Before the Feud

Third Person Story

The car swerved and spun off the road. The motion had jerked Adrienne and Amber from their dreams, both having fallen asleep in the back seat. They were buckled in their seats as the car violently tossed them from side to side. Their mother was screaming in the passenger seat of the car as it came to a sudden, crashing stop. The action knocked them both unconscious in an instant.

*~*

"She's waking up. Get the doctor." A nurse said standing next to Amber's bed checking the drip.

Amber slowly opened her eyes stirring from her unconscious state. She looked around and took in her surroundings. She saw her sister, Adrienne, still unconscious on a bed next to her.

"Adrienne?" She questioned groggily as she got out of her bed.

"Please don't get up yet." The nurse said trying to hold her back.

Amber paid little attention to her, took the IV she was connected to, and walked briskly over to her sister's bedside.

"Adrienne please wake up. Please be okay." She pleaded more to herself than anyone specific.

Just then a doctor walked in and sent Amber a questioning and somewhat angered look before talking to the nurse.

"Have you told her anything yet?" He asked.

The nurse just shook her head in response. Amber turned her attention back to her unconscious sister and grabbed hold of her hand.

"You have to be alright." She whispered.

Adrienne squeezed her hand lightly in response. Amber smiled. Her sister was okay. Even though they were twins, Amber was a few minutes older than Adrienne. That fact made her feel like it was her duty to look out for her 'little' sister.

"A...Amber? Where a…are we?" Adrienne asked hesitantly as she sat up and looked around.

"It is okay don’t worry. We're fine that's what matters right now." Amber responded helping her sit more comfortably.

Adrienne looked in worse shape than Amber did and was actually still recovering from the accident. Amber was all but healed and feeling fine. The doctor waited, somewhat patiently, for Adrienne to get the rest of her bearings. Then once he felt they were ready to hear the news he pulled up a stool and sat down at the foot of Adrienne's bed.

"You girls are very lucky," He started, "the seatbelts you had on could have killed you with the force of that impact, but they didn't. In fact, that was what saved you in the end and you should be very happy about that. However, you were both knocked unconscious when your heads hit together and you may both have slight after-effects from concussions, but that can be sorted out easily and in no time." He turned to face Adrienne completely before adding, "You were hurt much more because not only did your sister's head hit yours, but your head also hit and broke the window. Now you will recover just fine as I have repaired most of your cuts, but I recommend that you spend a few extra days here so we can make sure that nothing else is wrong."

With that, he stood up and walked out with the nurse close behind. Amber and Adrienne were talking to each other, after the doctor had left, about their parents and how much they were able to remember. A few moments later, Amber decided to ask the doctor where their parents were. That was when she heard him talking to the nurse.

"They're still too weak and weary. When they have gathered some extra strength we can tell them the rest of what had happened. If they still have no recollection." He said softly.

Amber backed away before he noticed she was there. Confused she walked back to her bed only to dismiss what she had heard as soon as she closed her eyes. Such are the effects of head injuries when it comes to memory recollection.

After a couple more days the doctor said they were allowed to be released. They were fine and fully recovered. He said they had nothing further to worry about. Of course, this meant he had completely forgotten an important detail about their new 'normal' situation.

Just before everything was all packed and ready, Amber turned to the doctor and asked the dreaded question, "Where are our parents? Are they alright? We haven't seen or heard from them since we've been here. Don’t they care that we’re okay?"

The doctor sighed a heavy and sad sigh before sitting down with the two girls.

"You're parents," He began and looked at them, "they didn't make it. We tried everything in our power, but the damage... It was too severe. They weren't able to hold on any longer. I'm so sorry I can’t believe I…." He hung his head ashamed as Adrienne cut him off.

"No! You liar!” She shouted before storming out.

Amber followed close behind her without saying a word. She was shocked at both the news and her sister’s sudden outburst.

"Wh… What were they plan… planning to do with us, Amber?” Adrienne’s voice broke although she managed to recover her composure quickly. “It took him a whole week. Th… The whole time we were here!! An... And he didn't think to tell us once? Where they just going to... to ship us off to an orphanage of some sort? He... he could have told us sooner." Adrienne said.

Her fury laced every one of her words in an effort not to cry.

Amber sighed. "I know Adri. He could have said something sooner, but he di..."

"Are you fucking defending him!?!" Adrienne cut Amber off.

She was furious clearly looking for something or someone to aim it at. She didn't care who or what the anger was directed at. Turning her sorrow into a fierce rage.

"No!!! I am not. What he did was wrong no doubt about it, but think, would it have been any easier for either of us? Do you think…” It was Ambers turn for her voice to break, but she wasn’t able to recover as Adrienne did. “Think we…we would have be…been able to get better… any faster knowing that we… were going somewhere our… our parents were not?" Amber said between sobs. "Mom… Mom and dad are gone. They left us. It… It is not the doctor's fault."

Adrienne looked at her, now crying, sister. She held back her own sob again before hugging her.

"Let's go and ask him what we are going to do then. He must have thought of and done something at least. Since he's been sitting on this information for a while." The last part came out with more venom than she had intended.

They walked back inside the room ready to find out what their next step was.

*~*

They waited in the doctor's office for some lawyer to arrive. The lawyer was to bring and read their parents' will. It had taken almost an hour, but a young lady eventually walked in with a smart suit that said she was serious. She had a leather briefcase in hand. Her demeanor definitely meant business.

"Good day." She greeted and sat down.

'I wish. Don't lie to yourself or us.' Adrienne thought to herself mentality rolling her eyes.

She forced a smile, however bitter it may have seemed to anyone around. The lady sat the briefcase on the table, without another word, and opened it. She pulled out some papers and closed the briefcase.

"Straight to business then. What I'm holding here isn't to make the two of you feel uncomfortable or anything else for that matter. That said it is indeed the final request of your parents. In other words their final will and testament." She flipped the first page and started to read the contents. "In the event of..." She stopped and looked over the top of the page then continued. "The death or deaths of Archie and/or Maxine..."

Every now and again she stopped reading to explain what was meant. Then she got to the more important issue of where they would be staying and their schooling arrangements. This was when the two of them paid the most attention. After all, this was how they would be living from now on.

"Our house is therefore left in the care of our children. Furthermore, should they wish to live there or sell it is entirely their choice. No one is allowed to make the decision or contradict whatever decision is agreed upon. Should we not be able to provide our children with education due to the deaths we have arranged that they attend the boarding school, Witherwood Academy. School fees are to be paid annually from our insurance and trust fund handled by their godfather Codey O’Neil..." She continued to read, quite monotone until she got to the end of the document.

"I will now inform your godparents of the events and carry out the rest of the instructions." She said before standing up, collecting everything else, and leaving.

“Great now we have to fend for ourselves,” Amber mumbled to herself bitterly, but Adrienne had heard her.

She didn’t make any attempt to show Amber that she heard, instead she mentally scolded her and left behind the lawyer. She needed some air and the lawyer would take a while with Codey in one of the other rooms.

*~*

Weeks later they were to start attending school. By this time they had officially moved in with their godfather and were more or less settled into their old house again. Their godmother was M.I.A. (Missing in Action). They didn't have to worry about the holiday seasons because they agreed to keep the house. That was after many arguments. While to be exact it was that Adrienne refused to let anyone else stay there or buy it. Amber eventually gave in to her sister's wishes.

They had to live on the school premises during the term. Amber and Adrienne looked out for each other all the time in school. Although, eventually, they had their godfather there with them as well. They were thankfully put in the same dorm room when they first started there. Being the 'new kids' there they didn't quite feel comfortable anywhere without each other. At that time they were not only sisters but the best of friends.

As time passed, however, Amber and Adrienne drifted apart. They were no longer roommates by the end of the first school year, and their house felt bigger and emptier than ever. They stopped going to certain places in the house because it was too painful for them. Instead, they stayed on one side of the house, on the first floor, in rooms that were initially meant for guests to sleep in. They were also situated close to the kitchen. A little corner they agreed was enough for them in the huge house.

Remember Everything

Song by Five Finger Death Punch

(1770 words)