Jessica's face always reminded me of sea monkeys, like on the box; my dad bought some for us once. They always picture them waving with creepy wide smiles and black hollow eyes. That's how her face looked, the way that stupid grin stayed plastered across her chubby round face exposing her huge teeth, the way her long dark hair was pulled up into a bun making her miserable mug more visible, and how the moonlight seemed to reflect off of her tangerine princess costume onto her pale skin.
It was Halloween and mom made us go trick or treating together, like we're babies! We're in the fourth grade for cripes sake! Well, anyway, Jessica wanted to be a princess, of course, and I wore this cool monster mask that came with a staff and everything! The mask was of this monster with its face twisted in a sneer and red pupils; and the staff was made of hard wood and me look like warrior of the underworld! I was pleased when I saw how my costume looked all put together.
Mom was like 'Oh, mercy.'� the way she always did when something worried her, but you should see how she giggled and bellowed at the costume Jessica had worn three years in a row. It really wasn't fair when you think about it, mom had seen that same stupid gown for three years and bubble up over it every time, but when she sees my way cooler monster costume, my underworld warrior costume, all I get is a mealy-mouthed 'Oh, mercy.'�
I bet that's why dad left. He would come home from a hard day's work and 'Honey, where's my dinner?'� and all she could go was 'Oh, mercy.'�
'Honey, can you pick up some milk?'�
'Oh, mercy.'�
'Honey, why didn't you pick up Jordan from little league?'�
'Oh, mercy.'�
Like that was the only stupid saying she could say! Maybe if she'd quit beggin' for mercy and pay less attention to Jessica, she could get some things done. Dad was the only person who understood, I wish he would have taken me with him; instead, he chose to leave me in the care the mother sea monkey and her princess daughter.

Jessica was constantly dragging her feet, skipping along in her plastic princess heels. This would be the last year she would be able to wear them as her feet had finally outgrown them.
'Come on!'� I yelled at her. She had gotten more candy and compliments on her costume than I had and I was furious. Why did everyone always like her better? I hate her!
I told her I was ready to go home, that I didn't even want to celebrate this stupid non-holiday anymore, ever!
'Okay.'� was all she said, she said it like that was going to be her 'Oh, mercy.'� when she grew up. We took the short cut through the park trail where we would have to cross the train tracks to get home; the train comes twice a night, once at noon and again at midnight. Mom and dad would always tell us to never take that way, especially at night, but we often did anyway, particularly now that mom and dad were divorced. As far as I was concerned, the rules they made together are now null and void, just like their marriage.
'Jordan?'� she said to me on our way through the trail 'Do you miss dad?'�
I sneered under my masked 'Yeah, I miss him more than I would miss mom'� or you!'�
'Why are you so mean, Jordan? I mean, why don't you like us, mom and me?'�
'Because I just don't! Now leave me alone, sea monkey!'�
'Sea monkey!'� she squealed. She began laughing like it was all some joke. Her laughter sounded like screeching cats to me, like nails on a chalk board or something 'Why did you call me a sea monkey, Jordan?'�
'Because that's what you look like!'� I screamed at her, but she began that infuriating laugh again. I cuffed my hands over my ears to block that noise she called laughter escaping from her throat.
That's when it happened, I couldn't take the laughter anymore, so I lifted my wooden staff and brought it down on her face, hard. She fell to the ground and the look she gave me made me smile under my monster mask, the look of disbelief and fear; there was blood oozing from her cheek.
'Why did you do that'� she yelled.
'Because!'� I shouted, and once again, I raised the staff above my head and brought it down again and again 'I hate your face'� I screamed 'I hate your laugh! I hate your hair and that stupid costume!'�
'Stop!'� she tried to yell, but she was spitting up blood now 'But- but-'�
But I just kept hitting and yelling 'I hate your eyes! But most of all, I hate your big stupid grin!'� I stopped hitting, but only because I got tired and some of her blood had sprayed across my mask; it was kinda' cool. She just laid there now, her face scratched and her precious tangerine princess gown had turned dark red in color. There were bubbles of blood gurgling from her lips as I looked down on her and rested.
'We're- we're'�'� she kept trying to say something.
'What! What are you saying?'� I yelled down to her.
'But'� we're tw- twins'� identical'�'� she murmured 'Y- you're'� g-going to b-be in so much trouble, Jordan.'�
I began hitting her again. I stood there hitting her for what felt like a long time, until the bubbles no longer formed at my twin sister's lips. I looked around; no one saw. I glanced at my watch; it was 11:15pm. I drug her stock-still body toward the train tracks; her gown now looked like some funky tie-dye dress.
I had forty-five minutes until the train would come. I grabbed her bag of candy and emptied it into my bag then put it beside her body, and then I went to the small creek near the trail to rinse my mask off.
That's when I came up with the story that we split up to cover more ground for candy and I don't know what happened to her. I would have to keep up that story or Jess would be right, I would be in a lot of trouble. It was 11:25 when I heard the whistle of the train in the distance, that's when I made my way back, the long way.

Want to comment on this Short Stories? Sign up to Edit Red and you will be able to comment on Short Stories and get access to: Upload your own stories and poems, get readers and their feedback, promote your work...