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My sister and I aren’t allowed to leave the house.
We’re supposed to stay hidden from the outside world, never to be spotted by anyone.
I’m not exactly fond of this whole “Household Isolation” thing, but when it comes to our safety, I’ll do just about anything.
I open my eyes and look around my room.
All of a sudden, there’s a sharp pain in my head.
I quickly sit up and rub my aching head for a second, and then I walk over to my bedroom window for a look outside.
I hear the lawnmower stutter, so I slightly stick my head out to the right, only to find my big brother, Largan.
He spots me peeking outside my window and says, “Hey! Give me a hand, will you?” with that usual bossy voice of his.
I nod at him and then look down at my clothes, realizing that I’m still in the same thing I wore yesterday.
I quickly take them off and put on new ones, and then I bolt down the steps to meet him at the shed where he’s trying to start our old lawnmower.
Pushing him aside, I playfully turn the key with a fleeting twist of the wrist and it starts right up.
He shoots me a look, but the moment I notice, he sits down in the seat, and begins to drive the mower around the lawn.
I watch him for a few minutes, but then I become bored, so I make my way to the front porch and take a seat on the third step.
I watch as an Asian girl rides past on her bike.
I like her short black hair, the way it billows in the wind like a flag.
I stare at her as she steadily bobs her head to the beat of the music playing in her earphones, but also keeping a steady pace on the dirt road.
Because Emagene and I don’t get the luxury of seeing many people,
I find her appearance very fascinating.
Like I said, Largan doesn’t allow us to leave, so we barely go outside.
I hear the lawnmower shut off, so I head back to the shed.
By the time I get there, Largan is already fitting the heavy machine inside. Afterwards, he locks it.
“So, how long was I out?” I ask.
He hesitates for a minute, juggling the keys in his hand. “Three days.” He replies, “We were worried you wouldn’t wake up.”
I notice a tear falling down his cheek, and I’m instantly mesmerized.
That’s the first time I’ve ever seen him show any emotion besides anger.
Usually, he’s fighting with his girlfriend, Beck, so he’s always in a bad mood.
We walk to the house side by side, but nobody utters a word.
As soon as we get inside, I lock the door, and Largan plops down on the couch with his favorite book.
I drop down beside him, hoping he’ll read my mind and read it to me, but he refuses my request.
Almost a minute later, I begin to hear the rocks popping in the driveway.
This startles me because nobody ever comes to see us.
Plus, there’s only one adult living here, and that’s Largan.
My heart rate increases.
Largan’s does too.
I can hear it.
Emagene is gone and she hasn’t gotten back yet, so that means she either got herself killed or she got into trouble with the police.
We aren’t supposed to do either one, me and her.
It’s one of Largan’s many rules.
He has wisdom beyond his years and he protects us.
He always has, especially after our mom died.
As for our dad, Emagene never knew him, and I don’t remember him, but Largan is a good substitute.