What Happened At The Lake

Smoky Smoky

Vera woke up back in bed with no clue as to how she got there, it was a Sunday but there will be no church for her today. She wanted so desperately to dispel the events of last night as nothing but a bad dream yet she knew deep within her that it was as real as she was, she never had bad dreams.

Another teardrop rolled down from her eyes to the already tear-soaked bed, an internal cold caused her to shiver. If that was a dream then it was just too much and if it was real then it made it worse. No option offered any comfort as both led to the same conclusion. Her sister was still missing and there was nothing she could do.

Vera had a sudden urge to go and check her sister's room, what if she had been in her room all along?... or more probable, what if she had come back in the night? . She wanted to go but she also didn't, she didn't want to confirm what she already knew.

"She's gone, amiga," the voice in her head said

The cold silence in the room complimented the hopelessness in her heart as she realized with an intensity that forced tears out of her eyes that she had failed as an elder sister and as a guardian. There will be no second chance to wipe her slate clean, no second chance to undo her wrong. Her own stupidity was her undoing "why did she let her go in the first place".

Vera heard the telephone downstairs ringing but was in no mood to answer it, she wasn't about to give herself any hope that the caller was her sister, the caller could go elegantly fork themselves for all she cared. The telephone stopped ringing and soon after Vera heard a voice that made her jump up from her bed moving so fast downstairs that it seemed she had teleported.

Vera stopped in her tracks as she saw the miracle before her, for thirty seconds straight it was like her brain was overloaded with emotion as joy and relief crashed into each other. Yesterday she had planned how she would shout at her sister like a parent but now she just floated in the sea of bliss

"Don't worry... I'm fine, I just woke up" Erha said into the telephone just as Vera teleported to her and wrapped her in a bear hug that made her drop the telephone.

"We did this yesterday," Erha said " and you still smell like socks"

Vera didn't hear, she was in another world of her own making where words didn't exist. Minutes rolled by and then hours as they hugged like it was the last time they'll ever see. The

"You're never leaving this house again" vera whispered into her sister's ear

"Not even if I was dying and that would save me," Erha said

"You'll die inside then"

The inner elder sister in Vera finally opened its eyes and she released the hug, it was shouting time now

"So what in fork's name happened " she screamed

"I told you yesterday... when you came back looking like a zombie" Erha said with all the elegance of a boss

Vera tried to remember coming home yesterday but couldn't. For a second she thought she had remembered something but quickly realized it was nothing but a filler memory her mind had created

"Just tell me again"

"Long story short. I rode my bicycle to that our old church side and my bicycle spoilt so I had to walk back home and when I came back you weren't home so I was glad and celebrating that I'll finally have peace and then you came back then I told you what happened and then you said " blah, blah, blah" then you went to sleep and then you woke up this morning and started again "

"Did you smoke weed yesterday?" Erha asked, folding her arms, her pigtails swishing for dramatic effect "are you sure you really came to look for me and did not go to your boyfriend's house to smoke weed"

Vera was annoyed by that story and hated the fact that she knew it was true, for all the trouble she faced at least the story should be more unusual. If Erha wasn't so truthful she would have disbelieved the story entirely. Maybe she really did smoke weed or smacked her head too hard against a wall by mistake or she just got too tired and therefore delusional.

"so you spoilt the bicycle at last" Vera said, her spirit wasn't really into this, the inner elder sister was gone. The only thing on her mind was how glad she was at her sister's return.

"Just answer the question" Erha said, her pigtails swishing for dramatic effect "it's not like it's something you haven't done"

"Erha" Vera warns

Black Smoke seemed to suddenly fill the room leaving Vera coughing, Erha seemed to notice it too and darted off. Was the house on fire? Or maybe something worse?