“That’s nonsense and you know it!” I screamed at her, grabbing her hands.
“I’m not leaving you here!” Josephine had always loved the palace so much and I can’t believe she wished to be here even in her final moments.
I shook the thought off my head…I can still save her.
I know I can… I lifted her up again but she pulled away slightly,
“If you want to avenge me, survive first,” she said, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper.
She raised a shaking finger, pointing toward the far corner of the grand room.
“Take the family heirloom. You’re the only one who can carry our bloodline now.”
“I don’t care about the bloodline! I care about you!”
“Please,” her voice cracked, breaking my heart into a million pieces.
“Go to Dad. Tell him what happened. Tell him Caspian did this.”
My heart stopped beating for a second.
“Caspian?”
She nodded slightly, her eyes drooping.
“Tell him what he’s doing. And Victoria’s mother… they’ll kill Dad too if nobody stops them.”
She reached for my hand again, her grip incredibly weak now.
“I know Dad said you should never come back. They told the whole city you were dead. And I didn’t think i would ever see you again”
“I came because it was your birthday,” I whispered, tears freely falling down my face now.
Suddenly, a loud, terrifying cracking sound echoed above us.
We both looked up.
Thick, black smoke was rapidly filling the top half of the room.
The wooden beams were catching fire.
The flames were spreading fast, eating the beautiful tapestries on the walls.
The joyous music outside was abruptly replaced by the sounds of screams .
“Save the queen!”
“Get water!”
“Someone help!”
The noise grew deafening.
The heat in the room spiked.
Josephine grabbed my arm.
“Run. Go, Jessica.”
“No. I’m not leaving my twin sister to burn.” I wore my nose mask back, I rather die here with you.
The roof cracked again, a burning piece of wood falling just a few feet away from us.
I didn’t care what she wanted anymore.
I grabbed her under her arms.
“If you’re not coming with me, I’m taking you anyway.”
I dragged her heavily across the floor.
She was dead weight, her pregnant belly making it incredibly difficult.
She cried out in pain, resisting weakly.
“Jessica! Leave me!”
“You know for someone that was stabbed multiple times you talk too much!” I screamed over the roaring fire.
I dragged her all the way to the corner shelf.
The heavy, golden family heirloom sat there, gleaming in the firelight.
I reached up, my fingers closing around the cold metal, and shoved it into my pocket.
The fire was roaring now, crawling across the floorboards toward us.
I couldn’t drag her any further.
There was no way out through the door.
The only way was the large glass window.
I sank to my knees beside her.
I took the jacket I had used to stop the bleeding and gently draped it over her upper body, trying to protect her from the falling fire.
She looked up at me, her blue eyes struggling to stay open.
Her hand reached into her pocket, pulling out a delicate silver chain.
Our mother’s necklace.
She pressed it toward me.
I looked at her beautiful blue eyes one more time, and a fresh wave of hot tears fell from my own.
I gently took the necklace from her weak grasp, but instead of putting it on, I folded her hands together over her chest and placed the necklace safely between her palms then back to my hands, whatever dream that I am in I hope when I wake up, everything will be alright…
I leaned down and kissed her forehead, tasting sweat and ash.
“Happy birthday, sis.”
As she said it, a heavy realization settled in my chest.
I had literally forgotten it was my birthday too, because I never felt grateful being in this world.
I hated my life.
But having a sister like Josephine was the best thing I felt would have ever happened to me.
That’s why I would always celebrate her birthday over mine.
Since she was the only one who made me feel real, like I actually exist, my whole world revolved around her.
And now, my world was ending.
Josephine smiled one last time.
She coughed out more blood, staining her teeth.
“I am sorry I can’t,” she whispered, her chest barely rising.
“I am sorry I am leaving you alone in this world. I am sorry that every time you look at the mirror you will remember me. I am sorry.”
She took one final, rattling breath.
Her eyes locked onto mine with a sudden, fierce intensity.
“I love you Jess”
Her eyes slowly fluttered shut.
Her head tilted to the side.
“Jo?” I whispered, shaking her gently.
Nothing.
“Josephine.” I touched her cheek.
It was already losing its warmth.
Nothing.
She was gone.
I stood up slowly.
The fire was raging around me, the smoke burning my lungs, but I couldn’t feel the heat.
I couldn’t feel anything.
I stared down at her lifeless body.
“Happy birthday to us,” I said into the empty air.
Tears fell rapidly from my eyes, tracking through the dirt and blood on my face, but I wasn’t feeling it inside of me.
A profound, hollow numbness had completely taken over.
It was as if my soul had simply shut down.
Looking at her dead face was like looking at my own corpse.
A massive beam collapsed near the door, sending a shower of sparks over us.
I had to move.
I grabbed the bloody teddy bear from beside her body.
I gripped the heirloom in my pocket.
I turned my back on my dead sister, walked to the large window, climbed onto the wide ledge, and jumped into the night.
I landed hard in the bushes below, the impact jarring my bones, but I immediately scrambled up and ran.
Behind me, the palace grounds were absolute chaos.
Guards were rushing everywhere, weapons drawn.
People were screaming, running wildly from the burning palace.
Some bodies lay unmoving on the grass.
Blood stained the beautiful stone pathways.
But I kept running.
I ran into the dark forest, my feet pounding against the sand, dodging trees and branches.
I was crying so hard that I could barely see the path in front of me, but I didn’t stop.
I held the blood-soaked teddy bear tightly against my chest as I ran, feeling its damp fur against my skin.
My twin sister was dead.
And I had arrived too late.
I blamed myself for every single second that passed.
If I had come just a little earlier.
If I hadn’t waited five years out of stubborn pride.
If I had come the exact moment I was released…
maybe she would still be alive.
Maybe her innocent child would still be alive.
But there were no maybes anymore.
There was only the fire, the blood, and the promise I made to a ghost.
Or maybe if I had never shown up in here nothing would have happened because now it seems everywhere i go blood spill