak.
"What?!" He yells.
I stagger backwards even though there's a counter between us. "James," I say. "You're scaring me."
He moves towards me in three purposeful strides. I turn to leave but he grabs my arm. I gasp and turn to face him. His eyes are fired with hatred, more so than I had ever seen them.
"How could you do this?!" He demands.
"Wha-"
"Does he hurt you? Has he made you do this?!"
"Who?"
"Sam! Has Sam hurt you?" He's grabbed me by both arms and he shakes with rage.
"No!" I cry. "No! Never!"
I stagger backwards even though there's a counter between us. "James," I say. "You're scaring me."
He moves towards me in three purposeful strides. I turn to leave but he grabs my arm. I gasp and turn to face him. His eyes are fired with hatred, more so than I had ever seen them.
"How could you do this?!" He demands.
"Wha-"
"Does he hurt you? Has he made you do this?!"
"Who?"
"Sam! Has Sam hurt you?" He's grabbed me by both arms and he shakes with rage.
"No!" I cry. "No! Never!"
"No!" I cry. "No! Never!"
He tosses me to the side and pounds his fists against the wall.
I lay on the ground in a sobbing heap.
I hear his footsteps move and then stop. I feel his eyes staring at me but I don't make an effort to look into them. I just stay where I am and close my eyes.
"What have I done?" He murmurs and rushes out of the room.
As I open my eyes, the only thing I see is the rose. Broken and mangled. It's petals laying in pieces across the wooden floor.
He tosses me to the side and pounds his fists against the wall.
I lay on the ground in a sobbing heap.
I hear his footsteps move and then stop. I feel his eyes staring at me but I don't make an effort to look into them. I just stay where I am and close my eyes.
"What have I done?" He murmurs and rushes out of the room.
As I open my eyes, the only thing I see is the rose. Broken and mangled. It's petals laying in pieces across the wooden floor.
Eliza:
Two weeks had come to pass since the incident on the beach and James still hadn't spoken a word to me about why it had happened in the first place. Not only that, but out of my "best interest" I could only leave the house if I was accompanied by James. I didn't argue, but the whole situation was making me increasingly smothered by the lack of freedoms I had.
In addition to all of the troubles with James, the visions of Sam were showing up more and more often. The fragments soon began piecing together like a jig-saw puzzle. I could fit them together and soon it felt like I was watching a movie. It was all through my eyes which was great except for the fact that I couldn't see my own face.
The T.V. turned on downstairs and so I began walking down to see if James wanted to watch a movie or something with me.
On my way down the hall I noticed that the door to his study had been left slightly ajar. It was usually kept locked but for some reason he must have forgotten to close it on his way downstairs.
Two weeks had come to pass since the incident on the beach and James still hadn't spoken a word to me about why it had happened in the first place. Not only that, but out of my "best interest" I could only leave the house if I was accompanied by James. I didn't argue, but the whole situation was making me increasingly smothered by the lack of freedoms I had.
In addition to all of the troubles with James, the visions of Sam were showing up more and more often. The fragments soon began piecing together like a jig-saw puzzle. I could fit them together and soon it felt like I was watching a movie. It was all through my eyes which was great except for the fact that I couldn't see my own face.
The T.V. turned on downstairs and so I began walking down to see if James wanted to watch a movie or something with me.
On my way down the hall I noticed that the door to his study had been left slightly ajar. It was usually kept locked but for some reason he must have forgotten to close it on his way downstairs.
I started to walk away, but then I had an idea.
I'm usually not one to snoop around, but I've always wondered what was in there. James had been so distant lately anyways, always staying in here. I push the door open and tip-toe inside, holding my breath. If I was caught I would never hear the end of it.
I continue on towards the desk and pause to see the papers on the table.
"Ah!" I gasp and then quickly cover my hands over my mouth.
There on the desk is a scrap of a newspaper with an article about the kidnapping of Grace Smith. I take a seat and look the paper over carefully. I read:
I'm usually not one to snoop around, but I've always wondered what was in there. James had been so distant lately anyways, always staying in here. I push the door open and tip-toe inside, holding my breath. If I was caught I would never hear the end of it.
I continue on towards the desk and pause to see the papers on the table.
"Ah!" I gasp and then quickly cover my hands over my mouth.
There on the desk is a scrap of a newspaper with an article about the kidnapping of Grace Smith. I take a seat and look the paper over carefully. I read:
April 2, 2008--- Last night, Grace Smith, who just turned 19 in February, was last seen by a local witness as she was driving to visit an old classmate, James Thomas. Not a half an hour after her last sighting, her car was found abandoned in a ditch and no sign of her body has been found. No damage done to the car, the police asked anyone with information on the girl to contact their dispatch immediately using the number below.
I move down to a later article and continue:
June 16, 2009--- Families all across the town are mourning for the loss of the young woman who went missing April 2 of last year. Grace Smith, the victim of the tragedy had been living without her parents who had died in a car crash just a little less than a year before she went missing. However, police have found no reason to believe the events are connected.
Now, after over a year of searching, Samuel Knox, the boyfriend of the girl and closest to her, has asked that the search come to a close...
He has refused to make a statement to the press on the matter, almost any matter regarding the tragedy in fact. Bianca Delmar, who is close to Sam has confided in us that, "He is not doing well. The whole thing has really beat him up. I won't go into it further but please, just leave him be. It's hard enough on him already."
I move down to a later article and continue:
June 16, 2009--- Families all across the town are mourning for the loss of the young woman who went missing April 2 of last year. Grace Smith, the victim of the tragedy had been living without her parents who had died in a car crash just a little less than a year before she went missing. However, police have found no reason to believe the events are connected.
Now, after over a year of searching, Samuel Knox, the boyfriend of the girl and closest to her, has asked that the search come to a close...
He has refused to make a statement to the press on the matter, almost any matter regarding the tragedy in fact. Bianca Delmar, who is close to Sam has confided in us that, "He is not doing well. The whole thing has really beat him up. I won't go into it further but please, just leave him be. It's hard enough on him already."
I stop and absorb everything that I just read but I don't get much time. My eyes meander down the pages to a picture of the girl. He hair is a few shades darker than my own and her face is younger. Her lips are red in contrast to my own pale ones but her eyes are the same. Abruptly, I stand up and run out of the room. My breaths have turned shallow and begin to have a panic attack. Oh God! Not now! Not now! I try to calm down but it's too late. James is already up the stairs looking at me with concern.
"Are you ok? What happened?"
"I- uh- I" I'm trying to catch my breath long enough to talk but its not working. "I-I saw some...one... I think."
"Where?" His voice is firm.
"Out...side the window."
A crease forms in his brow. "Will you be ok while I check it out?"
I nod and he leaves in a hurry.
I begin to calm down a bit but my mind is still going a million miles an hour, not believing what I just saw.
The girl in the picture was me.
"Are you ok? What happened?"
"I- uh- I" I'm trying to catch my breath long enough to talk but its not working. "I-I saw some...one... I think."
"Where?" His voice is firm.
"Out...side the window."
A crease forms in his brow. "Will you be ok while I check it out?"
I nod and he leaves in a hurry.
I begin to calm down a bit but my mind is still going a million miles an hour, not believing what I just saw.
The girl in the picture was me.
Sam:
The past two weeks had been hectic. I moved out of the house I had shared with Bianca and was now living in an apartment of my own. Eliza hadn't spoken a word to me, as she was always surrounded by James. James had made a few threats since the last fight we had but I just ignored them. They gave me all the more reason to believe he was hiding something from me and was worried I was uncovering it.
Proving who Eliza really was, was turning into quite the challenge. The theory I concocted in my head was as follows: Eliza had lost all memory of her being Grace. James had found her and has been pretending he doesn't know her past but has become her lover to ensure she doesn't find me. In order to jog her memory, I had to bring up a major past event that triggered a powerful emotion. She seemed shocked when she saw our initials on the tree and I could've sworn there might have been a little bit of recognition, no matter how small.
I knew the exact thing I was going to show her but I needed enough time for the drive to get there and having her for that long without James was almost impossible.
I set the bags of groceries I just bought from the store on my kitchen counter and answer the phone that's now buzzing in my pocket. Bianca is on the other end.
The past two weeks had been hectic. I moved out of the house I had shared with Bianca and was now living in an apartment of my own. Eliza hadn't spoken a word to me, as she was always surrounded by James. James had made a few threats since the last fight we had but I just ignored them. They gave me all the more reason to believe he was hiding something from me and was worried I was uncovering it.
Proving who Eliza really was, was turning into quite the challenge. The theory I concocted in my head was as follows: Eliza had lost all memory of her being Grace. James had found her and has been pretending he doesn't know her past but has become her lover to ensure she doesn't find me. In order to jog her memory, I had to bring up a major past event that triggered a powerful emotion. She seemed shocked when she saw our initials on the tree and I could've sworn there might have been a little bit of recognition, no matter how small.
I knew the exact thing I was going to show her but I needed enough time for the drive to get there and having her for that long without James was almost impossible.
I set the bags of groceries I just bought from the store on my kitchen counter and answer the phone that's now buzzing in my pocket. Bianca is on the other end.
"Sam?" She says a little unsure.
I take a deep breath. "Bianca."
"Hi Sam." She sounded shaky. "I know we haven't talked since we broke up but I really want to apologize for everything. What happened to Grace was horrible and I know you still blame James for that. I hope that you forgive me and maybe you will consider coming back?"
I stand in shock. When I finally find the strength to speak I say, "I'm sorry Bianca. Really. But that just isn't a good idea right now. I forgive you and I'm sorry as well but things are complicated right now. I'm really sorry."
She sighs. "It's ok Sam. I know how you feel and I can't blame you. Can we maybe meet up sometime though for coffee or something?"
"Yeah. That would be great."
"Ok. I'll talk to you later."
"Bye."
I take a deep breath. "Bianca."
"Hi Sam." She sounded shaky. "I know we haven't talked since we broke up but I really want to apologize for everything. What happened to Grace was horrible and I know you still blame James for that. I hope that you forgive me and maybe you will consider coming back?"
I stand in shock. When I finally find the strength to speak I say, "I'm sorry Bianca. Really. But that just isn't a good idea right now. I forgive you and I'm sorry as well but things are complicated right now. I'm really sorry."
She sighs. "It's ok Sam. I know how you feel and I can't blame you. Can we maybe meet up sometime though for coffee or something?"
"Yeah. That would be great."
"Ok. I'll talk to you later."
"Bye."
I hang up the phone and sit in silence for a moment until I am interrupted by a knock on the door. I hesitate knowing full well it might be James on the other side. I pull the blinds slightly open on the right side of the door and almost jump back when I see who is standing right outside.
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