Status: Written within an hour for my loving sister.
Because I Love You
The Reason
"Katelynn-Ann Michelle!!! Put me down! Put me down or I'm going to flippin' scream!" my older sister Raydanah squealed. She was 17, a whole foot shorter than me, and as big around a flagpole. Poor thing was so scrawny... No upper body strength at all, but man could she run.
"Uhm... Honey, you kind of already are screaming," I teased her as I set her bare feet back on the sand of Flagler Beach. She wrung out her short blond hair and rubbed salt water out of her pale green eyes.
"Shut up!" She laughed and attempted to push me under into the cold, crisp waters of the bright blue ocean.
I went under just to humor her and came up with my long, baby-blue hair covering my face. I pushed it back with a laugh, out of my eyes so brown they were almost black. "Good job," I laughed and pulled her into a hug. "Maybe next time I won't have to help you."
"HEY!" She pulled away and splashed me playfully. "I'll have you know, I've been working out!"
"Okay, Sissy. Okay." We laughed in unison. God, I loved my sister. She was a beautiful young lady. I'm going to miss her.
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"So how was school today, Ray?" I asked as I passed her a cream soda and grabbed a root beer for myself.
"It was pretty cool. Had a few tests to take."
"Cool. Got a lot of homework?"
"Why? Wanna see if you can beat me at soccer again? Oh no, wait... You've never beaten me at soccer." She winked and we popped the caps off our drinks at the same time.
"Ouch. That hurt. So we'll play a little street ball."
"What?! Dude, you're like twice my size! You'd murder me!!! ... Let's do it!"
We laughed and took a sip of our drinks at the same time. I watched her crinkle her nose as I gagged a little. We looked at each other, laughed, and switched drinks silently. I loved that telepathy type thing we had.
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We sat back on the cool grass, laughing hysterically at each other.
"Kay-Tay, I love you so much it is ridiculous," she panted with that wild smile I adored.
"Ray-Ray, I love you, too. I'm so glad I was blessed to have a sister like you."
"Same here. Hey, I am like dying of thirst! You wanna run down to the gas station to pick something up with me?"
"Sure. Let's go."
That was it. That one day. Nothing was out of the ordinary. I had no reason to think either of us was going to die or I would've stopped her.
It was a routine run down to the local convenience store to pick up a few small snacks to eat while we hung out. I got a large bag of jolly ranchers, can of sour cream 'n' onion pringles, and 20 ounce red cream soda. She picked up a pack of smarties and a Monster, causing me to trade my soda for a Monster.
She took everything to the counter and my phone started ringing so I walked outside. I talked on the phone with our mom for a minute, watching cars pull in, fill up, and pull out. While watching, I noticed this black Ford truck circle the parking lot. I watched it carefully and suspiciously.
The window started dropping. A hand peered into view. I ran inside as a gun slipped from the inner sanctums of the car. "Ray!" I screamed as I pushed her aside. Then I screamed out in agony.
"Kate!" Ray screamed as tears started spilling. I heard her yell something to the employee about call 911, then nothing. Everything was dark and held a deathly silence.
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Ray cried over my casket.
Mom and Dad accepted regrets from family and friends.
I watched from Jesus's loving arms as my family held my funeral.
"Why'd you do it?" I heard Raydanah scream. "Why couldn't you have just let ME take the bullet?!"
Because... I thought to myself, I love you. You have more to offer. You're beautiful. You'll be okay. Your strong. You'll make it. I'm here. I promise. You'll make it.
"Uhm... Honey, you kind of already are screaming," I teased her as I set her bare feet back on the sand of Flagler Beach. She wrung out her short blond hair and rubbed salt water out of her pale green eyes.
"Shut up!" She laughed and attempted to push me under into the cold, crisp waters of the bright blue ocean.
I went under just to humor her and came up with my long, baby-blue hair covering my face. I pushed it back with a laugh, out of my eyes so brown they were almost black. "Good job," I laughed and pulled her into a hug. "Maybe next time I won't have to help you."
"HEY!" She pulled away and splashed me playfully. "I'll have you know, I've been working out!"
"Okay, Sissy. Okay." We laughed in unison. God, I loved my sister. She was a beautiful young lady. I'm going to miss her.
--------------------------------------------------
"So how was school today, Ray?" I asked as I passed her a cream soda and grabbed a root beer for myself.
"It was pretty cool. Had a few tests to take."
"Cool. Got a lot of homework?"
"Why? Wanna see if you can beat me at soccer again? Oh no, wait... You've never beaten me at soccer." She winked and we popped the caps off our drinks at the same time.
"Ouch. That hurt. So we'll play a little street ball."
"What?! Dude, you're like twice my size! You'd murder me!!! ... Let's do it!"
We laughed and took a sip of our drinks at the same time. I watched her crinkle her nose as I gagged a little. We looked at each other, laughed, and switched drinks silently. I loved that telepathy type thing we had.
--------------------------------------------------
We sat back on the cool grass, laughing hysterically at each other.
"Kay-Tay, I love you so much it is ridiculous," she panted with that wild smile I adored.
"Ray-Ray, I love you, too. I'm so glad I was blessed to have a sister like you."
"Same here. Hey, I am like dying of thirst! You wanna run down to the gas station to pick something up with me?"
"Sure. Let's go."
That was it. That one day. Nothing was out of the ordinary. I had no reason to think either of us was going to die or I would've stopped her.
It was a routine run down to the local convenience store to pick up a few small snacks to eat while we hung out. I got a large bag of jolly ranchers, can of sour cream 'n' onion pringles, and 20 ounce red cream soda. She picked up a pack of smarties and a Monster, causing me to trade my soda for a Monster.
She took everything to the counter and my phone started ringing so I walked outside. I talked on the phone with our mom for a minute, watching cars pull in, fill up, and pull out. While watching, I noticed this black Ford truck circle the parking lot. I watched it carefully and suspiciously.
The window started dropping. A hand peered into view. I ran inside as a gun slipped from the inner sanctums of the car. "Ray!" I screamed as I pushed her aside. Then I screamed out in agony.
"Kate!" Ray screamed as tears started spilling. I heard her yell something to the employee about call 911, then nothing. Everything was dark and held a deathly silence.
--------------------------------------------------
Ray cried over my casket.
Mom and Dad accepted regrets from family and friends.
I watched from Jesus's loving arms as my family held my funeral.
"Why'd you do it?" I heard Raydanah scream. "Why couldn't you have just let ME take the bullet?!"
Because... I thought to myself, I love you. You have more to offer. You're beautiful. You'll be okay. Your strong. You'll make it. I'm here. I promise. You'll make it.