Glass Butterflys

Prologue
That's when I saw her. And I know right then I made a terrible, unforgivable mistake. I allowed myself to have hope. That small slimmer of light I felt inside me that I might really have found her, that Gracie was really standing there in front of me. I broke the promise I made to myself to stop continuing to torture myself by looking for her face in a crowd, or searching for her on the internet. Because how could I have hope? How could I, when I was the reason she left? It was my fault that she’s been gone for over seven years. And now here she is standing five feet away from me on a pail, featureless road in Rome.
I took a step closer to her, she turned away from me rummaging around in her purse. Should I call her name? Should I follow her to find out where she's been hiding for all these years? Should I just leave her be and walk away? Should I…
“Gracie…” I didn’t even mean to say it out loud. Her name left my mouth in a small, weak whisper; that's why I was so surprised when she heard me, when she turned around, when she looked at me with dark blank eyes. Her eyes were like looking in the mirror, my twin sister, Gracie, showed no signs of recognition on her face.
“And you are?” The sound of her voice was so familiar that I let out a choked sob. How could she not know me? When she ran away all those years ago we always wondered where she went and what happened.
“Gracie-” I say again. I feel tears spring to my eyes. Her face, it really looks like she doesn’t know me.
She raises an eyebrow at me. Wait- the scar. Gracie had a scar on her left hand from when she was peeling potatoes and the knife slipped when we were 11. Without thinking, I reach out and snatch her right hand in mine, and there it is. The moon shaped scar.
“What the hell! Don't touch me!” She yanks her hand back and acts as if she was wiping the plague off onto the front of her pants.
I take a step back and look into her eyes. They look tortured. Haunted. Years of past and feelings that I didn't even know she had. Even if she acts like she doesnt know who I am, I know my sister, maybe better than I know myself.
I suddenly feel a tear fall onto my cheek, and I go to wipe it away.
I think I saw the exact moment Gracie decided to give up the act because her entire face changed. Her features softened and she looked like she was sorry. Sorry for what I could not tell you. The moment she saw the tear fall from my eyes, I think she broke. I think she couldn't fake it anymore. She rushed toward me and embraced me in her arms. She still smelled like Gracie, my twin, my sister, my best friend.
Her grip tightened on me before she whispered in my ear in a small, shaky voice. “Leslie… Please forgive me.” Before I could even react or pull away, she reached into the small purse she was wearing and pulled out a syringe. I blinked and felt a sting when she emptied it in my neck. How did she move so fast? I…. What…. I can't think… I'm falling… She lays me down… Fear…I can't move…
The last thing I see is Gracies eyes as she pulls away from me and stands up. Love. Anger. Pain. Hurt. Sadness. Then she's gone and so am I.