The sun was just over the horizon when it began to rain, I’d just arrived in Bridecombe and a strong gust of wind blew across my face and the smell of asphalt hit me. It was 6:30 am and I could see the lights in the houses turning on. I could see the sunrising on the town but setting on me, you see I am in Bridecombe because of two reasons, one is my mother puts work over everything, especially me and the second reason is due to something that happened 3 days ago. I returned to NYC for winter break. I am in my last year at Myton Academy a boarding school in Boston, MA, and the only time I got to spend quality time with my mom was winter break, she would cancel all her plans and for a moment we’d be happy with no work or school nagging us. We were looking at pictures when I stumbled across an unfamiliar picture that had my face next to a woman I had never met or at least didn't remember. "Mom is that me? Who is the lady?" I asked with a puzzled look on my face, she sighed and then replied "You can't run forever. I think you're old enough for the truth" "what truth, what are you talking about?" She told me that I had family in Bridecombe, England and she didn't have the answers that I was looking for but I would find them in England, she apologized that this year wasn't going to be like the others. So that is why I am here.


When I arrived at the address, I was met by a big gold gate, I rang the bell. "Elmhurst Residence, who is it?" a raspy voice spoke through the speaker, I hesitated to answer but I said "Ar-Arab" *clears throat* "Who is it!" the voice said impatiently, "Arabella Elmhurst" I finally said. A saw a slight tug on one of the curtains and then the gates opened. The House was big, unlike many houses that I had passed it was made out of marble. I was greeted at the front door by a man in a butler uniform, when he saw me he froze “Ms. Aurora what were you doing outside so early its only quarter past 7. And why do you have suitcases?” “My name is Arabella, sorry I didn’t say Aurora” I said, at this time the butler and I stared at each with the same expressions on our face, confusion. A fair skin man began to descend from the stairs, “what’s going” he said, “Sir, um this young lad-”.

*GASP* “Is it that… oh my goodness. Take her bags to the her room” he ordered them without removing his eyes off of me.

“You’ve gotten so big”

“Are you my grandfather? Hi.” I was so confused and desperately in need of answers

“Yes I am, I am Duke Elmhurst”

I began to ask him if I had a grandmother but he cut me off mid-sentence and told me that we could continue this conversation at breakfast once I freshened up.

I washed up and went to the dining room. It was beautiful and spacious, it made you feel like royalty. I sat down and boom there she was “my clone”. She looked up at me and we froze, the room was cold and the only heat that I could feel was the burning sensation forming in my eyes, I ran out of the dining hall into the garden. There was a gazebo overlooking a pond , I stood over the water looking at my reflection, my heart was pounding, my mind was racing. I knew nothing, it was like I had just met myself when I saw her. Suddenly there she was again, we just stared into the pond at our reflections. She turned to me and said “why did she take you? why not me? why did we have to be seperated? Don’t get me wrong I love Duke and Gran but I felt abandoned, alone, and empty.”

“I don’t know, I have the same questions, life with her isn’t the best, I barely see her, I wish she had taken you instead, you don’t know how hard it was to think the only person you had in the world was your mother who was never there. NEVER!” My tears fell into the pond.

She looked at me and said “when is your birthday?” What a stupid question, I thought. “January 2nd” I replied. “My birthday is January 3rd. My questions doesn’t sound so stupid now, does it” she said, I laughed “yeah it’s not so stupid” we returned back into the dining hall.


“Duke?” she said

“Come girls, sit down” Duke said. He really liked to order people around.

“Arabella this is your twin, Aurora.”

“If she’s my twin why do we have different birthdays?” Aurora asked.

“Well, Arabella was born at 11:50pm and Aurora you were born 15 minutes later. Arabella, the woman who sent you here is your Aunt, not your mother. Your mother died during labor.”

I don’t know if you ever felt your heart fall to your feet. I literally knew nothing about life, about my life. Aurora and I remained silent.

Duke went on to say “When your mother was 16 she got pregnant and out of fear of disapproval she eloped with her boyfriend and moved to California. When she was going into labor she called your aunt, your aunt rushed there and got there just as Arabella was being born. After Aurora was born, your mother died early in the morning of eclampsia.”

“Eclampsia” I repeated in a whisper

“Very high blood pressure leading to seizures”

Silence

“After that your grandmother demanded that BOTH of you be sent back to England as soon as you were allowed out of the hospital however, your father told us you died Arabella and only sent Aurora, but your Aunt later confirmed that was a lie but he gave you to her and she never sent you because she didn’t want to break her promise to your father.”

“And our father” both Aurora and I said simultaneously.

“He lives in California, he never left but your aunt visits him so he can see pictures of you and doesn’t go crazy, you see Arabella he couldn’t take looking at you without thinking of your mother.

The silence became stifling and I screamed. I just screamed. Aurora had tears rolling down her face. Life had paused.

Abruptly Aurora said “I want to meet him”

“We leave tomorrow” replied Duke.

The next morning I awoke to the sun shining on me.