The Lost and Found

Her Gorgeous Peacock Costume

sorry if this chapter was late, well, if you even noticed. the internet decided to be all fucked up and went to take a vacation to hawaii so yeah, thats what happened.

CHAPTER TWENTY: Jack White

It just seems to be permanently engraved in my brain. Like it was another brain cell. It was always there. No matter what. It just never leaves me alone. And now, I just feel like every single memory we had together was designed to haunt me for the rest of my life.

"She'll be okay, right?" I asked Grandma Esther as we silently waited outside Allison's hospital room. She turned to face me, gave me a tight smile and squeezed my knee reassuringly.

That doesn't work! I wanted to scream. I want words! I want to know if she'll be okay! I need to know!

I was nine it happened. It came so suddenly. Like I was just in gym class, playing dodgeball, except I wasn't really playing. And some kid decided to ambush me with balls.

Except this wasn't balls. It was like the freaking sun was thrown into me. Heavy and burning, its weight bringing me down, crumpled to the ground, nothing but ashes and a pained heart.

It was a nightmare. Appearing before my very eyes every second of the day. Whether it's closed shut or wide open, it's there. Like I said, permanently engraved, never vanishing, it's forever there. It's not going away, I have been telling myself that every single day. And I'm not sure if I want it to stay.

"This is ridiculous." I said as we parked our bikes at the back of our local grocery store. Allison, being the mischievous little mouse that she is, just grinned and winked at me.

"We'll see about that." she said.

It was her idea. I was just locked up in my room that afternoon when she paraded in, smiling like a lunatic, holding out these dusty boxes she announced she found from the basement. Apparently, it was the mascot costumes Grandma Esther bought for her animal birthday party when she was four. Yeah, she actually did have an animal party.

I ignored her and went back playing Gears of War. Allie whined and stomped, even yelled at me until I finally paid attention to her.

"What?" I snapped. "What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"You're rude. Are you PMSing?" she shot back. I glared at her. No one should dare mess with me and my video games' affair. But apparently, she does.

"You're an idiot." I returned. "Now spill. And make it fast."

Allison rolled her eyes. "I made plans for us this afternoon." she simply said.

I set down my controller and looked at her. "And since when this was decided?"

"The part I came up with it." I rolled my eyes. Bossy as always. "Now get up and get ready, lazy big brother. I'll meet you down at the back door." she said with a pointed look. "And make sure Vickie doesn't see you."

With that, she disappeared into the hall.

For a girl her age, she seems a bit rebellious and careless. I knew Grandma Esther would flip if she sees this side of Allie and know that the usual charming and obedient child is just a mask.

Or maybe a side, too, I'll never know.

I turned off my system and TV and changed into a simple pair of cardigan shorts. Get ready, she said. So I packed up a shirt and another set of underwear and boxers just to be extra ready.

Vickie, our fifteen-year-old babysitter (if you define babysitter as a person who never watches you and just sits there, watching TV, feeding on our snacks), was sitting on the last step of the stairs, talking animatedly on our house phone. Now I know why our phone bill is so high.