I was already shaking my head. “No, I had no idea. I don’t think anyone did. I looked up a few articles about it, and everything said the girls were playing in the attic and Vanessa fell out of an open window.”
“I just can’t believe she would kill her own twin because her friend told her to do it. She should’ve known better at that age.”
“Chase, I can’t say for sure, but I think her friend was actually an auditory hallucination.”
“A what?”
“An auditory hallucination. In other words, she was hearing a voice that wasn't real. It’s actually not uncommon in children.”
“You mean like an imaginary friend?”
“Yes, like an imaginary friend. Most of the time, imaginary friends are nothing to be concerned about, but I think this instance is different,” I explained.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Let’s see what else she wrote,” Chase said and nodded toward the journal.
Dear Diary,
I don’t have anybody to play with. Stupid Vanessa is gone. Ants is gone. Ann is gone. Mommy cries all the time and says she can’t look at me. Daddy is always at work. I’m glad he’s not here. He’s always mad when he’s at home.
Valarie
Dear Diary,
Daddy brought Vanessa home today. I thought she was gone forever. I know Mommy and Daddy told me she went to Heaven, but Daddy said they didn’t say that. He said they said she went to the hospital. He said that she looks a little different because of her accident, but it was the best the doctors could do. I don’t care if she looks different. She’s back home. We’re in the same room. Sharing everything. Just like we were before.
Valarie
Dear Diary,
Vanessa doesn’t remember anything, like our secret handshake, or our favorite hiding places. Daddy said it’s because of her accident. That her brain is still healing. I don’t believe him. I think she’s acting like she doesn’t remember stuff because she’s still mad at me. I don’t care if she’s mad at me because I’m mad at her.
Valarie
Dear Diary,
I hate Vanessa. Mommy and Daddy are always with her. Always talking to her. Always talking about her. Daddy even takes her with him sometimes, for hours or even a whole day. It’s not fair. I don’t know why they love her more than me. We’re supposed to be the same. But, we’re…shut up! Ann’s talking again. I can’t even write in my diary without her blabbing on and on and never SHUTTING UP!!
Valarie
Dear Diary,
I can’t take it anymore. Ann was quiet when Vanessa was gone. She promised to be quiet if I made Vanessa go away, and she was. But she started talking again when Daddy brought Vanessa home from the hospital and every day she talks more and more. Especially at night. I have to make Vanessa go away again so she’ll be quiet.
Valarie
I gasped. She was going to kill me, too. I sat there in total disbelief. After a few minutes, Chase asked, “Do you want me to read for a bit?”
I nodded and passed the book to him.
Dear Diary,
I did something I wasn’t supposed to today, and it was so much fun. A man was outside the gate to our house taking pictures. Nobody noticed him. Because they were paying attention to Vanessa again. So, nobody noticed when I went outside to talk to him. He said he was studying buildings in school and had to bring in pictures of houses he liked for his project. He asked if it was okay to take pictures of our house. I told him it was okay even though I knew Daddy won’t like it. He doesn’t let anyone come to our house. Not since Vanessa came back home. I told the man he could come back whenever he wanted. He asked me if it was okay with my parents and I told him it would be okay because they would be too busy with my twin sister to notice. He said he would come back at the same time tomorrow and I promised to meet him at the gate so he could come inside. Daddy is going to be so mad when he finds out, but I don’t care. I’ll tell him stupid Vanessa did it.
Valarie
Chase paused and looked at me curiously. I cleared my throat to explain. “That must have been the private investigator Duke hired to find me.”
Dear Diary,