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Description
Ding-dong. Ding-dong.

Stephanie peered out through the peep hole, wringing her hands. She recognized her twin sister, Abigail, standing on the other side. But she did not recognize the man she had with her. Abigail looked impatient, and she began to pound on the door. Reluctantly, Stephanie opened the door a crack, leaving the chain securely in place. “What do you want?” she asked hoarsely.

“I want to introduce you to somebody, Steph. May we come in?”

Stephanie eyed the man again. He was impeccably dressed, with a pressed black suit, shiny black shoes, and even white gloves. He smiled kindly at her, but she knew better. If she let him in, bad things would happen. Dreadful, awful, terrible things. “No, you may not,” she said sharply. “Now go away.”

She went to slam the door shut, but Abigail caught it and held it firm. “Please?” she asked. “We have something we want to talk to you about.”

“Is it a matter of life or death?” Stephanie demanded.

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” the man said with a voice that made Stephanie think of the bottom of the ocean, it was so deep. “It will only take a minute, and then we’ll be on our way.”

She stared at them for a long moment. Then she slowly removed the chain and opened her door. “A minute, then,” Stephanie said coolly.

Abigail slipped past her, heading for the living room. The man acknowledged Stephanie’s hospitality with a nod of his head, then followed her sister. Stephanie supposed she should at least attempt to take care of them. “Would you like something to drink?” she asked from the doorway.

“No thank you,” Abigail answered.

That worked just fine for Stephanie, so she sat in a chair across from them. “All right, so why are you here?” she asked. “You said it was a matter of life or death?”

Abigail nodded. “You need to get out of this house, Steph.”

Stephanie glared at her sister. “This whole thing again?” she hissed. “No. I’m staying in here. I’m happy in here. I don’t need anything from out there.”

Abigail shook her head. “But you do,” she insisted. “You can’t stay in this house any longer. You need to go out and get away from this place.”
“So this life or death issue is just another attempt to make me ‘see the light’ or something,” Stephanie snapped. “And who is this man? Another quack you brought to tell me I need to ingest five different toxins twice a day so I’ll feel better.”

The man rose a gloved hand. “I’m no doctor,” he assured Stephanie. “My name is Todd, and I’m merely here to help.”

“Well, you can help by getting Abby away from me” Stephanie returned, standing up expectantly.

Abigail looked as though she was thinking something over. Then she fixed her gaze on her sister. “How about a deal?” she offered. “You go out for a few hours after we leave, just to try it. Walk around, maybe find something to eat. If you do that, I won’t bother you again.”

That made Stephanie stop. “Never ever?”

“Never ever,” Abigail confirmed. “Do we have a deal?”

Stephanie smirked. “Deal,” she said, shaking her sister’s hand. “Now get out.”

She escorted the pair to the door and held it open for them. Abigail gave her a meaningful look as Todd stopped and thanked Stephanie for allowing them inside. Then the two disappeared out the door. As soon as they were gone, she slammed the door and locked it again. “Shows them,” she said coldly. Then she began to think about the deal. If she didn’t go out as promised, Abigail would be back again, possibly with more quacks and head doctors and god knew she didn’t want that. Maybe just a little time outside couldn’t hurt…

“No, absolutely not,” she hissed to herself, running upstairs to her room. She laid down on the bed, not really tired but not interested in doing anything else. Her eyes wandered over to the closet, where some of her old favorite outfits laid. There, in the corner, she could just glimpse her favorite blouse. It was red and sparkly and flowy, and she had loved wearing it, before…

Her eyes shut tight and she pressed her face into the sheets, biting back her screams as the horrid memories flooded her brain. Tears streamed down her face as she fought against the dark grasp of her pain. She gripped the sheets so tightly that her fingernails ripped holes in the sheets. But there was nothing she could do, no remedy she could take. All she could do was wait.

Finally, the surge was over. Stephanie weakly sat up, her face itchy and red from crying. Her body protesting, she forced herself to stand and walk to the bathroom. There, she turned on the shower, getting in without waiting for the water to warm up. For a while, she just stood there, letting the water flow down her body. It wasn’t comforting, per se, but it felt like it was helping.

When she was finished, she found a pair of jeans, a shirt that appeared to be clean, and an old purse before walking down the steps. She stood in front of the door and stared at her, her hand grasping the door knob tightly. Ever so slowly, she twisted it, until the door finally opened. She let it swing open as she stared out, gathering her courage. Then she took an awkward step forward, passing into the outside world for the first time in nearly a year.

It was a lovely day, with the first signs of fall dotting the trees. The sun shone warmly down, though there was enough of a breeze to keep her from burning up. The children in the neighborhood were still at school and would be for another hour, so it was very still and peaceful. Stephanie took another step, looking around warily, waiting for something to happen. Something had to happen. Something always happened.

She made it all the way to the sidewalk before, then she whipped her head around, certain that she saw something. But no one was there. Another step. Maybe she could do this. A small smile crept across her face and her pace began to quicken. This wasn’t so bad after all.

After a minute of walking, she found herself in front of a restaurant called The Peppermint Leaf. Studying the sign, Stephanie could vaguely recall enjoying the food there, so in she went. Only two other tables were occupied, so she was quickly seated and presented with a menu. Her memory sparked again as she scanned through. “I’ll have a quiche and a glass of water, please,” she requested.

The waitress nodded and whisked away. Stephanie sat back in her chair and looked around, wondering about pieces of decor and the people sitting near her. She could feel a bubble of anxiety welling up inside her as she looked around, so when the waitress returned with her water, she gulped down half of the glass without stopping. When she put the glass down again, she stared at it with a bemused expression. “So this is outside,” she muttered. “Not bad, I’ll admit. But I just assume go back home after this.”

A few minutes later, her quiche arrived. It was beautiful, with golden cheese and green vegetables and paired with a delicious looking garden salad. When she took the first bite, her eyes closed involuntarily in pleasure. This was the first food she’d had that wasn’t out of a box or a can ever since she had retreated from the world. The flavor was just magnificent, the scent alluring, the very sight a delight. She eagerly dug in to the rest of the dish, her previous apprehension replaced with a glowing joy.

As she finished her meal, one of the other occupants turned around. It was Abigail, and she looked overjoyed to see Stephanie there. “So you did it,” she said. “Thank god.”

Stephanie rose an eyebrow. “What are you doing here?”

“Just checking to see how you were faring,” Todd said, nodding at Stephanie. “And it seems that you are doing well.”

Stephanie folded her arms and sat back. “So I enjoyed a meal out, big deal,” she replied. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to make a regular habit of this.”

Abigail just shook her head. “I’m just glad you got out in time,” she said, taking a sip of tea.

Stephanie paused. “In time for what?”

A loud explosion cut off any answer. Through the window, a plume of smoke and debris rose high into the sky. Stephanie stared at it in horror, the color draining from her face. “Is...that…”

Abigail nodded. “I’m afraid so,” she said simply.

Stephanie’s eyes filled with tears. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Abigail replied.

“Liar!” Stephanie yelled, racing out of the restaurant. She ran down the street towards her house, though she quickly slowed to a winded walk. Gasping, she rounded the corner onto her street and found a scene of horror.

Where her house had once stood was only a flaming pile of wood and debris. Her legs gave out as she drew closer, causing her to fall to the sidewalk. “Why?” she cried softly.

A gentle hand touched her shoulder. “This is why you had to leave,” Abigail said. “I didn’t want you to die without truly seeing what life has to offer.”

“But how did you know?” Stephanie asked.

“That would be my fault,” Todd said, appearing from nowhere.

Stephanie yelped and lurched back. Abigail caught her before she landed. “Death was supposed to come for you today,” she explained. “But he came to me by accident, and when I found out…” she paused. “I made a deal.”

Her meaning clicked in Stephanie’s head. “No!” she cried. “Abigail!”

Abigail just smiled. “It’s all right,” she said. “I’ve had a pretty good life so far. I’ve seen and done a lot. Now you need to do the same, Stephanie. You need to go out and live.”

She then let her sister go and walked over to Todd. He extended his hand. “Are you ready?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” Abigail replied, taking his hand.

The two turned to go, then Todd glanced back. “Heed your sister, Stephanie,” he advised. “Usually, when people meet me, it is for the first and last time. You have been granted a rare opportunity. Don’t waste it.”

With that, the pair vanished. Stephanie could hear the firetrucks approaching, but she knew it was too late. The entire house - every scrap of wood, every piece of china, every horrible memory from the past year - had been obliterated.

And that was fine with her.

Description
Ding-dong. Ding-dong.

Stephanie peered out through the peep hole, wringing her hands. She recognized her twin sister, Abigail, standing on the other side. But she did not recognize the man she had with her. Abigail looked impatient, and she began to pound on the door. Reluctantly, Stephanie opened the door a crack, leaving the chain securely in place. “What do you want?” she asked hoarsely.

“I want to introduce you to somebody, Steph. May we come in?”

Stephanie eyed the man again. He was impeccably dressed, with a pressed black suit, shiny black shoes, and even white gloves. He smiled kindly at her, but she knew better. If she let him in, bad things would happen. Dreadful, awful, terrible things. “No, you may not,” she said sharply. “Now go away.”

She went to slam the door shut, but Abigail caught it and held it firm. “Please?” she asked. “We have something we want to talk to you about.”

“Is it a matter of life or death?” Stephanie demanded.

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” the man said with a voice that made Stephanie think of the bottom of the ocean, it was so deep. “It will only take a minute, and then we’ll be on our way.”

She stared at them for a long moment. Then she slowly removed the chain and opened her door. “A minute, then,” Stephanie said coolly.

Abigail slipped past her, heading for the living room. The man acknowledged Stephanie’s hospitality with a nod of his head, then followed her sister. Stephanie supposed she should at least attempt to take care of them. “Would you like something to drink?” she asked from the doorway.

“No thank you,” Abigail answered.

That worked just fine for Stephanie, so she sat in a chair across from them. “All right, so why are you here?” she asked. “You said it was a matter of life or death?”

Abigail nodded. “You need to get out of this house, Steph.”

Stephanie glared at her sister. “This whole thing again?” she hissed. “No. I’m staying in here. I’m happy in here. I don’t need anything from out there.”

Abigail shook her head. “But you do,” she insisted. “You can’t stay in this house any longer. You need to go out and get away from this place.”
“So this life or death issue is just another attempt to make me ‘see the light’ or something,” Stephanie snapped. “And who is this man? Another quack you brought to tell me I need to ingest five different toxins twice a day so I’ll feel better.”

The man rose a gloved hand. “I’m no doctor,” he assured Stephanie. “My name is Todd, and I’m merely here to help.”

“Well, you can help by getting Abby away from me” Stephanie returned, standing up expectantly.

Abigail looked as though she was thinking something over. Then she fixed her gaze on her sister. “How about a deal?” she offered. “You go out for a few hours after we leave, just to try it. Walk around, maybe find something to eat. If you do that, I won’t bother you again.”

That made Stephanie stop. “Never ever?”

“Never ever,” Abigail confirmed. “Do we have a deal?”

Stephanie smirked. “Deal,” she said, shaking her sister’s hand. “Now get out.”

She escorted the pair to the door and held it open for them. Abigail gave her a meaningful look as Todd stopped and thanked Stephanie for allowing them inside. Then the two disappeared out the door. As soon as they were gone, she slammed the door and locked it again. “Shows them,” she said coldly. Then she began to think about the deal. If she didn’t go out as promised, Abigail would be back again, possibly with more quacks and head doctors and god knew she didn’t want that. Maybe just a little time outside couldn’t hurt…

“No, absolutely not,” she hissed to herself, running upstairs to her room. She laid down on the bed, not really tired but not interested in doing anything else. Her eyes wandered over to the closet, where some of her old favorite outfits laid. There, in the corner, she could just glimpse her favorite blouse. It was red and sparkly and flowy, and she had loved wearing it, before…

Her eyes shut tight and she pressed her face into the sheets, biting back her screams as the horrid memories flooded her brain. Tears streamed down her face as she fought against the dark grasp of her pain. She gripped the sheets so tightly that her fingernails ripped holes in the sheets. But there was nothing she could do, no remedy she could take. All she could do was wait.

Finally, the surge was over. Stephanie weakly sat up, her face itchy and red from crying. Her body protesting, she forced herself to stand and walk to the bathroom. There, she turned on the shower, getting in without waiting for the water to warm up. For a while, she just stood there, letting the water flow down her body. It wasn’t comforting, per se, but it felt like it was helping.

When she was finished, she found a pair of jeans, a shirt that appeared to be clean, and an old purse before walking down the steps. She stood in front of the door and stared at her, her hand grasping the door knob tightly. Ever so slowly, she twisted it, until the door finally opened. She let it swing open as she stared out, gathering her courage. Then she took an awkward step forward, passing into the outside world for the first time in nearly a year.

It was a lovely day, with the first signs of fall dotting the trees. The sun shone warmly down, though there was enough of a breeze to keep her from burning up. The children in the neighborhood were still at school and would be for another hour, so it was very still and peaceful. Stephanie took another step, looking around warily, waiting for something to happen. Something had to happen. Something always happened.

She made it all the way to the sidewalk before, then she whipped her head around, certain that she saw something. But no one was there. Another step. Maybe she could do this. A small smile crept across her face and her pace began to quicken. This wasn’t so bad after all.

After a minute of walking, she found herself in front of a restaurant called The Peppermint Leaf. Studying the sign, Stephanie could vaguely recall enjoying the food there, so in she went. Only two other tables were occupied, so she was quickly seated and presented with a menu. Her memory sparked again as she scanned through. “I’ll have a quiche and a glass of water, please,” she requested.

The waitress nodded and whisked away. Stephanie sat back in her chair and looked around, wondering about pieces of decor and the people sitting near her. She could feel a bubble of anxiety welling up inside her as she looked around, so when the waitress returned with her water, she gulped down half of the glass without stopping. When she put the glass down again, she stared at it with a bemused expression. “So this is outside,” she muttered. “Not bad, I’ll admit. But I just assume go back home after this.”

A few minutes later, her quiche arrived. It was beautiful, with golden cheese and green vegetables and paired with a delicious looking garden salad. When she took the first bite, her eyes closed involuntarily in pleasure. This was the first food she’d had that wasn’t out of a box or a can ever since she had retreated from the world. The flavor was just magnificent, the scent alluring, the very sight a delight. She eagerly dug in to the rest of the dish, her previous apprehension replaced with a glowing joy.

As she finished her meal, one of the other occupants turned around. It was Abigail, and she looked overjoyed to see Stephanie there. “So you did it,” she said. “Thank god.”

Stephanie rose an eyebrow. “What are you doing here?”

“Just checking to see how you were faring,” Todd said, nodding at Stephanie. “And it seems that you are doing well.”

Stephanie folded her arms and sat back. “So I enjoyed a meal out, big deal,” she replied. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to make a regular habit of this.”

Abigail just shook her head. “I’m just glad you got out in time,” she said, taking a sip of tea.

Stephanie paused. “In time for what?”

A loud explosion cut off any answer. Through the window, a plume of smoke and debris rose high into the sky. Stephanie stared at it in horror, the color draining from her face. “Is...that…”

Abigail nodded. “I’m afraid so,” she said simply.

Stephanie’s eyes filled with tears. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Abigail replied.

“Liar!” Stephanie yelled, racing out of the restaurant. She ran down the street towards her house, though she quickly slowed to a winded walk. Gasping, she rounded the corner onto her street and found a scene of horror.

Where her house had once stood was only a flaming pile of wood and debris. Her legs gave out as she drew closer, causing her to fall to the sidewalk. “Why?” she cried softly.

A gentle hand touched her shoulder. “This is why you had to leave,” Abigail said. “I didn’t want you to die without truly seeing what life has to offer.”

“But how did you know?” Stephanie asked.

“That would be my fault,” Todd said, appearing from nowhere.

Stephanie yelped and lurched back. Abigail caught her before she landed. “Death was supposed to come for you today,” she explained. “But he came to me by accident, and when I found out…” she paused. “I made a deal.”

Her meaning clicked in Stephanie’s head. “No!” she cried. “Abigail!”

Abigail just smiled. “It’s all right,” she said. “I’ve had a pretty good life so far. I’ve seen and done a lot. Now you need to do the same, Stephanie. You need to go out and live.”

She then let her sister go and walked over to Todd. He extended his hand. “Are you ready?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” Abigail replied, taking his hand.

The two turned to go, then Todd glanced back. “Heed your sister, Stephanie,” he advised. “Usually, when people meet me, it is for the first and last time. You have been granted a rare opportunity. Don’t waste it.”

With that, the pair vanished. Stephanie could hear the firetrucks approaching, but she knew it was too late. The entire house - every scrap of wood, every piece of china, every horrible memory from the past year - had been obliterated.

And that was fine with her.