Chapter 57: Chapter 57

It was another day of pure grief when I woke up and found out that mother beaten up Nadine again and this time it was worst compared to yesterday. I yelled and solicit for help from the others here in the neighborhood but no one showed remorse and attention as they all do not want to interfere themselves to mother who is known to be wicked in this place. I couldn’t do anything as I glanced down on my lap where Nadine was resting her head.

Tears were falling down on her cheeks and I couldn’t wipe them off since her back head was on my hands. I bit my bottom lip as I could taste my own tears. I glanced to my left and right but no one was here. Mother had strolled her way into the town leaving us here all alone. She told me to stay inside but then after finding out that Nadine was gone and saw her lying on the front lawn, I sprinted my way towards her spot.

She had wounds and deep cuts this time causing her to bleed profoundly. I want to drag her inside the house since the storm was about to strike when Nadine stop me from holding my arm, gripping on it tightly. I glanced down at her only to see her breathing deeply while grinding her teeth. She was suppressing her pain, but failed to conceal it.

“Nadine, please hold on! I need to treat your wounds!” my high-pitched voice echoed throughout the whole neighborhood and at the same time the atmosphere above us roared, creating a screeching noise. We have to get inside or we’ll get wet by the pouring rain.

“N-natasha…” she coughed and I have to caressed her chest to ease the pain. I caught her smiling while staring at the dark sky that is about to howl. I stood up because I had enough to seeing her in this situation! I have to help her.

I bent down my knees and give all my strength to lift her up and pulled her inside the front door that is open wide. Nadine is light as sh doesn’t really eat a lot but I am making sure to bring her food while mother is not here. I groaned in torment because she was doing it by force to make herself heavy so she could stay here outside the chilling weather.

“Come on, Nadine! Don’t be like that! Please!” I complaint as I couldn’t stop myself from crying when she spoke.

“I-I was just helping mother to clean the front lawn but then she started to push me away while looking at me with those fed up eyes…” she giggled, as if everything that she said about mother treating her differently was something she is proud of.

“W-why? Why are you like this, Nadine?” I shook my head. Everything is wrong. If only we can run away from this place but I know Nadine wouldn’t let me. She wanted here, even after all the management she suffered upon. I can’t blame her because Nadine has a soft heart and she honor mother so much she doesn’t want to disobey her.

“Why, you ask?” she slowly ogled her eyes on the sky with nothing to see aside from the dark puffs of clouds that were forming. Her smile reaches the both corners of eyes until I couldn’t see her pupils.

“Because finally mother is talking to me ever since she adopted us.”

The moment she said those words it was like a bomb that detonate my whole system, making my pupils widened in daze as I recalled everything had happened in our lives. It was like a clip of a movie that is moving into a fast phase, showing every scenes and details of our tribulations. How our parents had died at our implausibly young age. How we wandered around the streets and feed on a dumpster just to survive before mother had brought us in.

My hair covered my eyes as I slowly look on the ground. I clenched my hands into a balled fist, remembering all Nadine’s sacrifices just to keep me safe and alive. She’s right. Mother has always been harsh to her ever since she found out her identity. She ignored it at first, pretending that Nadine wasn’t a behemoth in her eyes. However, she didn’t even spoke to Nadine during those days.

She treated her like an air that she can just pass through it. She couldn’t even bear herself to look at my sister in the eyes while sharing the same roof.

Why? My sister did nothing wrong to her. She isn’t a monster. She needs love and attention that she lack of. My care wasn’t enough because I am too pathetic I couldn’t even defend her myself. I couldn’t even do anything aside from sneaking a food for her so she could eat. But it wasn’t enough. Those aren’t enough. She needs proper meal. She needs proper tending.

“I think there is still hope for her, Natasha.”

How? How can she say these words even after mistreating her so terrible? How can she smile so wide even though she was shattering inside? I bit my bottom lip as it formed into an uncontrollable sobs.

“Mother has a chance to change her-”

“There is no chance, Nadine!”

The thunder strike on the ground behind and at the same time rain had started to pour down on us. First drop. Second drop. Until hundreds, thousands and endless droplets are now showering. My hair got wet and my clothes are drenched from the rain but I did not leave my spot as I pointed my finger at Nadine whose eyes remained on my confront.

“Mother is the real monster here! If you aren’t strong enough just because of your curse, she can kill you easily! Why are you praising her even after all she caused?!”

I was glad it was raining so my tears go along with the heavy wails coming out from the sky. I took a step forward while shaking my head. I clenched both of my hands into a balled fist while while nibbling too hard on my lower lips.

“You should be mad! You should fight back! You should know how to see your worth how I see you! Can’t you see? She can’t accept you because you are a monster!”

A long deafening silence entailed between us and the only thing I could hear is the pouring rain and the pounding of my heart against my chest. I slowly look down to see Nadine completely changed into her other form as she stares at me with teary weakened eyes. It was then I soon realized what I had said to her. I drop on my knees, slowly crawling towards her way.

“N-nadine, I didn’t-”

“It’s like you’re saying I am hard to accept. That I am hard to be love.” she whispered rickety while staring out of nowhere.

“N-no, Nadine listen to me. It’s not like that-”

“You’re just like any other people out there who admitted that I am hard to be with because of this.” she motioned her whole body, showing her large claws, distinct teeth and raging eyes.

I shook my head drastically while trying to grab her ankle so she could listen to me.

“Nadine, you’re a wonderful twin. I love you for who you are! I am just saying that mother has no chance of-”

“Has no chance of loving me? Is that what you wanted to say?” her voiced suddenly went cold and rough, gradually twisting her head to look at my way. My whole body went completely numb when I notice how different she is now in front of me. How her voice, her eyes and everything about her denaturised. I tried to shook away those horrible thoughts that is forming in my head

I grabbed her hand. “N-no, that’s not what I meant. Mother is cruel. It’s really her personality. She is even hurting me behind your back-”

“But she loves you more than me, Natasha! Because you’re the normal one here! That’s why I am so happy she finally started talking to me!”

“But she’s hurting you-”

She slapped my hand blowing me away. I flew from the impact and my back hit a solid object almost my crashing my bones. I grunted in torment and gasped out some blood before sinking down on the ground.

“NATASHA!”

It was as if my face was splashed by a cold bucket of water when we both heard that familiar voice not so far away from our spot. Nadine flinched as her eyes widen in horror. We both slowly look at our side only to see mother had returned and worst, she saw Nadine smack me. She hurriedly run towards my way and caressed my cheek while hushing me to stop from crying. Her eyes shifted as she glanced from her shoulder, looking at where is Nadine was standing.

“I knew it! I definitely knew it from the start that you can kill! That’s why I did not let my guard down!”

Mother stood up from the ground and I begged her not to do anything to Nadine. To our surprise she just passed beside her, getting inside the house. The moment the door closed Nadine run her way towards my spot, kneeling on the ground to inspect my injuries.

“N-natasha, I am so sorry…I didn’t mean to-”

“I-it’s okay…” my lips twitch as I slowly stand up and pushed her away, taking her by surprise.

“You need to hide before mother comes back and-”

A loud gunshot blasted throughout the whole area even under the storm. I blink trying to process everything what just happened when Nadine drop on the ground.

“Nadine?” I called her name but she didn’t move. Instead, blood started to bleak on the grass. My heart stopped from beating as I was about to reached her when someone picked me up and saw it was a cop.

“Stay back, kiddo! We are going to save you from that evil creature!”

“Ceased the beast and rip her apart!”

No…