My Royal Story

Chapter 1

"Lily! Get the cold water!" Ana, my younger sister, screamed at the top of her lungs.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" I ran down the small creaky hall with a bucket filled to the top. I turned into Mom's room and gave the bucket to Ana. She dabbed cold water in Mom's head with a wet cloth. I whispered, "How is she?"

"Still unresponsive. She's burning up." Ana touched Mom's bright red forehead and brushed Mom's brown bangs away from her eyes.

Mom caught the Sun Disease last month. Her skin turned red, her eyes bloodshot, her voice crackly. This morning she passed out. We didn't have enough money to take her to the hospital because we were in the sixth caste.

The caste system ranks people in levels of prosperity. The first caste is royalty, second is famous, third is rich, fourth is middle class, fifth is poor, and sixth is dirt poor. You can't change your caste until you get married, then you take the male's caste. You can't ever get poorer or richer after that.

Ana took Mom's pulse. She panicked, "No! No no no no! It's going down! Lily! What are we going to do?"

Straight faced, I looked at Mom, "There is nothing we can do," ever since Mom became sick, I had become distant and negative.

"Yes! There has to be something!" She sobbed into Mom's chest. Tears rolled down her red cheeks, her hair stuck to her face.

I raised my voice, "Ana! There is nothing we can do! We can't afford a doctor!"

"No!" Ana screeched, Mom's heart was getting really slow, "No! Mom stay with me! Don't leave us! We need you!"

Mom's eyes opened and she squeezed Ana's hand, "Be a good girl Ana, you too Li-" Mom paused then collapsed. She was gone.

Ana screamed and threw a fit. She cried into Mom. Her breaths were wheezes and her nose became stuffy. I knew that no matter what she did, it wouldn't bring Mom back. She was gone, for good.

I pulled Ana away, "She is gone, there is nothing we can do-"

Ana pulled away from me with furious eyes, "This is all your fault!"

I yelled, "No, it's all Dad's fault! Don't blame me! We wouldn't have been if this mess if it weren't for him!" I walked out and slammed the door shut.

• • • • •

I stirred the small pot of carrot soup over the fire pit. I tasted it and it was pretty much water with carrot in it. I poured the soup into two bowls and called for my sister, "Ana!"

She came running down the street with something in her hands, something we can't afford. Ever since Mom died two years ago, we were even poorer. All we could afford was our camper, water, and vegetables. Ana stood in front of me, "Look, I got us some chicken!" She held up a tiny bag of sliced chicken.

"Ana! You can't steal! You're going to get caught!"

"Yeah, well we can't go living off of just water and carrots! I had to take a chance!"Ana was always taking chances. She was a dreamer, who believed that nothing could hurt her. I was the total opposite.

"The police are going to come for you!" Sirens started blaring and lights started flashing. I grabbed Ana's hand, "C'mon! Let's hide!"

We ran into the woods. Leaves crunched under our feet. The sirens came closer. We approached a large tree. "Climb!" I yelled as I pushed her up.

Ana climbed up the tree. When she got up she grabbed my hand and pulled me up to her. We went as far up as we could go. Soon we heard crunching leaves below us. Police were holding flashlights as they looked around.

Ana was trembling tears rolled down her face. The police left and she hugged me and sobbed into my shoulder. "I'm so sorry Lily, I won't do it again!"

We heard a cracking noise. We both looked around. Ana squeaked as her branch snapped and fell. I grabbed her hand with both of mine. "Don't let go," she whimpered. Our hands grew with sweat and I was struggling to hold on. Ana began to slip and then she fell. I gasped, I let her go!

The police turned around and ran towards Ana. "That's her!" One yelled. I swore under my breath, there was nothing I could do.

They pinned Ana down, one brought out a knife. They held her hand. They brought the knife up and Ana screamed. They cut her hand off and carried her away. The last thing that I heard was, "I hate you Lily! You asshole! You didn't save Mom or I! You little bitch! I hate you!"

I waited for them to leave. I climbed down the tree and went back home.