#withinasecret

The Loud foot steps of Mr. and Mrs. Smith came pounding down the stairs.

“What is it honey?” both her parents responded in sync. 

Mona began to hesitantly reveal the cream file from behind her back, and tossed it at her parents. When they saw the “CLASSIFIED” label written across the top they look at each other, and a petrifying look came across their faces.

Mr. Smith took a step forward.

      “Well you see we wanted-” spoke her father. He couldn’t finish is sentence, for he felt ashamed looking at Mona’s troubled face.

     “What your father is trying to say is that we love you dearly, and we never meant to hurt you” Spoke Mrs. Smith, Mona’s mother.

     “Oh please, stop with all of this sentimental nonsense, and tell me what this file means!” Mona spoke rudely. “Why does it say Angela Versachi is my biological parent?”

Taking a deep breath Mr. and Mrs. Smith collected themselves and began to speak.

 Mr. Smith began to speak saying “We were great friends of your mother Angela; she was just as beautiful as you are. There was an old witch named Agnese, who was exiled from the witch council for disobeying the rules, and was out to kill her. Sadly this was true, Angela was found dead few months after giving birth”.

Mona laughed and said “w-wait a m-minute, did you just say witch? Ha-ha is this some sort of lie you guys are trying to create to make me feel better? I mean do you actually expect me to believe in witches?”

 From the facial expression that her parents had she could tell that they weren’t joking around. They were dead serious.

       “We aren’t lying to you, matter a fact us too used to be witches. But our powers were striped when we vowed to become your guardian, for it is forbidden to raise another witch’s children. But before your mother was killed we took an oath to become responsible for you two if she had died” explained her father.

        “Your mother told us that you and your sister were going to be special, unique in away. You two are going to possess greater power than any witch has ever seen. According to your mother you will receive you full powers on the night of your eighteenth birthday”.

        “What did you mean by you two?” Mona said as if it were a question.

        “Yes, you weren’t the only child of Angela Versachi, she gave birth to two twin girls. It was you and Elaina, identical in every way. We couldn’t risk the endangerment that you too would’ve been in if you stayed together. So we separated both of you, we took you while another witch guardian took Elaina”.

 Mona stood motionless and pale. She was in a state of emotional distraught, tears streamed down her face forming a lake of water.

 Mrs. Smith staggered towards Mona and hesitantly said “Mona you have to listen to us, for this is very important. Agnese still lurks out there waiting for the news that you two are still alive, so that she can bring upon you a fatal incident just as she did too your mother”.

 “Where is she? Where is my sister?” Mona asked as tears escaped her eyes.

 “Everything we know about Elaina’s whereabouts is included in the file” said her parents.

 “But we can discuss this and other matters in the morning. I know you feel betrayed and hurt because we have lied to you for the past seventeen years, but this isn’t the time” said her mother”.

Without responding Mona swiftly ran up the stairs and into her room where she began to weep.

THE TRUTH FOUND WITHIN A SECRET

       Mona observed her reflection in the antique gold plated mirror that sat on her transparent glass vanity. She placed her hands delicately on her face scanning every one of her features. Touching her soft waved brown hair that had sun-kissed highlights, and fell elegantly upon her narrow shoulders. She looked at the vibrant eyes that glared back at her; they were of a vivid blue color with a slight green inner core. Her eyes sort of gave her a serene and tranquil appearance, which was unlike the guilt that her parent’s eyes showed. Grabbing the picture of her parents that hung on the side of the mirror, she put it next to her face. Mona made a troubled face; she couldn’t explain why her facial features and skin tone differed so much from her parents. For some reason she felt out of place and misfit in this family. Without thinking she ran swiftly to confront her father on her thoughts.

Mona peered over the balcony that was at the top of the stairs and said “Hey dad can I talk to you?”

 “Of course honey” Spoke her father

         “Hey what did you want to ask me?

         “Well I’ve always been curious by the fact that we don’t look anything alike, and I was wondering if…” stuttered Mona.

        “If what? Just tell me” Mr. Smith spoke with concern.

        “…If I was a-adopted”.

Mr. Smith began to have a scared glare in his eyes, for he didn’t know what to say to her. “I-I know sometimes it seems like we don’t resemble each other, but you are my daughter”. He gently grabbed Mona’s face and kissed her on her forehead while saying “you will always be my daughter” he smirked.

           “Why don’t you go get one of your baby pictures in the Antique Novelty room. I’m sure this picture will show you that you are my daughter”.

Once Mona left to retrieve the picture Mr. Smith stood motionless, he was so shocked by what his daughter had just said to him. It wasn’t that he was startled because he knew one day she would ask, but he was scared by what she might discover.

         **********************************

Inside the Antique Novelty room stood Mona as she observed all of the precious items that her family has collected over the years. In the center sat an old desk that looked as if it could collapse any minute. Mona went to the desk drawer, and began to open it. She tried to pry it open, but it wouldn’t budge. It was like trying to open a lock without the key.

           “What is wrong with this desk?” Mona screamed aloud. “Maybe there’s a key that I can insert somewhere”.

 She ran her fingers over the desk searching for a key hole slowly and hesitantly, trying to avoid coming across any splinters from the wood. After spending five minutes searching she decided to crawl under the desk to see if the keyhole was under there. Surprisingly she found something that looked as if it could open the desk drawer, but I wasn't a keyhole. It was a bright gold button that was rimmed in a satin black color. Unlike the rest of the desk it looked new, almost as if someone had just placed it there.

“That’s odd? I wonder what it does-“. As Mona pressed the button the desk drawer shot out abruptly hitting her in the head. Mona staggered as she tried to stand up grasping the desk for support. Finally gaining her balance Mona began rummaging through the drawer, surprisingly she didn’t find any pictures. But she did find a cream file, and across the top written in bold black letters it read “CLASSIFIED”.

        “I wonder what’s inside” thought Mona aloud. “I guess it wouldn't hurt to take a peek”

 She did so, carefully trying to avoid tearing any pages. Surprisingly she comes across two birth certificates; she begins to read the one listed under her name. Everything seems to be relatively correct except for the birth time which was recorded as 7:45. She was always told that she was born at 6:50 p.m., but the time difference didn’t seem to be an issue, so she moved on to the next paper. This was another birth certificate, as Mona began to read its content she became motionless by what was written on it. The birth certificate said:

Child's name: MONA VERSAHCI       Born under: ANGELA VERSACHI           

Number of kids: 2; TWINS             Extra: MOTHER DIED (DEATH UNKOWN);BOTH GIRLS ADOPTED BY THE SMITH FAMILY.

       “What, w-what is this?! Wait I-I don’t understand” stuttered Mona. She was so confused by what she was looking at; she didn't understand what the documents meant.

        “This can’t be possible! I was adopted? W-what?” Mona was so distraught and confused, for she couldn't understand why it says her last name is “Versachi”

       “Why didn't my parents tell me this? Why have I been deprived of this information for so long?”  Tears began to stream down her face, she couldn't explain what she had just discovered, but she knew she had to find out. Without thinking Mona grabbed the file, and ran frantically to confront her parents on her discovery.