The Able Sisters

Chapter 5

The end of October neared, and while others spoke of Halloween and Jack's return to Animal Village, the three Able sisters were locked away inside their home, making do with what they had.

Sable prepared a lunch of hot soup for her siblings while Label sat on the couch as she always did, drawing away while Mabel wandered around with her various toys, playing games with herself since her sisters did not have the time to.

As Sable slowly stirred the metal pot, she felt Mabel pull on her. Sable glanced down at the blue porcupine.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I want to be a princess for Halloween," Mabel explained.

Sable grinned and laughed slightly. "Weren't you a princess last year?"

"Yes, but I can have a blue dress now," Mabel replied.

"There won't be a Halloween!" Label shouted from the living room. Sable narrowed her eyes and glanced back at Mabel.

"What does she mean, sissy?"

"Never mind her," Sable replied. "Lunch will be ready in a little bit. Why don't you get out of your pajamas?"

Mabel nodded and wandered away while Sable began pouring soup into bowls. Label appeared at the entrance of the kitchen, giving her sister a sour face.

"You know she can't dress up."

"I know that," Sable replied, annoyed. "You don't have to tell her though."

"Don't get her hopes too high, that's all," Label suggested.

"She's only three," Sable snapped.

Label sighed and grabbed a bowl from her sister. "Do you remember when the shop was always so busy at this time? People from all over wanted to buy costumes. Mom and Dad were working day and night just to make everyone happy."

Sable grinned. "Yes, I remember."

"I wonder where they'll all get their costumes next year."

Sable sighed. Their conversation fell silent as Mabel appeared again, and soon, all girls were eating in silence.

After lunch was over, they each put on their heavy coats and headed out. Label went to sell more goods while Sable and Mabel thought of trying their hand at fishing again. The wind was blowing wildly as they stepped outside, blowing leaves across the sky.

They approached the river's edge to find rapid currents.

"Maybe we shouldn't fish today," Sable suggested.

Mabel was upset, repeating how she wanted to see the fishies. She let out angry cries and all Sable could do was sigh and attempt to comfort her, knowing this was all hard on Mabel. She knew her sister didn't understand much of it herself, yet they had to keep living.

When Mabel finally had been consoled, they spent the remainder of the day picking more fruit off the trees. A few neighbors came by and offered to help, so for a while, they had company, which was pleasant.

With a basket full of fruit, they made their way back home, ready to deliver more tasks for Label. As they walked by, a black dog held the hand of her child. The smaller dog excitedly spoke to his mother, speaking of his desires for Halloween.

Sable couldn't help but feel guilty as she looked down at Mabel. Perhaps Label was right. Maybe she shouldn't have been giving Sable hope where it wouldn't be found.

Upon arriving home, they found Label still sitting on the couch, as if she'd never left.

"We have more fruit for you to sell," Sable explained, dropping the heavy basket of oranges at Label's feet.

Label let out a groan of exasperation.

"Do I really need to do that now? I just sold a whole bunch of stuff," she explained, not looking up from her work.

Sable narrowed her eyes. "All you have to do is sell it. It'll take less than an hour," she promised.

"Then we can look for costumes!" Mabel exclaimed.

"You still haven't told her?" Label asked, glancing at Sable.

"I was--"

Label finally threw her book down and crouched down next to Mabel. "Mabel, we can't buy any costumes this year. We don't have the money. You can't be a blue princess."

Tears welled up in Mabel's eyes. "But Sable said--"

"Maybe next year," Label promised, squeezing Mabel's hand. It didn't matter. The toddler burst into tears anyway.

"Look what you did!" Sable shouted at her sister. She grabbed Mabel's hand and lifted her into her arms. Her younger sister cried into her shoulder.

"I'm just telling her the truth!" Label exclaimed.

"You go around telling me not to be so positive, to take in what's happened, but you don't do anything! You just sit there and draw in that sketchbook. You do a minimal amount of chores, and you just complain all the time. I'm sick and tired of you not doing work around here," Sable complained over Mabel's cries.

"Hey, you went ahead and took over the household before I had the chance!"

"Oh, sorry, did you want to take over everything I do? Then I could sit on the couch all day," Sable sneered.

"Hey!" Label shouted. Mabel's cries worsened, and Sable patted her head.

"Just take the fruit," Sable spoke calmly.

"Fine," Label replied, picking up the basket. As she headed toward the door, she glanced back over at Sable.

"And just so you know, you don't understand how much I do for this family." With those words, she slammed the door behind her and left.

Sable was bursting with anger, but she held Mabel close until her tears subsided. She promised the young girl that she could wear her dress from last year, and though Mabel agreed, she didn't seem much happier.

Sable put Mabel down for a nap, hoping it would calm her a bit, and then headed over to the couch, where Label's sketchbook lay. She glanced around. It was not her property, and Label rarely let anyone look at her sketchbook.

Sable's claws found the sketchbook, and she flipped it back. What she found shocked her. Page after page were unfinished sketches, crossed out designs, and sometimes just scribbles of ink across a page. Sable knew Label's work was better than this, and she realized that Label had not been being productive after all, that she had not managed to complete one sketch since their parents' death.

Sable sighed and closed it once more. She headed to her room and sat on her bed, holding her face in her hands. Why did this have to be so difficult for all of them?