Narrative - A story about someone who was wrongly accused and had to prove his or her innocence

            That night, nostalgia steered the sleepless Alice to the huge family portrait hanging on the wall at the end of the hallway. She stared at the face that was identical to hers from afar. She then got closer and traced her fingers along its rosy cheeks… where she used to kiss lovingly. Tears started brimming her eyes as memories of her twin sister, whom she loved… and whom she despised, came flooding back.

            Everyone was born different…even for twins who look identical, like Alice and Clarice. Alice was the model daughter that every parent is proud to have whereas Clarice was the black sheep of the family. Even when everyone ostracised her, Alice had always stayed by her, secretly. The parents had them separated in different rooms and did not allow them to be close. Nevertheless, Alice would slip into Clarice’s room every night, crawl up beside her in bed and they would talk for hours! Before Alice returned reluctantly to her own room, she would, without fail, kiss Clarice on her cheeks. They loved each other dearly. However, everything changed when she fell hopelessly in love with Eugene, Alice’s fiancé.

            One year ago tonight, Clarice confessed her love to Eugene in Alice’s room but was nicely rejected. However, Clarice did not take the rejection well and went into a blind rage. At the heat of the moment, she strangled Eugene with Alice’s bedsheet and left his dead body on Alice’s bed. Before she left the room, she took Eugene’s handkerchief to keep as a memory and then swiftly removed any evidence that could lead the police to her.

            Naturally, the police accused Alice of killing Eugene, but without solid proof or motive, they could not lock her up. News of Eugene’s death spread and everyone assumed Alice was the murderer; they began to distance themselves. Subsequently, Clarice became their favourite. Alice would still slip into Clarice’s room at night and Clarice would comfort her. One night, Alice came early and caught a glimpse of Clarice crying into a very familiar-looking handkerchief – it was Eugene’s. Instinctively, she rushed over and snatched it from Clarice. “How is this in your possession!? Do you…do you have anything to do with Eugene’s death!?”

            Clarice stuttered and was not able to utter a word. Silence is an answer too. Alice broke down and let loose a cry of anguish. She took hold of Clarice’s shoulder and shook her repeatedly while demanding an explanation through wheezing sobs. Clarice knew that she could not lie her way out of this and blurted out the whole truth. What she did not realise was that all the family members, alerted by Alice’s cry, had gathered in Clarice’s room. They heard everything and somehow, words got out and police arrived to arrest Clarice. Believing that her life was over, she ran to the balcony overlooking the sea and dived into the abyss.

            Alice still remembered the view as she looked down the balcony at her fallen twin – the moonlight was reflecting off her flowy silk nightgown; it was as if she had grown a pair of wings that carried her off to some faraway land, never to be found; lost, together with her sin and guilt, forgotten. Yet, Alice still remembered…

 

542 words

written by Mr. Tan, in 2021