My Sister, Skylar

One

"Erase every last trace of her, Leigh"

Her mother's last words rang through Leigh's brain, making it pound. The large bonfire down by the creek popped and sizzled angrily, the heat lashing out like whips. Any smell of the fresh earth from the rain was quickly diminished as the fire sucked away at the oxygen. Boxes crumpled and collapsed, becoming nothing more than smoking heaps and ash, revealing the contents inside. Pictures upon pictures, childs art, toys and a Brave poster. All of it, nothing but smoke and ash.  

One box left... Leigh thought miserably. She didn't know why her mother had been acting so weird. I mean, you'd think that her last words or moments might be telling her how much she loved her and would miss her or something like that. Instead, her mother had used her last breaths to tell Leigh that she had to earse any trace of her little sister Skylar, who had disappeared five years ago. Skylar had been six, Leigh had been nine. Their father had decided it would be a good idea to let Leigh babysit Skylar. Sky had always been a hyperactive child. Not just because she had ADHD, but just because she was hyper in diapers. 

Most of the pictures that were curling at the edges and turning to smoke, Sky was nothing but a blur in them. A colourful, blobby, blur. Leigh remembered the day Sky had gone missing. She blamed herself for it every day. The whole family blamed themselves, each other... Leigh's grandmother hadn't talked to them in years. 

Wonder if the old bat is still kicking...

Leigh thought. She sighed and shook her head, bending over to pick up the last box and throw it in the roaring flames. Before she chucked it, a picture caught her eye. She had made a point to throw the boxes in without looking, but this picture was beautiful. The four family members, before everything fell apart. The were on the beach, probably one of the weekends at their grandmother's house. With the water splashing and the sand glowing, it created a happy atmosphere. There was her mother, arms around both girls, grinning broadly. Her eyes shone through the page with such intensity and liveliness Leigh thought for a moment she would reach out and brush her cheek. The shocking thing was her hair though. Blonde and wavy, it fell past her shoulders. It seemed odd and out of place then, but that was before her mother had gotten sick. 

Skylar looked just as happy and radiant. She shared her mother's blue-purple eyes and golden hair, which was tied neatly into a ponytail. Leigh's eye's shifted to herself on the picture. She shared her dad's mousey hair and blue eye's, but where they looked kind and humourous on him, Leigh's eyes just looked dull and small. The whole family looked so... happy. Normal. The kind of normal that came before Sky disappeared before her father started drinking, before her mother died, leaving Leigh in her father's custody. Before everything fell...

Leigh realized that the bonfire was starting to diminish. 

See, that's the problem with fire. Her best friend Oliver had said once.  It keeps roaring, going, eating everything in its path until it's eaten itself up, and then it just dies. 

That's how Leigh felt sometimes.

You're pretty philosophical for a thirteen-year-old, you know that?  Had been her other best friend's, Madeleine, sarcastic response. 

Leigh hadn't said anything. 

She glanced at the picture, then at the fire, ready to throw it in the flames. Something stopped her. 

Get a grip, Leigh. She scolded herself. Remember what mom said?    

"Forget Skylar ever existed!"

That's what she had said. Not; I love you, not; I'll miss you. Nothing. Just cold instructions. Leigh froze, unsure of what to do. She had to get rid of it... but the picture was so sweet, so innocent, so... beautiful. Clutching it in her hand, she tossed the rest of the box in, watching it explode in a frenzy of sparks and ash. What was the harm in keeping it anyway? 

I'll throw it in soon. Just wait. Leigh thought. And then she waited. And waited. The fire died. Darkness started to fall down like a black feather. The picture remained clutched in her hand, knuckles turning white and the edge crinkling. 

********

Leigh sat in her cramped attic room. When she had lived with her mom, she had the biggest and nicest room in the house. Beautiful big windows, lots of light, and her favourite hanging egg chair that she missed so much. Plus she could see their garden from there. It had been big and airy, so the attic just felt small and stuffy. Dust motes tornado-ed through the air, making the very oxygen feel old. She struggled to her feet, and within two short strides, she had reached the small plexiglass window that was covered in at least four years of grime. Sighing, she forced it open with several whacks. The attic was small. Not really helping with the claustrophobia. The room was covered in dust and old items, and probably a million spiders. And she was pretty sure there was a mouse in the wall. 

Leigh sat down on the bed, another burst of dust adding to the ones dancing through the room. She curled up on her side and promptly cried herself to sleep.

Her dream was a memory, the day Sky had disappeared. Leigh was sitting on the creaky rocking chair, atop her grandmother's quilt that stank of cigarettes. She was completely pre-occupied with the radio in her hands, trying to piece it together and fix it. Sky had accidentally knocked it off the shelf that morning, sending the cherry red pieces scattered across the wooden floor. 

"Sissy?" Asked her sister's sweet voice. Leigh hated being called that. 

"Oh, what do you want?" Leigh snapped back. 

"I'm sorry about the radio. Can I help fix it?"

Leigh knew Skylar was trying to be nice. She could tell that she was already fidgeting, her eyes flicking to a bee on the porch railing. She would be of no help. Leigh could have said thank you and accepted her help. She could have nicely said no. She could have done anything instead of doing what she did next. Instead, she yelled at her. 

"Are you serious?! No, you cannot help me fix it! Your an ADHD idiot, you'll just make it worse!" Leigh screamed. 

Skylar's eyes filled with tears, and she turned away bawling. "I'm sorry!" She yelled, already running away. 

Sky had run to the shop, where their dad was tinkering away at some bizarre project. Their dad waved her off, assuming it was just some stupid fight about who got to use the singing barbie or something. Leigh had turned away but glanced up just to see her disappear in the large pine trees surrounding their yard. 

Good riddance. Leigh thought bitterly, ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach. 

That night at dinner, Sky still wasn't home. Her mom and dad started yelling. Neighbours helped comb the woods. Police were called. A week went by, and nothing came up. Leigh never told anyone about seeing Sky run into the woods. She guessed she thought they'd be mad at her or something, and the longer she put it off, the more she built a block around it until telling them that little fact didn't eve seem like an option anymore. 

Bright sunlight and cold air stabbed at Leigh until she forced her eyes open. Still in the tiny attic. A new day at a new school. Groaning, she got up from her dust bed and got dressed, then snuck downstairs. Fresh guilt stabbed at her gut, but she ignored it, pushed it away like always. 

She managed to get out of the house without facing her father. Maybe, just maybe, her life wouldn't take another dramatic turn for the worse. Maybe she could be normal. 

Nobody know's who I am here. She thought, a spark of excitement flaring up against her usual brooding mood. I'll start a new life. Just like you always wanted, right mom? I'll still miss you, I'll always miss you, and I definitely won't forget you. I'll start a new life, and no-one will ever know about you, Skylar. No-one.