Twenty-Two Years Later
"Anna?"
"Anna..."
"Illianna!"
I shook my head, speeding my slow, unwanted decent into the madness of reality. I was standing in the middle of a darkened room, our parents' attic if you want to get technical. A single, flickering lightbulb hung from the center of the arched ceiling, casting marginally less lift than the moonlight creeping through the window across from me. The room was filled with boxes, books, photo albums and other items they had collected through nearly twenty-three years of marriage. Didn't they ever throw anything away? Seriously, it was like a museum of their life together. It was becoming harder and harder to look at with each passing moment. Don't you dare cry! I felt my body begin to quake. It was so damn unfair! A fucking hit and run! They'd never hurt a soul! I felt a tear roll down my cheek. They were the kindest people I'd ever known. They didn't fucking deserve this!
"I'm here Anna." I felt a pair of arms wrap tightly around my waist. I slumped a little in my younger sister's embrace. "I know," she whispered, holding me tighter. "I know it hurts." Her voice helped to calm me a bit. At least I had control of myself again. She loosened her grip when I tapped her hand. Stepping away, I turned to face her, holding her hands tightly.
"You should be downstairs with the others Jen." You don't need to be up here watching your sister have a breakdown, I added in my head.
Jen looked up at me. Her green eyes and cheeks were both damp and red. I wasn't the only one falling apart. I briefly wondered how the others were holding up. We had eight brother's and sisters. That's right, our parents liked to fuck. I cringed at the thought but it was so inappropriate and wrong I couldn't help but laugh suddenly. They weren't even Catholic! Sorry if that felt like stereotyping but I just lost my parents so cut me some slack here please. I laughed again.
Jen looked worried. Jen always looked a little worried, or maybe it was just uncomfortable. She was extremely self conscious about her gender transition, always nervous about how others perceived her. I was supportive to a fault. Hell, she was my favorite sibling of the group. I couldn't even imagine the war she fought inside her own head from minute to minute. Add to that losing her two biggest supporters and it was a wonder she was holding herself together as well as she was. I was about to lean in and hug her when I saw the moonlight catch something in the corner of the room.
It might have been nothing, but my curiosity was getting the better of me. I squeezed her hand before letting go and heading toward the corner of the room. The light had been hitting a small, metallic box I realized as I knelt down. I had never seen it before.
I opened it slowly, wondering what I might find inside.
