SIBLING RIVALRY
by Wyndewalker

"Oh, God," Seren moaned, hand pressed to her forehead, "what did I drink last night?"

"I don't know, but I think I had doubles of whatever it was." Sasha, her twin, said from the other side of the bed. Slowly Sasha pried open her eyes expecting to see the cluttered mess of their dorm room, instead she was greeted by four white walls.

"Uh, Seren? Where are we?"

The alarm in Sasha's voice made Seren sit up. Her eyes widened taking in their foreign surroundings. Swallowing hard, Seren thought a moment before speaking, "We have to be logical. What's the last thing you remember, Sash?"

Hands on her head, Sasha grinned up at her twin, "You standing on the table singing the national anthem at O'Rourkes."

"I did not," then, "did I?"

"Yeah, you did. If that's the last thing I remember, and you don't even remember that then how'd we get here?"

"I brought you here."

Startled the girls stared at each other; the voice had come from nowhere.

"Who are you?" Seren asked.

"Where are you?" Sasha asked.

"You may call me the Watcher, and I am all around you."

"What do you want, Watcher?" Seren stood, cautious yet defiant. Sasha watched her sister, fear clouding her eyes.

"What do I want? Why, I want you, Seren and Sasha. Together you both have amazing skills. With the proper teaching there is no limit to your potentials. I could use you two."

"For what?" Seren demanded.

"As officers in my army you will receive power and riches far beyond your wildest dreams. What you will be doing doesn't matter right now. All that matters is your loyalty to me."

"If not?"

"Enough! You're wasting time. Either prove your loyalty to me or escape the Maze."

Sasha huddled into a ball on the bed, tightly gripping her jeans in her hands. She watched Seren pace the floor arguing with the Watcher.

"How do we prove loyalty?"

A wall faded away showing a young man blindfolded and securely tied to a chair. Sasha bolted off the bed, "David," she cried, stopping short at Seren's outstretched hand. Swallowing hard Sasha spoke, "Why is David here? Why is he tied up?"

"You are to prove your loyalty by killing this person."

"No!"

"Why him?" Seren demanded.

"Ah, Seren, you always keep calm don't you? Why him? Because he is nothing to me, but he is something to you."

"If we choose the Maze what happens?"

"If you both find your way out, you both go free. If only one of you gets out, only one goes free."

Sasha stepped closer to Seren, "I can't kill David."

"You don't have to. Fine, Watcher, we'll play your game. Come on, Sasha."

David disappeared and a doorway appeared. Stepping into the corridor the room faded behind them. The hallway stretched to the right and left, both ended in turns.

"Well, which way do we go, Seren?"

"Uh. We could go right and make the left or go left and make the right. If the end of the Maze is straight ahead then we should go right, then left. However, to confuse us the end could be behind us. He knows we don't trust him so he would assume we would go left, which means we should go right," Seren concluded by turning right. Sasha, confused by Seren's logic but trusting her, followed. The next corridor was a dead-end with several doors on each side.

"Let's take the third one on the left," Sasha suggested.

"Why?"

"I don't know, it feels right."

Shrugging, Seren led the way. It brought them right back to the corridor. Seeing they had gone in a circle Seren frowned at Sasha. Striding forward Seren turned down the last corridor on the right. Sasha followed her for almost an hour without saying anything. Tired of Seren's imperious attitude Sasha halted at a cross corridor, "I'm going left here."

Seren stopped, turning to stare at Sasha, "Excuse me?"

"I'm tired of listening to you. I want to make some of the decisions, or at least have a say."

"The last time you made the decision we ended up going in a circle."

"Oh, I make one wrong decision and suddenly I'm an idiot."

"You could reconsider my offer, Sasha," the Watcher interjected smoothly.

"Shut up, Watcher." Seren snapped.

"So be it. I have been patient, now fight for your lives."

A low whirring sound permeated the sudden silence. Seren twisted and turned looking for the source. Sasha stared in the direction they'd come, instinctively crouching. Darting from where she was, Sasha tackled Seren. Bringing her to the floor as a circular saw blade passed through the air where Seren's head had been. Scrambling down the corridor they dashed through turns. They didn't think about where they were going, dodging whatever the Watcher through at them. Sliding around a corner they stopped to catch their breath.

"Damn, Seren, look!"

Seren followed the direction of Sasha's gaze and almost choked on a breath of air. Sharp spikes appeared at random on the walls. When Seren glanced back around the corner three arrows slammed into the wall. Determined Seren pushed on, twisting and turning to avoid the spikes. Slowly Sasha followed. Near the end of the section of spikes Sasha twisted too far to the left. A spike left a deep gash in her arm. Quickly Seren bound it with part of her shirt. Helping Sasha to her feet, Seren tried to figure out where they might be.

"We have to keep moving," Sasha whispered hoarsely. Nodding Seren half-carried Sasha into the next corridor. A metallic clang, they were completely surrounded by four walls.

"Seren, the walls are closing in," Sasha twisted about staring at the walls. Looking up Seren saw the walls weren't as high as they first appeared .

"I think we can get over the wall," Seren's voice was calm.

"How? There's nothing to grab onto. We can't jump that high."

"Sasha," Seren grabbed her arms shaking gently, "we have no choice. We have to get over the wall. Now come on before there's no room."

Seren backed herself against a wall breathing deep and took off running. Almost five feet from the opposite wall Seren leapt. For a brief second she looked as if she would fall. Fingers scrabbling she took hold of the top. Muscles straining she pulled herself up.

"Come on, Sasha."

Sasha tried to imitate what Seren had done but it was too late.

"I can't do it."

"Yes, you can. You have to," Seren coaxed. Leaning down as far as she could, Seren stretched out her arm reaching for Sasha, "It's this or die."

Something faded in Sasha's eyes that moment. Stepping into the shrinking center Sasha shook her head, "No, I can't make it. Watcher! You've won! I'm yours."

"Sasha, no. Give me your hand; I can reach you."

"But I can't reach you, sister. I never could."

"No," Seren screamed as Sasha disappeared.

"All you need to so is give in, Seren," the Watcher's voice was soft.

"Go to hell," Seren yelled. Getting up she dashed down the corridor. It seemed hours she spent running through the Maze escaping the Watcher's half-hearted attempts to kill her. Sliding around a corner Seren came to a halt. Standing there was a healed Sasha garbed in a black outfit.

"Sasha? What's going on?"

"I'm sorry, Seren."

"Sorry for what? You did what you had to."

"You have a choice, Seren. Give your loyalty to the Master, or fight me to the death for your freedom."

"I can't do that."

"You have no choice, Seren," Sasha spit the words. She was no longer the weaker twin. They were equals. Sasha dropped into a defensive crouch, waiting. Shaking her head Seren couldn't believe what was happening.

"I won't fight you, Sasha."

"Then die," Sasha leapt, her hands curved into claws. At the last moment Seren twisted to the side. Using Sasha's momentum Seren through her to the floor. Backing away Seren said, "Don't do this, Sasha."

Sasha's face was blank as she attacked again. This time she kicked Seren in the side. Finally realizing this was no longer her sister Seren began to fight back. They both held black belts in karate, but Seren had always been able to beat Sasha. Now she wondered if she would indeed die at her sister's hand. They flew at each other in a flurry of kicks and punches.

Seren managed to twist Sasha's arm up behind her. Wrapping her arm around Sasha's throat she said, "I won't kill you."

"I will kill you."

Stunned by the deadliness in Sasha's voice Seren loosened her grip. Sasha twisted free. Spinning around she came up with a kick meant for Seren's throat. Seren blocked it smashing Sasha in the chin with her open palm. Faint surprise registered in Sasha's eyes before she fell to the floor dead, her neck broken.

"So, Seren, you can kill. Again I give you a choice: serve me as one of my officers or your freedom."

"I want my freedom, you son of a bitch."

"So be it. Live with what you are."

Sudden bright light blinded Seren for a moment. When her vision cleared she found herself lying on her bed in the dorm room she shared with Sasha. Propping herself up with one elbow Seren turned to Sasha's bed, hoping. It was empty. Lying down Seren tried to figure out what happened. A loud knock at the door made her jump. She rushed to the door hoping it was Sasha. A young man dressed in faded jeans, a flannel shirt and a brown leather jacket with a badge pinned to it, stood there.

"Can I help you, sir?"

"Miss Seren Moore? I'm Detective Winters from Homicide. I'm afraid I have bad news. Um, in the park this morning your sister, Sasha, and a young man named David Phillips were found dead. It, uh, appears to be a mugging at this point. I'm very sorry."

Seren sat quickly trying to believe it was a cruel nightmare. Det. Winters kneeled in front of her, "Are you all right, Miss?"

Unable to answer Seren glanced out the window. Biting back a scream she stared at the man standing there. He grinned evilly, laughing at her. Frightened Seren closed her eyes. Opening them, he was gone.

"Are you all right, Miss Moore,?" Det. Winters repeated.

Realizing the Watcher's final torment Seren replied, "It will never be all right."

Closing her eyes a vision of Sasha filled her sight and the Watcher's evil laughter echoed in her mind.

The End