The Last Night

1

On the first night of Hanukkah, my little sister, Peyton, came into my room.
"I'm bored!" She groaned, stomping her tiny foot in fury.
I was doing my Lit homework, so I really was in the focus zone and didn't want to get out of it. But who could resist those puppy-dog, fluttering eyes?
"Go play outside with Coyote then," I suggested pointing out my bedroom window at Coyote tossing red and brown leaves and watching them twirl to the ground around him.
"But I don't like Coyote," she complained. She had a huge habit of complaining.
Coyote was my ten-year old brother with dark, coffee colored hair that flopped onto his eyes. Peyton and Coyote sorta had a sibling rivalry. But I guess that's normal for seven and ten year old siblings.
His real name was actually Corey but everyone called him Coyote because he loved coyotes. Weird.
"Okay..." I sighed. "Go play on your Nabi."
"Don't you remember?" Peyton said, half exclaiming. "Mommy took my Nabi away."
Peyton had pulled a prank on Coyote and let's just say Coyote ended up soaked in milk and with chalky hair. And then Peyton overheard Mom saying her behavior was like that of an imbecile.
I really didn't want to do this, but... "You can talk with me."
Peyton jumped on my bed and started to chatter.
"Did you hear about the Hanukkah Curse?" Peyton whispered as if it were a secret.
I had been gazing at the leaves falling from the trees.
When one leaf fell, another fell.
And another.
And another.
And another.
And then I whipped around when I heard the words. "What?" I asked.
"The Hanukkah Curse. You know, the curse that on the last night of Hanukkah death comes to the door and takes all the souls of the misbehaving people."
I shook my head. "Where did you hear this?"
"My Hebrew teacher, Mrs. Schwartz. She's really nice."
I knew Mrs. Schwartz. She was the nicest and wisest teacher there was. Why would she tell such a lie to a group of seven year olds?
"Peyton, she's wrong, don't listen to that crazy lady. There's no such thing as the Hanukkah Curse."
"There is. I swear!"
Then she was gone. She marched out of the room like a soldier.
She really believed that.