Lost And Found

Lost and Found by Christelle Kua-Balbuena

Joseph It’s a beautiful day, I thought, as I stared up at the clouds. Two sparrows flew overhead, going back and forth as if they were playing tag. I smiled and continued my observation. So far, I had found a castle with a few horses frolicking across the clouds. My head perked up as a voice called my name. I jumped up, dusted off my pants, and scrambled into the house. Mama greeted me—she was a cheerful lady, and her teeth shone like pearls whenever she smiled. But lately, it’s been very easy to irritate her, so I’ve made sure to be a "super good boy" when I’m around her. She handed me my lunch: scrambled eggs with ketchup, whole-wheat bread, and a glass filled with orange juice. The smell made my mouth water. It was nearly two in the afternoon, and my stomach had been grumbling at me for the past thirty minutes. “Do you want to eat inside, Joseph?” “No thanks,” I said. “I’m going to stay outside. Call me if you need me!” And with that, I ran out the door. I plopped back onto the ground and immediately started shoveling down my lunch. After finishing almost half of my plate, I turned my head. “Aren’t you hungry, Amy?” Amy was lying down beside me with her eyes closed. At the sound of my voice, she propped herself up on her elbows and stretched her legs out in front of her. Dark brown eyes stared intently at the few morsels left on my plate. They moved cautiously toward the window, which gave her a clear view of Mama washing the dishes. Occasionally, Mama would look up to check that I was still in the yard and not wandering out into the street. After a few seconds, Amy shook her head. “Nah, it’s alright. I’m not hungry.” I frowned and stared at my feet. “You always say that, though…” Amy gave me a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it. You’ve known me for almost half a month—have you ever heard my stomach growl?” “No…I guess not.” I went back to finishing my lunch. There’s an air of mystery surrounding my friend Amy. She suddenly appeared beside me when I was at our neighborhood playground, with no recollection of who she was. I was scared at first, but she grew onto me and I wanted to help her figure out who she really was. I invited her to stay with us, but when I told my parents, Daddy just laughed and said I had “too much imagination.” Mama’s reaction was different. If there’s one thing I know about Amy, it’s that Mama doesn’t like her. When I told her about Amy, her face contorted into a scared, almost haunted expression. Her eyes glaze over like she was reliving a bad dream, and once she snapped out of it, she told me to never mention her again. She whispered that with such conviction that I had no choice but to nod in agreement. That night, Mama didn’t come with Daddy to say goodnight to me, and

Amy was left to comfort me as I cried silently to sleep. In the morning, Amy told me that she would find somewhere else to stay; she didn’t want to cause me anymore trouble. But I didn’t want Amy to go. I had always been left out by the kids my age, so Amy was the first real friend I had. Being with Amy felt so natural to me, so I told her I’d do my best to keep quiet about her. (Besides, Amy’s really nice and a lot of fun, unlike some of the older kids I see at school.) She always seemed to have a smile on her face; it reminded me of Mama, only Mama didn’t smile that much anymore. Did people smile less when they became an adult? What if when Amy got older, she stopped smiling and playing with me? “What do you want to play now?” Amy asked, standing to block the sun out of my face. “…Amy, can I ask you something?” “Sure,” she said. “…Do you ever get bored…you know…of playing with me?” “What are you talking about? Of course not!” Amy grinned. “I’m a child at heart!” She did a cartwheel, as if that proved her point, then started doing backflips, and it was so hilarious that I couldn’t help but laugh along with her. ​OOO After we ate dinner, I went upstairs to change for bed. I scoured my drawers for my favorite pajamas. They were given to me as a birthday present, and were green with dinosaurs and volcanoes. I finally found them and buttoned my top, only to realize that I had skipped a hole and had to do it all over again. Amy suddenly appeared bouncing on my bed, snickering as she scrutinized my room. “You know that you’ve totally messed up your clothes, right?” Sure enough when I looked down, all of my clothes had been strewn across the floor. “Shoot,” I said. “Mama’s not going to be happy when she comes up.” “Not unless you put all your clothes away.” Amy snickered. I rolled my eyes. Amy knew Mama usually folded my clothes. One time she let me try, but I completely failed and decided I would try again when I was older. “There’s no way I can fold all these.” I turned to Amy with doubt in my eyes. “I don’t suppose you know how to fold clothes properly, do you?” Amy was always wearing blue jeans and a white shirt, which was a pretty plain outfit if you asked me. But they were always spotless, so she never changed out of them. “Of course I know how to fold!” Amy cried out indignantly. She got up from my bed and marched over to the pile of clothes. Her hands moved with the speed of light and the huge mess, which I had deemed impossible to clean up, was gone in a matter of minutes. Just in time, too. Mama opened the door with Daddy behind her. “Joseph, why are your lights still on?” she asked, shaking her head.

“Sorry, Mama. I was just about to turn them off.” “Hey, don’t give him such a hard time,” Daddy whispered, placing a hand on Mama’s shoulder. I quickly jumped into my bed and snuggled under the covers. Daddy sat down next to me and kissed the top of my head. “Goodnight, Joseph.” “Goodnight, Daddy.” He stood up and left the room, leaving Mama and I alone. “Don’t forget to wake up early tomorrow,” she reminded me. “No sleeping in, okay?” “Okay, Mama.” “…I love you, sweetheart.” A small smile crossed my lips. “I love you, too, Mama.” She kissed my cheek and shut the door. Except for the dull glow coming from the street lampposts, my room was pitch black. Suddenly, a bright light popped up right in front of me. I squinted and saw that Amy was pointing a flashlight straight in my face. “Hey,” she whispered enthusiastically. “do you want to hear another amazing story?” “Alright, but don’t make it too long. I have school tomorrow.” “Of course, of course! Not too long, got it.” I loved the stories about Amy’s travels. She’d been all around the world and seen so many sights, from the White House and the Vatican to the Great Wall of China and the Eiffel Tower. She only complained that the people were very rude. When she asked for directions, no one answered her. Amy flopped on my bed and cleared her throat. “This happened when I visited the Great Pyramid of Giza. Once I was inside and moved to the higher part of the pyramid, I saw the king’s chamber with his sarcophagus. Tiptoeing as quietly as I could, I made my way over to it.” Amy’s voice took on a frightful tone, and the flashlight cast eerie shadows on her face. “Suddenly, I heard a low, moaning sound coming from the sarcophagus. It started shaking and a putrid smell made its way into my nostrils. The moaning grew louder and louder until it sounded more like shrieking. And then…” I was about to ask what happened next when Amy stood up on my bed and screamed, “The corpse of the pharaoh sprang up and tried to suck my brain through my nose!” I burst out laughing, but I had to cover my mouth so my parents wouldn’t wake up. The way Amy described her trips made them intriguing and funny at the same time. It made me want to hear and learn more about the places she visited. “That’s all for tonight, boys and girls. Thank you for listening and have a fabulous night!” Amy took a bow and flipped off my mattress. “Alright, Joseph, time for bed.” I turned off the flashlight and closed my eyes, my mind already drifting off. “Pst, Joseph,” I peeled my eyelids open. “What is it—oof!” Amy nudged me again. “Move over.”

I scooted to the left and let Amy slip in beside me. She snuggled her head into the pillow, and I shivered slightly when she moved closer. Amy always feels cold. Not cold like ice, but cold enough that I get goosebumps. “Ah, sorry.” she said, and put a little space between us. “It’s okay.” I yawned. “Goodnight, Amy…sweet…dreams…” I already closed my eyes, but I stayed awake long enough to hear Amy whisper, “Sweet dreams, Joseph.”

Amy I woke up to Mrs. Carter rapping on the bedroom door. “Time to get up, Joseph!” she announced. I watched as Joseph crawled out of bed, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and started towards the bathroom to brush his teeth. When he was done putting on his clothes, he hopped back into bed, and after a few seconds, I could hear soft snores coming from under his blanket. This was his usual morning routine. After many trials (all of them being failures), I finally figured out the perfect method that could wake Joseph up and keep him up. Slowly, I crept onto his bed. I positioned my face by his ear and took a deep breath. “WAAAAAAAKE UUUUUUUUUP!” “GAAAH!” Joseph screamed. Gets him every time. Maybe it was because Joseph's mind was still fuzzy from sleep, but when he tried to sit up, he fell out of bed. His tousled hair barely hid his eyes, which were the size of dinner plates. After taking a few deep breaths, Joseph turned and glared at me, but I was too busy laughing my head off to feel the waves of annoyance radiating from him. I stopped soon enough, though, I could hear footsteps rushing towards Joseph's room. The door burst open, and Mrs. Carter’s voice filled the room. “Joseph, are you okay?” she asked with concern. “I thought I heard a scream.” “O-Oh I’m fine, Mama. Just fell out of bed.” Joseph forced a smile and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Funny, he was just glaring daggers at me a few seconds ago. “Well, don’t take too long. The bus will be here soon, and you don’t want to start the week being late to school, do you?” “No, Mama,” Joseph replied. “Then hurry up and come eat your breakfast.” Once she closed the door, Joseph looked back at me. His mouth was drawn into a thin line. “Can’t you just tap my shoulder or shake me?” “I have…and it never works. You sleep like a dead person, y’know?” Joseph sighed, and we made our way into the kitchen. He made himself a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Afterwards, he dumped his bowl in the sink and shoved his lunchbox into his backpack. I checked the clock; it was 7:21 AM, which meant we had a some time before the bus arrived at our neighborhood. I took this time to look around the house. Everything looked the same as it did when I first moved in about a month ago. The walls were a light shade of blue, the carpet was worn out and looked gray instead of white, and there were two picture frames hanging in the living room. The first one was of Joseph’s parents, and the other showed Joseph at the park. There was an imprint on the wall between these two pictures where a frame had blocked the wallpaper from the sun. I always wondered why that picture was taken down—maybe I’ll never know.

I checked the clock again and got Joseph’s attention. He quickly turned off the TV and grabbed his backpack. “I’m going now, Mama!” “Have a good day, sweetie.” Mrs. Carter came and gave Joseph a kiss goodbye, and he hugged her in return before rushing out the door. I waved. “Goodbye, Mrs. Carter.” Mrs. Carter just looked at the door for a while then said, “Well, I guess I should finish sorting that laundry.” I stared at her as she walked away from me. Now, I've known for a long time that I’m invisible, but whenever Mrs. Carter ignores me, I get this tight feeling in my chest. It almost makes me want to cry. It's also irritating when she gets upset every time Joseph mentions me. Does she hate me? Can a person really hate someone they’ve never seen before? I shove these negative thoughts to the back of my mind. Can’t start the day unhappy, I thought. Besides, that would make Joseph worry about me, and a kid in third grade shouldn’t have to brood over the problems of a teenager. I opened the door and ran as fast as I could to catch the bus. By the time we got to Whitestone Elementary School, the bell was already ringing. After we entered the classroom and unpacked, Miss Hans, the teacher, asked everyone to sit. Miss Hans was a medium-sized woman with bright blue eyes and blonde hair that barely passed her shoulders. She was a generally nice person, but if you were a troublemaker, she transformed into the strictest person you’ve ever met. As a result, kids stopped goofing off during class, which meant most mischief makers came out during recess or lunch periods. “Good morning, class.” “Good morning, Miss Hans.” They replied in unison. “I would like to give you a heads up for next Tuesday,” Sighs and groans were heard throughout the room. The students all knew what “heads up” meant. Miss Hans raised her eyebrow and the complaints stopped immediately. “We’re going to have a spelling test.” “Just great.” Joseph muttered. Spelling was not his favorite subject. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one who heard his little comment. Miss Hans raised her other eyebrow. “Now, Joseph, that’s not the way we should act about a test. If you want to get a good grade, you should study harder.” Joseph nodded glumly as his classmates' eyes zeroed in on him. I wished they would stop. Joseph didn’t like to bring too much attention to himself. “I wouldn’t mind giving you a hand,” I said. “Thanks,” Joseph whispered. “But it’ll take a miracle for me to get a hundred.” Miss Hans raised her eyebrow again. (She did that a lot.) “Is something wrong, Joseph?”

“I-it’s nothing…sorry.” Joseph’s ears burned red with embarrassment. I thought he had talked quietly enough. I guess Miss Hans had a sharp ear. Joseph’s classmates covered their mouths to muffle their snickers, but I already knew what they were thinking. It’s the boy who still talks to his imaginary friends. I sighed. This was going to be a long day. OOO When the recess bell rang, all the students jumped out of their seats and rushed out the door. As always, Joseph and I were the last to leave. “What do you plan to do today?” I asked. “The usual?” Joseph only nodded and settled down on the bench. He opened his book, ​The Kingdom in the Clouds​, which was the last book in ​The Enchanted Playground​ series he was reading. They were about a little boy who could travel to faraway places. All he had to do was swing on the swingset three times and say “swing an adventure my way!” Joseph had been attracted to these books the moment he set foot in the library. Now, he just couldn’t stop reading them. No one in third grade loved reading the way Joseph did. He was different from them, and kids called him “the bookworm,” “the nerd,” and “the weird boy who talks to himself.” That last one upset me the most. Sure, Joseph did tell me he had a reputation when he was younger of talking to his made-up friends, but I’m not like Joseph’s imaginary friends. I was so deep in thought that I didn’t notice that I had moved away from him. I had wandered over to a group of boys who were in Joseph’s class. They were playing tetherball and laughing in his direction. My eyes narrowed, and I moved closer. “Look at him,” one of them — Dennis, if I recall— said. “Seriously, I don’t get why he reads so much. No wonder he has no friends.” “What d’you mean? He has friends. We just can’t see them ‘cause they’re all fake!” “H-hey guys, knock it off…” I turned my head to the third boy. It was Anthony, a soft-spoken boy with blond hair and blue eyes. Anthony never said much in class; he didn’t do anything to make people dislike him, either. Unfortunately, since Anthony was quiet, his opinions tended to be overshadowed by his more popular classmates. “Relax, Anthony,” Dennis replied nonchalantly. “It’s not like you talk to him that much anyway.” “I-I know, but don’t you think we should ask if— ” “What’s gotten into you?” Mark, the other boy, asked. “We all know that he’s a bit weird. I mean, who still talks to their imaginary friends? If you ask me, it’s a bit creepy.” Suddenly, the tetherball they were playing with swung up into the air. It flung itself at Dennis and then Mark, switching from bouncing off their shoulders to their sides. (It wasn’t hard enough to cause serious damage, and the ball was never aimed at their heads.) The tetherball

swung around a few more times until it stopped right in front of Anthony. He hesitated, then cautiously approached the tetherball. When he grabbed it, the ball seemed to go limp in his hands. Anthony looked in shock at his companions, then at the ball. The tetherball had moved all on its own. There hadn’t been any wind when they had started playing. Another thing puzzled Anthony, although he was slightly relieved at this fact. He hadn’t been touched a single time during the ball’s rampage. The ball seemed to swing out of his way whenever it came close. “A-are you alright?” he asked timidly. “Yeah, besides getting pounded by a tetherball, we’re totally fine.” Dennis said through gritted teeth. Unbeknownst to the three boys, I was sitting down beside them, clutching my stomach and trying to stifle my laughter. Not that it mattered. They wouldn’t have heard me anyway. I watched as Dennis and Mark hobbled over to the nurse’s office with Anthony trailing behind them. “Serves them right,” I said, glancing back at the boys. “No one makes fun of Joseph, not when I’m around.” After taking a few moments to calm myself, I made my way back to Joseph. He was still reading ​The Kingdom in the Clouds​. I decided it was probably best that Joseph hadn’t seen the little episode that took place a few minutes ago. At least they don’t have any way of connecting it to him, I thought. I need to remember to control myself, though. Wouldn’t want Joseph getting mad at me. My attention was brought back to Joseph after hearing him sigh and stretch his arms. Sitting in one position can get a bit cramped after all. “Got a lot done?” I asked, acting as if I’d been there the whole time. “Yeah,” Joseph said, grinning up at me. “He just figured out a way to get into the castle. I thought now would be a good time to take a break.” He seems to be in a better mood, I observed. “You’d better eat your snack already. Recess will be over soon.” Joseph nodded and opened his lunchbox. He took out his bag of cheese puffs and a small water bottle, deciding to save his apple juice for lunch. “...7...6...5…” “What are you doing, Amy?” Joseph asked, tilting his head. “...2...1—” BRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!! “...Just great,” Joseph sighed. “Just great.” The bell had rung, and Joseph had just started to eat his snack.

Joseph I was back home studying for that stupid spelling test. I don’t understand why I have so much trouble spelling. I read a lot, so I see many, many words; therefore, I should do well in spelling. Makes sense, right? Well, unfortunately for me, that’s not the case. It makes me cringe just thinking about the twenty words that we have to memorize. Even though Miss Hans always gives a bonus word at the end, it doesn’t do me any good because if I can’t even spell the mandatory words, how am I supposed to spell a word I’ve never seen before? “This is hopeless,” I said, slamming my pencil on the table. I had finished the rest of my homework earlier so I could have more time to study, but I’m not getting any studying done. I do fine in all the other subjects, so why is spelling so difficult? My method is to just sound the word out and choose the letters that sound like it. For example, dinosaur sounds like ​die -no -sor​. One might think that “dinosaur” is spelled “dienosor” but it isn’t! Amy said I should just try to memorize the word, but it’s not that easy. Speaking of Amy, she’s been sitting in front of me for a while now, and I think she’s trying to get my atten— “HELLO?” “Hi, Amy.” “Geez, you looked so focused that I had to break your concentration. You’ve got to stop stressing about that spelling test, Joseph, or your hair’s going to fall off.” “Ha ha, very funny. It’s not like you’ve got twenty words to memorize.” “Don’t worry! With me as your teacher, there’s no word you can’t spell!” Amy said, grabbing my spelling book. “Let’s see. Long and short “i” words...knife, spine, give, spin, chip, miss, grime……” Once she finished reviewing all the words, Amy raised her head. “Alright, this is the plan. We are going to look at three words per day, that way you can memorize the whole spelling list little by little. You have the entire week and the weekend, which is plenty of time.” “That’s what Mama always says.” After many experiences, my confidence had dropped to zero. I had stared at that spelling book for over an hour, but nothing I did worked. “Just try it. Spell ‘knife,’” Amy said. I just sighed, “N-i-f,” “Try again,” “...n-i-f-e?” “Listen, Joseph, and repeat after me. ‘Knife’ is spelled k-n-i-f-e.” “...k...n-i...f...e.” “Again.” “...k-n-i-f...e.” “Again.”

“...k-n-i-f-e.” “How do you spell ‘knife?’” “K-n-i-f-e.” “Good job!” Amy exclaimed, clapping her hands. “See, that wasn’t so hard.” “Yeah, but that’s only one word.” I said glumly. “There’s still nineteen more to go.” “Ah ah ah,” Amy said, shaking her head. “There are only two more. Remember, we’re learning the words three at a time. Learning three words a day is way less than learning twenty words in a day.” During that entire week, Amy coached me on spelling. I continuously respelled the words at least five times, that way they’d be drilled into my brain. Inevitably, repeating the words over and over again got extremely annoying, but Amy was persistent and I had to admit that her method was very effective. Soon the weekend was over, and to my surprise, I felt more than ready to take that spelling test. Mama was astounded. When she tested me, she said, “Joseph, I am so proud of you!” And that made me overflow with happiness. Hearing Mama praise me is like music to my ears. OOO It’s now Tuesday, and all of my confidence has gone and left me in the dust. Amy tried to calm me down, saying I was fine since I had gotten a full eight hours of sleep, but I couldn’t stop this nagging feeling that hung over my shoulder. When I sat at my desk, I was shaking so much I almost dropped the paper trying to hand it to the person behind me. What if an evil sorcerer stole all my memories of studying and is using them to make a special potion that will give him super intelligence so he can take over the world?! Oh wait...that was from a book I had read over summer vacation. “You’ll do fine,” Amy said, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder, though it only caused me to shiver. “I believe in you.” I couldn’t say anything. My chest felt tight and if I spoke, I’m sure my voice would be high-pitched and squeaky. Plus, Miss Hans would call me out in front of the class, and I really didn’t need that before a test. I just nodded at Amy and took a few breaths. Calm down, I thought. You’ve studied all week with Amy, you can do this. “Alright, class. Please write your name on the top righthand corner of the paper, and number your paper to twenty.” I stretched my trembling hand to grab my pencil and the new eraser Mama had gotten me. It wasn’t one of those pink ones—you know, the ones that suck because they never get all the pencil marks off and can rip your paper. It was a white one, a Hi-Polymer Eraser to be exact. No one in my class had a white Hi-Polymer eraser; that made me feel special. Then again, none of my classmates had as much trouble with spelling as I did, so they probably didn’t need to use

a high-quality eraser. I guess that also made me special, but it wasn’t the kind of special that I wanted to be. “Is everyone ready?” Miss Hans asked. “Not really,” I said, but I made sure to say it real quiet so she wouldn’t hear it. “Before we start, let me just remind you on how to take the test. First, I will say the word. Then, I will use it in a sentence, and then I will repeat the word once more. There will be one bonus word at the end. I will ask if any words need to be repeated at the end of the test.” Miss Hans looked around the classroom. “Are there any questions before we begin?” Do I have to take this test? I wanted to ask, but I don’t think I’d get the answer I desired. “No questions? Well then, let’s start the spelling test.” Before Miss Hans was about to announce the first word, Amy started tapping my shoulder. I gave her an incredulous look that said “why are you distracting me?” but then I stopped. Amy’s eyes were beaming and her smile was filled with encouragement. She patted me gently on the back and whispered in my ear, “Make me proud, Joseph.” That’s when I realized how much I wanted Amy to be proud of me. I needed to show her that all the hours she spent studying with me wasn’t a waste of time and effort. My hands stopped shaking, and a dogged determination settled in my eyes. With Amy’s words still fresh in my mind, I began to write. And on that Tuesday, I, who had never gotten higher than a C on a spelling test, was the only one in the whole third grade class to get a hundred.

Amy When the test scores were released, even though everyone crowded around Joseph at the beginning, they all dispersed soon after. But something surprising happened. During recess, Anthony suddenly came up and congratulated Joseph. “…g…good job getting a hundred.” His voice was very quiet, but it was praise nonetheless. I’m glad he approached Joseph. Anthony’s a good kid, and I was getting tired of seeing him get pushed around. Joseph even introduced Anthony to ​The Magic Playground​ books. Granted, he’s only on the first page of the first book, but it’s a start. After the bus dropped us back home, I swung Joseph around before we entered the house. I didn’t get to do it all day because there could be people watching. His laugh was as sweet as honey, and I didn’t even try to keep my smile in when Joseph told his parents. To celebrate, they went to the new ice cream store that opened up a few weeks ago, even though it was a school night. It lived up to its great reviews. They used liquid nitrogen to make their ice cream, and their spoons changed color depending on the temperature. Joseph had vanilla, Mrs. Carter got blueberry, and Mr. Carter chose chocolate. Personally, I thought the salted caramel looked divine, but Joseph only eats vanilla. By the time we got back, it was already past Joseph’s bedtime, and Joseph had fallen asleep in the car. Mr. Carter carried him into his room and shimmied Joseph into his pajamas. Joseph barely opened his eyes. All he did was mumble a few words like “muaah” and “sezz.” Mrs. Carter switched off his light, and when she closed the door, I slipped into bed with Joseph. His mouth was slightly open causing him to snore, but unlike Mr. Carter, I found Joseph's snores cute. I really did love Joseph. He took a stray dog like me into his own home when no one else cared and treated me like an actual person. He even promised to help me figure out who I was, and for that, I am very grateful. I placed Joseph's hand in mine, noting the difference in size. I listened for the slight thumping of Joseph's heartbeat, a sound that always comforted me on sleepless nights. I wonder why my heart doesn't sound like that. Joseph was extremely groggy the next day. I literally had to drag him out of bed. We almost missed our bus, and class was just about to start when we barged into the room. "Joseph, glad to see you made it." Miss Hans said. Joseph was panting, so he only nodded and sat down. That's when I noticed a new person standing at the front of the classroom. It was a girl with auburn hair and blue glasses. She wore a white tank-top with daisies, brown shorts, and yellow sandals. "Well class, I'm sure you've noticed, but we have a new student." The students started whispering and Miss Hans turned to the girl. "Would you introduce yourself, please?"

"...um...my name is Marie. Nice to meet you." Marie waved with a small smile on her face. The class was filled with greetings and introductions, but Joseph stayed silent. I peered over and panicked when I saw his head buried in his arms, his breathing steady. Not good, I thought. Joseph wasn't used to staying up that late on a school night, so once an opening to sleep appeared, he took it. I had to wake him up before Miss Hans— "Joseph!" ...too late. "Hwuah?" Joseph's head popped up, and he quickly wiped the drool on the side of his mouth. The class snickered, and Marie's eyes darted towards Joseph. Miss Hans' arms were crossed, and her usually quirking eyebrows were furrowed. "Since you are being so polite to our new student, Joseph, why don't you show her around campus during recess?" "...yes, Miss Hans." The tips of Joseph's ears turned bright red, and he sank deeper in his seat. On the opposite side of the classroom, I saw that Anthony noticed Joseph's pained expression, and he tried to get Joseph's attention. But the top of Joseph's desk seemed very interesting at the moment, so Anthony's gestures went unnoticed. Joseph didn’t even raise his head when Marie occupied the seat next to him and stared inside his desk. OOO Recess just started, and Joseph was trying to be a proper tour guide. Key word: trying. I would help Joseph, but it's hard to talk discreetly to an invisible person without alarming the other party. "So...um...follow me...I guess..." Smooth, Joseph, real smooth. Marie just nodded and walked beside him. The silence was killing me, and I could tell Joseph was desperately digging for a way to break the ice. To my surprise, Marie started the conversation. “…do you like ​The Magic Playground ​books?” Joseph stopped in his tracks, speechless, and Marie stuttered, “S-sorry, I saw ​The Kingdom in the Clouds ​in your desk and I’ve read the series, too, but I don’t know anyone else who does and so I thought it’d be nice to get to know you and…” Man, I thought, this girl has some large lungs. Marie noticed that Joseph was having difficulties following her string of words and blushed. I could tell that she was one of those girls who unconsciously rattled on for minutes, and then got embarrassed when they realized they’d been babbling. Usually, I found those girls annoying, but Marie seemed nice enough. “Sorry, I talk a lot.” Marie apologized, scratching her cheek. “Everyone says I do.” She looked upset, but Joseph sent her a small smile and shrugged. “It’s okay, I don’t mind.”

Marie’s expression lightened up, and the aura around them instantly changed. They compared their favorite books in the series, and Marie mentioned that they were trying to make them into a movie. Joseph’s face started to glow, his animated voice rising, and the two slowly started moving ahead, lost in their own world. My heart filled with warmth witnessing the scene before me, but I felt a little out of place. I also read ​The Magic Playground ​series and found them very intriguing, but my interest in the books could never surpass Marie’s, and especially not Joseph’s. I guess it could also be because of our age differences, but it’s good that Joseph started making friends his own age. I watched them for a few seconds, then started back to the classroom. It’s alright, I thought. If I give him some space, Joseph can make more friends without being judged. It’s better this way. But when I saw Joseph smiling at Marie, I couldn’t help but feel a bit lonely.

Joseph The trees changed into their autumn robes and hand-made turkeys roamed freely on our classroom walls. During these two months, Anthony, Marie, and I have gotten closer. We started reading at school during recess, sleeping over at each others’ houses, and playing on the weekends. My schedule became so packed that Amy and I started talking less frequently, until we basically stopped altogether. There were times when I didn’t even see her for the entire day, but I’m sure Amy understands. Knowing her, she’s probably happy that I’m getting along with my classmates. “Man, this sucks.” Anthony groaned, slumping in his chair. “What’s wrong?” “I asked the librarian for ​The City Beneath the Sea​, but she said it’s already checked out!” “Oh,” Marie fished something out of her backpack. “That’s because I have it.” “Haven’t you already finished the series?” I asked. “But this one’s my favorite!” Marie exclaimed, hugging the book close. “He met mer—” “LALALALALA!” “Sshhh!” I whispered to both of them, noticing the librarian glaring in our direction. Anthony unplugged his ears and nodded apologetically to the her, and Marie followed afterwards. I think it’s safe to say that my life has become a lot noisier ever since these two came along. Not that I’m complaining; I couldn’t have asked for better friends. We have all helped each other grow as a person. Anthony speaks up for himself now, and participates way more in class. Marie is putting her loud voice to good use, and started taking singing lessons. She even invited us to one of her performances. As for me, my grades are still average, but I’m starting to open up to the rest of my classmates. Mark even invited me to his birthday party, which was really surprising. He approached me afterwards and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. “Hey Joseph,” Mark said, “can I talk to your for a minute?” “…sure…” I eyed him warily. I knew that Mark was one of the people who whispered behind my back, and he was also responsible for some of the rude nicknames I was called. So I was very confused when he stood before me and refused to make eye contact. “Um…well…I just wanted to say…” Mark kept his gaze on the floor, then he slowly raised his head and looked me in the eye. “I’m sorry…” I guess he mistook my silence for anger and bumbled out a response. “I-I know you probably hate me for saying all those things…I don’t even know why I did it, but when I saw you get that hundred in spelling, I guess I realized…you were normal…” “…Um…thanks…?”

Mark realized what he said and slapped his forehead. “Dang it, I didn’t mean it like that. What I’m trying to say is…I thought you were cool…trying to raise your grade, I mean. And Dennis feels the same way. He would’ve told you today, but he had to leave early for a family reunion.” At first, I thought Mark was teasing me. It’s not everyday the person who you thought disliked you says you’re cool. But the emotion in Mark’s eyes was genuine, and I knew he meant well. After a few seconds, we awkwardly shook hands, and then started laughing at our previous formality. We were far from being best friends, but I felt good, and I think Mark did, too. OOO I’m back home now, waiting for Mama to finish cooking dinner. Daddy is slouched on the couch, and besides the reporter speaking on the T.V., nothing is happening. “Mama, I’m hungry,” Her curt reply was, “Not as hungry as the children in Africa.” I sighed and trudged upstairs. Mama works from home, but she still has to deal with the “stupid, annoying people” at her job. I guess today was an especially irritating work day, so I’m being very cautious not to step on any landmines. I open my bedroom door and flop onto my mattress. The air conditioning turned on, causing cool air to stream passed me. The breeze made my nose itch, and I sneezed into my pillow. “Gesundheit.” I sprung up, startled, but relaxed when I realize the voice came from Amy, who was sitting across from me on the floor. That’s weird, I didn’t even notice she was in the room. “Oh hey, Amy.” “Hey, yourself,” she said. “You feeling alright? Not getting sick are you?” “I could ask you the same thing.” “Me?” Amy pointed to herself with a smile. “I’m just dandy.” But Amy’s haggard appearance was anything but dandy. Dark crescents underlined her eyes, and her face was alarmingly pale. Black splotches stained her now ashen-grey T-shirt. What scared me the most, though, was Amy’s smile. It was a forced, painful smile that didn’t reach her eyes, a mere shadow of its former self. “Are you sure?” I stood up and walked towards her. “Pretty sure.” “Really?” I said in disbelief. “Because you don’t look very good to me.” “I think I look just fine.” “Well, I think you look horrible.” I waited for a snappy comeback, but Amy just said, “Thanks for the compliment!” Again, that fake smile crawled onto her face, and I knew something wasn’t right. I knelt down in front of her. “Amy, you know you can talk to me if anything’s wrong.”

An unsettling expression appeared on Amy’s face. “…really?” “What do you mean ‘really’ ?” “You can’t even be bothered to say ‘good morning,’ not to mention all the times you ignore me during the day.” “Okay, I’m sorry I don’t say ‘hi’ in the morning, but you know I can’t talk to you when Anthony and Marie are around.” I was taken aback by Amy’s sharp tone, and hoped that reason would smooth the brewing storm. Unfortunately, my plan backfired, and Amy’s eyes flashed. “Anthony this, Marie that. They’re all you ever think about! You don’t have to spend every second of your life with them!” “They’re my best friends, so of course I’d spend time with them. They’d leave if they saw me talking to thin air!” My patience was already worn thin, but now I felt let down. I thought Amy would be happy that I was getting along with my classmates, but instead she was acting hostile towards Anthony and Marie and that struck a nerve in me. Amy’s voice softened. “Even if they did leave you, I’d still be here.” Looking back, I should have heard the kindness in Amy’s voice, but for some reason that one sentence just set me off. “You just don’t get it!” I shouted at her. “I talk to you even though Mama thinks I’m crazy and everyone at school stares at me like I’m some freak! But Anthony and Marie still became my friends and I was happy, but then you started putting distance between us. I thought it was because you wanted me to have more friends, but I guess you don’t care at all!” I knew that some of my words were cruel and untruthful, but they continued to spew out of my mouth. And before I could stop myself, I screamed. “Maybe my life would've been better if you just disappeared!” The moment those words left my mouth, I instantly regretted it. But before I could apologize, the temperature in my room dropped, and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the air conditioning. The lights flickered like a dying firefly, and the room itself quaked in fear. Then suddenly all the lights shut off. From the kitchen, I heard Daddy say something about a blackout. When the commotion ceased, the lights flashed back on, and I fearfully peeled my eyes open. It looked like a tornado had demolished my room — my drawer was overturned, clothes lay scattered across the floor, the light bulb in my lamp was shattered. But my tattered bedroom was the least of my worries. Amy was gone.

Amy

At that moment, I didn’t have the foggiest idea which direction was left or right, or if the sky was above or below me. All I knew was that I had to get away from that house — from Joseph. The chilly night air snapped at my heels, chasing me from the Carters’ home. I covered my ears to muffle the wind, who shrieked profanities at me, cursing my very existence. Thunder growled all around me, trapping me like predator does its prey. I found an opening, but the farther I ran, the stronger Joseph’s words resonated in my ears. I desperately fled from that voice that haunted my mind, not caring if I ended up on a different continent as long as it could be silenced. Unfortunately, since my eyes were shut, I failed to notice the steps ahead of me, and the ground beneath my feet suddenly vanished. Smack! The breath was ripped from my lungs as my skull made contact with the asphalt. The world seemed to spin for a few seconds until a blast of lightning set everything straight. Clutching my head, I limped over to a car and examined my reflection in its window. Before me stood a bedraggled girl with a pallid face and dejected eyes. Someone as filthy and selfish as her had no place standing beside Joseph. “…disappear, huh?” I kicked the car a few times, straightened its mirror, then wandered off to find shelter. I immediately chucked the idea of going back to the Carters, though the temptation drove me mad. I had spent all of my time with Joseph that being in their house was second nature to me. It became not only the Carters’ home, but my home as well. I absorbed the daily routines of a caretaker—waking up Joseph, bringing him to school, tucking him in at night—and my sororal instincts were awakened. That’s why, as heart-wrenching as it was, I would not step one foot into their front yard until I exorcised these selfish thoughts. Somehow, I had managed to run in a complete circle, and ended up in the park that I first met Joseph. I plopped down on the swingset; its squeaky chains sent nostalgia coursing through my veins. I reminisced about the day I swung Joseph so high, he grabbed a leaf from a nearby tree. His childish smile expanded across his entire face when he realized he could practically fly, and we swung for nearly half an hour. “Amy, will you push me on the swings tomorrow, and the day after that?” “Of course, Joseph!” I had said. How I longed with every fiber in my being to return to those days, but time is a cruel puppeteer that enjoys toying with emotions. Once he lost amusement, it was inevitable that the strings of fate would be snipped. Hopping off the swing seat, I continued my search for shelter. Underneath the slide seemed favorable, but while the sand made soft bedding, who knew what critters littered on it. The benches gave needed leverage; however, that left me vulnerable to possible rainfall. To my great delight, I remembered seeing a treehouse in the middle of the grassy area just outside the sandbox. I sprinted over and climbed up the latter to observed my new living space. Needless to say, the house only consisted of wooden boards and a solitary window, and slivers of moonlight

peered through the cracks in the roof. In order to preserve the little warmth I had, I tucked myself away in a corner and curled up into a cocoon. There was a draft flowing through the spaces in the walls, and since Mother Nature adored me, it started to drizzle. I sighed, taking in the dark, musty room. “Home sweet home.” OOO Seconds turned to minutes, hours evolved into days, but the sparrows’ comforting songs always soothed my weary spirit. The neighborhood children were confined to their homes since the forecast showed rain for the next two weeks, so the park’s desolateness meant my days were relatively peaceful. Most of the information regarding the world outside my abode came from the old ladies who took their morning walks. I’d often catch myself peering out the window for Joseph, hoping that he’d come searching for me. Then I remembered that Joseph most likely hated my guts and unwelcoming memories would rise up, and I’d slump back in my corner. Being isolated from society again allowed me to completely immerse myself in my thoughts. If I closed my eyes, I could still visualize it. The day I arrived in this forgotten world. When I had first came, the muffled sound of screeching tires constantly plagued my mind, like it was set on replay. Nothing was familiar to me and wherever I went, everyone turned a blind eye to me. I don’t remember how long I lived as a shadow to humanity, but one day when I was in Paris, I heard a soft, minuscule cry in the distance. Something clicked within me, and I sped in the general direction of the disembodied voice. But once I felt the person was within my reach, the voice leaped to a completely different location. After playing cat-and-mouse with the voice for what seemed like an eternity, I allowed myself to catch my breath, and leaned against the Eiffel Tower, supporting myself with my right arm. Before I knew it I was lying on a patch of grass. I blinked. It’s physically impossible to remove a major landmark from the face of the earth in just one second. My eyes bulged when I discovered the setting around me had changed to a playground, and sitting on the swings was a small boy. He was quivering like a leaf, and after further inspection, I could see droplets sliding down his face. I approached him, and laid a comforting hand on his trembling shoulder. I had done this many times in the past. There was that teenager who was blubbering about some guy called Tristan, another was a child whose chocolate ice cream cone went splat on the floor, and then there was a woman. It was foggy that day when I encountered her at a place where small monuments protruded from the ground, looking like glorified stones. Something about this boy reminded me of her, maybe how both their bodies shook uncontrollably as they tried to shackle their tears to their eyes. “Hello up there!” I snapped out of my reverie, and forgetting that I had been gazing out the window, I banged my head on the top board.

“That looked like it hurt.” Head still throbbing, I squinted at the blurry figure beneath me. Once my vision refocused, I saw that the person calling to me was a young girl. She appeared about six and golden pigtails bounced from either side of her head. A ruffly white dress hugged her slightly chubby figure. “You okay, miss?” she asked, cocking her head. “Uh huh…I think…” Then it hit me. “Wait, wait, wait—you can see me?” “Yup!” She chirped, and started to climb up the ladder. By the time she reached the top and poked her head through the entryway, I was still sitting on the floor, dumbfounded. “H…how can you see me?” “Because I’m the same as you, miss.” I stared at her. “What do you mean?” The girl looked at me sadly. “Don’t worry, miss. You’ll find out soon.” “That’s what they all say,” I huffed. “Well, one person does anyway.” “They’re just trying keep your hopes up. I’m sure they care about you very much.” I lowered my eyes, Joseph’s accusations stirring up my inner turmoil. “He’s probably glad I’m gone. Not that I blame him.” To my surprise, she placed her tiny hand on my shoulder, and sent me a small smile. “But you still care about him, am I right?” And for some unknown reason, those simple words carved a gaping crevasse in my heart, and my resolve was utterly shattered to pieces. Anger, grief, regret, fear. All these emotions flowed out of me along with the salty tears that coursed down my cheeks. I knew that, if needed, I would have given up my life for Joseph. That’s why the very thought that he despised me crushed my soul. I couldn’t handle abandonment; I couldn’t go back to a world where my existence was simply a shadow being trodden on by others. Complete mayhem rampaged through my mind, and I could honestly care less that I was mentally breaking down in front of a child nearly half my age. It felt like hours had passed until my spasms ceased and I got ahold of myself. During my meltdown, the girl was completely silent. She spoke now, her voice tender and encouraging. “Go to Joseph.” she urged. “I’m sure he misses you, too.” I hesitated. After a sharp intake of breath, I nodded shakily and shied towards the exit. She shooed me. “Go on now.” I leapt down onto the grass below, then turned to express my gratitude. “Thank you for listening to me…what’s your name?” “My name was Debbie.” I scratched my cheek, pondering that sentence, and when I looked up, Debbie was nowhere in sight. My eyes were fixated on that spot for a moment, and I absentmindedly found myself standing in silent reverence with my head bowed. When I raised my head, a sense of

relief washed over me and I raced towards the Carters’ house, overlooking the single ray of light left shining in Debbie’s place.

Joseph Tick, tock, tick, tock. I monitored the clock as its hands sluggishly inched by without a care in the world. Amy had been gone for three days and my conscience gnawed away at me every hour that passed with her absence. Without Amy around, the times I spent by myself were lonely and dull. I had started pacing in my room, an old habit that occurred whenever I had too much time in my hands. When the doorbell rang, I would abandon whatever I was doing and make a beeline towards the door, but I was disappointed every time. There was no smiling girl waiting for me to embrace her, to beg for forgiveness, and beg her to never leave me again. My parents noticed a change in my mood despite my best efforts to deceive them (we all know we can’t hide anything from our parents). When they interrogated me, I beat around the bush and blamed it on a headache or an inefficient amount of sleep. They obviously weren’t convinced, but they let me off the hook anyway. Even Anthony and Marie had an inkling of my inner turmoil, although it was easier to appease their worries than it was for my parents. I felt guilty when I fed my best friends lies, but this was a personal matter between me and Amy, no one else. “Joseph, dinner is ready.” Mama called from the kitchen. “I’ll eat later.” “You sure, son?” I noted their worried tone, and painted a grin on my face. “Yeah, I’m not hungry yet.” Silence lingered over us like a tense, dark cloud until the monotonous sound of chewing started up. I nonchalantly switched on the T.V. as a reaffirmation, and also just for the sake of doing something to distract myself. As I randomly flipped through the channels, everything around me melded together, the scraping of utensils, the mumbling of the news reporters, the ringing of the door bell. Wait, what? “I’ll get it, I’ll get it!” I scrambled off of the couch and nearly twisted my ankle as I sprinted to the door. My heart raced when I saw the silhouette of a teenager from our window, and it took all my restraint to peer through the peephole first before flinging the door open. But after a closer inspection, my hopes were immediately extinguished. That girl was not Amy. Amy’s attire didn’t consist of a baggy, navy blue sweatshirt, ripped jeans, and a brown headband. I released the breath I had been holding in. I should’ve known it was too good to be true. “Mama, there’s a girl outside.” I announced, keeping my voice steady. “Goodness, who’d be out at this hour?” It turned out that the girl was searching for her missing terrier, Harry, and she was handing out posters with his picture and their house phone number. She told Mama that her older

brother had left their door slightly ajar, so when they came back from grocery shopping, Harry was gone. The rest of their conversation was of little interest to my preoccupied mind, and I didn’t even notice when the girl bid farewell to Mama and shut the door. The gears in my head worked overtime to process the situation at hand. Like Harry, Amy was also missing, but I couldn’t just make missing posters for her and stick them around the entire neighborhood. If only it was that easy. Frustrated tears threatened to break the dam I created over the past three days. Harry was a dog and his whole family was looking for him, but Amy… Amy didn’t have anyone. She only had me. The spiteful words that had spewed from my mouth during our heated conversation came back to bite me. Back then, I had only thought about how I could form bonds with my classmates, but what I didn’t realize was that by surrounding myself with others, I had stolen Amy’s only companion. Being the only person that’s able to see Amy meant I was her sole connection to this world. Without me, she’d most likely be wandering from country to country, forgotten like a memory from our early childhood years. She would cease to exist. “Even if they did leave you, I’d still be here.” That sentence opened my eyes to the reality of Amy’s predicament. She would always be there, waiting like an abandoned puppy for a kind soul to discover her and take her in. Eternally waiting for a savior that would never come. This revelation left me completely oblivious to the fact that the shackles restraining my tears had shattered, allowing them to flow freely. I was only aware of their escape when Mama’s alarmed cry pierced the silence. She flew to my side and tried to determine the source of my tears, but something had come over me. I pushed her aside, and ran out the door. Find Amy. That was the mission my mind was set on, and maybe it was because I was fixated on this goal that I failed to sense the car racing towards me. I heard Mama’s hysterical screams and Daddy shouting me to come back. But their cries were in vain. As the car slammed into me, time seemed to slow down. I think I called out Amy’s name. Whether I did it out loud or mentally I couldn’t tell. But somehow in response, a warm glow encompassed my entire body. Everything stood still and I could’ve sworn that I heard someone calling me, and that they were embracing me. Then I felt a searing pain in my right leg and my vision went black. OOO White. That was all I could see. It felt like I was floating.

Was I dead? “If you were dead I’d never forgive myself.” That voice…where had I heard it before? It was like someone had lifted the curtain that blocked my vision and that person was— “Amy!” I bounded over to that dazzling figure and wrapped my arms around her, fearing that she’d disappear if I let go. Her name flowed off of my tongue and as I bawled into her chest the silence around us magnified my sorrowful song, and all the while Amy gently patted my back like a mother comforting her crying child. By the time I was done, my eyes were red and my breath only came out in shuddering gasps. “Don’t cry, Joseph.” Amy cooed. “It’s alright now.” “W-what happened?” I choked out the question. “The car—Mama and Daddy—it hurt—” “You were lucky I got there in time. A second later and you would have been killed.” I paled at my near encounter with death, but one thing confused me. “What is this place, Amy?” “Well…” Amy paused and her eyes clouded. “Ah…this place is…” “What is it?” “…this is a limbo, a place where the dead wait for their judgement.” I stared at her incredulously. “What are you talking about? You said I wasn’t dead!” “That's right.” “T-then…then that means…you’re—!” Realization hit me harder than the car did, and I flung myself at Amy. “No...No no no no!” I cried hysterically, as if my words could prevent the inevitable. “You can’t, Amy, you can’t! Please don’t!” Amy’s contrite expression cut through my rant, and a guilty silence took its place. This was probably more painful for Amy than it was for me and begging her to stay wasn’t making it any easier. Again, I thought sadly. I’m hurting Amy again. Amy took a deep breath and ruffled my hair. “Don’t feel ashamed, Joseph,” she said knowingly. “What you are feeling is natural. Your mom and dad felt the same way, too.” “What do you mean?” I asked. “I think it’s better if you ask them yourself.” “Whatever you say.” “…I’ll stay with you a moment longer…until it’s time…” Amy’s voice faded and I became aware of a faint beeping. I groggily opened my eyes, which I don’t remember closing, and noticed that I was hooked up to a monitor and my right leg was enclosed in a cast. Then the events that occurred that night came rushing back to me, and I remembered the white-hot pain that had coursed throughout my leg. It was pretty self-explanatory that I was in a hospital, but my parents weren’t in the room. I heard the

doorknob twist and Mama and Daddy stood there in the doorway with the nurse. Their faces were suffused with relief and they rushed to my side. “Joseph! Oh my baby, my precious child!” Mama broke down and kneeled by my bedside, and Daddy squeezed my hand. The nurse checked me to make sure the operation went smooth, then left to give us some private time. “You’re a very lucky boy, taking a hit like that and coming out with only a broken leg plus a few scratches.” she told me before closing the door. “Don’t ever do that again,” Daddy said. “Why on earth did you run out into the street?” “I had to find—” I cut myself off, my answer dying in my throat. “Find what, sweetheart?” Eyeing Mama, I choked out a mumbled response. “…Amy…” Silence. Then out of nowhere, a miniscule orb of light appeared at the foot of my bed. It expanded until the translucent body of a girl was formed. Her smile was genuine, and she glided over to sit by my side. I noted my parents silence and saw them staring in awe at the figure before them. The girl hugged me close, and since I expected to feel chills, I was shocked to feel warmth emitting from her body. When she released me, she hovered over to Daddy and Mama, who was quivering in fear or disbelief. She whispered something in Mama’s ear, causing her eyes widened and she stared at the girl in shock. A loving smile spread across the girl’s face, and she turned to me once more. Tears began to form in my eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. She came closer and kissed my forehead, and my eyes watered at the finality in that gesture. But I smiled despite the tears because I knew that would bring her peace. I started when she gave a small wave, and began to walk off. I couldn’t let things end like this. My hand shot out and somehow I was able to grab ahold of her arm. She turned back in surprise, and I took that chance to say the words I always wanted to tell her. “I love you, Amy!” Amy beamed with happiness and I was shocked to see a solitary tear trickling down her cheek. She embraced me tightly, and before she faded away, she whispered softly in that voice that whisked me to sleep every night. “Love you too, little brother.”

Epilogue A month has passed since I was discharged from the hospital, and now Daddy and I were finishing decorating the Christmas tree while Mama prepared for our feast tonight. Our house was all tidied up and the lights outside made it twinkle like star. The aromas wafting from the kitchen made my stomach growl, and I literally jumped for joy when Mama announced that it was time to eat. But before we sat down, she told us to follow her. I watched inquisitively as she emerged from the garage with a cardboard box in her arms. She went over to the living room, and was silent for a few minutes. I scrutinized the two pictures that hung on the wall, and noticed a space separating them. My questions were answered when Mama carefully handed me the missing photograph. I stared at the young girl who was carrying her baby brother for the first time. The love in her eyes was apparent as she carefully held a bottle of milk to his mouth. About a year later, her undying love reappeared when she made the decision to shield her brother from a drunk driver, even though it costed the girl her memories and eventually her life. But her sacrifice was not in vain and her little brother miraculously survived the impact. Although she had disappeared from his life, she would forever live on in his heart. As I placed the picture in its rightful place, I smiled at my big sister.

And she smiled back.