Brother
Katrina Swete
Earth
Her childhood home
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It had been a few day since Katrina had come home. Since then, she'd enjoyed
some time with her sister, Lucy, and her family. But now they had gone back
to New Tokyo where both parents had successful jobs, leaving Katrina alone
with her parents.
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Nighttime
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Katrina lay in her childhood bed, contently eating some chocolate eggs from
its package. It was only about midnight, too early for her to fall asleep.
So, she finished her eggs and walked out to the balcony outside her room.
She gazed at the stars with a smile. The stars don't twinkle out in space,
she realized. They looked beautiful from her balcony though. The same balcony
that in her younger days was used to sneak out and sneak back in. There was
no moon yet, letting the weaker stars shine dimly near the brighter ones.
Yes, very beautiful.
Katrina closed her eyes. She saw her brother, RJ. She was remembering the
time he was waiting fo her to return from an escape off the balcony to a
friend's party that she was grounded from. He lay in wait in the old chair in
her bedroom, neither angry nor happy. Just waiting.
RJ had always looked like her, only with dark hair like both her sisters. Ten
years older than her, he was her favorite sibling growing up. He watched out
for her, talked to her when she was upset and snuck her cookies when she
wasn't supposed to have any. Even when she started getting in trouble with
the law, he always took time to tell her how much he loved her.
RJ, I miss you, she thought sadly. Why did you have to die?
I'm sorry Kat, I had no choice in the matter, she could almost hear him say.
I'd be there if I could.
I've gotten myself in a mess, she thought to him.
No, you haven't, came a reply. The JMC doesn't know you left and you can
still go back, then everything will be all right.
No, I mean I've fallen in love with a man who doesn't even know I exist other
than to clean toilets.
How can you be so sure it's love when you've only met him once? RJ's phantom
voice asked.
I just know. Women always know these things, she answered. Women also know
within the first five minutes of meeting a man if they're going to sleep with
them.
Katrina could almost hear his devilish chuckle. Well then, if you put it that
way, why would you want to leave the Blue Dwarf and never see him again?
Because it hurts, that's why, she admitted.
You know it hurts him when he sees Penny Lloyd.
That hurts even more! she exclaimed internally. He sees me cleaning the floor
while he sees her as some sex goddess with a bazooka.
I think you know what you have to do, her brother's voice responded, and she
felt him slip away.
Katrina opened her eyes and realized she was crying. "Later RJ," she sobbed
and looked out over the trees. The moon was beginning to rise. A gorgeous
cresent moon.
Katrina snifled. She knew what she had to do.