Entry for Horror Challenge

We came into the world like brother and brother; and now let’s go hand in hand, not one before the other
- William Shakespeare

Isabelle and Maria were born but one minute apart to Esmeralda and Francisco Contreras. Maria was delivered first and like any newborn, her arrival was accompanied by tears and cries. Isabelle followed and what was most unusual about her delivery was that her arrival was accompanied by silence; not a single tear, not a single cry. When the doctor allowed Isabelle to join Maria for the first time outside the womb, Maria became calm and her cries were silenced. And from that moment on, the Contreras family was blessed with the most peaceful infants, with the condition that they not be separated. They would sleep in the same room in the same crib until they were too big and would need their own beds. They would then share the same room on separate beds until the last light was turned out and the door to Francisco and Esmeralda’s room was shut for the evening. In this hour, Maria would crawl into Isabelle’s bed and together they would sleep peacefully.

On Isabelle and Maria’s 13th birthday, a significant promise was made. To celebrate their 13 years of life, Francisco and Esmeralda had their den converted into a bedroom for Maria. It was to be a celebration of their independence as they began their adult years. Maria was horrified and started to cry, but Isabelle remained calm. It was then that she took Maria aside and asked “Why are you upset sister?”
“Isabelle, I’m scared. You know that I cannot be apart from you.”
“Maria, you do not have to worry. You know that nothing can separate us. Not separate bedrooms, not even death. Our spirits are but one.”
“Not even death? But what if you died before me? I fear I could not survive even a single day without you.”
“Listen to me sister. God will not let me rest without you. There is no way I could die before you. When I die, you will die too.” Maria would never question Isabelle.
“Do you promise?”
“We do not have a choice. Our blood has decided it for us. But if it makes you feel better, I promise.”
“I promise too.” Maria had faith in these words and they brought her calm. She thanked her parents for their gift of independence and moved her belongings into her new room. Ultimately, separate bedrooms would not keep Maria from Isabelle. Once the last light was turned out and the door to Francisco and Esmeralda’s room was shut for the evening, she snuck in to Isabelle’s room and crawled into bed with her.

On Isabelle and Maria’s 17th birthday, the accident occurred. The girls had school that day. At lunch time, Isabelle said to Maria “Let’s go home now.”
“We can’t do that!” Maria laughed. “We have to go to class.”
“But it’s our birthday! Come on, it will be fun! We can bake Biscochitos and watch Montel.”
“Mom and Dad will get upset.”
“No they won’t. They let us get away with anything on our birthday.” Maria sat silent in thought. “Well, I am going with or without you.” Isabelle said.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Maria nodded her head in earnest. “I will go.” The two girls ran out to the parking lot and Maria jumped into the driver’s seat of their Civic.
“Oh Maria, let me drive!” Isabelle whined. “After all, it was my idea.”
“Oh fine.” Maria got out of the car and tossed Isabelle the keys.
The road to the Contreras’ home was quick and safe. A left out of the school parking lot, two miles of straight, uninterrupted country road, then a right at a stop sign and a quick left onto the Contreras’ driveway. Along this country road was one intersection in which Isabelle and Maria always had the right of way. Like most drivers traveling such a path, Isabelle never paid attention to the drivers who were required to stop at this intersection. This day would be no different. When Isabelle approached this intersection, the girls were laughing about their own act of innocent rebellion. Neither paid any attention to the large, white pickup truck approaching the intersection at 45 miles per hour. It was not until Maria was crushed that Isabelle saw it, but it was nothing more to her than a white flash, followed by darkness.

Isabelle opens her eyes. She is lying in a sterile white hospital room. Her body is numb. Francisco and Esmeralda are standing on either side of her, each holding one of her hands. “Where’s Maria?” Esmeralda squeezes Isabelle’s hand and tears fill her eyes. Francisco bows his head. His lips move but there are no words. Isabelle closes her eyes.

She is in the car with Maria. They are coming up to the intersection only this time, Isabelle knows something bad is going to happen. She stops and a large white truck flashes by in front of them. Isabelle takes a deep breath. “That was close.”
“It’s too late.” Maria whispers. Isabelle turns to look at Maria and shudders.
“Maria, your eyes…” She can’t finish her sentence. There is no color, no expression, not even a faint glimmer in the eyes she is looking into. They are the eyes of the dead. Maria’s lifeless gaze takes a hold of Isabelle’s. Suddenly, Maria reaches up and grabs Isabelle’s arm. Her hand is cold and dripping red with blood. Isabelle screams.

She opens her eyes. She is back in the hospital room. The lights are turned out and she is alone. All she can feel on her numb body is a cool, dripping dampness on her right arm. She looks at her arm but cannot make out the bloodied handprint that stains it; a handprint that is identical to her own. “Maria” she whispers. “Maria are you there?” Silence. “Maria!” she screams.
“Isabelle, it’s OK. I am here. Just be quiet.”
“Where? Where are you?”Isabelle feels a cold hand caress her cheek. Maria is standing beside her, but Isabelle cannot see her. The darkness has shadowed her face. “Maria, is that really you?”
“Who else would it be?”
“I thought something terrible had happened to you.”
“Something has. But soon everything will be OK.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Do you remember our 13th birthday? When you told me that we would always be together, even in death?”
“Yes.”
“I believed you when you said that.”
“I believed it too. I still do. You know God would never let us be apart.”
“What if there is no God? What then?”
The hand caressing Isabelle’s cheek became damp. “You know you mustn’t question God’s existence.” Isabelle felt something start to drip down her cheek. The feeling was identical to the dripping blood she felt on her arm. It can’t be Isabelle thought to herself. I must still be asleep. This is all a dream. Even so, Isabelle felt she had to say something to comfort Maria, to reassure her. “Maria, even if God did not exist, nothing changes the fact that we are one and the same. We share the same blood, the same spirit. One cannot exist without the other.” The hand caressing Isabelle’s cheek stops and begins to travel along the side of her body. Isabelle’s skin becomes cold and damp as the hand travels around the perimeter of her body until it stops to rest on the bloody handprint on her right arm.
“I believe you.” Maria whispered. Isabelle let out a sigh of relief. “Therefore,” Maria continued “what I am about to do can not be wrong.”
Feeling frightened, Isabelle asks “What are you going to do?” Maria leans down against Isabelle’s body so that their faces nearly touch. Her breath is cold and odorless, her eyes without life. Isabelle is frightened to look into those dead eyes. “Maria, I am sorry.” She cries. “It was an accident.” Maria’s cold hand starts to move up Isabelle’s body again and rests on her throat. “Please Maria! Don’t…” Isabelle’s cries are silenced as Maria’s hand tightens around her neck. She gasps for air, but the grip is too strong. She closes her eyes and prays silently to herself. When she opens her eyes, Maria takes a step back. She can breathe air and she can feel her body. She sits up and Maria takes her hand. Her eyes are warm and tender.
“Let’s go home.”
Isabelle takes Maria’s hand and together, they walk out of the room.

“Mr. and Mrs. Contreras?”
Francisco and Esmeralda Contreras stand from their seats in the hospital waiting room.
“What is it Doctor?” asks Francisco.
“It’s Isabelle. I am afraid she is gone.”
“What?” Francisco takes a hold of Esmeralda as her legs give way to the grief that has overcome her. “How can this be? You told us she was going to be OK!”
“I don’t know what happened. There is evidence that suggests…” The doctor is cut off by Francisco.
“Take us to her now.”
“I can’t do that.”
Francisco lets go of Esmeralda, who falls to the floor in tears. He pushes the doctor aside and rushes towards Isabelle’s room. “Mr. Contreras, please don’t!” the doctor yells after him. Francisco ignores the doctor and throws open the door to Isabelle’s room.
Isabelle’s body lies silent. Her body is streaked with blood and yet there is no visible wound. On her throat is the outline of a bloodied handprint, no different than her own. Despite the horror of the scene, her face is calm.