I Can't Sleep (short story)

I Can't Sleep

  "Camry scooch over, I can't sleep." Claire nudges her sister.  Blue shadows cross the room as lightning strikes nearby. Camry rolls over; letting her twin sister climb into bed with her. Claire has always been scared of thunderstorms and looks for the security of her sister.

Our parents used to always say that we were the perfect siblings. Never fighting, no arguing, we just got along. I can't explain it, we were like Ying and Yang or puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together. 

When we were ten I lost my puzzle piece. Claire was kidnapped and murdered by an unknown suspect.

I remember that day so vividly like a line from a song that you can't get out of your head. 

We went to the park that day. The sky was light blue with a chilly autumn breeze that reminded of fall. The swings were our favorite. We would hold hands and kick our legs in the air propelling the swings to go higher. Our long, blonde hair blew behind us and giggles filled the air. Never once would we have thought that it would her last day.

"Come on girls, it's time for lunch," Mom called from the picnic table. I hopped off and started running towards our mom. I turned around to smile at Claire but she was still standing by the swings, staring at a trail by the park that led to the woods.

"Claire?" I asked. "Yeah?" she turned her head quickly to look at me. 

"What is it?" she straightened out her yellow dress and shrugged. "I thought I saw something."

We ate our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches quickly and ran to the slide. We took turns catching each other at the bottom, static causing our hair to stick up in random directions. It was my turn to slide down next. I climbed the stairs and sat down.

"You ready?" I yelled down the slide giggling.  "Go!" Claire answered. I pushed off into the spiraled, red tube laughing waiting for Claire to be there at the bottom. 

Once I reached the end the sun blinded me, making me rub my eyes. I opened and Claire wasn't there. That was the last time I saw my twin sister.

Now here I am. Twenty years later still haunted by the fact that I couldn't save her. 

I sit up in bed and push the covers off. I head to my five-year-old daughter Addy's room. It's her first day of school today. I walk in and see a pile of blankets surrounding her sleeping frame.

 "Get up sleepy head it's your first day of school," I said nudging her blankets. A loud groan follows. She's always been a heavy sleeper. 

After I drop her off at school I drive home. As I'm driving I pass a playground. I glance over. Kids are playing carefree as their parents sit back enjoying their free time. That day played in my head once more. I've pushed that memory back for so many years but now it's come back to reek havoc in my thoughts.

Suddenly something hits my car ripping me from my daydreams. TTHHUUUDD. The sound immediately causes me to step on the brakes.I look up and a dead bird with a yellow hair ribbon tied on its' foot lays on the hood of my car. An image of Claires' yellow dress crosses my mind. I take a deep breath and shake my head.

Later that day Addy comes home excited as ever. "Hey girly, how was your day?" I ask as she gets in the car. 

"It was great mommy I made a friend!" A huge smile spreads across her little face.

"Oh really that's good honey," I look into the mirror at her in the backseat, "Whats their name?"

"Claire."

 The name causes me to freeze in my seat for a minute. "That's a pretty name," I say hesitantly faking a smile. I drive home and try to brush it off.

That night I lay in bed staring at the ceiling. A thunderstorm rages on outside. Thoughts of Claire and our childhood cloud my head. At 3:30 I start dozing off into sleep.  I hear a small whisper in my ear. 

"I can't sleep." She whispered, crawling into bed with me. I wake up cold, clutching the yellow dress she was buried in.