That night, the sky was gorgeous, a beautiful shade of azure pleasure. The dark color of the young woman's hair played softly against the magnificent backdrop. She stared intently at the focus point her loving brother had given her as he painted her portrait. He'd told her he needed a keepsake for his new home. The two had always been close, only separated in age by a few years. They were the best of friends, and she loved him dearly, but his time was nearing. He was in the process of being married. She knew a similar fate would befall upon her, but she forced the thoughts from her mind, concentrating instead on the night sky, the orchard of cherry trees and the rolling green hills.
"Lissette?" he asked, waving his hand in front of her face, "Lissette? Are you there? Hello?" he asked with his perfect French.
"Oh, excuse me," she replied, snapping back to reality. She gazed adoringly at her brother and smiled.
"Finished," he told her. She beamed and jumped up, running to his easel. Her eyes lit up like the stars in the cool night air when she saw his work.
"Pierre! It's marvelous! I love it!" she exclaimed, throwing herself upon her older brother and knocking him over in the process. They laughed together and smiled as they wrestled with each other in the soft, springy grass. The twilight moon cast just enough glare over the scene for Lissette and Pierre's stepmother to see them and snarl with contempt.
"Hello mother, how are you this evening?" Lissette asked sweetly, smiling with a broad expression as she and her brother entered their large villa. Their stepmother nodded and proceeded to ignore the damp pair.
Lissette smiled and excused herself to take a bath, and think about what she would do once her brother was off and married. She must've been soaking for a long while, because she'd fallen asleep. When she awoke, her heart seemed to have stopped while she gasped for breath. She muttered a few curses, and as she climbed out of the tub, she could hear bickering coming from all the way downstairs. She couldn't really tell what was going on, but she could hear her brother and father quarreling over something important.
----
The horror! Lissette could deal with Pierre being sent off to be married, but this? The strain was just too much for her to bear! When her brother scrambled up the stairs, pushed past her and ran into his bedroom, she knew something foul was afoot. The only information she was able to obtain was from her father, whom she also loved dearly. All he told her was that Pierre would be leaving for a long while. Stunned, she walked back to her room and sulked in an uncomfortable melancholy. Where could he be going? Why is he leaving? Surely it's not because of the marriage; it wasn't scheduled for another whole month!
"Pierre!" she called as the sibling she loved so much rushed past her doorway. He stopped briefly to glace inside the door, but continued on his way without saying a word.
"Pierre!" she screamed, running to the door. She chased after him, nearly falling down the steep stairs in the process. He stood facing the foyer door, his heart breaking. He'd not asked to be shipped out, but his number was up. Lissette was not ready to give up her only brother so easily and grabbed his shoulder when she reached him, spinning the young man's frame to face her.
"Where are you going?" she asked, emotion thickening her weak French vocabulary. Tears now fell freely from her eyes, and she could see Pierre was trying his hardest to remain composed.
"I love you, Lissette, never forget that. I must leave for while, but I promise that I will come home soon," was his tear-choked reply. She nodded with a grim understanding and gave her brother a hug, willing him to stay with all her might.
"I love you," Pierre repeated, kissing the pile of hair on top of his sister's head. Reluctantly, she pulled away and nodded again, replying with his same sentiment. She watched silently as the brother she loved was practically wrenched from her grip and taken away forever.
"Lissette?" he asked, waving his hand in front of her face, "Lissette? Are you there? Hello?" he asked with his perfect French.
"Oh, excuse me," she replied, snapping back to reality. She gazed adoringly at her brother and smiled.
"Finished," he told her. She beamed and jumped up, running to his easel. Her eyes lit up like the stars in the cool night air when she saw his work.
"Pierre! It's marvelous! I love it!" she exclaimed, throwing herself upon her older brother and knocking him over in the process. They laughed together and smiled as they wrestled with each other in the soft, springy grass. The twilight moon cast just enough glare over the scene for Lissette and Pierre's stepmother to see them and snarl with contempt.
"Hello mother, how are you this evening?" Lissette asked sweetly, smiling with a broad expression as she and her brother entered their large villa. Their stepmother nodded and proceeded to ignore the damp pair.
Lissette smiled and excused herself to take a bath, and think about what she would do once her brother was off and married. She must've been soaking for a long while, because she'd fallen asleep. When she awoke, her heart seemed to have stopped while she gasped for breath. She muttered a few curses, and as she climbed out of the tub, she could hear bickering coming from all the way downstairs. She couldn't really tell what was going on, but she could hear her brother and father quarreling over something important.
----
The horror! Lissette could deal with Pierre being sent off to be married, but this? The strain was just too much for her to bear! When her brother scrambled up the stairs, pushed past her and ran into his bedroom, she knew something foul was afoot. The only information she was able to obtain was from her father, whom she also loved dearly. All he told her was that Pierre would be leaving for a long while. Stunned, she walked back to her room and sulked in an uncomfortable melancholy. Where could he be going? Why is he leaving? Surely it's not because of the marriage; it wasn't scheduled for another whole month!
"Pierre!" she called as the sibling she loved so much rushed past her doorway. He stopped briefly to glace inside the door, but continued on his way without saying a word.
"Pierre!" she screamed, running to the door. She chased after him, nearly falling down the steep stairs in the process. He stood facing the foyer door, his heart breaking. He'd not asked to be shipped out, but his number was up. Lissette was not ready to give up her only brother so easily and grabbed his shoulder when she reached him, spinning the young man's frame to face her.
"Where are you going?" she asked, emotion thickening her weak French vocabulary. Tears now fell freely from her eyes, and she could see Pierre was trying his hardest to remain composed.
"I love you, Lissette, never forget that. I must leave for while, but I promise that I will come home soon," was his tear-choked reply. She nodded with a grim understanding and gave her brother a hug, willing him to stay with all her might.
"I love you," Pierre repeated, kissing the pile of hair on top of his sister's head. Reluctantly, she pulled away and nodded again, replying with his same sentiment. She watched silently as the brother she loved was practically wrenched from her grip and taken away forever.