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Description
     A pair of seemingly ancient twin sisters sat on the porch of their log house, staring into the nowhere around them. This uninteresting scenery consisted of a cloudless blue sky, fields of corn and green grass, and a dirt road. Shaded from the scorching hot sun of August, they rested in the dust of their memories. Some of those memories were held in clear view, from their out-dated ankle-length dresses to the 1940’s home they reluctantly clung to. Though they looked the same, Helen and Tessa, completely different thoughts were running through their minds. Different expressions were always on their faces. Helen held the look of resentment in her piercing hazel eyes. Tessa seemed worried, but somewhat content. Neither one of them seemed phased by the thick humidity and ninety-degree weather that made the air almost impossible to breathe. After what they’d been through, nothing seemed to bother them anymore.
     Tessa stared down nervously at the faded floral pattern on her dress. Fiddling with a loose thread, she tuned entirely into the vivid memories that somehow chained them to their shabby home. These secrets brought her sixty years back in time, when she and her sister were in their late teens. She cringed at the site of the pale, blood-drained body that lay at her feet as Helen instructed her to grab a shovel. Bile crept up her throat at the sight and scent of her bloody clothes. It was an accident, she’d told herself. Of course it wasn’t. Their evil maniac of a father – victim to Helen’s confined emotions and a crowbar – had lashed out once again when they forgot to bring the newspaper in. It was a simple mistake. Any normal human being would forget something like that, right? Helen thought so. Tessa agreed, but she did not hold the same hatred in her heart as her twin still does now. Yet they both decided that it was the last time they would accept their father’s outrageous behavior.
     Some would think that the man got what he deserved, after slapping a fifteen-year-old girl across the face. Helen could still feel the invisible imprint left on her face as  a heavy hand crashed into her cheek. She heard her mother crying out for mercy in the background, though she did not dare to move from her safe corner in the kitchen. Tessa didn’t even have a chance to flinch before that same hand slammed her face into the nearest wall, the salty taste of blood quickly filling her mouth, along with several loose teeth. Still, her mother took cover next to the refrigerator.
     Of course, this was not the worst of it. The twins and their mother had all suffered cruelty that only a wild and gruesome imagination can even begin to summon. The pain of it all was enhanced by the ignorance of neighbors and the hopelessness of a needy and desperate mother. That alone caused nearly unbearable grief for Helen and Tessa, which they were now left with as they fought hard to forget the early days. But not even old age would give them that relief.
     In a barren land such as the lot they lived on, it had been easy to keep this secret of theirs. It hid in the deepening folds of their skin, along with a thousand beatings and a thin layer of sweat. It rested just as peacefully and solemnly as their father’s body did under the well-beaten road. All they had to do was keep to themselves until death erased their burdens. His moans and cries brought no remorse to them, but were forever haunting.

Description
     A pair of seemingly ancient twin sisters sat on the porch of their log house, staring into the nowhere around them. This uninteresting scenery consisted of a cloudless blue sky, fields of corn and green grass, and a dirt road. Shaded from the scorching hot sun of August, they rested in the dust of their memories. Some of those memories were held in clear view, from their out-dated ankle-length dresses to the 1940’s home they reluctantly clung to. Though they looked the same, Helen and Tessa, completely different thoughts were running through their minds. Different expressions were always on their faces. Helen held the look of resentment in her piercing hazel eyes. Tessa seemed worried, but somewhat content. Neither one of them seemed phased by the thick humidity and ninety-degree weather that made the air almost impossible to breathe. After what they’d been through, nothing seemed to bother them anymore.
     Tessa stared down nervously at the faded floral pattern on her dress. Fiddling with a loose thread, she tuned entirely into the vivid memories that somehow chained them to their shabby home. These secrets brought her sixty years back in time, when she and her sister were in their late teens. She cringed at the site of the pale, blood-drained body that lay at her feet as Helen instructed her to grab a shovel. Bile crept up her throat at the sight and scent of her bloody clothes. It was an accident, she’d told herself. Of course it wasn’t. Their evil maniac of a father – victim to Helen’s confined emotions and a crowbar – had lashed out once again when they forgot to bring the newspaper in. It was a simple mistake. Any normal human being would forget something like that, right? Helen thought so. Tessa agreed, but she did not hold the same hatred in her heart as her twin still does now. Yet they both decided that it was the last time they would accept their father’s outrageous behavior.
     Some would think that the man got what he deserved, after slapping a fifteen-year-old girl across the face. Helen could still feel the invisible imprint left on her face as  a heavy hand crashed into her cheek. She heard her mother crying out for mercy in the background, though she did not dare to move from her safe corner in the kitchen. Tessa didn’t even have a chance to flinch before that same hand slammed her face into the nearest wall, the salty taste of blood quickly filling her mouth, along with several loose teeth. Still, her mother took cover next to the refrigerator.
     Of course, this was not the worst of it. The twins and their mother had all suffered cruelty that only a wild and gruesome imagination can even begin to summon. The pain of it all was enhanced by the ignorance of neighbors and the hopelessness of a needy and desperate mother. That alone caused nearly unbearable grief for Helen and Tessa, which they were now left with as they fought hard to forget the early days. But not even old age would give them that relief.
     In a barren land such as the lot they lived on, it had been easy to keep this secret of theirs. It hid in the deepening folds of their skin, along with a thousand beatings and a thin layer of sweat. It rested just as peacefully and solemnly as their father’s body did under the well-beaten road. All they had to do was keep to themselves until death erased their burdens. His moans and cries brought no remorse to them, but were forever haunting.