Chapter 26: Sister, Sister
Her eyes move to the left and to the right, Linda was trying to find a way out of the labyrinth that was the darkness of this hole. Everywhere she turned it was the same never ending corner of darkness, it looked like it just went on forever. She heard noises, almost whispering things to her in a very fast manner, to fast for her to even her too understand. "Heh ha ha..." a small childish giggle echoes through the labyrinth; it somehow sounded familiar; a little too familiar.
Some footsteps rustle from behind. Linda turned around. Her breathing became nervous. Something moves in the far right corner. "Who there's?" she called out "Show yourself!" her voice echoes. A pair of glowing red eyes emerge along with a growl, then more red eyes appear. They start to go to her position. She pulls out her Taurus PT92 AF pistol and points it right at them "Stay away!" she warned, they keep approaching all the while growling like beasts "I said stay away!" she warned one last time. She aims at the one that she first saw.
Click!
The clip falls out onto the ground. "What the-?!" she kneels to try and put the clip back in but it didn't fit. The red eyes are getting closer. Linda grabbed the bullets and tried to insert them into the clip but they seemed to melt and turn into mush "What the hell!?" Linda panicked more, she threw the pistol at them and ran for it. The red eyes chase her. She ran and ran trying to escape them, she only looked back once and saw not only those eyes but now visible razor sharp fangs. She ran faster because of that. The labyrinth seemed to get longer and longer, it didn't matter where she turned those things just followed her wherever she went. Linda starts to run out of steam, she takes a left hoping that it show an exit; any kind of exit would do; but that wouldn't be the case. "Oh no! Please god no!" she reached the end but not the end that she wanted. A solid wall stops her in her tracks. She turns around and now knows she's going to be torn up by whatever those things are. Even if they were in shadows the fangs glistened like knives. They ready. They dash and she closes her eyes.
A sudden violent breeze pushes her against the wall. She opened her eyes and they were gone.
She breathed a sigh of relief. Linda turned around and that dead end wall was gone. There was nothing but darkness.
Suddenly a rotting deformed hand erupts from the ground and snatches her left foot "What the fuck!?", another hand erupts from the ground and snatches her right foot. She struggles and falls to the ground. They start to drag her to their home in the underground. Linda tries to hold on with her hands but they just keep on pulling her. "Let go of me! Let me go!" she screams "Somebody help me!". A familiar figure steps out of the shadows "Sunny! Sunny help me!" she begged. Sunny stared at her unemotionally, her eyes looked cold and heartless; her face was pale and dead looking. "Why?" her voice coldly asked "You never cared about me, you've always hated me" her eyes stared down at Linda "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I didn't mean to hurt you!" the hands keep on pulling "Please! I'm begging you! Help me!" Linda managed grab onto one of her pant legs "Please! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please! Sunny...!" she cries. A sinister frown appears on her face "No...", Linda's eyes widen with horror "You're not my sister..." Sunny's eyes became black and soulless "I don't know you girl..." and with that she violently yanks her leg away.
The hands pull ever so aggressively "No!" Linda tried to stop the inevitable but it was impossible. More hands pull her, Linda cries and cries, trying to claw herself away. The more she struggled the harder they pulled. The ground starts to swallow her up, the last thing she see's is that emotionless look on Sunny's face "Sunny! Sunny! Sunny please! Sunnnnnnnnnyyyyyy...!".
She shoots up, sweat pouring from her head and gasping for air. "Oh god...oh god..." she repeated to herself, Linda hadn't been sleeping well for the last several weeks. The same nightmares were plaguing her every night. Linda carefully got out of bed, her bed sheets were soaked with sweat.
Her clock reads 6:58 am, Linda felt like garbage. Sunny was the one thing that was on her mind above everything else. She hasn't spoken to her since she moved out of her apartment and she hasn't seen her since then. Sunny wouldn't likely want to speak to her, after all Linda was always there everywhere she went; every pat down; every threat to lock her up if and when she screwed up; that was all on her head. The day was about to begin, she opened the curtains. The sun's warmth felt excellent, even if her shorts and tank top felt damp from all that sweat, it felt good. Linda looked at the warmth of the sun, her shift begins at eight. Her supervisor is probably going to be wondering why she was late. She grabbed whatever pair of panties and bra that she had in her drawer and headed to the bathroom.
Ever since her and Sunny had their spat, all she's been doing is trying to do is put everything back together. It really hasn't been going that well. Aside from the many restless nights all she felt was the immense weight of all that guilt that she was feeling. Her mother's words echoed through her mind everyday Remember your promise "What promise? Goddammit" she cursed to herself. She kept trying to figure it out but all she got were more questions than answers. Lately all she's been doing is focusing on her police work and try to get whatever footing she had to get back on track, it was something that was she familiar with. It really was hard.
Everyday all she did was her thing, which mostly consisted of rounding bangers up and locking them up. Linda still had that edge to her. Anyone she saw, they just went down. She patrolled up and down the streets of every neighborhood that she was sent into. A lot of crooks knew her, she was considered the department's toughest cop; she got a lot of awards to prove it. Every commendation that she had gotten was worth a lot, the same way a soldier would earn his ribbons and awards for things that he had done on the battlefield. She really was that type of person. But it didn't mean anything, especially when the one person that was on her mind was her sister. Everyday Linda always wondered what Sunny was up too. She thought of that girlfriend of her's. She looked adorable the way her and Sunny would walk down the street, the way they held hands, the way they smiled. Their smiles could brighten a whole room and make everyone happy. Roberta was her name, Sunny seemed to be committed to her. They really were in love with each other.
On the one or two occasions, Linda had always looked on from afar. Keeping an eye on Sunny to see if she would slip up. But whenever she saw her, she was different. Sunny wasn't the bratty girl with that goofy laugh, she looked somewhat mature. Gone where the days when she would give a sad look in order to get her way or when she would pout to get something that she desperately wanted; be it a toy or some candy. Her appearance was the same, it mostly her hair that did her in. Linda remembered it used to be longer, she remembered when their mother would braid her hair or make them into pigtails. She remembered the one thing that Sunny didn't like was when their mother gave her bangs, she always said that Sunny looked adorable with them, but Sunny always disagreed and tried to undo them. Her hair was short now, almost boyish with the sides slightly trimmed.
Linda also noticed that she had made two friends. She recognized one, a red headed bounty hunter by the name of Geraldine Winslow. She knew of that scumbag boss of her's, a fat disgusting prick that she doesn't like and wouldn't hesitate to lock him if given the chance to. The other girl, another red head of all things, she hadn't seen her before. She looked rather skinny, both sides of her head were shaved, her ears had multiple piercings, that thing between her nostrils drew a lot of attention and that accent that she had sounded weird; it sounded British or New Zealander. She had some tattoos on her body but that girl was definitely weird looking. Linda caught a glimpse a few times here and there, the three of them just hanging out together. Linda, from a far enough distance, looked on as the three spent time together at the beach. The three of them in their bathing suits, all three splashing each other and all of them laughing. It was strange seeing Sunny laugh and having fun; the way she smiled. The way she acted was, the best word would be normal.
Was it normal to see someone who put a bullet through someone's eye? Was it normal to have that blank expression on her face when she killed that scumbag? The answer to both questions would be no. But anything that Sunny did wasn't normal. It was weird seeing her smile, laughing and having fun; like a normal person. Linda still saw that little girl smiling and using her imagination, despite that thing on her back she was still human and capable of good things; if anyone else said so then that person would be a damn liar. In this world nothing made sense, up is down; black is white.
Despite the work that she put in the department Linda still felt isolated. No personal life other than her job and no friends other those on the job.
Of all things though she had a peculiar encounter while jogging in the park.
As she was half way finished with her jog, her shoelaces became untied again. Her laces had a mind of their own, it didn't matter how many times she tied them they always seemed to undo themselves "Stupid shoes" she huffed and grumbled. Linda bent down and started to tie them again. Her workout shoes were worn out and look like they wanted to break apart, she's had them since her days at the police academy; she was surprised that they held out this long. The laces are tied once again, hopefully they hold up this time. Linda continues on with her. At a section where multiple people were running her laces became undone once again "Goddamn laces" she cursed again. Linda knelt down and tied them again. What happened in the next moment really hit her hard; literally.
"Oof!" another jogger collides with her from the right side. Both fall to the ground. Linda clutched her head, that jogger must have a rock hard head because it almost knocked her out "I'm sorry" the jogger apologized, Linda managed to regain some of her composure "Watch where you're going you idiot!" she let out her irritation "I said I was sorry, you don't need to act like a jerk" the jogger shot back; somehow her voice sounded familiar; maybe it was her imagination. "Don't call me a jerk, I'm a cop you know" "Can't you take a hint? I said I was sorry, geez". Both women lifted themselves up "Yeah, I bet you're so...rry..." Linda trailed off, their eyes meet. Now knowing who she bumped into.
Sunny wore a gray jogging shirt along with a pair of matching gray shorts. She now has fear flowing through her veins. "Oh shit..." she crawled back and rose up to her feet "Sunny wait" Linda got back up and grabbed one of her hands before she could take off "Please don't go," she pleads "I didn't mean to you call that". Sunny fearfully yanked her hand away "I-I don't know you, I'm sorry" she quickly turned around and like a rabbit ran away until Linda lost sight of her. That wasn't actually a good way to end her jogging session.
The next day Linda jogged on the same route as before hoping to bump into Sunny again. She jogged around the whole place but she wasn't anywhere in sight. One of two possibilities popped into her mind. The first one was that Sunny changed her route and she may have missed her. The other one was more likely that Sunny won't be able to jog in the park for sometime, mostly fearing that she'd likely run into Linda again. Linda felt bad that she called her an idiot and she felt worse for scaring her off.
She went down to Little Seoul and went to the one place that she hadn't been to in a long time. The Inchon Bakery and tea house was buzzing with customers, the smell of tea and pastries fill her lungs. It's been many, many years since she's been inside the bakery. The sights and smells came flooding back.
"Lee Yeon?" a voice called her by her full name, she turned around and Uncle Kang stood there with a surprised look on his face "Uncle, it's been so many years" she put on a small smile. He put his hands on her cheeks and felt her face "What are you doing?" Linda felt weirded out "You've gotten a lot older, just like your sister" he commented "Look who's talking" she quipped. Kang requested some tea and bungeo-ppang for his special guest. "How have you been? It's been so many years since I've seen you" he took a sip of tea "Fine, last time I came here somebody hit you over the head" she took a bite of bungeo-ppang "That was a very unpleasant moment for me". Linda wiped her mouth "Listen, I'm not here to talk about what happened before; has Sunny been down here lately?". He was surprised when she mentioned her sister's name. "She's been down here ever since she returned home" "Oh really?" Linda seemed surprised "Yes though I can't really say for that one friend that she brought over".
"Friend?" Linda raised her brow "Some red headed girl with a piercing between her nose", remembering the girl who Sunny was with at the beach "She was a quite strange girl, I mean she gobbled two whole plates of Yeot; the looks on the staffs face is something I won't forget". Linda scoffed then laughed "Well I'm sure she meant well" "The staff looked like they saw a horror show" Linda laughed a little bit more "Where is the manner's on that one?". It was nice to catch up for once, Linda felt like a part of her old self returned. Though what Linda really yearned for was for her and Sunny to become a family again. She knew that's what Sunny really wanted too.
Linda decided to stop by more often at the bakery, hoping that Sunny would drop by. She stayed and stayed but she never came by. Linda even stayed until closing time but nothing, she never showed up. It was only once that she saw Sunny standing on the corner, the crowd bustling around her. Linda hopped out of her seat and ran to where she was. Sunny in turn ran away "Sunny wait!" Linda desperately pleads, she was fast and didn't look back. Sunny turned to the first alley that she saw. When Linda followed her into the alley she disappeared. Some tears flowed from her eyes "Sunny...please...I'm sorry...".
Linda knew that she had a long way to go if she wanted Sunny to trust her again.
Linda's apartment
The closet had a box that was full of things that she had forgotten that were once important, things that she had buried so long ago.
These were things that she hadn't seen in years.
Linda would say that she had forgotten that they were in there. But she really knew that she made herself forget.
She buried it deep so it wouldn't haunt her again. She unearthed it because she needed to see certain things that were in there.
She placed the box on the kitchen table and opened it up. Carefully Linda opened it. These were things that she buried and she pretended that they didn't exist. She was rather amazed that they were still in good condition, Linda spotted an old trophy that she had won. It was an MVP award that she had gotten after a basketball game, the bottom had her name emboldened on the small plaque. The next thing she pulls out is a caramel brown teddy bear "Oh..." Linda remembered that was Sunny's favorite friend; she named him Biscuit. Sunny and Biscuit were always inseparable, they would go everywhere from the park to the pool and she would bring him to school, even when she started middle school she'd bring him along. Their were times that she would even bring him for breakfast and dinner, not like it didn't matter since he couldn't really eat. Though Sunny didn't care, it didn't stop her from feeding him food. Linda can't recall the numerous times that their mother had to wash him over and over again. They were really that close. Linda hugged Biscuit really tight. In the box Linda managed to find an old photo album, she eagerly took it out.
Opening the album felt strange but strange in a good way. One of the first photos she found was when her and her mother came to the United States, her mother was a month pregnant by then; Linda remembered curiously feeling her mother's stomach. Wondering if Sunny was awake and aware of what going on in the outside world. The next photo was the day when Sunny was born, she remembered how her mother cried. Sunny herself cried really loud. The one picture that made her feel sad was when Linda first held Sunny in her arms, the very first time she looked at that baby girl. Another flip of the page presented Sunny's first birthday party. Her face may have been covered in frosting but she was crying because someone stole her piece of cake from her. The page next to it was their first time trick or treating, Linda went as a fairy princess and Sunny was dressed as a puppy; they both were really cute. Linda kept turning the pages, every smile and every happy moment was flooding into her brain. Everything from Sunny's first time going to preschool to them moving into their house at the beach to when all three wore traditional Korean clothing during the New Years festival in Little Seoul, it almost felt surreal. When she's hits the last page something catches her eye; a photo was missing. That right there hit a snag in her finding any more happy memories; if she remembered then she would recall them; but they're not there.
Linda set the photo album aside, she sniffles because she forgot how happy they were. "I see you're trying remember what you lost over those years".
She jumped out of her seat and onto the floor, Young Shin stood there with a smirk on her face. Linda felt like her heart wanted to jump out of her chest. "I didn't mean to scare you, my bad" she apologized "Are you insane? You almost gave me a heart attack!" "I said I was sorry". Linda carefully got back up and regained her composure "Why are you here?" she asked "To check up on you" "Well I'm fine" Linda looked back at her mother "Oh?" Young Shin curiously looked on "Is that why your eyes have some tears in them?", Linda turned her head away "Don't be ridiculous," she rubbed her eyes "just my allergies; that's all" "Allergies? Of course..." her mother was bemused that her daughter would cover up her feelings again. "Oh...your sister's teddy bear..." she cooed "Your sister must miss him so much" "Sunny's too big for him now" Linda grabbed Biscuit and gently put him on the counter top "She's still a little girl at heart, whether you want to admit it or not".
Linda leaned against her refrigerator "I know you're not here just to check up on me" she crossed her arms "I see you're still struggling to remember that promise that you made all those years ago" Young Shin looked sternly at Linda "Can't you just tell me? It's driving me crazy" "Mm..." her mother hummed "no" she answered "That is something that you're going to have to remember when the time comes". Linda felt irritated that her mother wouldn't give her an answer "I know that you're just toying with me, I just want an honest answer!" she yelled "You know I won't tell you" Young Shin simply responded "Besides," she tilts her head "their was a promise that I made you keep, not this one but it was right after Sun Hi was born because you knew that if she ever found out that it would devastate her" her mother's mood darkened "I don't know what you're talking about! You're just going in circles around me! What Promise?!" Linda's temper flared "She never found out what your father did to me when I told him I was pregnant with your sister".
The blood in her body suddenly turned to ice, her heart wanted to stop beating. Linda gripped the sides of her head "No, no, no-no-no-no..." she remembered this one peculiar promise and that one memory that she just wanted forget that it ever happened.
She heard a loud smack followed by a painful yelp. Her mother's lip is bleeding and she was shaking. Mother and daughter hold onto each other, not wanting to let go.
"Stop, stop I don't want..." Linda's whole body starts shaking "You still remember what he did to me?" Young Shin came up to her daughter "Yeah I still do...". Linda kept gripping her head "You didn't tell her not just because I made you promise not to say anything about that, but because you were protecting her; also because you really do love her and would never want someone like that to hurt her". She sniffled and wiped her tears away "You two need to make some type of peace together" Young Shin suggested "What do you mean? Sunny hates me and I don't blame her" "She doesn't hate you, you're just too scared to talk to her". Linda regains her composure "If I can make a suggestion, start with her friend right there" she pointed to Biscuit "I think she really needs to know that he's okay" "What if she...?" Linda hesitated "She's has that lady friend of hers, she's understanding of what your sister went through" Young Shin slowly started to fade "Wait! Don't leave!" Linda pleaded "The rest is up to you..." her voice faded away.
Linda grabbed Biscuit and looked at him. She begins to wonder if she can really can reach through to Sunny like this. She won't know until she actually tries.
Sunny's house, Vinewood
"Sunny, this came for you" Roberta handed Sunny a gift bag "A present? Who would give me a present?" she looked at Roberta "I don't know, security said that someone had a package for me but it was addressed to you". Roberta heard some splashing coming from the pool "Is someone swimming in the pool?" "That's Chelsea, she's er having a stressful day, so she's relaxing" Sunny hated that she had to lie but it was better than telling Roberta that Chelsea had caught her skinny dipping in their pool and that she would keep the whole thing a secret on the condition that Chelsea had unlimited access to the pool.
Sunny carefully removed the blue tissue paper and reached inside. It felt soft and plush. She pulled it out. "Aw! It's a teddy bear!" Roberta cooed "Oh it's so cute!". Sunny held him in her hands, she starts to shake "Sunny? Are you okay?" Roberta stared in concern; some tears start to well up in her eyes. "This-This is my friend..." she tearfully looked back up "His names Biscuit..." "This is your bear?" Roberta looked on as Sunny sniffled "I hadn't seen him in years...I thought I lost him..." Sunny hugged him tightly and started to cry more.
"Oh Sunny..." Roberta gently hugged her. Sunny cries softly, she hadn't seen Biscuit ever since she went in. One part of her believes that it's a miracle and that someone really had a heart, the other part says that she knows who really sent him to her. Maybe it was her way of clearing the air between them? Maybe it was her way of wanting to get back into her life and start over again? Or maybe she was just playing mind games with her?
Either way it was good to have Biscuit at her side again.
"Hey, everything okay?" Chelsea interrupted the moment as she wrapped her towel around her body "No, it's okay" Roberta let Sunny go, she promptly wipes her eyes "Okay, well sorry for causing a mess in your pool".
"It's fine" Sunny managed to put on a smile "Are you staying over for dinner again?".
2 days later, Sunny's house, Vinewood
She knew this would be her moment. Linda carefully extended her finger, somehow it's shaking Stop shaking! Get a grip on yourself!. Today would be different, Sunny's girlfriend wouldn't be home for another couple of hours so if she's going to do this then she got to do it now. She wore her police uniform because she is technically still on duty but decided to take the time for this moment; hopefully it doesn't send the wrong message. One more time Linda extends her finger and slowly inches her finger towards the door bell.
Ding Dong!
The footsteps start to approach the door. She breathed in then out Okay, this is it.
"Oh my god, it took you long enough to get here!" the door started to open "Just so you know, you're not going to get a tip..." Sunny's eyes widen in horror at who rang the bell "Uh hi...". Sunny quickly slammed the door but Linda managed to block it with her foot and hand.
"Sunny relax, I'm not going to hurt you" Linda said as she tried with all her might to hold the door "No! Go away!" Sunny kept on pushing, she managed to push Linda's foot out and pushed the door forward. Linda's fingers were being crushed "Ow! Fuck!" with her shoulder she roughly started to push back. She saw the fright in her sister's eyes. "Sunny, please stop! It's okay!" she tried assure that everything was alright "I don't believe you!" Sunny kept pushing to get her out, Linda suddenly grabs her wrists "Sunny just stop...please...!". Sunny pulled away and with all her energy shoved her away. The door slams shut and the bolt is locked into place. Linda huffed, she knew that Sunny wasn't going to trust her outright. She had to keep trying, she knew this wasn't the time to give up.
"Sunny! Please, I just want to talk!" she shouts at the door "I'm not here as a police officer! I promise I'm not going to hurt you!", the door remained shut "Biscuit...I found Biscuit in my closet, I know you probably missed him a lot, I gave him back to you because I know that you two were always friends" her voice grew sadder "Sunny...please...I'm desperate...I just want to talk, I'm not leaving until you open the door and I'll stay out here all night if I have too". A couple of minutes and nothing.
This one time that she desperately wanted to reconnect with Sunny and her sister didn't want to do anything with her. Scared and distrustful was what she was, Linda knew that she had herself to blame for that. Every pat down that she had done, every threat of locking her up if or when she screwed up was on her head.
The bolt suddenly turned and slowly the door opened; Sunny still had that scared look in her eyes. She just stared at her with uneasiness.
"Go around the side..." she suddenly spoke "meet me in the back" the door closed again. Linda stood there stunned that Sunny actually opened the door, she thought that was a sign that things were going to change.
...
Linda was amazed by the sight of the backyard, it was amazing to see that Sunny could afford such a feat. She really was living in the big time. Especially the view, it was so big that it looked like it could go on forever. Sunny was standing with her back to her and looking off into the distance. Linda knew that this would be it, her one chance to connect with her sister. She kept her distance
"So uh, I like your house!" she started the conversation in an awkward way "It's so big! And that view! It's just amazing!" she complimented "That pool, I mean, it's almost like the one that we had when we were kids-!" "What the hell do you want?" Sunny impatiently asked. Linda was surprised that Sunny finally spoke and it sounded like she wasn't in the mood for a conversation with her sister.
"Right I just wanted to check up on you; um, how have you been...?" "Fine" Sunny simply answered "What have you been up too lately?" "Stuff..." another simple answer. Everything just felt awkward. They hadn't seen each other in years, the both of them grew up very fast over those years they were apart but they took different paths. Linda looked at her back, the only thing that was visible was the dragon on her back; she knew that this was going to be complicated. Sunny was the type that was rather stubborn, that's what she was whenever she was in a bad mood. "Is that all that you have to say?" Sunny slightly turned her head to look back "No, I..." Linda struggled to think of something to say, she wonders if she should mention that she saw their mother but she thought that Sunny would call her crazy. With a quick gulp, she tries one more time to talk "So you mentioned something about a tip when I saw you" "Pizza".
"Pizza?" Linda felt confused "I ordered pizza, I thought Roberta could use a break from cooking, so I decided to order some pizza; little bastard's an hour late".
For a moment Linda looked at Sunny, she had more things to say.
"Look...I know-I know you and me haven't been on good terms," Linda summed up whatever courage she had "but I think maybe you and me can still get along if we just tried" she knew that last part she said sounded rather pathetic or the more appropriate term, lame. Or better yet, just plain sappy. "Don't you want to know?" Sunny suddenly asked "Know about what?" Linda now felt scared "About my time inside, I bet you want to know what it was like inside a cell or seeing things that'll give you nightmares" "S-Sunny...I-I-I don't think-" Linda nervously stuttered "Well I'll tell you anyways" Sunny turned around with a stern and hard look on her face "It was hell, people getting their asses kicked; a stabbing here and over there; a bunch of predators looking to add someone to their collection. Better yet maybe I should tell you about what happened during my first week there, some poor girl had been doused in cleaning fluid and then lit on fire; oh I remember that. The way she screamed and ran down the hallway just to put out the flames, god the place whole place smelled like-".
"Stop, stop..." Linda felt uneasy "Stop? Oh why? Isn't that what you wanted to hear?" Sunny sarcastically quipped "Then again; isn't that what you do? Lock up people and throw away the key" "Sunny...please I don't want to hear that". The two sisters looked at each other, the tension just seemed to have gotten more inflamed "Sunny, I know that you've had it rough when you went in..." "Rough?" the word triggered her sister "What do you know about rough?". Sunny's mood went to angry "Did you know that I almost died?", Linda looked away because she knew what she was talking about. The way those animals beat her, the way they stomped her almost to death. The way her eye was swollen shut and her face bloodied. "Did you know that three skanks jumped me?" Sunny gripped her left arm, she could still feel that broken mop handle smashing into her arm "They beat me down...smashed my rib cage, I couldn't breathe right for a week..." she shook remembering the way they left her in the hospital wing.
Linda looked away ashamed "I-I heard..." "That wasn't the worst part..." Sunny's gaze hardened "Look at me" she demanded "Sunny...!" "I said look at me!" she sounded more forceful. Linda looked up with fright "The worst part was when I was lying on that hospital bed...I started to cry..." her voice starts to break "I started to cry out for you...I kept crying and I kept calling out for you...but you never came...". The tears start to run down her cheeks "Sunny..." Linda slowly approached, her hands reached towards her face; Sunny pulled away and wiped her tears. "I fucking hate you...".
Her heart sunk like a rock when she heard that. Linda slowly started to cry after hearing all of that "Sunny...I'm sorry...I didn't know that was going to happen to you", sorry was a word that most people would hear when someone was legitimately apologetic, to Sunny it felt like an insult; her blood boiled. "Sorry? Sorry?" she looked back at her big sister "You're sorry? No way, I can't fucking believe it!" she let out a sarcastic laugh "You're sorry! You're fucking sorry!?" she shouted from the top of her lungs, her shout echoes through out the open view "Do you have any idea what that was like?!" Sunny had the appearance of a rabid animal "Sunny! I didn't know that was going to happen to you! I didn't know...I swear to god...!" "Well now you know! You didn't give a damn about me! You just left me there to die!".
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Linda kept apologizing "Stop saying that!" Sunny angrily screamed "I kept crying and crying, I just cried all night..." she clenched her teeth, more tears poured down her face "I kept thinking you were going to show up and get me out of that place...", her hand covered her face "But you never came...you just never came...".
Linda looked at how much pain Sunny was in, it looked like she holding all that pain in for as long she could "You think you're the only who suffered! You know after mommy died I couldn't even come home! Because I knew how angry you were with me!", for the first time Linda felt ashamed "I needed you to be there for me! I needed you...and you let me down...you just let me down...".
Sunny breathed in, all that grief felt like a wave of never ending torture. "Sunny, I-I..." Linda could feel her pain "You know I wouldn't hurt you like that, I was just angry...I admit it okay? I was just being an idiot, I didn't mean for any of that to happen" Linda again slowly approaches "I know I was hard on you when you came back, I just-every time I saw you I just remembered what happened, I was wrong for doing that to you" her hand finally touches her shoulder. Sunny looks up and bolts back, she pulls a Smith & Wesson model 629 snub nose from her waistband and points it at Linda's chest. "Whoa, Sunny...just relax" Linda put her hands up "Shut up, isn't this what you always wanted? Just some punk that you can shoot at, you shoot me and you'll probably get a promotion, right?" Sunny had that very same look that she had all those years ago; cold as ice. Colder than before.
"S-Sunny, you wouldn't hurt me; that's not you; that's not the girl I know" Linda kept her hands away her own gun, not just for her safety but also for sister's safety "Shut up" she commanded "You're...You're still that little girl running crazy and having tea parties with Biscuit" "Shut up...!" Sunny slowly cocked the hammer "Y-Y-You're still my sister, you're still my little sister".
"I'm not your sister!" she yelled "Isn't what you said!? I shouldn't call you sister!". Linda put her hands down and slowly walked to her sister "What are you doing? Get back" she warned pointing the sight at her chest. Linda took her with the revolver and guided it under her chin "If this is what's going to make you feel better, then do it" Sunny's hand starts to shake, something's going on that she can't seem to explain "Just so you know, if you do this then you're just going to hurt yourself more. Your friends, those two girls that you hang out with; they're going to be really sad that you're gone. Your girlfriend, Roberta right? Isn't she going to be sad too? I know you wouldn't want her to be alone". Her whole body starts to shake "I'll-I'll do it! I'm going to do it...!" "Okay, on the count of five" Linda looked directly into her eyes and saw the hurt in her soul "One..." she started the count "two...three..." almost there "four..." Linda started to feel the tremble in Sunny's hand, she knew that if this happened that their was no turning back. A frown appears on Sunny's face, she growled and moved away. She cocks the hammer back into place, her chest goes in then out.
"Go away...just go away..." she sadly pleads "Sunny..." Linda tried to approach again "Just go away...leave me alone..." Sunny turned her back towards Linda "Sunny please..." "Go away! Just leave!" she starts to cry again.
Sunny wiped her tears away, it was too much for her to remember those painful things. Suddenly something grabs her from behind, she looks behind and realizes that Linda had wrapped her arms around her waist. "What are you doing?" she questioned "Let it out, let it all out", Sunny struggled to free herself "No! Get off me!" she demands "Let it out" she says again, Sunny struggled more "Let go of me! You bitch! I fucking hate you! I'll fucking kill you!". Linda kept her grip tight around her waist "Let it go, just let it all go" "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Sunny shouted, she kept on fighting and fighting, Linda just held her as tight as she could. Sunny's knees buckle, both gently fall to the ground. She starts to sob, her tears fall onto the pavement "That's it...let it all out..." Sunny sobs loudly, Linda carefully released her.
Linda realized that she finally got through to her, Sunny turned around and collapsed on her sisters chest. She sobs loudly through her uniform. Linda gently embraced her sister and held her tight, she could feel her tears. To Linda, it felt like holding that little girl with the skinned knees again. Her tears and possibly some of her snot is going to stain her uniform, she knows she's probably going to have to dry clean it but that can wait she thought. This was more important. Sunny pulled away, her lips quivering, her face and eyes red with grief. "Sunny? Let's get up" the sister carefully get up "Sunny listen...you're right. I treated you bad, everything's on me".
With her fingers, Linda gently wiped away her sister's tears "It's all my fault...I left you all alone, I shouldn't have done that...I was just angry at you, that's on me; you needed my help and I wasn't there. I don't blame you for hating me...I hate myself a lot too". Sunny sniffled, she could see that Linda was going through the same pain too "I know, I know you don't trust me; I get that part; Sunny...I just want you, I don't want anything else". Sunny felt confused, everything was in a tailspin "I just want you in my life...I just want that...I just-I just feel lonely without you".
"You...You know I'm not going to trust you outright...not after everything that happened" "Okay I understand that but please...just give me a chance, that's all I'm asking for...please? That's all I want...please just for me?".
Her head hurts too much, she knows she should say no and cast her out of her life forever; but her heart says differently.
"I...I need to think..." Sunny wiped a tear away "Okay-Okay, that's a start, just take all the time you need" Linda saw that the sun was setting "I need to get back to work, otherwise people are going to be wondering what happened to me" Linda composed herself "See you around, stay safe...".
As Linda walked back to the front, only once did she turn back "Do you still have my card?" she wondered looking back "It's in my room somewhere..." Sunny answered "If anything happens, you can always call me" "What are you still doing here? Get going...".
She drove away wondering if this was that one defining moment. The moment that they weren't enemies and just two siblings just trying to settle their differences. Despite the tears that they both shed, Linda knew that she wasn't on Sunny's good graces and their was a lot more work to do. Yet she couldn't help that they were talking again, who knows she thought their might be a day that the both of them were going to be working together. Linda could only hope that in honesty that would be the case.
A week later, Linda's apartment
Today was a long day, Linda managed to arrest a degenerate who hid a tiny camera in the ventilation system of the women's bathroom at the Bean Machine. It wasn't really hard to find the little creep as he was parked about a block away from the place. He at first denied it but after a detective threatened to leave him with a certain muscular inmate, he confessed.
She unbuttoned her shirt and undid her bulletproof vest. She manages to undo her bun and let her hair flow.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Three knocks are heard on heard on her door, Linda thought it must have been one of her neighbors. Lately they've been bugging her over some package thefts. She's told them that numerous times that she isn't loss prevention and that she can't just arrest someone that they thought looked suspicious. She even said that's not how it worked and they should refer their complaints to the security company that has jurisdiction in the building.
Linda opened the door and saw someone disappear around the corner. She was about to chase them but her foot bumps something that was left on the floor. It was wrapped in a red cloth with blue stars splashed on the red. It felt rather heavy, her hands feel what was behind the cloth and it was warm, it also had a envelope attached to it. She closes the door and goes to the kitchen table, carefully she unwraps it; wondering if it was a trap. Three Tupperware trays appear out of the cloth. She was amazed at was on the inside.
The first one contained bulgogi. Thinly sliced pieces of beef which was marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and black pepper.
The second contained steamed rice with bits of vegetables and the side contained japchae, noodles mixed with stirred fried vegetables and small bits of pork.
The final container had mandu-guk, which was dumpling soup and it was one of her favorite things to eat when she was younger. Linda opened all the containers and smelled all of them, authentic Korean food; it almost reminded her of her mother's cooking. The way her mother poured her heart and soul into every meal that she cooked really was special. Who would make such a meal for her? Linda opened the envelope to see what it had been written, it was written in Korean.
'Naneun neoege ajigdo hwaganassda, (I'm still angry at you,)' she recognized the hand writing 'sigsa mas-issgehaseyo (enjoy your meal)'. Linda now knew that Sunny was the one who disappeared around the corner and she was the one who wrote the letter. She thought back to the week before, the way she sobbed and their embrace. Sunny was still angry at her but the meal that she left was a sign of that she may have, more or less, softened up a bit. Linda chuckled a bit, maybe things were going to change after all. The way things were going with her Linda thought for sure that it would blow up in her face, thankfully it didn't. Attached to the rice were a pair of plastic chopsticks. Convenient was the one thing she thought, nobody who ate Asian food would eat with a fork. Linda was used to eating fast food mostly from hot dog stands or dining out, it was such a long time since she had Korean food. Everything today was mixed with soy or vegan crap, which tasted tasteless.
She grabbed a piece of bulgogi and ate the piece. The flavor flooded throughout her mouth. It was good, not as good as her mother's but it was the thought that counts. Linda forgot what Korean food actually tasted like, it almost brought her to tears. Sunny really did outdo herself, she put her own heart into making this meal and it was probably an accomplishment that Linda could actually be proud of and take pride that her sister actually made something so scrumptious. If their was something that her mother had taught the both of them was to always have hope, no matter the situation big or small, never give up and always look forward. Her chopsticks goes to the third container, she wanted to try the dumplings too see if it was the same as when she ate them as a child. Almost with a sense of eagerness, she ate the first dumpling she saw, her eyes widen in excitement.
"Mm!" Linda groaned through her mouth "Oh my god!" she says chewing the dumpling, it was really like their mother's cooking. If Sunny wasn't a criminal then she'd likely be a great cook.
Chapter 27 is coming soon. Rate and Review.