Tears Of A Clone

• Saskia Riedel, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2011

My father is a scientist- I don't know what he does or how because he never wants to talk about it. I used to pester my older sister, Hope, for information but that was until something happened to Hope and now she seems like a robot. When I ask her she says she can't remember but she avoids my eyes. My other sister, Joy, is very loveable and funny but she keeps changing- I cannot explain but it is like she is replaced each week by someone new- she always seems much smarter then from the last time I saw her and her mood changes a lot. But me- I never seem to change. I am always very good and obedient to my father- he is always away in his lab working on some new project, so he is usually tired when he comes to dinner, he is very weary and refuses to look at anyone in the eye. But today he was different- whenever I looked up, he was staring at me, with a look of pity, displayed on his gentle features. The next day he was in that awful laboratory for the whole day, he did not even come to dinner. When I tried asking Hope the reason, she would not look at me and didn't say a word and that is when I lost it. It was just not fair that no one ever told me anything! So I marched down to the lab and opened the door. My father looked up from a long table- startled.
"Faith! You shouldn't be here!" he said, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
"Yes I should dad!" I said angrily, " what are you doing here all day and why won't you tell me anything?"
He looked down in dismay, "Faith, I should've told you this a long time ago... there is a reason why you don't have a mother and a reason why you have been 13 for 15 years. Hope was a success for a while- but then she found out- so I had to do what I had to do... Joy was not so good, she never seemed to work properly so I was forever fixing her... but you...you were the success, you were so good and kind, exactly what I was hoping for, but now you'll have to go too... now you know."
I took a step back, "dad, what do you mean?"
He stood up, "sorry Faith but its too late now that you know!" A figure suddenly stood up next to him. She looked just like me in every way.
"Faith, you aren't a clone, you are the original Faith- my only achievement- but now Hope is a clone and so is Joy. But a couple of days ago, I saw a rebellion in you, so I worked on her," he pointed to the girl, "now I can replace you with a quiet hard working, no- questions- asked Faith.
I looked right in the girls eyes and watched as a single tear fell down her face." I'm sorry." she mouthed at me.
"Say goodbye Faith."
"Goodbye," we both whispered.