Chapter 19: Double Vision

I opened my mouth, trying to form an excuse " something, anything! " but, to no avail. He grabbed my arm, his rough grip making me whimper. But that didn’t slow him down. He yanked me out into my front yard and towards my mother’s car.
When he opened the door, the image before me literally made my jaw drop. If Officer Wilson hadn’t been holding me so tight, I probably would have fallen to the ground and fainted, but he was holding me up and it didn't seem like he'd be letting me go anytime soon.
My mother was curled up in a ball in the front seat, shaking uncontrollably. Every couple seconds, she’d let out a loud wail, making me jump. I didn’t know how I was supposed to feel about her state.
One side of me said I should be happy " she was upset because she thought I was dead. My mother was broken inside because stupid, imperfect little Cassandra was dead. It’s what I’d always wanted, wasn’t it? Yet, the other half of me said I should feel guilty. I was causing all this pain for her. And, anyways, any love she felt for Cassandra now would be crushed in a moment. Officer Wilson would tell her what happened and I’d be right back where I started " unwanted, unloved. Oh, and I’d also be in prison for the rest of my life.
Officer Wilson poked my distressed mother, which caused her body to jerk violently. After a couple seconds of moving from side-to-side, looking like some kind of ragdoll, she finally calmed down enough to sit up normally in her seat. She turned towards us slowly, bloodshot eyes boring into me as if she was looking right into my soul " or lack, thereof. I couldn’t possibly have a soul if I'd killed my own twin sister.
“Ma’am,” Officer Wilson said to my mother. After a long, disturbing silence, he repeated himself. “Ma’am ... Excuse me.”
My Mom slowly turned her head towards him, peeling her eyes off of me. I’d never seen her like this! It was terrifying! Her jaw moved in an eerie, un-humanly way, making me cringe. “Yes?” she croaked.
“I’d like to show you some interesting things,” he breathed. “I overheard your daughter, er, Ashley, speaking to Cassandra’s dead body in your home today.” He grabbed his yellow notepad and opened it up to a page, looking down on it and speaking in a monotone voice. "'Oh my God ... I'm sorry ... I'm so so sorry ... I just wanted to be like you. I wanted everything you had. I just wanted to be you. And when I did that to you, I was expecting an easy life. I wanted everything to be like you had it. People to pay attention to me. People to love me. My own family to love me. But now, Emma knows, and I want to take it all back. I'm sorry. I love you, Ashley. I love you.'”
My Mom’s eyes widened and she turned towards me, eyes welling up with tears. “Ashley?” she breathed, eyes searching me sadly.
I blinked, looking her in the eyes, and slowly shook my head from side-to-side.
“... Cassandra?”