The Tale of Two Sisters

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Lisa walked down the streets which were familiar to her as it was the only path to her home. She skipped along happily, as in her thoughts right now is to be with her sister. She already imagined things in her mind.

"Maybe we can go to the park today. Or maybe, Penelope would love to watch a new movie in cinema today!"

Lisa walked happily, and finally, when she saw her home, she smiled.

"Finally. Home."

Lisa looked around to enjoy the view before she entered her house. She turned around and noticed the bakery that Penelope mentioned during her visit. Lisa then thought for herself and decided that she wanted to buy something for her sister.

"I should buy Penelope something. She might like it."

Lisa crossed the street leisurely, though the cars were busy on the road.

"Watch where you're going!"

"Hey! See the road!"

*Honk!!!*

Lisa ignores the honks and yells from the car's driver and just walked pass through them until she reached the other side of the road. She stared at the bakery and then smiled. 

Her mind kept thinking about the smile carved in her sister's face. 

Penelope is all she has, so of course, she wanted her sister to be happy, just like her.

Yeah, just like her.

Just like her,

Suddenly, the words kept repeating on Lisa's head, and eventually, the smile on her face evaporated.

She began to have the dead looks in her eyes, almost when she decided to take a walk on the dark alley earlier.

She abruptly reminded something. 

Something which made her smile faded along time ago, as now, she only wore the plastic one.

The first one was when her parent died, leaving behind young, seventeen years old Lisa, with six years old Penelope, as both of them watched their burial.

Penelope cried so hard, asking a difficult question to young Lisa.

"Why are they burying Mom and Dad?"

Little Penelope grabbed her sister's black dress, begging her to stop the men who put down the coffin's of her parent into the earth. Lisa hugged her little sister and tried to comfort her.

"Mom and Dad are tired. Let them rest."

Though it was six years ago, Lisa was still hurt by it. Lisa could not help but kept thinking about it until someone from inside the bakery noticed her. The worker then talked to Peter, as Peter is working on his shift for today.

"Is that lady looks okay to you?"

Peter, who cleaned the tables full of tissues and used cups, looked outside to see. Peter squinted his eyes to see and shocked. 

"Hmm, that lady looks a bit like Penelope. Maybe..."

Peter quickly tossed the big, black plastics filled with trash to the garbage bin at the outside, and hurried to Lisa. Peter silently walked towards her, as he was afraid that he might scare her if he just surprised her.

"Um, Miss?"

Lisa did not listen to Peter's low voice, though it was pretty loud enough. Peter looked at Lisa, puzzled, so he decided to get closer to her.

"Um, Miss, are you okay?"

Lisa jumped when she realized someone was talking to her. She immediately wanted to summon the black spike but stopped when she saw Peter.

Surprisingly, Lisa quickly smiled and leisurely put her hands together.

"I'm sorry, yes?"

Peter smiled cheerfully at Lisa. Lisa smiled back since she saw how pure Peter smile was.

"I'm sorry, miss, but we couldn't help to see that you kept looking at our bakery. Perhaps, you like to buy something from our pastries inside?"

Lisa smiled and followed Peter inside. Peter then showed her around and guided her to the counter to select the delicacies that she wanted.

Lisa looked at the display glass, with worried written on her face. Peter could not help to see Penelope's image on Lisa's figure, so he decided to help her, just like when he does to Penelope.

"Do you need help?"

Lisa looked up and smiled when she saw Peter's face. For some reason, Lisa felt happy and safe when she saw Peter's smile.

"Yeah, I want to buy for my sister, but I didn't know which one she will love the most."

Peter smiled.

"Here, let me help! I pick the best and freshest from the oven pastries just for you."

Lisa tucked her hair behind her right ear and smiled. She suddenly blushed when she heard that. 

Peter, on the other side, waiting for the right moment to ask Lisa whether she is related to Penelope or not. 

Finally, after Peter finished, he asked Lisa to the counter for the payment. 

Lisa nodded and went to the counter. 

When they both were at the counter, Peter started to put the pastries inside of the paper bag. 

Lisa noticed that a few pastries that he chose were similar to the one that Penelope bought during her visit.

"Oh! My sister used to buy me those when she visited me in the hospital!"

When Peter heard that, he immediately asked Lisa about it.

"Oh? Well, someone, I knew bought these too when she said her sister at the hospital. Though we are not that close, we sure knew each other."

Peter wanted to try his luck. He thought that, by befriend with Penelope's sister, he might have the chance to get close to Penelope.

Lisa looked confused.

"Oh, and who is she?"

"Penelope."

Lisa smiled when she heard that answer.

"That's my sister. How small the world is!"

Peter smiled when he finally made an acquaintance with Penelope's sister. He felt like he saw his chance to get closer with Penelope is getting brighter.

"The total is four dollars, but its okay, this time it is on me."

Lisa looked surprised.

"Oh, I can't do that!"

Peter shook his head and insisted that it was on him.

"It's okay! Besides, it is my gift for you. You're out from the hospital, so pretended it like a gift, from me to you."

Lisa smiled and nodded. She thanked and left the bakery. Peter, inside of the bakery, jumped and excited as he was one step closer to Penelope.

Lisa, with the paper bag of pastries on her right hand, felt extremely excited to walk to her home now. 

She had a story to tell to her sister. She wanted to spend more time with her sister since she had encountered the nearly-death experience during her stay in the hospital.

Though it was still unsure, whether it happened on the reality or just her mind,

Nevertheless, Lisa still feels that all the things that happened back there are real, and she was thankful to be blessed with this new, her.

This new body, filled with unknown energy that can summon black spikes with her will, definitely made Lisa felt powerful like she never tasted it before.

Of course, she cannot tell this story to her sister, as her sister might be worried about her later.

Or maybe Penelope will surely think that her sister is crazy.

Only just by thinking about having a fun time together, Lisa already had a broad smile on her face. Though she was happy, if she came across with someone else, the smile may come out creepy. 

Lisa finally arrived in front of the main door of her home. She slightly pushed the door, and it opened.

"Oh! Penelope might already inside! Guess I can surprise her!"

Lisa thought to herself since the door was not locked. She put the pastries on the kitchen table and sneaked quietly to Penelope's room. She wanted to surprise her sister and made her laugh.

She wanted to make her sister smile, since the last time when she met her, Penelope almost cried.

Lisa felt guilty.

"I want to make her happy. She is all I have..."

Lisa's mind raced about that thought repeatedly, but she quickly dismissed it. 

All that left in her head now is to get along with her sister after their last meet.

"Penelope might be afraid with this, but it's okay since I can make her smile with the pastries."

Lisa quietly stood in front of Penelope's room and kept waiting for the right time. When she did not hear anything inside, she thought that maybe Penelope is sleeping.

"Perfect."

Lisa already had a perfect scheme on her mind. She quietly pushed the door open since it was half-open all the time.

Lisa quietly sneaked inside of her sister room, to surprise her.

"Got you!"

Unfortunately, she did not hear any response.

Penelope is not even in her room.

Lisa then suddenly grew panicked, as she looked around inside of her sister's room, but she did not see any sight of her sister.

She began to anxious. 

Her body started to become stiff and tense.

She felt that the room was so small, as she started to breathe painfully. 

Her head began to spin around.

She never felt her heart this painful, so long.

The last time she felt like this is when her parent gone.

"Penelope...no..."

Lisa could not think straight right now, as everything began to become black and white.

Her world now began to spin vigorously, and she felt that her knees are going weaker.

She tried to grab on anything, but she ended up dragging her sister's blanket, and abruptly fall onto the floor, knocking her head, again.

Lisa finally passed out again, but her mind wandered endlessly.

She lost her family again.

She closed her eyes, with ears fall from her eyes, washed her cheek, knowing that her sister is gone, forever.

Are you ready to make a choice?