“Drea…You need to stop this. It’s not right. You’re going to kill yourself.” The 23 year old male told his little sister. He looked down on her, a small frown on his face. Why did she have to go and tell him her secret? Everything would have been just fine if she had just kept her mouth shut and not told her big brother about her problem. But…What was an 18 year old girl on her own supposed to do? Just stop? No. She had to tell someone. She couldn’t keep living her life a lie. She couldn’t keep putting on the happy front that she had worn since she was 13. Not anymore.


“Ray…I know. I can’t help it though. I don’t think I can stop now, it’s been too long.” She said quietly. She moved herself to the corner of the room, where a large rocking chair sat. She placed herself in it and pulled her knee’s up to her chin, the thin scars from the past revealing themselves on her ankles and calves. Even though they pained her greatly, she felt comfort in that old chair. Her mother used to set Andrea on her lap there, rocking her to sleep when she wasn’t feeling well or had gotten hurt.


“We need to get you help…” Ray approached his little sister, placing a hand on her shoulder. He was trying to comfort her the best he could. But he saw that his best just didn’t cut it. He just wanted to know what happened to his happy, cheerful, joyous little sister. Andrea had been so full of spunk. She was always running through the long cornfield, getting lost until someone spotted the pale blonde mane of hair that signaled where she was. And she used to have the most dazzling blue eyes, like their mother. “Was it because of mom?” He asked quietly, though he already knew the answer.


She nodded slowly, turning her head to face him. “Everything went wrong when mom died…” She whispered. And she was right. After her mother had died, her father had kicked her out of the house. A mere girl of 13. He had believed that Andrea was the cause for his wife’s death. He blamed her for not doing anything to save her. But what could she do? She could barely get herself out of the car. And by the time she was out, the policemen were there and dragging her away, leaving her shrieking mother in the flames… “It wasn’t my fault…” She whispered once more.


Ray simply sighed and pulled his sister in for a hug. “I know it wasn’t. And dad was too blind to see back then…” He took a deep breath before continuing. “So that’s why you started this?” He asked lightly, trailing a finger over one of the scars on her leg. It looked fresh.. She winced, his suspicions confirmed. “We have to get you to a hospital Drea. If you keep this up you’ll surely end yourself..”


“I’m terrified of those places Ray. You know I am. I can’t do it.” She was so negative. But she felt real for the first time in her life. She was actually glad now that she had told her older brother. He seemed to be helping her in any way possible. He wasn’t blaming her for their mothers death…He wasn’t even blaming her for their fathers suicide, though she knew that it was entirely her fault. Those thoughts…the memories… Pain filled her entire being to the point where she pushed her brother away. “I need the bathroom…” She said simply before pushing herself out of the rocking chair, making her way to the cabin’s small bathroom. She opened the door, making sure to lock it behind her. It was all natural now. So natural that it actually hurt.


She stood in front of the mirror, taking in the image of herself. Black hair moving to blonde roots, dark blue eyes, pale face. This was not the girl that everyone knew and loved. This…Was Shadow. The split personality Andrea never knew she had. She would come out in times of pain, showing Andrea how to control it in the worse ways possible. Shadow lifted her hand, opening the medicine cabinet. She searched quietly until she found the old pair of hair clippers Drea’s mother used to use. She moved the body of the sorrow filled girl to the sink, making her lift her leg onto the toilet seat next to it. She rolled the girls pant leg up slowly before finding a patch of clear flesh. With a deep breath, she dragged the sharp blade over the skin, a thin trail of blood already forming near the base. The last time…It would be the last time she ever hurt the defenseless girl again.


The next morning, Ray held Andrea’s hand tightly as he lead her to the main office of the Miami Rehabilitation Center