LyleMazewassitingattheedgeofhissistersbed,hisparentshadjustdied


    yesterday,andhecouldtellthathissisterwasattheendoftheline.“Lylemake


    meapromise,helppeoplewhenyoucan.”Lylelistenedcloselytoherwords


    beforeheanswered.“IwilldoeverythinginmypowertohelpthoseIcan.”


    “Goodtohear!”Asmallsmilecrossingherlips,beforehereyeswentdim.


    WiththatLylewasleftallalone.


    Lylewalkedaroundhishome,searchingthroughpocketsizedphotosofhis


    family,andoncefound,placingtheminhiswallet.AdeepsighescapesLyle’s


    mouth,hissisterwasabouttostartherlife,shehadjustafewmoremonths


    ofhighschoolleft,andthenshewouldhavegonetocollage.


    Lylecarriedhissistersbodytothebackyard,wherehehadduggravesfor


    hisparentsyesterday,hewouldnowdothesameforher.Lyletooktheshovel,


    pushingtotiptothegroundhebeginstodig.Whenheisfinished,hedrops


    hissistersbodyintoherfreshnewgrave.Tearsstreamdownhiseyes,as


    hecovershercorpsewithsoil.SomethingwasbuggingLyle,whydidit


    takelongerforhisfamilytodiecomparedtoeveryoneelse.


    Lylewentbacktohisroom.Memoriesoftripswithhisfamilyfilledhismind.


    Thecarnivaltheywentto,atthetimehissisterwasjusttwoyearsold.,now


    shehadbeenseventeen,Lylewascurrentlytwentythree.Backthenhewould


    havebeeneightyearsold.Hehadplayedagamethere,andhadwonabigpink


    stuffedrabbitforher,thethingwasmassive,Imeanshestillhadit,anditwas


    stillbiggerthenher.Lylewentintoherroomtoseethestuffedrabbit,hepulled


    itclosetohim,andheldittightly.Awaveoftearsstartedtofallfromhiseyes,


    hittingthefloorinarhythmicpattern.


    Lylepickeduphissister’sdiary,heknewdiarieswereprivate,buthewanted


    moreofhissistertocarryinhisheart.Lylebeginstoreadthepages.


    “Deardiary,todaymybrotherLylesavedmeandMeghanfromthemeancat


    nextdoor.”“Deardiary,Lylegavemehispopsiclewhenminefelltothefloor.”


    “DeardiarymybrotherLylemissedhischanceathavingagirlfriend.”Lyle


    readoverthelastparthejustread.(WhenwasthisIwonder?)Lylewasshocked


    hemissedachancetohaveagirlfriendanddidnotevenknowit.“Deardiary,


    Lylehelpedmewithmyhomework.Heisamazingwhenitcomestomath.”Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    “Deardiary,IgotLyleaportablegamingsystemforhisbirthday,butIhavelost


    itsomewhereinthehouse.”(Really,thensheneverfoundit?Coulditstillbein


    thehousesomewhere?)


    “Deardiary,todaywewenttoapettingzoo,wesameawhiterabbitwithpinkeyes.


    Lyletoldmethatitwasandalbinorabbit.Iaskedhimwhatalbinomeantandhe


    saidtherabbithadnopigment.Ithenaskedhimwhatpigmentmeant,andhetold


    methat,thethingthattellsyouwhatcolorsomethingshouldbe.”


    “Deardiary,mymothertoldmeLylegotintoafightwithabully,andnottogo


    inhisroom,sinceheneededtoresttorecoverfromthepain.”Lylelaughs,he


    remembersthatfight,thebullywashurtingachicken,andLyletoldhimtostop,


    butwhenhewouldnotlisten,Lylepunchedhimintheface,thatiswhenthecounter


    attackbegan.


    “Deardiary,MeghantoldmeshehasacrushonLyle,Ikeeptryingtotellher,Lyle


    likeswomanolderthanhim,ifnotolder,thewomanshouldatleastbeverymature.


    MeghanisinnowaymatureShefightwithhermotheroversomethingasstupid


    asapopsiclestick.”LylerecallswhenMeghanhadaskedhimout.“SorryMeghan,


    butyouarenotmytypeofwoman.”Thosewheretheexactwordshespokeback


    then.


    “Deardiary,todayLyletoldmewewouldsoonhaveababysister,ourmother


    toldmethesamething.Dadwasnothomeatthetime,andwhenhegothome


    Iaskedhimwhatwewouldnameourlittlesister.Dadwasconfused.Both


    Lyleandmymotherburstoutintolaughter.Aprilfools!Theybothsaidat


    thesametime.Thatwasmeanofthem,notonlyformebutfordadaswell.


    Igotthembothbackthenextday,whenImadethembreakfast.”(Thatis


    right,sheputadropofhotsaucesinallthefood.Ourfatherleftearlier,so


    hedidnothavetodealwiththatmess.)Lylecouldnothelpbutlaughat


    alloftheirbehavior,forthatmonth.Theprankswentoutofcontrol,


    thefiredepartmenthadtobecalled,afteroneofthemputatonofoilin


    theeggs,andanoilfirestarted.


    “Deardiary,IcameouttoLyletoday,hewassosupportive,andIknow


    hewillhelpmehavethecouragetotellmyparents.Itrustandlovemy


    brotherforallhehasdoneforme.”(Shewasgoingtotellthem,the


    daythatthisallstarted,butnowitwastolate.)Lylethinkingback


    onthis,thetearsflowinglikeawaterfallnow.


    Lylewalkedupintotheattic,searchingthroughboxes.Drawingsmade


    bybothLyleandhissisterwereinonebox.Evennowthedrawingshis


    sistermadewhenshewasfouryearsold,wasstillbetterthenanythinghe


    coulddraw.


    Lylefoundasmallwhiteboxhiddenunderadresser.Hepulleditout,opensthe


    boxandfindstwothings,acard,andasmalldigitalpet.Lylereadsthecard.


    “HappythirteenthbirthdayLyle,fromyourlittlesister.”(Iguessbackthen,


    shewastoyoungtoknowthedifferencebetweenaportalgamingsystem,and


    adigitalpet.)ThisisLyle’sthoughts,asheretrievesastringfromthedresser,


    andcreatesamakeshiftnecklace,sohecanalwayscarrythisgiftwithhim.


    (Sureitdoesnotwork,withallelectronicsnownolongerfunctioning,but


    itwasagiftafterall,frommyonlylittlesister.)


    Lylewalkedintothekitchen.Ithoughtaboutthedaytheyallwenttothe


    beachtogether.Ithadstartedtodownpouroutofnowhere,butthismade


    bothLyleandhissisterwanttogointheoceanevenmore.Lylevividly


    rememberedthefeelingoftherainasithithisface.AsLyleimmersed


    himselfinthememory,itwaslikehecouldreallyfeelthecoldrainonhis


    face.Lylestepsinapuddlethatwasnotinthekitchenafewsecondsago.


    (Dammit,wheredidthispuddlecomefrom.)Lylecheckstoseeifany


    ofthewindowsareopened.Whenhelooksoutsideheonlyseessunlight.


    Lylesuddenlyfeelsadroplethithishead.Lookingupheseesasmall


    raincloudabovehishead.(Whatthefuck!?)Thesamewordsheisthinking


    alsoescapehislips.“Whatthefuck!?”