Goodbye Annabelle

How did I let this happen? Why did I let her come? How did this happen? These and many other questions speed through my mind in this moment. All questions that I can't answer. Questions that I won't answer.

How did I let this happen? I think again. This question keeps on reoccurring in my mind. Going

round and round, eventually making me dizzy. My knees give way and I fall

beside her. I stare straight into her eyes. Her empty, dead, eyes. The eyes of my sister.

I reach forward and touch her hand, not cold yet but already

losing heat. "Annabelle!" I whimper, but she doesn't move, and I just can't see why. "Get up!" I scream and again she doesn't move.

This is my fault. I think as I jump back from her, as if I was burned. I sit against the wall, my knees tucked up to my chest, rocking slowly, on my way to insanity.

I feel wet and realised I'm covered in a red, slippery and sticky liquid. Blood, Annabelle's blood. There's so much of it. I wouldn't have thought that such a small girl could hold so much blood. "She was only six." I say aloud to no one. "She was almost seven." I remember she used to say

that a lot, I guess that's all that's left of her. Memories. Things remembered.

I crawl close to her and look at the gaping hole in her stomach. As I stare at the wound I relive the last few hours, forcing myself to admit what has happened.

"Where are you going Izzy?" Her voice had chimed.

"Somewhere fun, where you're not allowed." I'd remarked, ruffling her hair.

"Oh." She said. "Can I come?" I'd laughed.

"Do you know what; you're not allowed means?" I'd asked her,

she just giggles.

She looked adorable at that moment: her golden, wavy, shoulder length hair looking very neat and pretty, her big, bright smile bringing out her dimples, her big, blue eyes shining up at me, her face slightly flushed, and her little, light blue dress, patterned with yellow and pink flowers, made her look so small and delicate like a China doll.

"Please!" She'd begged. "Please, please, please." This time

I'd laughed.

"I guess you're old enough." I'd said. I took her hand and walked out the door, calling to mum as I went. "Mum! Me and Anna are going

out!"

"Okay." She'd responded. "Be back in two hours tops."

"Okey, dokey." We'd walked out the

door, me carrying my six year old sister. She's seemed so small in my arms,

propped against my hip."We're going somewhere scary." I'd whispered in her ear in my spookiest voice.

"Where?" She squealed.

"An abandoned haunted house." I'd then started to talk like

Dracula. "You in, or are you too chicken." I'd mocked her, tucking my elbows in to make chicken wings.

"I'm not chicken! I'm not chicken!" She'd jumped up in distress to apparently prove her point. This was quite a sight.

"Alright. We're meeting Alicia there." I said to her.

"I like her." Stated Annabelle. She started to hum as I led

her by the hand to the unused factory me and my friend Alicia hang out at. As soon as we reach the gates Annabelle demands, "Where's Alicia?"