5: A Sister's Pain

[Arella]

"Ava, please get down! Please listen to me, Ava. I'm sorry. It's all my fault! Please, you're all I have left. Don't do this to me! Take my hand, please!"

My voice cracks with desperation, trembling with fear and guilt as I scream up at her.

She doesn’t listen. She doesn’t even look in my direction. Her vacant stare sends a chill down my spine, and my heart feels like it’s breaking in two.

The hot summer wind slaps against my face, drying the tears on my cheeks almost as quickly as they fall.

My hair flutters wildly around me, mirroring the chaos in my heart.

"Please, don’t jump! Mom wouldn’t have wanted this!"

That stops her. She turns to me slowly, her eyes hollow, her face streaked with tears that glisten under the harsh sunlight.

She doesn’t say a word, and it breaks me even more. Her silence screams louder than any words ever could.

"Talk to me, Ava! Yell, scream, hit me! But please, don’t jump! I’ll avenge you. I won’t let them hurt you. Please, come down."

My voice rises, trembling with urgency and pain. I take a step closer, my legs feeling heavy with dread, but she shakes her head furiously. Her tears fall freely now, her whole body trembling like a fragile leaf caught in a storm.

She’s lost the will to live.

What did those monsters do to my sister?

"Please, Mom would never rest in peace if anything were to happen to you. Here, take my hand."

I stretch my arm toward her, my hand shaking. The distance between us feels impossibly far, but I refuse to give up.

I step closer. My heart pounds as if trying to escape my chest, but she doesn’t flinch. She doesn’t move away, doesn’t try to jump down from the five-story building.

She’s just looking at me, tears streaming like a waterfall, her cheeks glistening in the sun. Her eyes—once filled with light and innocence—are now clouded with unbearable pain.

Finally, I reach her. Relief floods me as I pull her down, my arms wrapping tightly around her trembling frame. I can feel how weak she is, her exhaustion, as she sags against me.

"It’s fine now, Ava. Big Sis is here, okay?"

My voice is soft, soothing, though my own tears choke me. I stroke her hair gently, desperate to reassure her.

She doesn’t respond. Her body is still for a moment, then goes completely lax in my arms.

"Ava? Ava!"

Panic grips me as I shake her lightly, but she doesn’t stir.

She fainted.

"Oh God!”

My voice cracks, the weight of the moment crushing me. I clutch her tightly, tears streaming down my face as I silently beg the universe to bring her back to me.

“Ava, please open your eyes!"

°•°•°•°•°•°•°

"Doctor, is she okay? Is anything the matter? It's been a week already! You said she'd be fine by now!"

My voice shakes, rising with desperation as I stare at the man in the white coat, my heart pounding.

It’s been a week since my world turned upside down—a week since I became a divorcee, and a week since I found my sister trying to jump from the rooftop of our home.

"Mrs. Smith, please, try to stay calm—"

"Myers. Just Ms. Myers," I correct, my voice clipped.

"Oh, sorry about that," he says, glancing at me with brief confusion before clearing his throat. He pauses, his expression unreadable. "Well, I have both good news and bad news."

The words send a chill through me, tightening my chest like a vice.

"The good news is that your sister just came around. She might have a mild hint of pneumonia, but she's awake."

My breath catches, and my chest heaves in relief. Finally, she's awake. But then, the doctor’s expression darkens, and I tense.

"The bad news is?" I ask cautiously, my voice trembling.

He hesitates, looking at me carefully. "Well….She has refused to say a word."

I blink, trying to process his words. "Ava’s like that sometimes. Ever since my mother died, she’s been a bit reclusive,"

I say, brushing it off even though my stomach churns. "Don’t worry, I’ll talk to her."

"Wait, you don’t—"

I don’t let him finish. I tune him out, unable to bear standing still for another second. I stride into her ward, my heart thundering in my chest.

Ava’s small frame looks so fragile on the hospital bed, and I feel a lump forming in my throat. I rush to her and wrap my arms around her gently, almost afraid she might shatter.

"You're safe now, Ava. I’m here for you, okay? How do you feel?"

She leans into my embrace, her warmth seeping into me. But she doesn’t speak. Not a single word.

"Ava, look…"

I pull back slightly, taking a deep breath to calm the wave of emotions threatening to overwhelm me. Her beautiful eyes—eyes so much like Mom’s—stare back at me, blank and distant, making my heart ache.

"I know you must have a lot of questions. We’ll talk about them when we get out of here. I know you think I put you in a boarding school and abandoned you, but I swear that’s not the case. I’ll–i’ll explain everything to you. But first, I need you to respond to the doctors and get your treatment, alright?"

She remains silent. Her gaze flickers for a brief moment but then drifts off again, staring into nothingness. The sight of her like this makes my chest feel hollow.

She pulls away from my embrace and just sits there, unmoving, her eyes fixed on something invisible.

"This is what I’ve been trying to tell you," a voice says from behind, startling me.

I whirl around, my heart in my throat, to see the doctor standing at the doorway.

It’s just me, Ms. Myers," he says cautiously, stepping inside. "Your sister has been exhibiting strange symptoms, and I have a diagnosis."

"Diagnosis?" I repeat numbly. My voice comes out in a whisper as I glance back at Ava.

She doesn’t even flinch. She doesn’t acknowledge either of us. It’s as though she’s trapped in her own world, unreachable.

"Yes," the doctor says, his voice heavy. "Your sister has a severe medical condition."

A sense of dread creeps up my spine, tightening around me like a cold hand. My heart pounds loudly in my ears, drowning out the world.

"W-what do you mean, doctor?"

"Your sister is suffering from major depressive disorder, and this has significantly affected her mental health."

His words land like a heavy blow, knocking the air out of me. My breath grows shallow, my vision blurring as the weight of his statement sinks in.

"W-what?!"