So, I think my sister might be a serial killer...
Channel: Scary Stories
Date: 2022-11-27

So, I think my sister might be a serial killer...

Athena is my twin, my best friend, and my roommate. We'd always been super close, but lately she's been acting strange and I don’t know what to do about it.

It all started with a TV show. Do you remember ‘The Dr. Greg Show’? It’s been off the air for a while now, but it was basically just another generic daytime television talk show.

I know the real reason that it was cancelled; I was there for the very last taping.

I had been thoroughly unenthused when I heard that a supposed medium would be one of the guests that day. I wasn’t looking forward to the usual tricks of a cold reading, but Athena begged me to go with her. She still had hope.

It’s not that I didn’t want to believe, it’s just… Well, maybe you’ve been there too – when you lose a loved one you think, surely, surely this can’t be the end. There’s no way I will go the rest of my life without seeing their smile or hearing their voice again. You seek out any avenue, no matter how hopeless to try and fill that hole they've left in your life, get just a few more precious moments with them.

We'd tried psychics before, in the months since mom passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. I always left with a heart heavier with cynicism and grief, and of course, a lighter wallet. I’d finally accepted she was gone. Athena, on the other hand, never gave up.

So there we were, sitting in a studio audience as Dr. Greg welcomed his first guest, whom be introduced as ‘Mystic Cynthia’ onto the stage. I accidently let out a small laugh at the name and her appearance alone – earning me a glare from Athena. Her outfit seemed fairly on par what you’d likely see if you googled ‘TV psychic’. I felt a chill though, when for a fleeting moment, I saw that she had a look of immense distress on her face.

“Now Cynthia, tell them what you told me a moment ago”, our host smiled.

She looked around, and quietly asserted that terrible things had happened here long ago. She looked genuinely concerned, but the audience simply applauded.

She said that maybe they shouldn’t do this, not now, not here, but Dr. Greg encouraged her to continue with the segment.

She closed her eyes for a long moment, muttered some words, before they flashed open and she scanned the room.

“Are there two siblings in the audience today that lost their mother this year?”

The audience looked around, but I was being stubborn and didn’t raise my hand – Athena looked at me questioningly, waiting for me to act.

The crowd murmured.

“She would’ve passed in an accident?”

Lucky guess, I thought darkly.

“Artemis?”, she called out, her voice softer and more melodic than before, “Athena?”

“Mom?” I found myself jumping to my feet involuntarily.

The psychic and I locked eyes, she stood too and an exact copy of mom’s smile filled her face. Athena was crying, Dr. Greg was clapping, the lady next to us wiped tears from her eyes.

I stood, speechless, as she told us she missed us, that we looked so beautiful.

My sister and I stared at her – both of us at a loss for words. After almost a year of trying, we were so surprised that we were actually unsure of what to say other than how much we missed her. Luckily, mom broke the silence.

“Do you remember,” She called out , “When you were younger and we used to go fishing with your dad? He eventually stopped inviting the three of us because we were too loud, we scared all the fish away?”

I laughed softly, remembering vividly how mom would always make us laugh, especially when we weren't supposed to.

We started walking towards Cynthia, those in my row made room for us to get by, Athena was nearly sprinting to the stage.

“Remember when you made us all those matching M&M Halloween costumes?”, Athena asked, through tears.

Cynthia laughed, “I always made all of your costumes, but that year you—” she turned her head, looked over her shoulder.

“What *are* you?” she whispered in mom’s voice, notes of fear creeping into it

I froze for a moment, confused.

“No! I won’t let you!” Cynthia’s voice was her own again. She stared blankly for a moment, and then she gave a slight shudder – for a moment her eyes nearly closed and were just slivers of white as they rolled back into her head.

The other members of the audience applauded.

The expression on her face changed, the smile was no longer one of happiness but one of an animalistic hunger. She looked around, as if deeply fascinated by the lights, cameras, and people.

Something felt wrong to me, but neither my sister nor those around us seemed to sense the subtle shift in the air yet.

*“I remember pulling the bones from still living flesh, the sweet scent of blood and fear mingling in the autumn air.”*

I froze mid-step, at the words, at the change in cadence and the harshness in her voice – all of it was so wrong. Athena was only a few rows from the stage now and turned back to me, confused.

“Mom?”, She ventured.

Cynthia’s head shook, ever so slightly. She swayed and clawed