The Silent Fighter

Don't Cry

In her room shared with Jennika, she stares at the face in the mirror staring back at her. She feels the tears stinging her eyes, drops to the floor, and buries her head in her knees.

"Don't cry," she whispers to herself. "Don't cry, do not cry," her whispers build up. She glares at herself in the mirror, forcing herself up, and looks herself right in the eye. "You are not allowed to cry," she states clearly. She wipes her eyes and looks around for something to distract her. She spots a children's Christmas coloring book, then grabs some crayons and starts coloring. She starts off with light shading. Thoughts start to enter her mind at a million miles a minute, the shading turns to fast, hard coloring. Her finger presses down on the blue crayon so hard that she breaks it. It makes her want to cry, but why cry over something so silly? She stares at the crayon until her eyes start to sting again. When they do, she angrily chucks the crayon across the room. She jumps to the sound of a knock at the door. She stumbles as she puts herself back together and wipes her eyes. She opens the door to find Jennika looking up with her innocent Tweety-Bird cheeked face and her sparkling topaz blue eyes. 

"Fall, will you go outside with me, please," she begs, immediately putting a smile on Autumn's face; it's a smile that hasn't been there in a long time and this time she isn't faking it. 

"Of course Jennie," Jennika's face lights up even more. She hugs her tight, then grabs Autumn's arm and pulls her down the hallway, into the kitchen, and out the screen door. 

"C'mon, Fall, run with me; run with me down the hill!" They sprint down the hill so fast that they don't stop when they reach the bottom, they just keep going. Autumn smiles brighter than the sun and Jennika laughs so hard that it's contagious, making Autumn laugh for the first time in a long time. They finally run out of breath then collapse in the giant field of grass. Despite the cold, twenty degrees, December weather, they just lie there laughing. 

Autumn finally decides to get up, helping her baby sister up as well. Jennika wears only a long-sleeved shirt with a dancing cat on it and a pink skirt with black tights, she's always looking her best. They continue to walk and talk.

"Jennie, you aren't wearing a coat, you must be freezing!" Autumn starts to take off her coat and give it to her when Jennika stops her.

"No, I'm not cold; I'm like Elsa!" She pretends she has ice powers and freezes everything.

"You should still wear a coat silly," Autumn giggles.

"Nope, I don't need one."

"Whatever you say." They walk through the woods and talk for a little while longer. Then, they sit down on the big hill in the woods surrounded by trees. Jennika leans against Autumn and they just sit for awhile in silence. 

"Fall?" Jennika starts. "Daddy says you'll be living with us soon, but don't you already live with us?" Autumn looks down and smiles at her.

"Of course I do, Jennie. What Dad means is I'm going to be living here almost all the time, not just sometimes."

Jennika's face lights up. "Really? Oh yay!" She jumps over and hugs Autumn tight, but her face turns to appear sad. 

"What's the matter?"

"Well, what about Susie?"

"Susie will be just fine."

"I know," she sighs. "But, if she misses you as much as I miss you when you're gone, I'm gonna feel real bad for her."

Autumn smiles, "Oh, Sweetie, don't worry about little Susana, worry about you. Susie will be just fine because she knows I'll come back just like you always do, right?"

Jennika smiles again, "Oh, you're right, Fall. Susie will be just fine." Jennika suddenly stands up and slides down the hill. She leaps onto the small creek just below them. "Autumn! The ice is frozen, let's skate!" Autumn grins and hops to her feet. She slides down the hill then stops at the bottom. She carefully places her foot on the ice to make sure it's safe. Then, she puts all her weight on it, Jennika watches her with caution; then Autumn takes off skating. Jennika grins and follows her. 

"Look, Fall, look! I'm Elsa!" Jennika exclaims. She pretends to freeze the ice in front of her so she can skate while Autumn flies past her. Autumn gains more and more speed then spins on one foot, almost falling, but catching herself and playing it off very well; she just keeps going feeling free as a bird. 

Jennika looks as if she's out of breath and sits down on a tree stump. Autumn notices and stops what she's doing immediately then plops down next to her.

 "Fall, I'm cold, my little toes hurt," Jennika tells her. 

"Well how about we go inside and get some hot cocoa?" Jennika's face lights up with excitement.

"Okay! Yay! I'll beat you there!" She yells while sprinting up the steep hill. 

"Not if I get there first!" They race to the front door; Autumn let Jennika win.