16
Alex didn’t stream his games all night.
He fumbled his way to the living room and sat down, recalling the last time he saw his sister there.
That time, she was hunched over, her face deathly pale.
And he had just watched her walk past him indifferently.
Alex went to the guest room where his sister had stayed when she first came home.
It was his first time in his sister’s room.
The decor was simple: just a bed, a table, a wardrobe.
He sat silently on the edge of the bed, hugging the pillow she had slept on.
His eyes stung.
When his sister was first brought back, she was so tiny, quiet and shy, always keeping her head down.
She wasn’t like Jessica, who was lively
ly and always clung to him.
And he wasn’t much of a talker either; he didn’t know how to interact with his sister.
Perhaps many times, he had scared her,
Suddenly, he felt something hard inside the pillow.
Alex tore open the pillowcase and pulled out a tattered, yellowed notebook.
On the first page, two lines were written in childish handwriting.
*Flora’s Diary. No peeking!*
*June 10, 2013:
*June 10, 2013”
*Grandma Rose left today. Elara is now an unwanted child.”
*Grandma Rose bought Elara a very beautiful diary. She hid it for a long time, only giving it to me today. She said she was going to be an angel in heaven and told Elara to take good care of herself.”
*Grandma Rose said the diary would keep me company from now on, that the diary was Grandma Rose.”
*But how can a diary be Grandma Rose?+
*July 1, 2013-*
*Today, Elara was sent to an orphanage.”
*The little bunny Grandma Rose knitted for Elara was snatched away…”
“May 30, 2014:*
*Today is Elara’s birthday. Grandma Rose said that six years ago on this day, heaven didn’t want to take Elara away, and Elara got a new
“But there’s no Grandma Rose to celebrate my birthday with anymore…”
*November 5, 2015:*
“Elara is so hungry.”
“Elara already cats so little, but Mama Director still scolds Elara.”
*September 8, 2017:
“A new director came to the orphanage today. Elara doesn’t like him.”
“He always touches Elare and makes Elara sleep with him.”
“Elara is so scared. Grandma Rose, please come back and protect Elara?*
*March 6, 2018:*
*Many children at the orphanage have new mommies and daddies.”
*Does E
Elara have a mommy and daddy? Where are they…7”
*Clara misses Grandma Rose, and them too.”
*January 10, 2024:*
*Today, an uncle brought me to a very big mansion.”
*He said this is my home.”
“Inside are my mommy daddy and three brothers
life.”
e are my mommy, daddy, and three brothers.”
“inside are
“From today on, Elara isn’t an unwanted child anymore, right?”
*January 11, 2024:*
*There’s also a sister at home.”
“Mommy,
daddy, and the brothers all like sister more, they don’t like Elara.*
“Sister said I shouldn’t have come back, that I made the whole family unhappy.”
“She said Elara is a jinx…”
*February 3, 2024:
*Sister’s arm got scratched.”
*The brothers gave her so many gifts, and Mommy said she would sleep with her tonight, afraid she’d be in pain.*
“But… Elara hurts more.*
*Sister stripped my clothes and whipped me.”
“She just accidentally hurt herself.*
“Why don’t Mommy, Daddy, and the brothers ever look at Elara…?
*February 15, 2024:*
*Today, Second Brother came home from his competition and brought gifts for both Sister and Elara.*
*Elara is so happy… This is the first time Elara has ever received a gift.*
“Elara wants to give Second Brother a gift back too!*
*February 16, 2024:*
*Sister threw away the bracelet Elara made.”
“She said
Elara’s things were so cheap, only poor people would wear something like that.*
*Elara searched for a long time, searched through so many trash cans, and finally found it.”
*But it’s dirty”
“Second Brother definitely won’t like it either…”
Alex’s heart ached, and tears fell onto the diary.
*February 25, 2024:
*Elara hurts so much, so much blood…”
“Elora must be sick.”
“Mommy Daddy, and the brothers will definitely hate Elara even more if they find out….
C
“Mommy, Daddy, and the brothers will definitely hate Elara even more if they find out…
*Sister is right… Elara is a jinx.*
“March 15, 2024:*
*So much pain…*
“Elara misses Grandma Rose so much.
*Grandma Rose, it’s not good here at all, they don’t love Elara.”
*May 10, 2024:*
Elara
has decided to go see Grandma Rose.*
*Because Elara still doesn’t have a family, only Grandma Rose…
The diary ended there, abruptly. No more e
entries.
The handwriting was smeared. Had his sister been crying?
Alex clutched the crumpled pages, sitting there all night.
