Chapter 4: My shoelaces are against me!

“Amee Morris?, Amee?”

Amee lifted her head, as she heard the coach’s Russian accent calling her name. The crowd was chuckling and her sister was giving her a dirty look. Amee silently wondered how long her name had been called. She blushed deeply, and stood up. The crowd gave a few more chuckles.

“Sure laugh at the fat girl.”

Amee muttered trying to force herself not to look as self conscious as she felt.

“Permission form?” T

he team’s coach held out her hand. Amee handed her signed permission form to the coach, her mother had been so overjoyed to sign it.

“Well go ahead, Ms. Morris, we haven’t got all night.”

The coach looked meaningfully towards a spot in the center of the gymnasium.

“Sorry.”

Amee looked down as she walked slowly back to the center of the performance area. She winced and limped a bit, her knee really hurt. You can do this Amee, prove them all wrong.

Amee started the routine her sister had made her practice over and over again. It was simple enough, a few cart wheels a cheer, a few easy dance steps. Amee could do it in her sleep. Unfortunately that’s basically what she was doing, and her sister and the rest of the squad at the table looked unhappy.

“Stop, stop, stop.”

Natalia waved her hands. The music stopped.

“If you want on this team you have to show some fire, some emotion, we don’t want robots. You have good technique, but have some feeling, you want our team to win, that’s why your here. Give us some hope! You look like you’re at a funeral.”

“Ya my funeral.”

Amee muttered. Amee heard Jane’s trademark laughter, she fought the urge to run.

“You’re not going to get the pleasure of seeing me quit, Jane.”

Amee growled almost silently as her fist clenched.

“What was that?”

Natalia looked almost insulted that one of the potentials was talking back to her. Amee glared up at Natalia, when their eyes met she regretted her attitude almost immediately.

“Nothing, sorry, Ma’am was just cursing my sore knee.”

Amee looked at the floor again, she assumed Natalia was happy with her excuse, as the music started again. Amee took a deep breath and focused all her anger into the performance, she was cheering on the death of Jane in her mind’s eye anyway. As she focused on how much she hated Jane she found her motions became less robotic and more fluid. The panel of judges, the crowd, the pain she felt in her knee, they all faded into black, drowned out by the seething hatred she had for Jane.

And as suddenly as her clarity had come, it vanished, when her foot got stuck on something. She tugged her left foot to finish the last dance step, but it didn’t move freely and she lost her balance. She crashed into the judges table, her glasses bouncing off her nose, her forehead contacting a sharp corner. She was dazed from the fall, and looked around she couldn’t make anything out, it was all blurry. Glasses, my glasses. She felt around looking for her glasses, her eyesight was so bad she couldn’t see more than a foot from her face. Her hand wrapped around the arm of her glasses and she tugged them towards her. She heard a commotion in front of her, and laughter behind her.

“She’s so fat, I don’t know how she didn’t fall on her face earlier in the routine.”

Jane, Amee felt her stomach turning, she was going to throw up. She couldn’t handle this, she had to get out. Amee pushed herself up. Gabrial was almost on top of her, she was so panicked she couldn’t make out a word the said, she just pushed them away and bolted. Her all out run brought her to the doors that lead to the side of the school. Gabrial watched her run away from him, perplexed as ever by Amee.

She shoved the door open and felt a rush of evening air. She breathed it in as she let the door slam closed. She leaned on the school’s brick wall, clutched herself and began to sob uncontrollably. She felt so fat and clumsy. Why do I do this to myself. She heard footsteps inside the school coming towards the door. She pushed off the wall and started to run again.

“Amee, come back! Did you...”

Amee lost the rest of her sister’s words as she started through some trees. Amee felt something warm on her forehead she put her fingers up to feel it and looked at them, they were covered in blood. She felt woozy, and stumbled as she entered the small corpse of trees. She tripped over something underfoot. Her glasses were sent flying. Should have put my contacts in this morning. She began to pick herself up, but felt something soft and warm under her as she patted around for her glasses. She looked down and it was a pale blur with black hair and black clothes. It was a girl.

“I’m so sorry.”

Amee said as she pulled herself away from the person laying on the ground and felt around for her glasses. She could hear the person gasping like she couldn’t breathe. She might be in trouble.

“Don’t worry I’ll get help!”

Amee kept searching for her glasses.

“Just need to find my glasses.”

She cried out in the direction of the school.

“Hurry someone’s in trouble back here!”

She found her glasses and pulled them on. She looked at the girl, and screamed. It was her, well not her, but her with black hair, she was writhing on the ground, the girls eyes seemed unfocused.

Amee stumbled back from her doppelganger and leaned against a tree. She pushed away her blood soaked blonde hair. She was having trouble focusing and felt sick. Am I seeing things? Is this real? How hard did I hit my head? She stared down at the girl, well...it was her, but she was trim, fit, athletic looking. She’d never look that good in black vinyl, hell she wouldn’t even wear vinyl. That was more April’s thing. She felt jealously rising up in her, whoever this girl was she was her, but looked a thousand times prettier. The girl writhed suddenly, and she coughed up some sort of fluid and she looked up at Amee, her eyes were filled with tears. Amee’s fear was washed away, whoever this was they were scared and hurt.

Amee moved forward and kneeled beside her twin. The girl tried to lift herself up but collapsed again, she didn’t seem to have the strength to move her own weight.

“It’s okay, I’ll get help, everything’s gonna be okay.”

The girl looked up at Amee through strands wet, raven black hair. Their eyes met, the girl’s eyes were a deep violet, but even the strange eyes mirrored her own. The girl’s eyes widened as she looked up at Amee, she looked even more frightened. They stared into each other’s eyes for what seemed to be an eternity. The silence was broken by the girl crying out, and clutching her stomach.

Amee’s blinked a few times. She moved forward, reaching out and grasping the girls shoulder gently. What do I say? What would calm me down?

“We need to get you to a hospital.”

Amee said in the most comforting voice she could muster.

“To..late for tha…Tem..not…syst…failu…”

The girls voice went in and out, she was trying to talk through clinched teeth. Amee flinched involuntarily it was her own voice she heard.

“Shh, don’t waste your energy, I’ll get help, you are going to be okay.”

Amee tried to ease the girls suffering, but she really didn’t know what to say, she was way too freaked out to be coherent. Her twin motioned for Amee to get closer.

Amee leaned down. Before she knew what was happening she felt hands grasp her head and pull it down. Her twin forced their lips to meet. Amee struggled violently but she couldn’t break the hold she was in. She felt something rushing between their lips. She pushed hard but only succeeded in hurting her neck. She started to panic, her struggles were for not until the girl suddenly released her. Amee felt something get shoved into her hand, than the girl went completely limp. She fell backwards landing in the damp earth. She looked at her twin, she lay there, glassy eyed and motionless. Amee screamed. She tried to stand and run, but only succeeded in falling over something hidden by the brush. She lay there motionless frozen in fear amongst the undergrowth. She’d never seen a dead body before and it was like she’d just saw herself die.

“I swear I heard a scream from over here.”

Amber’s voice was close.

“Sounded like Amee.”

“Stay here girls.”

Natalia pushed through the underbrush. Her hand flew up to her mouth in shock.

“Call an ambulance!”

“What’s wrong coach?”

Amber pushed through the brush. She screamed when her eyes landed on the dead body laying in the bushes.

“No, Amee!” She rushed forward and collapsed to her knees beside the girl who looked like Amee, she pressed her fingers to the neck.

“She has no pulse, and blood on her hands!”

Amber started to look around frantically.

“Jane, call 911, Amber you do the breathing, I’ll do the chest compressions, we’ll need to do CPR.”

Natalia moved forward and kneeled. Natalia looked back having noticed Jane hadn’t moved anywhere.

“Jane go get help, call 911.”

She looked at Amber next who wasn’t moving.

“Amber you’re going to have to breath for her, she can’t have been here long like this we heard her screaming.”

Amber blinked out of her daze and started to administer mouth to mouth. Amee shuddered as more sobs wracked her body. She saw what was happening but was powerless to move or speak.

“Hey whoever did it’s in the bushes let’s get him!”

One of the male cheerleaders called out. A few of the onlookers rushed towards where Amee lay paralyzed. When she felt hands grab her she screamed loudly, kicked and struggled violently. She got tugged from the bushes roughly. The beams of several flashlights blinded her she struggled to move her hands in front of her eyes but she was held fast.

“Hey it’s a girl.”

One of the bystanders called out. Amee stopped struggling when she caught sight of the corpse of her twin. The corpse still stared blankly upwards, seeming to ignore all attempts by Amber and the coach to bring her back. Amee just gave up, she sagged into the arms of the students holding her.

“I think she might be hurt too, she’s got blood on her forehead!”

One of her captors called out. Suddenly all eyes were on Amee. And then people started to look between her and the girl on the ground.

“Wow! They’re sisters or something.”

Someone called out from the crowd that had gathered. Fire truck sirens blared loudly as they grew close. Within moments a first response team were pushing their way through the crowd and moving toward Amee’s twin.

“How long has she been like this? Did you see what happened? Has she responded to CPR?”

The firefighters moved into the small clearing.

“We aren’t sure, and no, no response.”

Natalia and Amber backed away as the firefighter’s took over CPR. Amber wrapped her arms around herself and paced, she looked at the crowd and then noticed Amee.

“Amee?”

Her eyes widened. Amee looked up at her sister with hollow eyes. Amber rushed over to where her sister was being held.

“Amee are you alright, Amee?”

Amee met her eyes, but didn’t say anything, she had no words, nothing could describe how she felt.

“Let her go, that’s my sister, she was the one screaming for help!”

Amber pushed the male cheerleaders away roughly, they looked at each other.

“Sorry..err we thought.”

One felt the back of his head and looked away from Amber.

“You thought wrong!” Amber shouted.

“I think she dropped this.”

He offered a black notebook case to Amber, who snatched it and put her free arm around her sister. Amee didn’t need any more prompting. She buried her face in her sister’s shoulder and continued to sob.

Soon the firefighters were joined by Paramedics, they had brought a portable defibrillator.

“What do we have?”

One of the paramedics kneeled down on the ground.

“Female, probably fourteen or fifteen, non responsive to CPR, no pulse, no breathing. CPR has been going on for four minutes. Probably been like this for five.”

One of the firefighters responded.

“Give her a shot of adrenaline.”

A big needle pierced the girls chest. Then the paramedics started doing CPR again. They did it for several minutes but then one of the paramedics looked down at the girl’s glassy dead eyes.

“She’s gone.”

Some people turned to each other, and cried. Others stood on their toes to try and see more. Amber and Amee held each other tightly.

“Amee I thought that was you.”

Amber whispered into her ear. Amee just shook violently in response. Amber tightened her grip around Amee’s shoulders. More sirens blared in the distance, several police cruisers drove up the scene, along with two black SUV’s, and a one unmarked police car.

“Disperse this crowd, this is a crime scene.”

A male voice called out when he got out of the unmarked car.

“I want those five detained for questioning”

He pointed towards Amee, Amber, the two male cheerleaders, and Natalia. Amee shrunk against Amber, the last thing she wanted to do was answer any questions tonight, she couldn’t even answer her own questions. Several men in dark suits swarmed towards Amber and Amee. Amber held onto Amee tightly, but the two were swept up by Agent Johnson.

“The Senator’s daughters are secure, the youngest has a head injury, bringing them in.”

One of the other agents said into his cell phone.

“Hey you can’t take them! They’re witnesses to a crime!”

The man who was barking orders to the police yelled after the group.

“They will be available once they have been treated and their mother is available.”

The agent who had called in the report, flashed a badge.

“You can’t do this!”

The man’s face grew red.

“We are doing this, and unless you want to be a meter maid I’d watch it.”

The agent slipped his secret service badge into the inside pocket of his jacket. The detective growled and stormed back to the crime scene. Amber struggled to keep Amee at her side, the Secret Service agents just escorted them to an SUV and helped them into the back seat. Amee stared blankly out the window as the SUV she was in passed the crime scene. Police tape was being stretched across the crime scene, and more flashing lights in the distance. The SUV quickly drove her out of view of the school. Agent Johnson looked down at her.

“Are you alright ma’am?”

He asked. Amee stared up at him, her eyes blank. The agent shifted uncomfortably. Amee went back to staring out the window. The black SUV’s pulled into the underground parking garage of Washington’s Secret Service headquarters. The young agent tugged on Amee’s arm as he got out of the SUV.

“Come on ma’am, we need to get that head injury looked at.”

Amee moved after him. She climbed out of the SUV in a zombie-like state. In moments Amber was beside her, clutching onto her hand protectively. The Agents ushered the pair inside an elevator.

“You alright?”

Agent Johnson glanced over to Amber.

“I’m fine, just worried about Amee.”

Amber looked up at the Agent Johnson.

“I can understand that, we’ll do our best, if our field doctor thinks she needs to go to the hospital we’ll take, her but this is to suspicious and we don’t have anything secured.”

Agent Johnson nodded.

The elevator slowed to a stop and opened onto an office floor. The agents lead the pair to a comfortable waiting room. Agent Johnson, kneeled down.

“I’m going to go find a doctor for you, we have one on duty, just wait here.”

He moved off. Amber wrapped her arm around Amee’s shoulders. The pair of sisters could overhear someone talking as they walked l towards the waiting room.

“A head injury, Agent Johnson you should really have taken her to the hospital.”

A woman’s voice drifted towards them.

“At this point the Agent in charge of security for Senator Morris thought it was too risky.”

The Agent responded quietly. A middle-aged woman, of Indian descent, in a business suit walked through the door. The woman immediately kneeled down in front of Amee, pulling a piece of sterile cloth from a first aid kit.

“I’m Doctor Khari, Agent Johnson here says you seem to have hit your head, may I have a look at it?”

The doctor looking at Amee meaningfully. Amee didn’t respond she just stared off into space.

“I’m worried about her please make sure she’s alright.”

Amber looked at the doctor. The doctor nodded and leaned down towards Amee. She dabbed the cloth in some antiseptic and started to clean the head wound. There was a lot of dried blood. The doctor seemed puzzled as she cleaned the area that was supposed to be a wound. Amee didn’t flinch. Doctor Khari’s eyes betrayed a hint of confusion. Amber noticed the doctor’s expression.

“Is something wrong, is she going to be okay?”

Amber held Amee protectively. The doctor nodded, and started to inspect Amee’s bangs and forehead, then her scalp. She looked for a good two minutes.

“There is no injury that I can find, you are sure she hurt her head?”

Doctor Khari, looked at Amber.

“I saw her fall face first into the corner of a table, there was blood everywhere, in fact that’s how we found her we just followed the drops of blood.”

Amber motioned to a spot on Amee’s forehead.

“There are no signs of the head injury you described.”

Doctor Khari motioned to Amee’s forehead. Amber looked for herself, she’d seen the gash, and the blood everywhere, but she stared in disbelief no sign of a cut.

“I swear I saw it.”

Amber stammered.

“I saw it myself too, while I was helping her in the SUV, I thought she’d need stitches for sure, and was going to have a nasty scar.”

Agent Johnson nodded.

“There is no sign her head was ever cut in any fashion, but something is obviously wrong, she looks catatonic, are her parents coming?”

The doctor shook her head. Amber looked at Agent Johnson, she had no clue if her mother even knew what had happened.

“The Senator is engaged at the moment, her assistant told us she would be back as soon as humanly possible.”

Agent Johnson trying to sound as professional as possible, but it was obvious from the tone of his voice he thought the Senator should be rushing here.

“Dad’s is overseas. I don’t know when he’ll be back, or even how to get in touch with him.”

Amber clutched Amee more tightly.

“She needs more help then I can provide here, she could be going into shock.”

The doctor frowned.

“Her pulse seems a bit accelerated, and her blood pressure is high, but not abnormal for the scare she’s had.”

The doctor pulled off her rubber gloves. Amber nodded absently. Amber sat for another three hours with her sister. Amee hadn’t moved a muscle, or blinked in all that time, she had just stared at the wall across from them. Amber looked at the wall a few times to try and find out what was so exciting, but it was just ugly beige paint that was so common in federal buildings. Agent Johnson eventually walked back into the room.

“I have permission to take you home, your brother’s already there, we have two agents on the house.”

Agent Johnson smiled, he had a disarming smile, and he was quite handsome. Amber nodded and gently stood up, pulling Amee with her, Amee stood up, and followed Amber and Agent Johnson quietly.

“How’s she doing?”

Agent Johnson leaned down and whispered into Amber’s ear. Amber shook her head, she couldn’t shake this horrible feeling she had.

“Honestly I don’t know if she’ll recover. It’s like that girl was her twin. Can you imagine seeing yourself die?”

Amber glanced up at Agent Johnson.

“No ma’am, I can’t, but if it makes you feel any better I’m gonna try my best to find out what the hell happened.”

Agent Johnson pushed open the side door of the parking garage or the pair.

“All that matters is Amee being alright.”

Amber huddled closer to Amee tugging her gently through the parking lot.

“You’re right.”

Agent Johnson opened the rear door of a dark ford sedan. Amber helped Amee get in, than slipped in beside her.

“I’m sure she’ll be alright after a good night’s sleep.”

Agent Johnson closed the door quietly and got into the driver seat. The trio rode silently. Agent Johnson switched on the cars radio.

‘....reports are sketchy at best, but we have a unconfirmed report that Senator Morris’s youngest daughter was murdered tonight while attending a school function, Senator Morris is the frontrunner for election 2028, she was unavailable for comment but sources close to the Senator say the report is entirely fal...’ Agent Johnson switched radio stations, he blushed slightly.

The music on the station suited everyone’s mood, it was a dark and moody rendition of Darkness, Darkness. Amee leaned her head against the tinted glass of the car’s rear window her hand touching her reflection. Who were you? What happened to you? She glanced down at her other hand, she desperately had held whatever the girl had given her, like it was somehow a ward against whatever bad was out there tonight. What did you give me? She opened her fist slowly, inside was a silk cord, a silver ankh on it that had some sort of electronic interface on the back. What did this mean to you? What was your name? Amee’s eyes filled with tears. Why couldn’t they save you? Why couldn’t I save you?

“Amee?”

Amber glanced at Amee. Amee looked up at her, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Why?”

Amee clinched her fist again holding the ankh securely in her palm.

“I don’t know Amee, I wish I did.”

Amber looked sombre. She reached her hand out and stroked Amee’s cheek gently.

“It’ll be alright Ames.”

Amee nodded and rubbed her face with the short sleeve of her top.

“And you did great tonight sis, you got nothing to regret.”

“I...didn’t help her, I was too scared, is that what I am? Am I that person who’s too scared to help so people get hurt?”

Amee leaned her head against the glass again looking out into the darkness, it was like an abyss, or perhaps it was the darkness in her mind.

“You couldn’t help her, no one could, you saw the paramedics, they couldn’t save her. It’s alright to be scared.”

Amber reached out to hug Amee, but Amee pulled away.

“Don’t touch me...just don’t...”

Amee rubbed her eyes. The car pulled into the driveway of their house. Agent Johnson who had done his best to remain unnoticed cleared his throat gently.

“We’re home.”

He parked the car and slipped out, then opened the door for Amee, and Amber. The trio walked up the front walkway quietly. The sisters stared at the ground. Agent Johnson was watchful for any sign of danger. He nodded to the pair as they entered the front door.

Amee walked silently towards her room. Amber followed close behind, slipping the dropped notebook bag behind her night table beside the door. Amee looked back at Amber. Amber smiled and nodded, closing the door behind her. Amee sagged and slid down her bedroom door. She leaned her head against her knees and off into a dreamless sleep.

*****

Douglas was just sitting down to dinner at one of Washington’s five star venues when his cell phone started to vibrate. He looked over to his dinner date, she was eye candy and nothing more, and appearances were everything to him. He could barely remember her name the truth be told, but she was barely legal, and very attractive. He glanced to Senator Wilton Rice, who he had recently assisted out of quite a tricky legal situation with a certain underage intern and a pregnancy.

“I’m sorry, Wilton, would you excuse me for a moment, it’s my emergency cell phone so it must be very important.” Douglas gave his trademark smile. The Senator nodded, and started talking to Douglas’s date. Well at least I chose well, if things go as planned I’ll have to get him out of another predicament soon, Douglas allowed himself a small knowing smile and opened his cell phone as he walked outside the venue.

“This had better be important.” Douglas said into the phone, he didn’t bother to hide his annoyance.

“Mr. Shaw, this is the surveillance team, a situation has developed. The girl has received a head injury, and is laying on the football field, she seems to be dead. What should we do?” Douglas’s mouth fell open as he listened to the voice on the other end of the line, two-hundred and fifty million dollars just slipped through his fingers. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Maybe he could salvage something from this.

“I want you to intercept the ambulance, I doubt she’s died from a head injury it could be a ruse. This could be our best chance. I will contact you with a destination for her, or her body soon. Mr McDonald will want to be informed.” Douglas closed hung up his cell phone and took a deep breath. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his day planner and leafed to McDonald’s number and dialled it.

“Yes?” Douglas recognized Albert McDonald’s voice quite easily.

“This is Douglas Shaw, the surveillance team just contacted me and indicated Amee had sustained an injury, her condition is unknown I told them to intercept the ambulance, do you have a drop point for her where she can receive medical treatment?” Douglas carefully worded his sentence.

“Yes, yes I do, you think this is the best course of action?” Douglas sighed with relief.

“Yes, during the trip she will be most vulnerable, and the wreckage of the ambulance with another female of similar size could be used to make it look like there was an accident, or a terrorist attack, no one will realize she is missing.” Douglas’s mind was in overdrive. He could maybe get something out of McDonald for the girl’s body.

“Excellent, I’ll have it arranged, you can go back to dinner with the Senator, good job on his case by the way, we can’t let men like him suffer because of some foolish teenage girl, tragic that she was in that horrible accident before she could testify.” Douglas felt his skin crawl, he had done a great job of making the girl look guilty of course she couldn’t defend herself, she’d died in a fortunate car accident. Douglas had taken it for granted that it was an accident but something in McDonald’s voice told him differently. He’d celebrated her death.

“Thank you for the compliment sir.” Douglas pondered the accident, but then shook his head. Either way it had served his purpose and if things were grim, and they were very grim, he would have probably arranged the same if it had been necessary and it was in his power. He hung up his cell phone and turned back towards the restaurant, he glanced under the table as he approached, apparently the senator was busy with his date, he had chosen well indeed.