Chapter 48: Sister Sister

Susan's P.O.V.

I wanted to throw up as Lainey was telling me Lily was alive and possibly out of the woods. I had been doing so well at going along with Lainey's stupid plans and keeping my own motives for this whole charade hidden.

After I stormed out of her office, I grabbed my things and hurried to my car.

I banged on the steering wheel and screamed. I can't believe I ever allowed myself to get so close to Lainey and help her hide that stupid girl.

I should've given her more than a sedative that night in her dorm, made it look like an overdose from that party. Instead, she has somehow made it out of those woods and past the one person who was supposed to keep her in there.

I turned my car on and headed up the mountain.

As I pulled into the tiny parking lot, I saw Lainey surrounded by everyone, probably trying to figure out what to say or do to get herself out of this mess. I sucked in a deep breath and got out of the car, walking up right behind her.

I could hear her struggling to find the words, fuck it, if my whole life is about to be exposed, I'll do her the solid and help her expose her part too. This was her fault anyways.

"How about the truth?"

The shock on her face when she turned around was priceless. No matter what happened next, this right here would be worth it.

I could hear the screams coming from the woods after dropping the bombshell on Lainey. I always knew what was in those woods; in fact, I knew who was in those woods. I knew those screams were filled with agony as I let the most vulnerable secret our family has kept onto out into the air.

For generations my family has lived in this boring town. My grandfather told me the legends, the Temptress and her wicked ways of luring those most vulnerable into the forest late at night and then taking their soul to fuel her life.

Except it wasn't just any legend, it was our legacy. Every firstborn daughter of every generation would replace the previous one in the woods once they turned 18. We kept the town living in fear, pushing out those who couldn't stand to live in a place like this.

When people would question why we were never left, the answer was always simple, this was our home, in more than one way.

No one ever questioned where the daughters would go, college was an easy excuse, and moving away afterwards was always what they would tell people.

My mother was luckily the third baby born to my grandparents. Her eldest sister only a few years older than she.

When she fell pregnant for the first time, it wasn't just one baby, but two. Two baby girls. Me and my wretched sister. Every member of the family referred to us as the curse of the family. Two things that should not be.

My grandfather begged my mother to get rid of one, saying this entity would kill one of us either way, as only one eldest daughter could take the place of the previous Temptress.

Instead, my mother kept both, carrying both of us to full term, two healthy babies born only one second apart from each other.

But growing up with my sister was the exact curse my grandfather was talking about. She was evil, always hunting me down and beating on me, taking my things, stealing everything from my life. She took everything from me, and I took it right back.

When our 18th birthdays came, no one knew what would happen. But I did.

I convinced my sister to go visit our dearest aunt up in the woods, although we had never met her and she couldn't even speak, the adventure of it all put enough fire under my sister's ass to go.

We entered the woods, small animals scurrying around us, the fog swimming below our feet. And then we saw her.

A frail woman, in tattered clothing, hair long and covering her face. Her skin gray, eyes white and glossed over. Her back hunched with a small curve, an indication of how long she had been in here.

"We should go Susan, this is weird."

I could feel my sister's presence backing away from me.

"Not so fast dear sister, I'm afraid your stay here is about to become permanent."

Her eyes widened in horror as I stuck in her the neck.

"What the fuc-"

Her body went limp as she dropped to the ground with a thud. The woman cracked her bones as she strode towards us, eager to accept the offering I had just dropped right at her feet.

"Fairwell dear sister, until we meet again."

I dusted my hands off and made quick work getting out of the forest. I could hear the screams of the Temptress as she transferred her current soul into my sister's body, renewing herself once again.

When I got home, there were police cars outside on the street. My mother rushed to me, frantic about where I had been and where my sister was.

"I- I-, we- I'm sorry! She led me into the woods! That thing took her!"

My mother's eyes almost came out of her skull. She dropped to her knees and started praying, tears streaming down her face.

My grandfather stood on our front porch, arms crossed over his chest as he stared straight into my soul. He gave me a slight nod and went back into the house. My mother still sobbed on the ground, as my father spoke with the officers, assuring them there was no problem.

That night changed everything.

I never thought I would meet my sister again. When Lainey mentioned putting Lily in the woods, my heart skipped a beat. I couldn't see her again, while everyone always said the Temptress became a shell of a person, I wondered if things would be different being twins. Maybe she would recognize me.

Part of me wanted to see her again, but then the other part loathed her for taking everything from me, and making the rest of my life hell until I came to Maybury. And now she was continuing the cycle by not killing those two stupid girls!

As the students geared up to go into the woods, I dipped into them before they noticed I was gone. I needed to find my sister and that boy she took, and help her get rid of these dumbasses once and for all, especially Lainey and Richards.

Maybe he can meet up with his hiker girlfriend in the next life and Lainey can go to hell.

I found my sister not far from the cabin where Lily was staying. She looked the same as the last Temptress did, tattered and worn down.

"Sister sister. I've come to help you."

She whipped her head around and cocked her head at me. She made quick work running up to me, mere inches away from my face.

"Down girl, the people he's with are coming to kill you, which we can't have now can we? Poor mummy didn't die without procreating once more just to let you die at the hands of some idiotic children did she?"

I moved around her and inspected the boy, bloodied but still alive and decent. I dragged him over to the cabin as my sister gawked from the side, unsure what was going on.

At least she wasn't trying to kill me, so there was a few brain cells still kicking it up top.

The forest vibrated as the group made their way in, a tell tale sign for the Temptress that dinner was being served.

"Tsk, mind helping out? I didn't shove you in here to stand here and look pretty, split the groups up, kill off a few, who cares, do something!"

She seemed to get the memo as trees started falling in a path leading right to us. I clapped my hands slowly at her, her head cocking once again at my sign of approval.

"Now get them up here, quickly, so we can get this over with."

I paced back and forth as I waited, my sister standing idle not taking her eyes off of me. Kind of creepy, but if I were staring at the more alive version of myself, I would also stare.

I could hear the sound of everyone running towards us, the heavy foot steps of pure fear and urgency. Some of the screaming, others out of breath and not being able to form any words. Whatever she did to get them up here, it worked.

"You made it!"

Time for the real show to begin, dear sister.