Rising From The Ashes

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I found that truth is nothing without a lie and a lie is nothing without the truth. Only together do they become something. You believe a lie until you are told the truth and you believe the truth until you are told a lie. I have found that every truth I have ever known has been a lie, and that is the only truth I know.  

                                                                                                       -The Diary of Lucinda Jane Waders

Icy raindrops pounded on the roof, the sound echoing throughout the house. I held my breath as yet another clap of thunder shook the walls of my small home. I stared longingly out of the window, wishing for sunlight and an escape from this miserable place. Not that I would have normally considered my house to be a miserable place, but after being stuck inside with my overly pretentious twin sister, Catherine, it became a nightmare. I’d almost rather go outside and take my chances with being struck by lightning than staying inside and listening to her complain about how the weather was making her hair frizz for the millionth time.

“This is completely ridiculous! My hair practically looks as bad as yours!” she whined and I rolled my eyes.

“Why do you even care? Nobody is going to see you,” I told her, ignoring the jab at my hair.

“Excuse me if I like to look my best at all times. We can’t all be slobs like you!” she huffed and I began to seriously contemplate making a run for it. I don’t know where I planned to go without a car, but I was almost ready to take my chances.

“I’m not a slob,” I replied, just a tad defensively.

“Your hair says otherwise,” is her snarky reply.

“Oh, Catherine, stop. Kaydance has beautiful hair,” our mom said and I watched as an annoyed look crossed Catherine’s face. She couldn’t stand it when our mom complimented me in any way.

I never really understood it, but my sister seriously hated me. You would think that us being twins and all we would be super close and have that telepathic twin thing people are always talking about, but we have nothing like that. We tolerated each other at best, although she was the one with all the rude comments.

We are completely different people, both in looks and personalities. Whereas Catherine was a beautiful, outgoing blond, I was more reserved and just plain average. Catherine is actually a spitting image of our mother, straight honey blond hair with curves to kill and dark brown eyes. I, on the other hand, had shoulder-length auburn curls that were completely untamable, and green eyes. To be honest, I didn’t resemble either of my family members in the slightest, which was something Catherine liked to point out to me constantly, like it made me different and proved that I didn’t belong. I tried not to let her get to me.

“Whatever,” Catherine mumbled, sending me a dirty look that I did nothing to deserve. Sisterly love is really something. Note the sarcasm on that last part.

I tried to go back to reading a book that I had been trying to get through for the past few hours, but had repeatedly been interrupted by Catherine’s snarky remarks. This time, though, Catherine managed to keep quiet for just a little while and I settled myself down on the window seat and promptly got lost in my book.

I was still so enraptured by the book a few hours later that I didn’t even notice when the rain finally let up until I heard someone pounding on the door. Since my mom was somewhere upstairs and my sister didn’t show any inclination to even consider getting the door herself, I got up to see who was there. It didn’t surprise me to see my best friend, Sadie, standing on the other side of the door.