Chapter 10
I stepped onto the terrace, sank into a lounge chair, and gazed at the stars.
It was the suburbs, where houses were sparsely distributed, offering an excellent view of the night sky.
Winter nights were actually quite chilly–not really the best time for stargazing.
But by the time the weather was right, I probably wouldn’t be around anymore.
I was especially sensitive to the cold these days, so before going upstairs, I wrapped myself up
I also brought a blanket to cover myself with.
in a thick scarf and hat.
On the night our parents passed away, Elbert stayed with me on this terrace,
and we gazed at
the stars for what felt like an eternity.
Mom are
and Dad.”
+13
He pointed at the two brightest stars twinkling side by side in the night sky and said
I was nearly fifteen then.
But he still treated me like a five–year–old, always pulling those childish tricks meant for little kids.
But that night, I still stared at those two stars for what felt like an eternity.
Before I knew it, Elbert was standing right behind me.
With a mix of anger and concern in his voice, he demanded, “What are you doing sitting out here in the freezing cold:
I turned back and saw his stony face in the dim light.
I looked back up at the night sky and pointed to a tiny, barely visible star beside the two bright ones.
Turning to him, I said softly, “When I’m gone, I want to become that little star.”
I figured Elbert would start scolding me again.
He’d been so irritable lately, and he hated it when I said such morbid things, especially anything about death.
Even if he was scolding me, I just wanted to hear his voice a little longer these days.
Every word I heard from him now was one less I’d ever get to hear.
I waited and waited, but he never said a word.
I turned back and looked at him curiously.
To my surprise, his eyes were rimmed red, as if he were on the verge of tears.
My haliucinations had been getting worse lately. I thought, raising my hand to rub my eyes.
Sure enough, when I looked again, that strange expression on his face had disappeared–he was back to his usual aloof self
He settled into the lounge chair beside me.
We both fell silent.
Only the endless night and silence surrounded us.
It suddenly struck me–there was a time when we were so close, sharing everything and
But when did things start to change between us? When did we end up like this?
He stopped calling me his “little sister,” and “Dora” nearly disappeared from his lips.
Instead, it was always “Pandora“, repeated curtly.
His voice was either icy, irritated, or laced with impatience.
Even Elaine, who just popped up a few years ago, got to hear him call her “El” like it’s th
And it’d been so long since I last called him big brother.
I gazed up at the stars and let out a quiet sigh.
C
King endlessly.
most
natu
thing in the world.
1/21
8:15 PM
Chapter 10
The man beside her suddenly said, his tone firm, “Let’s go to the hospital again tomorrow. I’ll take you for a full–body checkup.”
I tilted my head at him with a wry, self–deprecating smile.
“Why the fuss? It’s just a nosebleed from a fever. That’s all.”
Marshall told him that, didn’t he?
Elbert frowned, pursuing, “If it’s just a fever, how could you bleed so much that it wouldn’t stop?”
I shifted slightly and settled into a more comfortable position.
Still keeping my tone light, I said, “Didn’t the doctor say it’s just some acute coagulation dysfunction? It’s nothing serious.”
Elbert’s brows knitted even tighter, and he looked visibly annoyed.
He said, his voice laced with irritation, “How could a perfectly healthy person suddenly develop some kind of coagulation dysfunction?”
I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.
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