THE SOUL COLLECTOR

CHAPTER 4

"Iris get up baby ! Its Sunday! Don't you have basketball class? " she asked shaking me . " Good morning mom." I said sleepily.  "Good morning dear . Come on get up, get ready . I will make your breakfast" Mom said. I just kept looking at my mom's ever smiling and beautiful face . "Come on get up now , my lazy girl!" Mom said smiling. I nodded . Mom went out of the room to kitchen . while I was staring at the door I remembered my dream "woah! That sure was a crazy dream" I thought. I got out of my bed and went to my cupboard to take a towel . "what the hell?!! Where did these come from ? " I said aloud looking at the albums from my dream! "wasn't it a dream ??" I asked myself . whats happening to me ? 
I was scared . I went to my mom hugged her from behind . "oh! " my mom said as I hugged her without her knowledge. "What happened Iris?" She asked with a surprised shocked and worried tone . "Mom I want to meet dad" I said . "Why ? All of a sudden?" Mom asked . "I found a few albums . I saw dad . I want to know why he hates me soo much!" I said and started crying.  "Don't cry baby! Your father doesn't hate you" .
"Then why doesn't he come to see me frequently? And why did he leave us in the 1st place?" I asked .
"Its just that he is busy and you remind him too much of her" she said .
"Too much of her?" I asked with a teared confused expression.  "Ah? Her? Who her? I didn't say anything" my mom said in a tensed voice . "Mom please tell me . you never speak about dad! Why? I need to know about him and you definitely said 'her' who is it that you mentioned?". " No one dear.  I didn't mention anybody.  You know its time for you to get ready for your basketball class. Come one now go get ready.  You will be late. Go soon" said mom . I said "As always you never answer me . I don't want to talk to you " in a very frustrated angry way and rushed into my room crying . I banged the door shut behind me.     I sat on my bed pulled my legs near my chest and buried my face between the knees. 'Creeeeekkkk!! Dhaaabb!' The cupboard door opened and banged to the wall beside. I woke up with a jolt. 'Thud!!' An album fell. I stared at it. "Who are you? What do you want? Go away!!!" I said frustrated. There was no reply. "What do you want from me?" All of a sudden the album's pages started flipping on its own!!! It stopped. I shut my eyes scared. I didn't want to go anywhere near it.  I felt like somebody was pushing me forward. I forced myself not to move but when i opened my eyes i was infront of the album. That page had a photo of mom and dad with two small kids in their arms . Both of them were very happy.  The kids looked happy too. "Aww for once my dad held me in his arms!!! He loved me soo much then , but now he hates me . i dont know why. I wish i knew." I said pointing my  finger at the kid held by dad. "But who is the other girl ? Why is my mom holding her? Oh my god!!! Her eyes! They r seaweed green! Just like my dad's and the reflection's!!! Who is she??" I kept staring at it. "Now ,its time for my mom to give me some answers.  She can't hide for ever!" I stormed out of my room to mom showed the album . "what? Where did you get this? You shouldn't see all these" she said and snatched away the album. "Mom I have seen . You can't hide for ever.  Please tell." I said. "There is nothing to tell! Why font you just go get ready!" She screamed at me . she was very angry, But I was angry too! "Who is that girl you are holding in your hands? Why are you so tensed if there is nothing to hide?" I screamed at her.  " I am not telling you! Now go!"said  my mom. "I am not budging from from here until you tell!!"
"what is wrong with you!?" She yelled at me. I didn't reply . I just sat there waiting for her to reply . Mom started crying. After half an hour she looked at me  and  "Okay ... I guess its time  for you know the truth ." she said which reminded me of the the words 'You need to know the truth' . I looked at my mom confused . " You are not the only child I had." She said in a very sad voice ...her eyes drifting off to her past.  "You had  a twin Iris. Your sister's name was Elise. Both of you looked soo much alike except Elise's had her dad's green eyes." She said and hugged me. "oh my god! I had a twin?" I asked my mom. "Yes " she said . "Dad loved you both a lot just like I do." She said . "Did"? I asked " He doesn't love us now?" I asked confused . "He does honey . you see he is a journalist . He was after a case where Twins would suddenly become mentally ill and would either disappear or commit suicide. Once he went to meet mentally ill twins who were too beautiful before the illness. " said my mom and suddenly her expression changed into sadness . " Something happened to him there . when he came home that day he acted too strange . In the middle of the night around 3:30 he woke up in a strange way as if he was possessed ... He got up took a knife went straight to your room . I started screaming at him to stop . I tried to stop him . But he pushed me away . But still I reached your dad who was holding you and Elise. He was   trying to kill . I snatched you from his hand. He pushed me away I hit my head and fell unconscious. " she said and started sobbing.  " when I woke up you were in my arms crying ... But Elise and dad were no where to be seen.  I gave a missing complaint to the police
the very next morning and they found him in the old church's graveyard but Elise was not there . Your dad was never the same again so I joined him to the hospital .After a year he recovered from the illness but he didn't want to stay with me as he was filled with guilt.  So we divorced. That's the reason why he meets you very rarely " She said looking at me and wiping my tears off my face. "What about Elise?" I asked "We never found her.  We searched a lot but no luck."she said . Enraged and confused " Why didn't you tell me before?" I screamed at her ."Because we were not ready to talk about her . It was too painful for us to even think about it." She told and went to kitchen sobbing . I was crying too .
It was too much to take in.  I stood under the shower not able to digest .