Page 44 of Alexander's Heart

“How?” I whisper.

Caroline slowly raises her head and tilts it on an odd angle and what I see shocks me, she looks like me but also different now, her hair is shorter than mine sitting just below her shoulders, and her face is weathered and noticeably scarred.

“Because, sister, I know the feeling of life growing inside of me and I can feel your babies inside of me. We are twins after all.”

Caroline starts laughing maniacally and I look to Doc, who looks a little surprised but signals me to keep engaging. I take a deep breath and look back to my sister.

“Where is your baby Caroline?” I whisper.

I’m internally freaking out, but I have to do this because Caroline is finally talking but we also need to know, we need answers.

“My baby boy died.” Caroline says without emotion.

I try to hold back my tears but I can’t help it, “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

Caroline’s face twists with pain and darkens, “Here’s the abridged version Elizabeth,” Caroline starts her voice emanating such hatred.

“Daddy picked me up from cheer practice and it was raining heavily, your red coat was in the car so he grabbed that and met me at the track and I slid it on, thankful to have something dry and warm. The rain was heavy, Daddy was driving slow and all of a sudden, we were rammed from behind hard and jolted forward, the car hurtled forward and we smashed into a tree, hard. The next thing I know I’m being dragged out of the car by my hair, I kicked and fought against it until I felt a sharp pain in the side of my neck.”

Caroline is staring at me hard and I’m just trying my hardest to hold it together, “I’m so sorry that happened to you, Caroline.”

Tears spill over begin streaming down my face as Caroline continues.

“You’re sorry? Why because it was meant to be you?”

“I-I know.” I whisper.

Caroline snorts, “I came to with a heavy body on top of me but I couldn’t fight them off, I screamed and screamed but no one came to help me. No one ever did. At the start they always wore a mask, they didn’t believe it was me in the beginning but they soon realized I wasn’t you, I’m not demure and sweet like you.”

My heart is beating so hard in my chest, and I really don’t feel good, this is devastating listening to Caroline’s pain.

“The torture continued and a few years later it was mainly Rob who was there, I heard them talking one day saying that Mom was losing her shit and that Jay’s plan to woo you was working, they were the ones drugging her in hopes that what eventually happened, did. It was their plan to turn her psychotic as soon as they realized they didn’t have you.”

“Caroli–”

“I was beaten and raped every day until I showed symptoms that I was pregnant, it took years mind you but they raped me over and over multiple times a day until they finally succeeded, I was on birth control before I was taken you see.”

“I’m sorry, Caroline.” I whisper.

“Stop! Stop saying you are fucking sorry, just be thankful it wasn’t you,” she screams at me.

I take a step back and she laughs, “I’m not going to hurt you Elizabeth, but you wanted to know what happened, all of you fucking do, right? So, I’m telling you. They continued raping me but the beatings stopped. When I went into labor I was in immense pain and there was a lot of blood and I knew something was wrong, there was too much blood.

When the baby came out there was no cry, I was frantic and screaming at them to save my baby but all they did was drug me and when I woke, I was in serious pain and lying on the dirty mattress with my dead baby boy lying beside me.”

I’m shocked, and start to feel faint, Doc notices and rushes over to me and grabs me by my arms to hold me up.

“Lily, that’s enough for today.” Doc sternly advises.

I shake my head, “No, no, I’m okay, I just need to sit, Caroline needs to tell her story, and I want to be here to listen.”

“At least sit your ass down, Elizabeth. I can feel your heart, it’s beating too fast and as much as I hate this, I don’t hate you, now please sit the fuck down.”

“Enough,” Tiny growls surprising us all.

“Whatever you say, big guy,” Caroline chortles.

Doc helps me into a chair and passes me some water and I take a few cleansing sips before Caroline continues.

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