The iron gates creaked, their hinges groaning like a mournful sigh as they swung open, revealing the dark, tree-lined path that led to the burial ground.
The black car glided through, its tires barely making a sound on the damp earth.
Lena emerged, her black dress a stark contrast to the white flowers clenched in her hand. She moved with a quiet purpose, her eyes fixed on the grave ahead, the only sign of life in the otherwise still forest.
Lena stood at the edge of the overgrown path, the weight of memories bearing down on her like the branches of the ancient trees looming above. The family burial ground, hidden away in the heart of the forest, was a place she'd avoided for years. But today, she felt drawn to it, like a moth to a flame.
The trees parted, revealing the crumbling mansion in the distance, its grandeur shrouded in ivy and shadows. The compound was eerily still, the only sound the distant hum of cicadas. Lena's eyes drifted to the four graves, three weathered headstones bearing the family's name, the fourth one stark and new. Ava's. The fresh soil a painful reminder of what could've been.
As she approached, a figure emerged from the shadows – an old caretaker, his eyes cloudy with age and grief. "Welcome, Lena," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "She's been waiting."
With a hum she brushed past him, the white flowers trembling in her hand, as she made her way to Ava's grave. The caretaker's words hung in the air, sending a shiver down her spine. "She's been waiting..." The hum of the cicadas grew louder, a mournful serenade as she stopped before the fresh grave.
Ava's name stared back at her, the epitaph 'Beloved Daughter, Sister, and Friend' etched beneath. Lena's eyes lingered on the words, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. She knelt, placing the white flowers on the mound of earth, her fingers tracing the outline of Ava's name. The wood felt cool beneath her touch, a stark contrast to the turmoil raging within her.
A fragile droplet trembled on her lower eyelid, hesitating, as if weighing the burden it would unleash. Slowly, it detached, tracing a glimmering path down her cheek, navigating the contours of her face. The tear lingered on her jaw, a tiny, salty pearl, refracting the emotions swirling within her – grief, guilt, anger, and a love that refused to die.
As it hung suspended, Lena's eyes closed, and the world around her dissolved. Memories of Ava, of laughter, whispers, and shared secrets, flooded her mind. The twin bond, once unbreakable, now a complex, aching knot. The tear, a tiny vessel, carried the weight of a thousand unspoken words, a silent testament to the unresolved tension between them.
Her eyes locked on the photo and for a moment ,she was taken aback.the face staring at her was her own,same piercing eyes same jawline but with a different kind of mockery edged in her smile.It was Ava,her twin.
The one who unfolded everything. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she gazed at the photo, memories flooding back whispers of a past she tried to burry, memories she never wants to recover and secrets she'd thought she'd never uncov
The weight of grief and memory settled in. All the graves, all the anniversaries, converging on this one day. Lena's eyes drifted to the other headstones – her parents, her daughter, and now Ava. A family's worth of loss, all in one place.
She stood there, frozen, as the past washed over her. Memories of laughter, tears, and goodbyes lingered like the shadows on the trees. The wind picked up, rustling the flowers, and Lena felt a shiver run down her spine. Was she here to remember, or to let go?