16

• Short story

								
The wind blew gently, and the sun began to show itself. Those eyes opened, and with a blank face, she got up from the messy bed.

03-09-2024

The day was so calm, it feels comfortable for her. She walked through the house, opening other bedroom doors one by one, hoping for a surprise from her parents. She didn't usually celebrate her birthday, but today, she was turning 16. Sixteen years old. A moment when most people capture special memories, as if it's a ceremony to be passed to become an adult.

So she didn't want this to be just any day.

The first door opened, and a loud, ear-piercing alarm sounded. In that room, a boy who looked a bit younger than her was rubbing his eyes, clearly just waking up. They usually fought, but today she was turning 16. So, she sat on the bed and smiled foolishly, expecting greetings or a gift from the boy on the bed.

He raised an eyebrow, staring in confusion before sighing with realization, "Heh, happy birthday, Leah."

The girl sitting on the bed smiled broadly, her eyes sparkling like stars captured inside them. She hummed softly and then stepped out of the room.

Now, on to the next room.

She closed the door, leaving the boy to go back to sleep. This time, she walked to a pink door decorated with random scribbles, looking messy but evoking a warm feeling when seeing the drawings on the door. As she opened the door, a little girl inside quickly approached her. The girl, waist-high, hugged her in a warm little embrace. With a round face that showed her young age, she smiled with uneven teeth, looking very cute.

She pinched her cheeks affectionately, and then they both sat on the bed. The little girl laughed joyfully. She started a conversation, which was answered with more laughter from the little girl. Time kept ticking away, and when she was about to leave, the little girl grabbed her shirt, holding her in the room with a pouting face and furrowed brows.

"Wake up."

*Thud!

For a moment, she saw hysterical eyes and tears on the little girl's face, then everything returned to the round face with a silly smile; a child pouting because she didn't want her sister to leave.

Cold sweat dripped from her temple. She gently released the hold, met with a disappointed and sad look from the other.

A closing door was heard again. Next, she would go to her parents' room. A wider wooden door in the middle of her house. The door was old and quite hard to open. Although she had to exert some effort, she finally opened it.

As if her struggle was rewarded, she was greeted by a pair of a man and woman with warm smiles. They were sitting in a corner of the room, seemingly waiting for her to come in.

"Happy birthday, my child."

The warm smiles, birthday wishes, and their presence, awaited today, were gifts that meant a lot to her. With a wide smile on her face, she eagerly ate the cake provided. Her parents were not the type to show affection directly to their children. Most of the time, they had their own busyness. Moments like these were rare, so she would keep them in the deepest and most cherished part of her memory box.

She placed her spoon on the plate, with cake crumbs near her lips. She talked about her daily life at school, which her parents responded to with nods and smiles. They were good listeners.

As she was about to leave, she saw her parents lying back on the bed. A strange thing, as they were usually hardworking people, sometimes even working on holidays. However, anyone would want to rest, no matter how hard they worked. So she ignored the strange thought that crossed her mind and closed the wooden door with one strong push.

She was standing still when a little girl approached her again, carrying a doll in her hand. The round face smiled cheerfully at her.

*Blood flowed from her face, staining the white canvas that should have been clean. Hysterical cries were heard—shouting,

"Wake up."

She came to her senses again. Her body trembled, and her breath was irregular. Her body was drenched in sweat. She shook her head, trying to dispel the terrifying image that had suddenly appeared.

She knelt to level her height with the little girl and, with a laugh, said, "I'm awake, Elia."

"Wake up."

She looked bewildered. Many questions filled her head, but even if she asked, the little girl kept saying the same thing repeatedly. It made her sick. When she decided to return to her room, the voice grew louder.

"WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP——"

"Wake up, Leah Carter."

Sweat streamed down her face, as if her heart was dancing rapidly. She is engulfed by fear of witnessing her little sister's strange behavior. That fear made her ignore everything and run to her room. She opened it and went inside. With the sound of the door and the lock—

She closed her door.

.

.

.

03-09-2024

A girl who's turning 16 today was hugging her sister so tightly that it was hard to separate them. The sister in her arms cried hysterically, trying to wake up the one hugging her.

"That patient suffers from third-degree burns, but she's still breathing."

A white-coated figure walked quickly, followed by a nurse behind him.

"What about the condition of the other patients?"

The other shook his head, "Three people from the family were declared dead upon arrival. The youngest suffered minor burns."

The large burn on her back indicated the protection she had given to her sister. Those eyes were open but showed no awareness.

The existence of life was slipping away from her. The hug weakened. She couldn't give up; she couldn't leave her sister alone in the world.

Her eyes felt heavy, her heartbeat slowly lost its rhythm. Just for a moment, she wanted to close her eyes.

She closed her eyes forever.
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