Marigolds

Marigolds: Protologe

Mom had finished reheating leftovers when she called for Dad to come eat. She took my hand and told me to go get my sister from her room, see if she wanted to eat. I nodded, and ran up the stairs before stopping at the second door on the left. I raised my hand to knock, before hesitantly putting my hand on the door. I lightly scraped my nail down the long side of the door before tapping twice in the middle.

"Wren?" A shaky voice asked from the other side of the door. I tapped twice more. It was a few moments before I heard the low moaning of a bed. I heard a soft click as the white door slowly swung in, revealing my sister, who had undried tears running down her face. I frowned at her before running to the bathroom.

"Wren?" She asked again, before sighing, the creaks of old springs followed as she sat back on her bed. I rushed back to her room, slowing as I approached her bed. I took one of the tissues I had gotten from the bathroom, and brought it up to her cheek, trying to dry the tears. As I reached up to try and dry the other cheek, she took my hand and laughed slightly, looking at me.

"Come here," she told me, wrapping her arms around my waist, before swinging me up on her lap, cradling me. "Do you know why I'm sad, Wren? Why I was crying?" She asked, brushing my bangs out of my eyes with her hand.

I shook my head, "Mommy and Daddy won't tell me. Said it was for you to say," I said, looking up at her.

"Do you want to know Wren?" she asked me. I paused before hesitantly nodding my head. "Someone I love very much is dead," I frowned at her, confused by what she had said.

"But Mommy, Daddy and I are still here," I said. She smiled at me sadly before continuing.

"Yes, they are," she said, "But there was someone else I cared for besides you guys. He was very kind, he made me laugh and smile. You would have liked him Wren." she said not quite looking at me.

"Nix?" I asked. She looked back at me, making a 'hmm?' noise.

"Can I ask you a question?" She nodded, "How'd he die?" she stared at me for second, "You don't gotta answer if you don't wanna," I told her as she stared back out the window, a slight frown adorned her face.

"He was killed," she stated.

"By accident?" I asked. She shook her head. "That's stupid. People shouldn't kill people." I said making a disgusted face.

"I agree." She said, looking back down at me. "You know, you remind me of him,"

"Why?"

"He said the same thing once. We were watching the news, about a person that had desided to rob a bank and killed three people. He kept on saying how wrong it was. He even made the same face you just did while he was talking about it." She told me, before looking like she might burst into tears again.

"Don't cry!" I said bringing the tissue back up to her face. She took my hand and brought it back down.

"Don't worry," She said sighing, "Here, I'll show you something he taught me." She squeezed my hand three times in a row. I looked up at her questioningly. She laughed, squeezing my hand three more times while saying, "I love you" in beat with her hands. I grinned and squeezed her hand three times.

"I love you,"  I said before my stomach growled loudly.

"Are you hungry?" I shook my head, not wanting to leave my sister. A faint smile fell apon her lips as she stood up, setting me down on the ground. "Don't worry Wren, you made me feel better. Let's go get something to eat, okay? Mom and Dad are waiting for us." she said taking my small hand into hers.

As we walked down stairs a loud ringing echoed through the house, causing Nix to cringe. Letting go of her hand I ran down the last of the steps, answering the door.