“No, you’re lying!” Her thoughts spewed from her mouth as tears threatened to fall. The weight of the conversation choked her.
“I’m not lying, Mary. Somehow, when you made the switch with Jane, the gift I gave you malfunctioned or multiplied. I’m not sure which. But it was only meant for you to switch one time, and the person you switched with wouldn’t remember their old life.”
The two women locked eyes, neither relenting their side and the tension between them climbed as the silence continued.
Sue sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. “Clearly I won’t get through to you. I think the best thing to do is for you to have one final switch. We can find someone who’s on their own deathbed, you take their spot, and they get a new chance at life.”
The reaction from Callie was immediate and visceral.
“That isn’t fair! I worked hard to get where I am, I just want to get back in my body as Pamela. I promise I will stay there and happily grow old in her body!” Callie harnessed her acting abilities and turned on the waterworks.Gaining sympathy is my best chance at swaying her to my side.
Sue watched Callie’s theatrics quietly. “Are you done?” Sue paused and waited for Callie to wipe the fake tears away before continuing. “You know, I must say, who you are as a person is finally accurately reflected in your outward appearance.”
Callie unleashed a guttural screech. Sue took a step back away. “Well, I guess we can wrap up for now. I’ll return when I find someone deserving of a second chance at life and will come back to perform the switch.”
Sue gathered the papers she brought in with her. Callie watched as the rage radiated across her skin. Every passing moment alone with this woman made her blood boil.
Just as Sue reached the door handle, she turned to face Callie. “You know, I really thought telling you the truth would have unleashed all your memories, you and your little poppet.” Sue shook her head. “Of all the switches you performed, switching with Jane was the one that was the most disturbing.”
Sue pulled open the metal door when Callie launched herself from the chair.
“Wait!”
Sue whipped her head back and reentered the room and placed her stack of papers back on the table. Her fists held her weight as she leaned forward on the table, she leaned in, waiting to hear what Callie had to say for herself.
“Poppet.”My little poppet.“Jane … ”I picked that name. I was waiting for you! Both Eduard and I were waiting. I remember you, Jane!“My sweet baby!”I knew you were a girl. Eduard hoped for a son. Somehow, I knew. Even in the beginning, I knew you were a girl.
Something deep inside burst open, and a flood gate of memories flooded back to the forefront of Mary’s mind: her fiancé Eduard, her mother, Catherine and father, Gregory. Being angry at them when she left London for America. Meeting Sue on the boat, meeting Sue in the woods, being pregnant, being—happy—and then child labor started. She remembered how the darkness surrounded her.
Her breath became ragged as her body reacted to the flood of memories, as though she was physically thrust back in time and was reliving every moment all over again. Every emotion, every thought ignited within her, and the force of it was too much for her to bear. She collapsed into the seat. A sob broke through as the words poured out of her.
“I remember, I was in labor. The doctor still wasn’t there. I just kept bleeding and bleeding. I felt the darkness come for me, and I fought against it … because I wanted to hold my baby. But then, I saw a light and reached for it. I didn’t want to die. I—” Mary gasped. “I didn’t know!” Her body convulsed, overwhelmed by the grief. The weight of the realization threatened to crush her. “I didn’t know I switched with Jane! My baby girl. I killed her.” She looked up at Sue, her brown eyes wide with fear.
Sue’s eyes widened in return, and she took a step back until she was leaning up against the glass window.
“If I had known, I never—” Mary gasped and choked on a sob. “I never would have done that. I wish I never met you, Sue! Oh, Jane! My baby girl. I killed her.” Mary hung her head low as her familiar brown hair fell around her face. “You must believe me! Iwantedmy daughter. I wanted Eduard. We were finally—finally happy. We were going to grow old together.”
“You really didn’t know?” All sense of mockery was gone from her voice. Sue came closer and put her hand on her shoulder.
Mary just shook her head. “I was so excited about our future. I didn’t want to think about the past anymore, so I put it all behind me. I completely forgot about what you offered me. We were planning for our baby. I wanted a daughter. It was almost as if I knew before she was born. I made her a quilt. My baby—I can’t believe I killed her.” Mary’s voice was soft.
She thought over every decision she made, every life she took, all because she grasped to save herself in a moment when her daughter needed her most.
“I belong here. I’ve hurt so many people. Just leave me.” Her shoulders bobbed as a new wave of sorrow cascaded over her.
“All this time, I thought you willingly sentenced your daughter to die in your place.” Sue sat back down across from Mary. “What if I gave you a new chance at a new life?”
“None of that matters anymore, Sue,” Mary wept. “Jane’s gone.”
“You could start over and have a final chance to have a normal, nice life.”
Mary lifted her head. Her eyes were red and swollen, both her cheeks drenched from tears that wouldn’t stop coming.
“You don’t get it!” Mary yelled. “I’m a monster who killed her own daughter.”
Sue recoiled at the outburst. “I just want to help?—’
“No, I’m done. I belong here, I need to pay for what I’ve done. I don’t deserve to have a happy life.”
