The plane landed in southern Italy and she sat still in the seat, not wanting to move. The asylum had been horrible, but she knew this would be worse. She had been willing to give up Josephine, but she was not willing to give up Isabella.
***
"You know I love you, right Maddy?"
"Yes Bella I know."
"You know I'll never leave you, right?"
"Yes Bella I know."
"Even if one of us dies, I'll find you and we'll still be together, right?"
"Yes Bella I know."
"You promise too Maddy."
"Yes Bella I promise."
***
She left the plane and again was in a car speeding toward the city she had grown up in. As she approached the street she slowed to a crawl and found a parking spot. She got out and walked toward the large house where her parents had told her of her engagement, where she had lost her brother, the family money, her fiance, her sanity.
Maddalena stood outside the building, staring up at it. Something felt wrong though. Certainly this was where she needed to be to face this trial.

"This is not part of what you need to face. This is part of what keeps you going my little rose. Think harder. Farther back. Think. Think. Think. No matter what they told you, your first memory of this house is at age seven. What was before that?"

She had never before allowed Maddalena to look back past those first memories at the Bonnadeo house. It was her only assurance of survival. But it was too late for pride, it was too late to think only of her own survival. The Asylum had been a huge success and she was one step closer to getting rid of Josephine and making sure that Maddy could protect herself. Her love for her sister was more than enough to make her willing to sacrifice herself to achieve the goal. Isabella sat Maddalena back into the car and drove farther south. To Ferrazzano.
***
"Really Maddy, it's not that hard. Just climb the tree. I promise I won't tell."
"But what if I fall?"
"I'll catch you... Just get up in the tree and tell me if mother is watching us."
"What does it matter if she is?"
"Because I want to play the Uncle Angelo game and she won't approve."
Maddalena sighed sullenly and hiked up her dress, skinning her knees as she began to climb.
"She's inside, some of the cousins are outside, but they're not paying attention." She climbed back down.
***
She remembered the bay. The ocean. Sicily just beyond. She felt like she had never been here before, yet she felt like this was truly home. Much more so than the Bonnedeo house. She remembered the feel of the sun on her skin as she annoyed the fishermen. Without even thinking she got back in the car and drove further out. She stopped at the edge of the crumbling, dilapitated mansion. All of the windows had been boarded up, the paint was peeling, weeds and vines were choking the grass and meanacing the house itself. Slowly she walked up to the house and touched the door.
***
"Mother is going to kill Vincenzo. She just had that door repainted." Isabella reported
"Mother won't know. I will ask uncle Angelo to repaint it." Maddalena replied
"Why are you going to cover for him? He's so mean!"
"Because that is what we do Bella, we cover for family."
"You sound just like cousin Josephine."
"She's right."
***
Isabella was a part of her. But why? She walked down to the stream on the side of the house and her vision began to swim, flashing violently from present to past and back to present again. She stumbled and fell, her hand landing in the cold water of the stream and she screamed as the past came flooding back to her.
***
The two identical girls sat playing at the edge of the water. It was a game they had played hundreds of times before. A game they had learned from uncle Angelo. Hold the person's head under water for an extended period of time and then question them mercilessly until they gave you the answer you wanted. Uncle Angelo had no idea they watched him work. She was sure they would get in trouble if anyone found out. It was her turn to be Angelo, the other girl knelt down at the edge of the water, ready to be the bad guy. She placed her hand on the girl's head, grasping a handful of hair and pushed her face into the water. She held her under and then pulled her to the surface, the other girl gasping for air. She pushed her under again, without even asking a question. She pulled out the small silver dagger from under her dress. Uncle Angelo's dagger. While she held the other girl under the water's surface she shoved the sharp blade into her kidney. She watched as the blood poured from the girl. The girl struggled like a wild rabbit, her head still under water, then the struggling became less and less and finally she went limp. The girl's blood covered her own frock, her own fingers. She lifted her fingers to her mouth and licked the blood of her beloved sister. Her dead sister.
***
She screamed until her voice went ragged, she crawled to the edge of the water and vomited blood. The betrayal! The ultimate betrayal she had been hiding for almost 300 years! Her own sister!

Suddenly the screaming shattered into silence

The silence gave forth to quiet sounds

The two identical girls sat playing at the edge of the water.
"Sister?"
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"It was just supposed to be a game."
"I know, but something happened."
"Remember when we promised to be together forever?"
"Yes, I remember."
"I didn't mean to hurt you."
"I know you didn't mean to. And I know that's why you let me live on with you."
"You know I love you."
"And you know I love you. We are sisters, we will be one for always."
"So, you forgive me?"
"You killed me."
"I'm sorry."
"So am I."
"Do you forgive me?"
"You gave me life."
"Do you forgive me?"
"I forgive you."
"So what happens now? Are you going to leave me?"
"No. We said even in death we would always be together."
"So I can stay?"
"I hope so."
"You know who can help us."
"Yes. The Twins."

The quiet sounds subsided into silence.

The silence expanded into reality again.

Maddalena stood and walked back to the car. It was time to call in an old favor.