"Come back before sundown," Mom said as she put the towel for us in the basket in my hands. Following behind me as I headed toward the door.
"Will do, mother," I said.
As I stood in the courtyard I saw Lilly sitting on the lawn, her face resting on her palm. Her short red hair shimmered under the fading streaks of sunlight.
"Come on, Lilly, get going" I called out.
She ran toward me as fast as her little legs could carry her and held out her hand for me to hold. I examined her palm for a moment and hold it in mine when I found it clean.
"By sundown. No matter whatever the fuss Lilly would make. I want you girls here by sundown." Mother reminds us.
"Okay," I managed to call out as Lilly yanked me toward the mountains. Her pace fastens until she is running, giggling loudly when she hears a yelp bounce out of my mouth.
"Lilly, slow down" I grunted. But she kept running with my hand in hers, unaffected.
"Remind me why did I ever suggest taking you to the river!" I held onto her hand tight and made her slow down.
She looks up at me, her pink lips curling down in a tiny frown, "Why are you so slow? We'll be late!"
"We have plenty of time."
"No, we don't!" She pouted.
Her little finger points at the sun which is approaching the horizon. I sighed, pushing back my hair draping my face as the wind blew, "Did you see that little hill? The river is just down there. No need to run when it is this near." I said, leading the way down the hill.
A cute gasp flew past Lilly's lips and faded into the breeze as her eyes found the blue lake sprawled in front of us. She was about to run again, but I held her tight. When she looks up at me, I shake my head with my lips pursed. "If you run down here, you won't reach that river."
Her eyebrows creased together, "Then?"
"You will need to go to the physician instead."
A gasp again, "Aren't you being so mean, Big sister?"
I laugh, "just caring for you, my Lilly"
We walk through the gravel path to the river, thick green grass carpeting every bit of the ground on the other two sides.
Lilly fastened her pace again and I sighed, I pointed at a tree shade and said, "Put your chappal over there"
Lilly just blinked her green eyes at me. When I look down, I see her bare foot pressed on the green grass. I gave her a look.
"I'm sorry, I forgot" She gave me a bashful smile, tugging her light brown hair strands—that we both inherited from our mother— behind her ear.
I rolled my eyes and walked toward the tree shade, discarding my chapels by its thick roots.
And then we are stripping every piece of cloth clung to our body and diving under the glistening water luring us to it. Lilly surfaced on top with a loud squeal making me wince, I would have smacked her head if I wasn't head-deep under the water.
"It's so cold!" She screeched as she swam towards me and wrapped her tiny arms around my neck. But then she flinched away from me, hands flapping as she tried not to drown.
"When did you grow boobies, big sister?" Her eyes were as big as they could get as she stared at me comically.
"I'm fourteen for some reason" I laugh so loud, the sound of it rings in the air.
She gave me a funny look before swimming away from me as if she suddenly isn't cold anymore.
"Two rounds, and then I'll bathe you" I called out as I swam back to the rock nearby so that I could take a bath first, but Lilly pretended like she didn't hear me and swam away like a little duck.
After what felt like an eternity, Lilly swam back to me where I was sitting by the rocks, already done with my bath. She gave me a crooked grin, pushing back the hair strands that clung to her face. Water droplets dripped down her body like tiny crystals as she stepped toward me.
"Why did you come back so early, Lilly?" I gave her a mocking smile and she frowned, looking down at her feet.
"I'm sorry, Zera. Please bathe me quickly" Her eyes hoisted to the horizon where the sun is bracing to dip down, "Mother will be mad if we are late." She whined as she stumbled her foot against the rock and regretted it instantly as the pain shot in.
"You brought it on us" I jabbed a finger at her and she had the audacity to roll her eyes at me. Six years old and already a little shit.
I yanked her toward the lake and bathed her as fast as I could. She whined at some points saying I poked her somewhere I wasn't supposed to or I rubbed her skin a little too harshly or my fingers trapped on the tiny knots of her hair strands and so on.
Not more than ten minutes after, I had Lilly wrapped in a towel. I plopped her on my hip so that she wouldn't get dirt on her bare foot. Lilly being as light as a feather makes it easy for me to carry her around.
"Ready to go—" A flashy squeal of someone cut off my words. Our heads snapped toward the sound and found a group of girls running toward the lake, they all seemed to be close to my age. I felt an abrupt insecurity crawling under my skin making me freeze on my spot. Lilly tightens her hold on my neck as she makes herself small in my arms. Unlike me, Lilly is very outgoing and chatty. But this group of girls must have intimidated her just like they did to me.
As always I tried to keep my eyes low, but to my unfortunate, one of the girl's eyes caught mine. And there was a gasp. And followed by some hushed whispers.
I finally found it in me to move my limbs and take some measured steps toward the tree where I discarded my chappals.
"She is Gray!" The voice was repulsed and loud enough to catch my ears. And it almost made me freeze again. But I took all the courage in me to block it out as I walked past the girls.
"Yeah, she is gray! Hey!" Another voice said and I felt my heartbeat rising and my palms getting clammy. The girls come to stand in front of us, eyeing me as if it disgusts them at the sight of me. I don't know why they bother looking at me then.
"What do you mean She is Gray?" Lilly asked with a bite in her tone. And I try hard to stop myself from panicking and running home.
"She is not gray! She is Zera, my big sister" Lilly said, pressing her fingers on her chest, fuming.
I gulp.
"Sorry to break it to you that your big sister is a Gray!" one of the girls with long black hair scoffed, pulling out loud, exaggerated laughs from the other girls.
"She is not Gray! She is Zera!" Lilly argued, her voice getting screechier.
"Zera or whatever, she is a Gray! Hideous. What are you doing out here?"
I sucked in a breath, "We were taking a bath. I'm sorry, I'll get going" I bowed my head at them, keeping my eyes down.
"You shouldn't be bathing here! We would not appreciate the presence of a Gray at our spot."
I wanted to fight them, I wanted to say I've been coming here since I was as small as Lilly. And I've never seen them here before. So how is this gonna be their spot? But I didn't. Because no Gray can talk back to other wolves like that. We're the blunders of the Moon goddess.
"No! This is Zera's spot! She always comes here. You are lying. You are liars." Lilly spouted, her nose scrunching in distaste.
"You little shit shut your mouth before I punch you," One of the girls screeched, jabbing a finger at Lilly. Lilly flinched and hid her face in my neck and it pains me to know that I could not even have the right to fight the people who scared my little sister.
"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry. Lilly didn't mean it. She is a child." I bowed again because I can't look up at them and see the hatred downpour in their eyes.
I scrambled toward the hill, my legs hurting from the way I ran with Lilly in my arms. My lungs burning for more air and my heart aching from the way Lilly kept asking me If I'm a Gray.
I'm a Gray and I think I would rather die than live as one.
To live as an Outcast.