It's four a.m. Kristy opens the door to Elsie's room slowly and quietly. She enters the room and just as she did while opening the door, she does the same while closing it.
Elsie is sleeping soundlessly on her bed. Kristy walks to the bed and watches her sister sleep. A smile curves on her lips and tears well up in her eyes but she quickly blinks them away. Kristy stretches her arm towards Elsie and shakes her gently.
"Elsie? Elsie?" Kristy calls her quietly.
Elsie groans drowsily as she moves her hands to her eyes. "Leave...me...alone." she tries to says but her words come out as a whisper.
Kristy giggles silently then tries again. "Hey Els. Wake up." she whispers while shaking her.
Elsie blinks repeatedly before turning her gaze to Kristy. "Oh! It is you." she says as a statement but her tone poses it as a question.
"Yes, it's me. It's Kristy." Kristy answers the question-she places her hand on her chest.
Elsie lazily sits up on her bed as Kristy sits on the edge of the bed and watch as her sister fights her shutting eyes trying to look at her. Kristy smiles, shaking her head while do so.
Elsie frowns-she has seen Kristy. "Just gimme time to open my eyes." she protests.
Kristy finally let's her held-up laughter burst. "Take your time Elsie."
Elsie yawns then scratches her head, finally winning the battle and able to look at Kristy. Her eyes capture the wall clock and she gasps. "Are you out of your kraken mind, Kristy? It's four." Kristy nods nonchalantly. "Go back to sleep!" Elsie orders.
"Naah. I wanna take you somewhere. You can sleep in the car cause it's a long journey." Kristy says, looking at the window on the left of Elsie's bed. She immediately stands. "Get up."
Kristy walks to Elsie's closet and takes a black hoodie and some warm slippers. She the walks back to Elsie's bed and places the hoodie on the bed and the slippers on the floor next to the bed. Her eyes wander around until she smiles-spotting a black beanie on the study table. She quickly walks to the table, takes the beanie and walks back to the bed. She hands out the beanie to Elsie. "You'd better wear this. It's quite chilly right now."
"Kristy, are we sneaking out?" Elsie asks, looking out through the window. "It's quite early to be going out." she adds, trying her best to discourage Kristy.
"We are sneaking out! And no, it's not early-mum and dad will be up in a few. We are taking mum's car."
***
"Hey Elsie, wake up," Kristy says sofly while shaking her sister awake.
Elsie stirs and struggles to open her eyes. "We have arrived?" she asks as she opens her eyes, covering them with her hands as they try to adjust to the light from the rising sun. Kristy nods excitedly. Elsie groans as she sits up and throws the shawl covering her away from her body. "I barely slept; what time is it?"
Kristy giggles. "It's six in the morning you sleepy head... Now get up, I wanna show you something." she says and lends a hand to Elsie who holds it as she gets out of the car.
The two girls stand outside a large building that reads "Comfy Book Store".
Elsie looks at Kristy frowning. "Seriously?" she asks while pointing at the building. "You wanted me to see a book store."
Kristy sighs then smiles at her, "Yeah. Plus, there are some guys I'd like you to meet... They are friends and they mean nice-honest."
Elsie sighs then nods. Kristy walks ahead, pulling Elsie into a reluctant and lazy walk.
Kristy opens the door and waits for her sister to walk in before she closes it. Elsie gasps at the sight, the beautiful brown walls, the calm and not-so-bright lights at the ceiling of the building, the shelves all stocked up with books, novels to be specific, flower vases at the entrance and at the corners of the store, there is a chill music playing and it brings a comfortable feeling to anyone who walks in. There is a cinnamon fragrance filling the room that makes Elsie smile as she inhales.
"This place, this place is amazing." she mumbles softly.
"Glad you love it Elsie." Kristy says also looking around, admiring the neatly arranged books.
Kristy sees Tasha walking to the counter. She gasps excitedly and pulls Elsie to walk to the counter.
"Hey Tasha!" Kristy greets Tasha with a wave of a hand.
Tasha looks at Kristy and Elsie, her eyes wide and her reaction shook. "Hey there, wow! I didn't know you were coming. And I didn't know Elsie was still here." she studies Elsie, her jaw dropping but she quickly shakes her head. "I mean," she quickly says, "I am so happy that she survived the crush; I heard about, it was such a tragic one really." Tasha says, her hand on her chest.
"Yeah, it was." Kristy says, chuckling nervously as Tasha shows a nervous smile-her eyes glancing away quickly. "But," Kristy says excitedly, "I am extremely happy cause Elsie is a fighter." she says this while hugging Elsie who smiles shyly. "And I believe the aftermath will be over soon."
Tasha's green eyes widen again. "Oh! Yeah! I remember you sent a text saying she has-" she stops when Kristy sternly shakes her head. "Umm... Yeah... That..."
"Hey Kristy." a male voice startles Kristy.
Kristy turns happily and hugs the man. "Drew! You actually came." she pulls away and giggles happily. "Thanks a lot."
Drew smiles. "I couldn't miss this." he says.
Elsie looks at the man standing in front of him, she studies him and Drew let's her. She starts from his ear-length blonde hair, his beautiful white complexion, his light brown eyes and his masculine figure.
"Hi, I am Elsie." she offers a handshake to Drew.
Drew looks at Kristy, showing her the pain of Elsie not remembering him. Kristy smiles pitifully. Drew shakes Elsie's hand and smiles at her. "My name is Drew. Nice to meet you Elsie."
"You have beautiful eyes." Elsie says.
Drew's eyes widen. A realization hits him. She used to say this to me before, he thinks, please remember me soon. He hopes.
"Thank you," Drew says then chuckles nervously.
Tasha walks round the counter and stands next to Kristy with a wide grin. "Elsie." she says and Elsie looks at her. "My name is Tasha. Ring a bell?"
Elsie frowns. Kristy scowls and steps towards Tasha, ready to give her one good smack.
"Tasha, maybe she doesn't remember you." Drew says, saving Tasha from Kristy's smack. Kristy looks at him, her eyes raging with fury but she softens the second Drew nods at her gently.
Kristy swallows and steps back.
Elsie looks at Tasha and smiles cheerfully. "I don't remember you, sorry. But I would like to hang out."
"Umm..." Kristy holds Elsie's hand, stopping her. "Before you hang out, I'd like to show you something." she pulls Elsie into a walk, away from Drew and Tasha, mostly away from Tasha.
Kristy has never liked Tasha, and for some reason, the feeling is mutual. Kristy always had and still has an unsettling feeling in her stomach. She finds it hard to point it down to something, but it's there-burning and eating her alive. Something that happened this morning made it very certain that she should act according to assumptions but she lets it go... For now...
Kristy smiles as she watches her sister get mesmerized by the amazing books stocked up in the shelf.
"This place is so orderly. The people who work here are very neat." Elsie mumbles.
This makes Kristy sigh heavily.
I wish you knew that it was you who made this place quite famous, who arranged this place, you renovated this place to be aesthetic and very beautiful... I wish you knew all these.
Elsie looks at her sister, worry in her face. "Is something wrong Kristy?" she asks but Kristy shakes her head-she lies and somehow manages to convince Elsie. Elsie smiles and goes back to watching the books when she stops on her tracks, her eyes glued to one book - although many, it still captures her.
Kristy follows Elsie's gaze to the top of the shelf to the book that has got her sister stuck and glued on it. She gasps upon realization. "You want that book?" she asks Elsie who just nods subconsciously.
"I hope it won't be a bother." Elsie says, not tearing her gaze away from the book.
"Let me help you guys." Drew's voice makes the two girls look at him-even Elsie who was so concentrated at the book.
Drew just stands on his toes and thanks to his height and long hands, he grabs the book and hands it to Elsie.
Elsie gasps as her fingers run on the cover of the book.
The book is black, with painted pink flowers on the cover. It has a melancholic yet calming aura, Elsie thinks, but I like it. The title of the book, Elsie is mesmerized by it. She runs her index finger on the letters slowly taking them in as the memory builds in her mind, vaguely but still... It's there and she allows them to form, no matter the pain as her head stings.
Elsie winces as she studies each letter that makes the title of the book, then her eyes dart to the name of the author and then...
"This book!" she says loudly.
Kristy and Drew look at each other, both their eyes full of hope.
Elsie smirks excitedly. "I loved this book more than enything. Flowers by Melancholy... It was one of my favorite books, right Kristy?" she looks up, to face Kristy, tears soaking her cheeks.
Kristy swallows and nods her head slowly, emotion taking the best of her. "Yeah," her voice come off as a whisper as a lump clogs her throat, "you loved this book, Elsie." her tears fall and she lets them.
Elsie chuckles. "I remember." she sniffs. "I remember." she whispers.
Elsie hugs the book tightly. Kristy hugs Elsie and they all weep. Kristy's hand stretches to Drew who takes it and is pulled towards them. Drew wraps his arms around them both, his heart excited and hopeful that one day, soon enough, all things will unfold to Elsie and then, he will tell her what he has been longing to tell her.