Part One

We live in the countryside, on the outskirts of a small town, surrounded by miles of fields and aspen trees. We supply the town’s market with our produce. Surprisingly, I’m in charge of taking care of the plants, the one thing I’m actually good at, not that I’m better than Abel, but farming and gardening would get in the way of her numerous after school activities, so my parents let me do it.

Maybe that’s what I’ll end up doing with my life, I’ll move far away from here, somewhere no one knows my family, somewhere I’ve never been, I’ll grow plants and sell them, and never think of this town or my family again

***

Abel walks through the main entrance as I come in from the back door. I look medieval, completely covered in dirt as I carry my basket, filled to the brim with the season’s first apples, while she looks almost regal, not a strand of hair out of place, as she holds a lamb.

‘Is that a-’ I begin to say, just as my mother marches in. She looks at me for a millisecond, and I begin to set the table, while she pets Abel’s pet.

‘A lamb!’ my mother exclaims. ‘Abel, if you brought it to be sold tomorrow-’

‘Of course not mama! Who knows what those people will do to her. She was injured, and I decided to bring her back here to heal.’

Mother nods. ‘I expected nothing less from my perfect daughter.’

We then ate. Everything had been painstakingly planted, grown, and picked by me, and all we talked about were Abel’s recent achievements.

I was used to it, but it didn’t hurt any less.

I left as soon as we were done eating and let Abel help with clean-up. One more thing they could hold against me.  

***

I walked around the fields. I thought tending to my newly planted strawberries would help me take my mind of things, it always worked as a distraction, but Abel soon joined me.

‘Hey, I just finished cleaning up, I thought I’d come here to help out.’

I turned around to tell her to go away, that I don’t need any help, but I heard myself accept.

My hand had a life of its own. I waited for her to turn her back to me, to the house. If she screamed, only I would hear her.

I grabbed a rock and I hit her. I had never been violent prior to this, hardly ever saw blood. Abel bled and her blood cried out  to me from the soil.

I then took her clothes off so I could wear them, and she could wear mine. Getting rid of her wasn’t enough, I had to become her. It was the only way.

‘It’s your fault, you shouldn’t have come out here.’