Locker 666

Chapter Six

"A-A-A-A-Alice?" Gerald stuttered.
"She's his sister. Alice is Lucas's sister." I could only whisper my words.
"You're precious little Violet got it right. He's my brother and he deserves to be left alone!" Alice practically screamed.
"Why, why didn't you tell us?" I could tell Gerald just wanted to curl up into a little ball and rock himself back and forth, and honestly I didn't blame him.
"My parents told me to never tell anyone. They didn't want me to grow up being 'that girl with the dead brother', looked upon with only pity. I always thought they were just trying to bury their regret, bury the fact that they felt responsible; they wanted to force Lucas out of their lives so they wouldn't have to pity themselves. I always hated how they hid him, like he hadn't even existed. I was only 7 years old when he died, you know. I never got to grieve properly, I was too busy having his image beaten out of my heads by them. Then this all started. His locker got a new owner. Instead of respecting the dead they just opened up his grave to someone who didn't even care. He didn't like that, who would? Your little shrine was nice, but Andy wasn't, so that's why he had to be locked in, I'm sure you've been wondering. Now because you were so hostile against him yesterday he thinks it's your turn. Being the good, loving sister I am I'm going to help him, just like I have been this entire time." She reached into her pocket and pulled out... Gerald's cellphone.
"You took that?" He questioned.
"Only so Andy couldn't contact you once he was locked in. Also, remember when I started bugging you in the library? That was just so I could waste your research time and so I could call attention to you guys and get the librarian to kick you out; she's a real nut, isn't she?" How ironic, after all she had just revealed to us she was calling the librarian a nut.
"Why are you telling us all of this? Why now?" Gerald inquired.
"You are detectives, I thought I might as well be nice and give you all the answers you've been looking for before you die." An evil grin grew on her face as she clamped her hands around our arms.
"Alice, think about this, we're your best friend and your ex-boyfriend, how could you do this to us?" I reasoned.
"That doesn't help your case at all. Gerald abandoned me for you and that's no secret. The only one I have left is my brother." She was dragging us down the hall and as much as we tried to struggle it was like she had some invisible force working for her, which she did. The locker soon came into view and it swung open all by itself. "Well guess what, now you two get to be together for the rest of your life, it's just too bad your life isn't going to last much longer." Suddenly the force that seemed to be controlling us disappeared and we both took the opportunity to tear ourselves from Alice's grip. She stood frozen in her place and looked like she was listening to something, or someone.
"Together forever." She said under her breath. Then she looked straight at Gerald. "You'd still be punished, as you deserve. Huh, I like this idea." The smile she smiled in that moment was the craziest and (one of the) scariest things I'd ever seen; it was happy and evil and vengeful and euphoric and just down right creepy.
"Alice, what are you doing?" Gerald asked slowly. She just giggled like a mad woman as she walked backwards into the locker.
"Together forever." She repeated. All of a sudden I just felt paralyzed where I was standing, all I could do was watch her and let my mouth slowly fall open.
"Alice, no!" Gerald cried as he jumped forward, but the door slammed closed before he could get to it. He banged on the door furiously and fiddled with the lock but it was no use. "Alice!" He screamed, and I noticed a tear falling down his cheek.
"Gerald." I said quietly, surprised I could even get the word out.
"Alice!" The tears were falling faster now and it was breaking my heart.
"Gerald." My voice was louder and more firm this time.
"A-Alice." His voice completely faltered and cracked.
"Gerald!" I couldn't take it, between all that had just happened with Alice and Gerald crying for the first time I'd seen in my entire life, my brain was turning to mush. He sunk to the floor and I dropped to my knees, wrapping my arms around him and crying along with him. "Gerald." I took a second to catch my breath. "I'm sorry, Gerald. I'm so sorry."

***

The janitors tried for days to get locker 666 open but I don't think even an explosion could've prayed that door off. Alice and Lucas would never be separated again, they had made sure of that. As much as it hurt the living, it seemed oddly right for the girl who was an emotionally repressed sister that didn't want to let her brother fade away.

Grace took the news rough, and many tears were shared between the three of us. At the funeral was when we figured out our own special way to mourn. So on the Monday following the funeral we decorated the front of locker 666 with flowers, pictures of Alice, pictures of her and Lucas together, and a few extra things that represented who she was. As we stared proudly and joyfully at our work, synchronized tears streamed down all our faces. We knew that Alice, just as she had with Lucas, would never be forgotten.