Short Story #2

My Little Demons

Carly

“But we’re sisters, how could you?” I whispered as I stared into my sister’s blank face, I could feel the red hot tears stream down my deathly cold cheek.   She just stood there, not even realizing what she had just done.  She had a problem and desperately needed help; help that I could no longer provide for her.  Everything was all lost from her one decision, her one action, and in that one moment in time she lost everything, including me. 

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Alexis

My life was perfect; I had the latest and greatest at all times.  My BMW always shined in the driveway along side my opulent manor that I called home.  Top of the line furniture encompassed every square inch of the ever so perfect floor; I never settled for anything that was below my usual high standards.  

Whenever anyone would come by my house they were always in amazement; however that is everyone except my sister.  Julia is a small town housewife with a few screaming and demanding beings that she calls her children, but I personally would call them thieves.  They took her money and looks away from her, and they do not even have the decency to let her sleep.  Julia says that nothing in the world compares to, or is worth more than the love of a child; however, I adamantly disagree with that statement.  My money and investments outweigh her crying baggage by far. With great enthusiasm, she always whined that I did not need a colossal house or fast car; she says that what I need is a nice and loving spouse, and that a few kids to fill up the space wont impair my lavish lifestyle.  Before I would respond to her deranged comments I would have to stop laughing, and undoubtedly prove her wrong by saying that everyone wishes they had my lifestyle.  It was the same old argument we would have every Sunday morning brunch, and every Sunday she made sure that she reminded me that I do not know what I am missing.  If she only knew what she was missing out on then she would not be as critical of me and my lifestyle. 

Indeed, I suppose that I should regret missing out on the seemingly never ending soccer games and the obnoxious parents screaming at the underaged referees for causing their tenacious child’s incessant whining about gameplay leading them to non-stopping pouting.  The numerous appointments I would have to make with my doctor to remove the deeply engraved worry lines from my forehead in order to look my age is what I am told that I am missing out on though.  However, I just let my poor old sister tell me whatever she wants because I know that it makes her feel better about the poor decisions she has made in her life; the same decisions that she considers the highlight of her existence. 

“Hey Alexis!” my sister shouted has she approached the doors to my house one Sunday morning for brunch.  

“Oh great, you brought the children,” trying to hide my sarcasm I responded to her forced cheerful hello.  She managed to miss my comment, thankfully, as she was too busy trying to walk up the stairs with her kids clinging on either side of her; she could always read right through my words no matter how hard I tried to mask them.  Not wanting to wait in the cold any longer I walked down the stairs and yanked a kid off her right leg and secured it under my arm to bring it through the threshold to make this whole process move faster.

“Thanks hun, I would have never made it without freezing first,” she laughed under her breath as we entered the hallway.  “I wanted to ask you a favor,” she stated from under her eyes that peered up at me, “the kids make the best pathetic looking faces in the world so you may attempt to listen to me.  I bet that if I can get them to smile you might oblige to my request.”  She finished her roll of sarcasm with a twinkle in her eye of a completely devious plan; such sarcasm is only used as a detour from the actual question in normal circumstances.

“Okay, let me have it; this sounds time consuming already.”

“I would really appreciate it if you would be willing to play with my little demons this coming Saturday,” she chuckled at her own witty statement; while I found it to be right on the mark as far as her little demons are concerned.  I paused for a minute, mostly for suspense, I knew that I was her last resort, because otherwise she would not have asked me due to my lack of motherly instincts.  

“Fine I will, but you know my rules; if they break anything your replacing it one way or another.”

“Okay, I get the hint; I promise they will behave.  Though, you should probably remind me to drug them beforehand to put them right to sleep,” she muttered to herself as she walked towards one of my many eating areas.  With that last statement I was condemned with a task worse than death; the task of babysitting.

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Preparing my house for the demons to roam about in is slightly short of a miracle in my opinion.  Literally, glass covered most of the surfaces, and in my new eyes of a substitute parent that is one big disaster waiting to happen. 

As the doorbell rang I bounded down the twirling staircase, eager to see what is to come of this night.  This past week I had time to contemplate this situation, and I came to the conclusion that this should not be that bad, mostly because the demons can barely speak in a coherent fashion.  

“Hey Alexis!  Look whose here!” she said with such enthusiasm, as if I did not know already. “Are you mentally and physically prepared?” I am assuming that she is questioning my competence within her words of sarcasm.  Before I had time to configure any witty comeback she shouted at me, “Well, too late now!” as she skipped down my steps in a speed that a women wearing four inch heels should not be able to reach without stumbling over.  She should have consulted me over her choice in footwear due to my expertise because those stilettos scream blisters at me for the event she is attending. 

Closing the door behind her, I pivoted towards the awaiting eyes that stared into my soul.  Gazing into their baby blues I felt something inside myself, it just hit me with a force that would knock most people over.  I do not know what it was, but it overcame me in an instant.  I imagined my ideal family. How perfect these darlings would look in miniature designer fashions as they impressed their classmate’s parents with their fluent speech and manners. Of course the best private institutions are where they would be attending. I would expect nothing but absolute perfection and the little cherubs would adoringly comply. This is want I want; this is what I am going to have.

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Carly

I hope she managed not to strangle my kids; maybe they actually bonded. Who knows?  It would be an absolute miracle if a parenting instinct procured in her; she would make an incredible mother if she only learned that money was not everything.

The lights are on, that is a good sign; it means that she is not out back burying them at least.  I dreaded walking up all of those stairs; my feet felt as if they were going to fall off.  As I approached the house, I heard something very odd, they were giggling.  Her front window was slightly opened; not wanting to ruin her bonding time I decided to just sneak a peak through the opening and wait a little longer.  I cannot believe what I saw, the look in her eyes was bloodcurdling; I had to get inside immediately. 

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Alexis

The door whipped open with such intensity.  She was back, and was going to take away what I now most desire.  I wanted to keep them all for myself; she does not deserve them anymore.  They were no longer my demons, they were my angels.  Quickly I took out what I have always hid under the sofa in case of an emergency.  Running towards my angels with open arms was more than what I could bear.  They were now mine, not hers, she had to go.

It happened so suddenly that I can hardly remember.  First there was a scream, and then there was a dead silence.  All I remember is the last of the words she spoke, and they play in my mind over, and over again, “But we’re sisters, how could you?”