"Little Sister"

Chapter 11 : Now what

~ September 12th, 1959 ~

It's been a whole year since we lost Momma.

The days following her funeral, seemed like years. And what made the whole ordeal even worse, was that Elvis seemed incredibly distant.

He locked himself up in his room for days, only occasionally opening his door if someone knocked on his door to offer him food. Which was rare, because he often declined.

I had also become distant from the outside world. After losing Momma, I felt nothing inside; empty. Which terrified me, at such a young age.

After a few days alone, I started becoming terribly lonely. I missed Elvis. The way he was before, happy. It seemed Mommas death sucked all the happiness out of him, as it did to me and Daddy too.

~~~

~ Flashback ~

I struggled to get up off my bed, which had been my permanent residing place for the past four or five days. I slowly opened my door which creeped in the strong silence of the house. Elvis's room was only one room away from mine, so I didn't have to travel far.

Lightly knocking on his door, I call his name.

" Elvis? " my own voice sounded foreign to me.

No response.

I almost turned to leave back to the recluse of my own room, but a sudden feeling inside pushed me forward to open his door.
Darkness and the cold greeted me as I stepped over the threshold.

There sat Elvis at the edge of his bed, head in his hands. My heart sunk. I couldn't see him very well in the dark, but I could tell that he changed. I made my way to sit beside him on the bed, the soft material slowly sinking with my weight.

Elvis didn't seem to acknowledge me being there.

" Elvis... "

Still nothing.

I don't know if he's so out of it he doesn't realize I even entered the room, or if he just doesn't care anymore.

This tears a new hole in my heart. I just turned 14, Elvis is 23. But we've experienced so much heartache in the past month, enough to last a lifetime.

Or so I thought at the time.

Fresh tears well up behind my eyes. That seems to be all I do anymore, is cry.

" Elvis, please answer me. " I say, my voice shaky but urgent.

I guess that brings Elvis out of whatever trance he was in, he looks over at me.
At first no emotion is shown in his features, but then he sees my face. And his face softens with realization. He doesn't say anything, but I can tell he's sorry for not acknowledging me.

" Elvis... I know-I know we've lost so much. "
I take a shaggy breath before continuing.

" But, I don't think Momma would want us to feel this way. No, I know she wouldn't want us to feel this way. We have to keep fighting, for her. We have to- "