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Reflection in the Mirror “Who is Looking Back at You?”
by R.K. Avery
Ratings:
292 pages4 hours
Summary
Identical twins Clarissa and Marissa Wagner have more in common than their looks—they share a connection that allows them to know what each other is thinking and to feel each other’s pain—a connection that has astounded doctors, teachers, and other professionals their whole lives.
A much anticipated three-day weekend turns tragic when Marissa Wagner never makes it home from school. Each time Clarissa looks in a mirror, she is reminded that Marissa is gone...
...and she feels like the other half of her soul is missing.
June Wagner, their single mother, has put her life on hold to raise the twins. She is distraught over her missing daughter, and butts heads with the police sergeant assigned to the case.
Why aren’t they doing more? What is taking so long? Will I ever see my daughter again? she painstakingly wonders.
Hours turn into days, days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months as they attempt to find a witness or a clue that might guide them to where she is. And although a longshot, the only hopes are the visions and feelings of a clairvoyant Clarissa Wagner. With the help of David Miller, Rich Butler, and the Never Give Up Foundation, they piece together clues that shock even the most skeptical. Along the journey, David glances in the mirror and realizes he is no longer alone.
When you look in the mirror, what is looking back at you?
Publisher: Brighton Publishing LLCReleased: Aug 6, 2014ISBN: 9781621832256Format: book
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Reflection in the Mirror “Who is Looking Back at You?” - R.K. Avery
miracles.
Introduction
The word twin comes from the German language and means two-together.
Since the beginning of time, identical twins have baffled scientific and medical professionals alike. A single fertilized egg—for reasons unknown—splits in half, creating two separate living and breathing beings. Yet they share the same DNA, and throughout their lives, understand each other like no one else can.
Many believe the bond goes beyond identical DNA, as most times twins think alike, look alike, dress alike, share the same thought patterns, and sometimes feel each other’s pain, or even read each other’s minds. Sometimes they develop their own twin language that no one knows or understands. Is it telepathy? ESP? Or does it go beyond that?
Many studies have shown that when identical twins are separated at birth, they can still feel and perceive the same things. When you really think about it, the mysterious similarities are mind-boggling. During my research for this book, I was amazed at the stories of twins scoring the same on tests, being injured or hurt in the same way, buying the same items when they were miles and miles apart, and foreseeing tragedy when one of the twins dies before the other. Sadly, it becomes a true living nightmare when one twin is forced to see and experience the loss of their other twin and best friend.
Here are some interesting facts about identical twins and multiple births:
* Even with the advancement in medicine and technology, it is still uncertain why twins occur. Many say it is a malfunction of the normal fertilization process.
* Many people believe twins run in families; but this is completely false. Just because there are twins in the family, this does not increase your chances of having, or not having, twins or multiple births. Hard to believe that it is just coincidence, chance, or luck. Some might say bad luck—but it is still luck all the same.
* Even though it may seem multiple births are on the rise, statistics show that birth rates for twins or multiple births have remained stable over the years, however, the odds are pretty good; about three in one thousand. Likewise, your chance of having identical twins is the same regardless of your race, age at conception, or where you live. It is also interesting to note that fertility-enhancing treatments do not increase the likelihood of having identical twins or multiple births.
* Identical twins do not have identical fingerprints but they do have identical DNA.
Mirror twins, however, have a definition all their own and some believe take twindom to another level. A mirror twin has reverse asymmetric features. Although they look alike, they are the identical mirror image of one another. Where one has a mole on their left cheek, the other has a mole on their right cheek. One is left-handed, and the other is right-handed. If they stand face-to-face, it is truly like they are looking in a mirror.
Reflection in the Mirror is a fictional story of identical, mirror twins Clarissa and Marissa Wagner, best friends and roommates since the first heartbeat, who sometimes feel as if they share the same soul.
One unseasonably warm winter afternoon, in a residential neighborhood on the outskirts of St. Louis, the unthinkable happens—which proves the unique twin bond can never be broken. You’ll never look at your reflection in the mirror the same way again.
Chapter One
It was a beautiful day, unseasonably so for late fall in St. Louis. A light breeze gusted outside as the red maple trees swayed back and forth, the last of their leaves falling, preparing for the snow and ice that were soon to follow. The sun, always welcoming, peeked through the clouds and tree branches, warming the air and everything it touched.
It was Wednesday, but not just any Wednesday; it was the day before Thanksgiving. As many days before, it had started out like any other in a house with teenagers—arguments and threats, promises and negotiations, and rushing around as if it were the final call for boarding a flight to nowhere. The only difference was, before the chapter on this day would close, it would turn into a nightmare; a nightmare that simply would not end by waking up—a nightmare that plagued and haunted day after day, hour after hour. Where every mirror and shadow would become a reminder of the nightmare and the very important piece that was relentlessly missing.
Marissa and her identical twin sister, Clarissa, were arguing again over who got to wear the purple Abercrombie t-shirt. No matter what they decided to wear, the other always wanted it. They were just like toddlers fighting over the same toy. The twins hadn’t dressed alike since they were in grade school, but it was times like these their mother wished she had insisted they still buy two of everything. Remembering back to the cute little outfits she used to make for both of them made June’s eyes misty.
I get to wear it because I’m older than you!
Marissa shouted.
For the love of Pete, when are you going to stop throwing that in my face? So you are three minutes older than me. Big deal!
Clarissa countered.
When you learn to respect your elders!
Marissa had a smug look on her face.
Elders? Get real. You’re not my elder. You’re just my stupid sister who thinks she’s more important than I am!
At that, both girls started giggling which was nothing new. To an innocent bystander it appeared they were about to go for the jugular, but they always ended up laughing.
Seriously,
Clarissa said, you can wear it today, but I get to wear it this weekend when we go to the mall. So try not to spill anything on it.
Deal,
Marissa said, as she nodded her head. They shook hands to solidify their agreement.
The girls were now seventeen and in the twelfth grade at St. Mary’s Catholic High School, which usually required uniforms of a plaid skirt, white blouse, white knee-high socks, and black old lady
shoes. But since it was a three-day school week, right before the Thanksgiving holiday break, the school bent the rules just a bit and allowed them to dress down in jeans, t-shirts, and athletic shoes, which the girls, as well as all the other students, loved.
Tuition for St. Mary’s was expensive, but with some government funding, scholarships, cutting back on other frivolous items, and help from Grandma Wagner, the twins were able to attend. It was something they had always wanted to do, and had talked about since they both entered junior high. Even though they weren’t Catholic, after the twins did their research, they proved to their mother that history had shown students who graduated from a private school had a better chance of getting into a good college and going on to a well-respected, white-collar occupation. If there was anything in the world June Wagner wanted, it was to make the twins happy and give them everything they wanted, within reason of course. Always very persuasive, they could talk her into just about anything.
Marissa and Clarissa had been referred to as the twins
for so long they almost felt like one person. At school, they both turned their heads when anyone said Marissa
or Clarissa
because it was so hard to tell them apart. Termed mirror twins, Marissa was right-handed while Clarissa was left-handed. Marissa’s hair had a natural part to the right, and Clarissa’s hair parted naturally to the left. Marissa had a small beauty mark on her left hip, and Clarissa had an identical, if reversed, beauty mark on her right hip. The beauty marks almost looked like half a heart and when placed together, it created a whole heart. When they stood looking at each other, if they had on the same outfit, it was like looking in a mirror. The friends in their inner circle could tell who was who—but even then they sometimes called them by the wrong names.
Stunning young ladies, with straight, natural-golden, waist length hair, cat-like, emerald-green eyes, harmonizing beauty marks, long legs and slender waists, they were among some of the most popular students at St. Mary’s. They excelled at the same subjects, enjoyed the same extracurricular activities, and spent the majority of their life side-by-side. Rarely apart for more than an hour or two, they attended several classes together, shared the same room at home, and typically hung out with the same group of friends. Because of this, June Wagner insisted they each try to have one activity that did not involve the other. The girls complained and whined, but after the dust cleared, Marissa decided to join the drama club, while Clarissa gravitated more toward intellectual groups, like the debate club and student council.
Grabbing their matching Hello Kitty backpacks, one pink and one purple, the girls headed for the door, while June was busy writing a shopping list for the grocery store. The family would be celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday with June’s family, as they always did, and she had offered to bring the green bean casserole and a pumpkin cheesecake. While the twins were at school, before work, she would go grocery shopping and get started on the preparations for the big meal. Thanksgiving was one of June’s favorite holidays as it was all about family and food. No diets. No depravation. Just fantastic, fattening food and a time to catch up with family.
***
June Wagner was almost forty years old, but could still pass for someone in her early thirties. Petite and gorgeous, she was a little over five feet tall and weighed 110 pounds. Her tiny waist was accented with average-sized breasts, and her feet were a size smaller than the twins’. She had naturally curly, chestnut-brown hair, but not the kind of curls that could be unruly. Her shoulder-length hair was beautiful, especially when she allowed it to air dry, and she pulled the sides back into a ponytail at the crown of her head. She usually left wispy ringlets to fall freely, framing her face and making her look even younger. Her soft, cerulean eyes were so blue they almost didn’t look real. Many times over the years she’d been called a liar when she admitted they were natural, not colored, contact lenses.
The twins’ biological father, Eddie, had never been a part of their lives. June had been in her early twenties and living in Wyoming where she attended college, hoping to graduate with a nursing degree when she had met him. He was much older than she was, but she didn’t care. He was handsome and debonair, and always knew the right thing to say and when to say it. They went on several dates, and she thought he was going to ask her to marry him. The prospect excited June because Eddie seemed to be well-off, always paying for everything with a wad of cash, and showering her with expensive jewelry and gifts. He admitted he had been married once before, but his wife had passed away, and he had never found another person with whom he’d thought he could spend the rest of his life with.
On their second-month anniversary, he rented a Cadillac and took her away for the weekend to a Bed and Breakfast on the outskirts of Yellowstone National Park. The whole ride up they held hands, and she couldn’t take her eyes off him. His hands were flawless and well-manicured, as if they never did a serious day’s work. They sang together, albeit horribly, to every silly song on the radio, and June was certain he was her soul mate. It was a magical weekend and, convinced he was the one
and she was head over heels in love, she willingly gave herself to him—mind, body, and soul. It was the first time she ever told a man she loved him, and she should have known it wasn’t right when he didn’t return the words she so badly wanted to hear.
After they returned home, Eddie never called, and she never saw him again. After a few weeks had passed, she went to the condominium complex where he had told her he lived, but there was no one there by the name of Eddie Nelson—and never had been, according to the management in the rental office. A short while later, she found out she was pregnant—and she never had a chance to tell him.
Ashamed and afraid, she called her mother who welcomed her back home with open arms. Wilma Wagner was her rock, and without her, she would have either have had an abortion, or given the twins up for adoption. Thinking back on it now, after all these years, she couldn’t imagine her life without Marissa and Clarissa. Yes, being a single parent to twins was a huge responsibility, and she would never say it was easy, but it was so worth it. Over the years many a potential suitor panicked when June mentioned she had twin girls, but she didn’t care; Clarissa and Marissa were wonderful, caring, amazing people and they made every day so much better.
Both twins were extremely close to their mother, who worked part-time as a lunchroom aide at the grammar school in their neighborhood. When the twins were young, June only searched for part-time work since it would have cost more than she made to put two small children in full-time daycare. Her mom helped out as much as she could, but June was determined to make it on her own, without having to rely on her for everything. Not considered wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, what they lacked in money, they made up for with love.
June’s father passed away at the age of thirty-eight from a massive heart attack. June could tell the story as if it had happened yesterday. She was in the third grade, and got off the school bus with her younger brother Richmond, only to see two ambulances and a police car parked in her driveway. Running as fast as her little legs could carry her, June got there just as they were wheeling someone out on a stretcher. Her neighbors were all crowded around holding their mouths, watching little eight-year-old June and her brother, making them the center of attention.
Confused as to what was going on, one of the neighbors started toward her, but then June heard the screams of something from inside the house. Rushing toward the noise, she dodged the neighbors to get to the door. As soon as her mother saw her, she opened up her arms, and June knew it was bad. Enveloping her and Richmond, hugging them tight, Wilma explained Daddy had gone to heaven. It was a long time before Wilma was able to talk about it without breaking down, but she did finally tell June how it had happened. Her father was sitting in the recliner, watching a soap opera. He had just finished mowing the lawn and was leaning back, enjoying a nice cold beer. The heart attack hit so suddenly he dropped the beer and was dead before it hit the floor. So from then on, it was just June, Richmond, and her two older siblings, Mary and Bill.
Overwhelmed with trying to care for four small children on her own, Wilma took odd jobs cleaning houses, doing laundry, scrubbing toilets, and babysitting for some of her affluent neighbors. Word of mouth really took off, and soon Bill and Mary had to help just so she could keep up with the business. This left June and Richmond home alone quite often and Richmond was more attached to June than he was his own mother. Things were going so well, that when June turned thirteen, Wilma incorporated. Calling her business Maid to Order,
she hired several other employees.
By the time Clarissa and Marissa came along, Wilma had sold her company and was retired, so she was excited about doing things with the twins that she had missed doing with her own children. It was almost like God had given her a second chance, and for that she would forever be grateful.
***
Classes at St. Mary’s were really light since the teachers and nuns were winding down, just as anxious as the students for the Thanksgiving break to begin. In a couple of classes, the twins watched movies or educational videos. In others, they participated in group games; like Trivial Pursuit or Win, Lose, or Draw. The only class where the teacher actually lectured was history, and then only for half of the class. The other half was spent on a Mayflower-themed word search. Marissa felt she had outgrown word searches in the first grade, but it was a nice diversion from the normal routine, and she certainly wasn’t going to complain. History was one of the classes Marissa and Clarissa had together, and even though they worked independently on their word search puzzles, they both had found exactly the same words.
The senior class was planning a canned food drive for the holidays, and the student council needed to go over some of the details, so Clarissa stayed after school for a meeting. So, after the final bell rang, Marissa quickly visited her locker, threw her backpack over one shoulder, and hurried to bus #19, without her twin. Marissa found a seat on the bus, near the middle, next to Taylor Bailey, another girl who lived on her street.
Their neighborhood had a variety of houses, some very old-century homes, still painted and decorated period specific, while others were new construction; colonials, ranches, bi-levels, and bungalows. A tornado had come through several years earlier and flattened about every other house on the opposite side of the street. A few of the homeowners further down the street never rebuilt, while others did.
The twins lived in a three-bedroom ranch-style home, purchased from money June inherited at the age of twenty-five, as did all her siblings. June’s aunt and uncle, wealthy world-travelers, had died in a plane crash in June 1975. The plane was flying from New Orleans to New York City, where Aunt Ginnie and Uncle Walter planned to catch a flight to Europe, but they never made it. Lightning struck the tail of the plane and it went down, killing a hundred and nine passengers; Aunt Ginnie and Uncle Walter among them. Never having any children of their own, they left their entire fortune to June and her brothers and sister.
The front of the small ranch home was a tan brick, and it had a brown-shingled roof with a small gable pop-out roof over the front door. It wasn’t large enough to use as a porch, but big enough to provide some shelter from the elements, as visitors waited for someone to answer the front door. The house wasn’t very big, but just the right size for the three of them. A big, picture window allowed plenty of natural light to filter through the cappuccino-colored sheers hanging in the living room. Since the twins shared a bedroom with connecting bathroom, this left one room empty for visitors and out-of-town guests; not that they had that many of either.
Hi, Taylor. Looking forward to the holidays?
Marissa asked as she tried to start the conversation.
Her opinion of Taylor wasn’t very good and it really bothered Marissa, who was the type of person who always saw the glass as half-full. She tried her best to see the good in people, yet time-and-time again, Taylor had let her down. The only thing they had in common, besides the fact they lived on the same street, was their love of Hello Kitty; they both carried the same pink backpack sporting the name. But Taylor took her obsession to the next level often wearing Hello Kitty jewelry, hair accessories, and clothes. Neither Clarissa, Marissa, nor Taylor could believe it on the first day of school when they all arrived at the bus stop with practically the same backpack. The only difference was Clarissa’s was purple and Taylor’s and Marissa’s were pink.
Taylor was a year younger than the twins, and in the eleventh grade. She was slightly on the chubby side, but still hung with the popular kids. And when she wasn’t wearing the mandatory school uniform, she tried her best to cram her well-rounded body into the tiny, barely there, stylish clothes others her age wore, which came off looking more like casing on a sausage link. She wore braces and always seemed to have different-colored rubber bands to coincide with the holidays. Today, she had on brown and orange, in honor of autumn and Thanksgiving. Taylor was the daughter of the mayor, and took every opportunity to remind everyone which caused her to come off as stuck-up and snooty. Taylor rolled her eyes, I guess. As we do every Thanksgiving, since dad has been mayor, we go to the homeless shelter and help serve food.
That sounds really nice. It’s always kind to do charitable things for those in need.
Marissa smiled thinking maybe Taylor wasn’t as bad as she had thought.
It might sound nice, but it isn’t. I hated it the first year, and I still hate it now. I just had a manicure and I’m sure I’ll ruin my nails.
Taylor held her hand out in front of her to display her chubby fingers that looked like cocktail weenies, with a beautiful, clean, French manicure. And besides, those people repulse me. They are so filthy and disgusting, missing teeth, and lacking hygiene at every level. They smell atrocious and I could, like, seriously puke. Daddy says we only do it for the photo opportunity. After we smile, with a spoonful of God-knows-what, and they film us for the nightly local news, and the press takes a few pictures for the newspaper, we get to remove the hairnets, and the latex gloves, and leave. As soon as I get home, I take a nice, hot shower, sometimes two. Lord only knows what type of germs and diseases they carry. I can only imagine.
Taylor pursed her lips, turned up her nose, and shuddered.
Well, back to being stuck-up and snooty, Marissa thought. She didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing while Taylor turned her attention to her gemstone-encrusted Hello Kitty cell phone and all the bells and whistles it had to offer.
As she sat in an aisle seat on the school bus, Marissa listened in on a few conversations of the classmates directly around her. The one boy she’d always had a crush on was Trevor—he was absolutely adorable. He was neither too fat, nor too thin. He had the most gorgeous puppy-dog eyes, with big, beautiful eyelashes. His large hands held a St. Mary’s class ring and they were exquisite with not a sign of a callous or scar anywhere. But the thing that first attracted Marissa to Trevor was his teeth—they were absolutely perfect, and she enjoyed watching him talk as his pink tongue darted on and around his beautiful teeth. The only problem was when he talked it was non-stop about sports, all the time: which team played, which team won, which team lost, which team they were playing next, which team members they should trade and which team members they couldn’t do without. On and on he went. It was as if he was speaking a foreign language—one that Marissa had no desire to learn— and from the looks of the boys sitting around him, they felt the same way.
Marissa’s mind drifted to her sister, and she couldn’t wait for her to get home. Without her, Marissa felt lost. Clarissa had also voiced, more than once that she felt the same way.
The bus ride was only about twenty minutes, despite the fact theirs was one of the last stops. Marissa was always grateful when the bus brakes squealed, the bus driver pulled the handle, and the doors swooshed opened, but today, especially, since she was starting a long weekend. She stepped off the bus, and noticed her shoe lace was untied, but waited until she got on the sidewalk to bend over and tie it. She thought Taylor would wait for her but, always only thinking of herself, she didn’t. As soon as Marissa finished, she yelled, Wait up!
and ran to catch up with her.
Thanksgiving would be spent with her Grandma Wilma, as they were extremely close to her mother’s side of the family. It was always a fun time to catch up with Auntie Mary, Uncles Richie and Bill and cousins galore.
Besides the holiday itself, the twins had made plans with their best friend, Sue, whom they met in elementary school. Sue was a small girl—probably 4’10"—and maybe 95 pounds soaking wet. She always
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