“Penelope, you're already big and now understand that compared to your strength, May is weaker. You have to wait obediently here.”

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‘Pitter’

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“But mom, I'm your daughter! Can't our car fit an additional person?”

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‘Patter’

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“Penelope, we are going to fetch you grandmother. She's the outmost priority. May also is a little girl, she shouldn't be left alone lest she couldn't defend herself.”

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“Father! Are you really going to leave me?!”

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‘psst...’

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“Your mother's decision is the same as mine.”

..

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‘Psh...’

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 “No, please wait. Don't leave me please!”

::::::

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“Tap.”

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“Tap..”

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“Tap...”

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:

:

,

‹~›

The sound of raindrops filled my hearing as I stared absent mindedly outside from my window. My fern green colored eyes remained put on the place below the house, the dark alley was dimly lightened by the malfunctioning street lamp, I could not help but scratch my butterscotch hair in irritation. 

“Penelope, how many times had I told you that there's nothing wrong at all!” I solemnly told myself as I finally broke free from my trance. However, I couldn't state that I was not bothered. Here, in my chest, or maybe it was in my brain, an instinct had told me that something is not right.

But to whom or whether what was it, I had no idea. Putting an end to that thought, I looked outside one more time, looking through the empty streets that remained as it were the past few weeks, before pulling my weight off from the window sill and closing the raspberry colored curtains.

I stood up, walked towards my bed placed in the middle of my room, and leaned back on it. I messed up my peach patterned quilt as I dragged it over to cover my body, I also took off my hair tie and my waist length hair scattered all over the cushion. I dared not breathe a sigh of relief, the troubles I am feeling made me feel suffocated.

I just turned around when, “Penelope!” my mother's voice came from downstairs and yelled out my name. I had happened to fall into a nap but was shocked awake as I hurriedly sat up and made my bed back to it's tidiness. “Penelope, come down right now!” my mother shouted again and I panicked, “Coming!” I replied, before jumping down the stairs a few steps apart to go down quickly.

“Now what, we have a visitor yet you're wearing your pajamas? Penelope, I wanted the best from you.” Kristine, my mother looked at me unhappily. I blushed from embarrassment as I looked to inspect myself, its true I had not dressed myself, I was just wearing a plain striped pajama. “I...I will just go upstairs to dress myself.” I said, peeping at my mom lest she begins to yell again.

”Ha...Nevermind, Penelope. She just arrived. You know, your cousin May.” My mother brushed her short olive colored hair as I stared amazed at the change of her expression. It was unlike the usual sternness and vicious looking she used to cast on me, as if I was a blasphemy in her life, but towards this cousin that we haven't met, she was like a loving mother who was proud and expectant.

Why is she acting like that? I wondered, rolling my hands into fist behind my back, enviously thinking on how different the treatment was between us. Not a minute later the doorbell rang. My mother rushed to the door and opened it, she gaped her mouth in surprise, then squatted down with her arms wide open as a little girl dashed to her embrace.

“May!”

“Auntie Kristine!” 

The little girl adorned herself in a pink fussy princess dress. Her shoulder length raven hair was carefully tied into two braids. Her voice was kinda uppity yet it brought smile into my mother's, once, emotionless face. I pitted myself, when had she ever faced me with a smile like that before? Well, never. 

But I can't show my envy. My face lifted and I gave this younger female cousin of mine, a smile. She turned around and inspected me...maybe as how I decipher the way she looked at me. A second passed, May smiled as well and rushed to my knees. Her height was suitable for a leg pendant, five years old yet still has the height of a three year old, I told myself. 

“Big sister you look so pretty!” May's words were flattering that I decided to ignore the differential treatment between us. “You think so May? As Penelope's mother, this makes me happy. I managed to groom such pretty kid, however, you're much cuter and beautiful!” My mother interjected but instead of feeling frustrated, I simply just laughed. 

“May wants to play with big sister, Auntie Kristine, can I go to Big Sister Penelope's room? I wanna see how adult's room looks like, Im very curious! Like this curious.” May flapped her arms around before tagging onto my Pajama's hems and my mother's skirt. I opened my mouth to respond but my mother went before me and said, “Feel free, May. I will be in the kitchen cooking dinner. Have fun you two.”

And before I realized, I was back in my room with a guest. 

May was looking around, curiously. True to her words...Huh, why am I doubting her? This is getting kinda complicated, but I feel my chest, it is bursting with agitation. 

Not long before long, May sat pouting in my bed. “Your bed's so simple big sister. It lacks depth and wonderland vibes, very different from my own room in our house. My room is big, like this, and its pink everywhere! There are also tons of dolls too...But May does not like it now since it's boring...”

I looked at her and reclined myself on a chair, leaning back as my hand hovered my chest. “May, everyone has their own preferences. I like neatness and the simplicity of things and I do not like pink, yup, not at all.”

May, “Hmm..Big sister is right. Big sister is so knowledgeable! Big sister, since May likes you, can you give May something...May wants to collect things, it's May's preference!"

“This, what do you want May?" I didn't look at May as I was brushing my arm around my arm as I subconsciously looked out of the window again.

“May wants...”

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“I want the pendant around your neck! Can you give it to May, pretty please!”

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My chest pounded faster. Penelope looked at May in shock as the latter smiled weirdly at her. She had now noticed, May's eyes were...

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...

:::::

“...Why...”