Separated [On Hold]

《Chapter 5》

I opened the envelope and my eyes widen at what it said. It read:

Dear Jenny
DQ EQQZ WQSO JSQBFQ.
DQ BCQ BSCYTWI GKT BCQ WQSZ VBJIYQ GH QEQLH.

To find this hidden message
Look at a place that's filled entirely with vintage
A place that's filled with moments and memories to remember
About the things that happened in December.

I hope you can figure this out. We love you and miss you dearly!

Yours sincerely

×××××××××××
Your annoying brother, Jeremy and mum

I couldn't breathe or do anything at that moment besides reading that letter over and over to make sure that it was real and that I wasn't dreaming. It's from mum and Jeremy! They're alive!! Tears of relief filled my eyes each time I read the letter. They are alive and they miss me!!

But then i remembered the other problem. How am I suppose to figure out this message though? At the bottom was a clue but it makes no sense at all! How do I solve it? What is the message that they want to tell me?

Questions came into my head but none could be answered. I stared into space lost in thought.

By now it was nine 'o clock. "I better ho to bed now. It's getting late." With that I do my night routine and get into bed. After getting into a comfortable position I fall asleep.

The next day

I get up the next morning and get ready. I dress up in a plain white shirt and some jeans and start doing the housework. I had to vacuum the floors today and I decided to do my room last.

As the vacuum went around the room I realized that something got stuck in it. Not thinking much about it I reach to pull the object out. I pulled it out but for some reason it felt soft and fluffy. I look at the object only to gasp in amazement. There on my hand lay my brother,Jeremy's, teddy bear! A memory flashed in my mind.

---flashback---

"Happy birthday Jeremy!" I cheered smiling at him. He grinned back at me.

"I wanna open my presents!" He declared smiling. "Okay! But you have to open mine first!" I say. "Sure!" He agreed and opened the present that I spent all weekend preparing.

"Wow! It's amazing! I love it!" He screamed hugging the soft,fluffy teddy bear. "I'm glad you like it Jay jay!" I smiled which made him hug me.

Jeremy always wanted a teddy bear so I worked hard to get it for him. I'm glad I made him happy. "I spent all my savings for it." I say which made him frown. "Why? You didn't have to. Anything would've been fine." He says guiltily. "But I wanted to. I wanted to make you happy. You deserve the best! It makes me happy to see you smiling!" I say holding his hand.

He smiles widely at me. "Thanks Jen! I'll treasure it forever!" He hugs me tightly. "Really?" I ask. "Really." He says and kisses me on the cheek.

Mum and dad just looked at us smiling. "Awww." They both say at once. "You two look so cute!" "Of course we look cute! We're your children!" We say in unison which makes both mum and dad chuckle. They hug us and we hugged them back.

"We're glad that you're our parents." "We're glad that you're our children." They say kissing us. We giggle.

---end of flashback--

I smiled at the memory. This teddy bear....he treasured it. He protected it like his life depended on it. He protected it with all his heart. He wouldn't let anyone play with it let alone touch it. He acted as if it was gold which filled me with happiness.

Something must have happened to him! He wouldn't leave it lying around like that! I put the teddy bear in my pocket and finished the last bit of vacuuming in my room. I ate breakfast which only consisted of porridge. I grabbed my bag and headed for the door. "Bye dad and....Mum." I hate calling Lila my mum. She doesn't deserve that title. I bid them goodbye but they just ignored me as usual.

I headed off to school and met Alya at the gate. We walked in to the school but I kept silent the whole way. The school hours went by and the whole time I was thinking about everything that happened. The note in The envelope,the teddy bear and the "thief" that came into my room that night. Soon it was Time to go home.

Alya and I met up and were walking home. Alya seemed to be talking about something but I couldn't hear her because I was lost in thought.

Who was that thief?

Why did that thief come?

What is in the message?

Why was the teddy bear that I gave to Jeremy lying on the floor?

"Ummm....Hello!...earth to Jenny!!" It was only then that I noticed Alya waving her hands in front of my face. "Oh! Sorry!" I apologized. "Its okay but..."