An Anthology of Tragedies

Ivory & Ebony

"Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh Lord, why don't we?

We all know that people are the same where ever you go
There is good and bad in everyone
We learn to live, we learn to give
Each other what we need to survive together alive."

~Paul McCartney~

         You've waited long enough, my sister. Do it. Tonight.

         Ivory Jones stands before the antique mirror mounted on the wall of her bedroom, which she shares with three other girls in this home for troubled youth. She looms over Ivory's shoulder, her sultry voice scraping against the inside of her skull like overgrown nails on a chalkboard. Ivory cringes inwardly and runs a trembling hand through her white-blonde hair, staring at her through the reflection in the glass, the only way she can view the raven-haired girl.

        Her fingers curl around Ivory's thin shoulders, her painted black nails like the claws of a demon entrapping her, and she leans close to Ivory's ear, whispering again, Do it, Ivory. It'll be a wonderful way to celebrate our seventeenth birthday together. You promised to avenge me. You promised we would always protect each other. Through life and death. The moment Ebony's hands touch Ivory's ice-cold skin, the images, the memories, start flashing through her mind, like they always do when Ivory touches people.

       She sees him through Ebony's eyes, hears the fatal gunshot echo in her mind.

        Ivory's heart beat quickens in her chest, her hands clench into fists at her sides, the blood rushes in her ears. She doesn't want to do this. Not anymore. But she can't let Ebony know she's having second thoughts, that she desperately wants to escape the suffocating presence of her dead twin sister. The girl standing behind Ivory watches her through pitched black eyes, daring her to break their promise, the promise engraved in the form of initials on their shoulder blades.

      "I haven't forgotten my promise to you," Ivory reassures her as Ebony tightens her ice-cold grip on her sister's shoulders.

      It's been three months since we tracked him to this group home, four months since he unjustly took my life. And you STILL HAVEN'T KILLED HIM! Ebony trembles when she screams the last words, her black eyes wide, deep as the pits of Tartarus, never-ending wells of darkness. Ivory flinches, and a fissure appears in the corner of the antique mirror. Ebony materializes at her side and strokes a hand down Ivory's pale cheek as she says more calmly this time, Forgive my temper. But I thought you loved me more than this. I thought I could count on you to avenge me.

       Ivory's heart aches at the remembrance of her sister's touch. The once living, ever so strong, older-by-ten seconds sister protected Ivory from any evil life threw their way. And their lives had always been full of darkness. But Ebony Jones is dead now, shot and killed four months ago, her soul viciously ripped from this world. If it wasn't for Ivory's uncanny, clairvoyant ability – something that has plagued her since she was a child – Ivory would have been alone. But, when Ebony died, she stuck around, lurking in the dark recesses of her twin's mind, materializing only as a reflection over Ivory's shoulder. Even in death, Ebony did not leave her twin defenseless. Ivory closes her ice-blue eyes and, when she opens them, she knows she must avenge her sister, the girl who came back to protect Ivory even in the afterlife. She must summon the same courage Ebony wielded during life and death.

      Ivory meets Ebony's eyes in the mirror, her voice level and frozen when she says, "You know I'd do anything for you."

      Ebony grins wickedly, the flames of Hell licking her black irises, and nods to the silver dagger with the ivory handle Ebony had found years ago. Ivory picks it up without hesitation.