From now on, this will be your home.
A stranger told me that. He was an ordinary looking middle-aged man. Behind him, a little girl was trying to hide. Every now and then, she would peek at me like a small animal.
This is Katie. She will be your little sister. Go on, say hello to your big brother.
Seemingly oblivious to her father’s words, the little girl continued to hide behind him.
I’m sorry about that. She’s just a little shy.
We were the same age. I was just a few months older than her.
We will take you to your new mother, okay? Whatever she says, just say okay or nod your head. Do you understand?
I nodded my head as if practicing what he had just said.
Kristopher? Is it really you?
I nodded my head as the woman reached out to me with unsteady hands.
They said you died. I didn't believe them. I knew I was right. I was right. Kris is still here. He's still here.
She laughed as she hugged me tenderly with her weak arms. After one week, she died.
Since then, they called me Kristopher as if it was natural.
Since then, I had already forgotten my name.
5:30 am
“WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP RIGHT NOW!”
…
“WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP RIGHT NOW!”
…
“WAKE UP! WA—”
Once again, the alarm tone for my phone changed. One moment of weakness in this house, and all hell breaks lose. Still a bit groggy, I operated my phone and changed the alarm tone back to default.
“HaaAAAh…”
A majestic yawn.
I got out of bed and did some stretching and light exercises. It’s always best to keep one’s body healthy and ready in the morning.
Towel in hand I left my room and headed for the bath. Along the way, a wonderful scent wafted in the air. Fried egg and bacon. Someone’s in a good mood.
After putting on my uniform, I posed a bit in front of the mirror. Black hair, brown eyes. A fit figure. Yep, still handsome and charming.
“You seem to be in a good mood today, Kate.”
I said as I sat down by the breakfast table. Fried eggs and bacon, as expected.
“Huhun! I received an e-mail from dad this morning. He already sent this month’s allowance.”
She just laughed through her nose. Dear sister, even if you’re the cutest girl in the world, your nostrils will enlarge if you keep doing that. That won’t be a good thing for both you and me.
“Make sure you pay what you owe me.”
She was speechless. She definitely already forgot about it. Last month, she got absorbed into shopping and spent all her allowance on new clothes.
“You’re heartless, Kris!”
Her cheeks puffed as she pouted.
Hmm?! That’s quite the cute expression. I might just forget that she owed me anything if she kept on making that face.
“Not my fault.”
I’m heartless.
It takes about half an hour to reach school on foot. It wasn't that far, but the residential area we live in didn't have a straight road that leads to it.
We’re now third year high school students. It’s the middle of the first term of our last year. Hooray! Freedom is at hand!
There was still an hour before class starts when we arrived. Katie have morning club practice. She’s in the drama club, and with the founding festival so near, they were busy preparing for whatever contribution they have to do.
As for me, I’m in the delivery club. I deliver my little sister to school and back home.
“Early as always, Topher.”
A familiar voice said as a group of five students enter the room. No matter who the person is, if you've been classmates since middle school, they’re voice would become familiar to you whether you like it or not. It’s a curse.
“It’s a curse.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Are you sure you want to know?”
Seeing my serious expression, Jeffrey laughed awkwardly as he took his seat and dismissed our previous conversation. His four other companions did the same.
Good riddance. That was effective.
I continued to read the pocketbook I brought along as I waited for class to start.
Katie and I were in different classes, but during lunch break we always meet on the rooftop to eat. I brought the packs of bread and juice I bought and sat at our usual spot.
Strange. Normally, she’d be here by now. I tried sending her a message but there was no reply. She would always inform me if she won’t make it like the times when she was sent on an errand by a teacher or when she needed to meet for her club.
Lunch break ended. I returned to class with a strange mood.
She skipped class the entire afternoon. I went to her club but she had not shown up aside from morning practice. Where did she go?
I called her but the line was busy. No message. Nothing. I’m starting to worry.
I sent messages to everyone I knew if they saw my sister and waited at the school’s front gate.
Panic. Worry. Anxiety. Fear.
Protect your sister.
Those words echoed in my head. Those were the last words our mother told me before she died.
Then, my phone rang. It’s a message.
I hurried back home. Someone saw her heading home this afternoon looking tired. She was not in uniform, too. Did she skip class to go somewhere? Why? With whom? Why didn't she tell me?
Questions filled my head. I’ll find out the answer once I got home. I held on to that firm belief and rushed home.
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Locked.
The door was locked. The lights were off. The curtains were closed. No one’s in the house?
I fumbled with my keys and it took a while before I managed to open the door. As I turned on the lights…
*POP*
Colorful confetti sprayed before me. It was a party popper.
There in the living room stood my little sister. There was a small cake on the table and a wrapped box by her feet.
“Happy birthday!”
A bright smile was on her face.
That’s right… today was my birthday. I forgot. No one remembered other than my sister. She went to all these trouble to prepare a surprise for me.
But still…
“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING, IDIOT?!”
I yelled at her.
“I—”
She was surprised and confused.
“DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS?”
“I’m sorry… I just—”
“I SENT YOU A MESSAGE AND CALLED YOU! WHY DID YOU TURN YOUR PHONE OFF?! WHY DID YOU NOT SENT A MESSAGE BACK?!”
“…”
“I SPENT THE WHOLE AFTERNOON WAITING FOR YOU AND LOOKING FOR YOU!”
Her face scrunched up as tears rolled down her cheeks. Suddenly, she ran out of the living room and into her room.
“OI!”
She slammed the door and locked it.
“OI! OPEN THE DOOR!”
I banged on her door with my fist while yelling for her to open it.
…
How stupid of me…
…
No matter how much I apologized, I could not get a response from beyond the door. I still can’t contact her phone.
In the end, I went back to the living room. Seeing the cake and the wrapped present made me think of the stupidness of what I just did. With a sigh, I sliced the cake and started to it.
Damn, it’s good. Just the right sweetness.
I lay back on the sofa and started thinking of what I should do tomorrow to make up for what I did.
As I relaxed, my eyes closed and I drifted off to sleep.
Past midnight, I woke up with a sensation that something was out of place.
A blanket had been placed on top of me. The cake was gone. The present was still there, unopened.
Did she finally leave her room? That’s good.
Another wave of sleepiness hit me and I quickly fell asleep.
Her room was still locked by morning. I knocked but there was no response.
“I’m really sorry about last night, Kate. I really am.”
No answer.
“I’ll go ahead, okay? If you need anything, just message me or call me.”
Still no response.
“I love you, okay? I’m sorry.”
Leaving those words behind, I left for school.
Another ordinary day, with only one piece missing. I regret the actions I did last night. I should have kept my cool.
It was because I had that dream of the past. Now, I’m blaming dreams.
I should just accept that it was all my fault. Yep, I should do that.
On the way home, I met with Jeffrey and his gang in a nearby game center.
“How’s you, Tophie?”
“One more word of that strange nickname and you’ll be known as Jenny for the rest of your life.”
“That doesn't seem so bad… Just kidding! Just kidding! But man, you've been out of it since yesterday. Something happened?”
“Don’t you remember? I couldn't find my sister yesterday afternoon. I even bothered a lot of people to tell me if they saw her.”
“Sister?”
“Don’t tell me you already forgot her? Katie, two classrooms down?”
“Since when did you get yourself a sister?”
“Huh?”
His confused expression. The confused expression of the other four behind him.
The same feeling I got when I woke up early in the morning.
“Haha. Don’t joke around with me Jeff. You even once told me you had a crush on Katie back in middle school.”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, dude. I’m sure you’re an only child. Your foster parents adopted you because their only child died and you look a little bit like him, right? I remember you telling me that.”
Only child?
I grabbed Jeffrey’s collar and pushed him against a wall.
“Her name’s Katie! She sat beside me in middle school. Don’t you remember?”
His gang pulled us apart.
“What the heck man? What’s wrong with you. I know no Katie. You should go to the doctor and get your head checked.”
What the hell is going on?
I ran away from them and rushed home.
“Katie? Katie? Katie! You there? Open the door!”
I knocked on her door.
Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong.
I kicked her door open.
“Katie?”
Empty. The room was empty except for a few storage boxes. There was no pink wallpaper. No pink bed. Not a trace of her.
I called dad. It’s an international call, but I didn't care.
“What’s up?”
“Dad! Katie’s missing!”
“Katie? Who’s that?”
“Don’t joke with me dad!”
“Oh! Oh! I remember. Is that a new pet you got?”
What the…
Just what the hell is going on?
I contacted everyone I knew that knew Katie. Her drama club. Her classmates. Teachers. Neighbors.
None. No one knows her.
I sat down on the sofa, confused.
The cake was bought by me. The credit card number on the receipt was mine.
The present was sent by dad.
The room was a storage room.
I looked at my phone and dialed her number.
The number is currently not in service.
I don’t know what’s going on anymore.
0th Chapter
"Loss and Regret"
End