It's all a lie ~~ the end

Part I    Part II 

Standing on the bridge Emma felt like her life had come full circle.

"Come out, come out wherever you are." Emma sing-songed and shook her head realizing she had finally gone off the deep end.

Strangely Emma felt peaceful. Thank you, Lord. The moment the words formed in her mind she wondered why she hadn't thought to pray in the midst of the day's drama. Would she ever learn to trust?

A rustle among the trees and footsteps padding across the bridge alerted her.

"Mark." Emma flatly stated without turning around.

"Yes, Emma. You look well."

That voice! She whipped around to face him and whispered. "Matt." Her first kiss, the bridge where her and Matt kissed. Everything started falling in place until he spoke again.

"No. No, I'm not Matt."

Confusion and alarm covered her. "Well you are either Matt or his evil twin brother."

Mark laughed but the laughter never reached his eyes. "I can guarantee I'm not evil. But, I am his twin brother."

Silence became the enemy as Emma waited for more of an explanation. The longer the silence the more drawn her scowl became.

Mark, if that was his real name, had the nerve to laugh. Laugh.

"Enough! Out with it. You better start talking. Now!"

"Aren't you afraid I'm a knife-wielding murderer?"

"Now you're just mocking me."

"How'd you like to take a ride? I'll explain everything when we get to our destination." Mark asked as the sound of the air being cut by a knife quickly ended their so-called conversation.

Emma was stunned as a ladder attached to the helicopter dangled in front of her. "Are you crazy?" she shouted at Mark who had the nerve to smile.

"Come on, trust me!" Mark grabbed the ladder like a knight in shining armor and yelled, "After you."

Emma decided right then and there she was about to do the craziest thing in her life.....



Her face was wet and something rough was sliding down her chin. Emma jumped out of bed so quickly she landed on the source of the wetness. Matt, their eighty-pound yellow lab, yelped and jumped away from Emma.

Heart pounding a zillion miles an hour, Emma sneaked a peek to the bed to find her husband of three years, Mark, grinning from ear to ear trying, without success, not to laugh.

"Bad dream?"

"You don't even want to know." Emma huffed feeling her blood pressure creeping into the danger zone. "That dog will be the death of me!"

"You know, Emma, you look beautiful when you're angry."