Short story collection

We'll meet again

"Hey, watch out!" Amy exclaimed when someone coming from the shadows bumped into her.

"Amy? Is that you?" The person stood in the shadow, Amy couldn't see them clearly

"Excuse me? I don't think I know you."

"That disappoints me, Amy." The voice was clearly a girl's voice, but Amy couldn't identify whose it was.

"That really disappoints me."

"Am I supposed to know you?" 

"Yes, you are." the girl said while stepping out of the shadows. She wore a black sweater and black pants. She also wore a black hat and on her back was a black backpack. Something about the girl's face bugged Amy. She looked so familiar. But the girl couldn't be her. She was gone forever. 

"Amber?" 

"Finally you recognise me, Amy. Took you a pretty long while, eh?"

"But, you are... Amber is..." 

"What am I?"

"I thought you were... gone... forever..." Amy bit her lip to hold in her tears.

"And I still am. For the world at large, at least." 

"Why did you leave?! I missed you so much!" 

"That's something you'll never be able to understand, Amy."

"That's exactly the same thing you said the evening before you left. I'm not a little girl anymore."

"I see. You've grown so much since the last time I saw you, little sister. How old are you now? 14?"

"Turned 15 last week. Which makes it almost 5 years since you left."

"I know."

"Why? Why did you leave us?"

"I cannot stay where I don't belong, Amy. You'll understand someday."

"But, please come home!" 

"No, Amy. I can't." Amber looked to the points of her shoes. "How much I'd love to, I can't come back."

"Why?"

"You keep asking the same questions. Remember our last night together?"

"Of course I do. I'll never forget that night."

~ 5 years earlier. ~

Two knocks on a door. 

"Can I come in, Amy?" Why would Amber come to me this late at night? "Come in." She walked in.

"How are you, little sister?"

"I'm not little anymore! I'm 10 now!" She gave me her kind smile.

"Still, you are, and you always will be, my little sister."

"Why did you come?"

"To say goodbye." 

"Why? You'll see me tomorrow again, when we both wake up."

"I'm leaving."

"Why?" 

"That's something you'll be never able to understand, Amy."

"Just tell me!"

"No."

"When will you return?"

"When time allows it." 

"How long will that take?"

"I don't know. Maybe a week, maybe a month, maybe a year, maybe even longer." I started to sob.

"But I'm going to miss you so much! Why can't you stay? Just for me!" She shook her head. 

"I'm going to miss you too. Come into my arms." I walked to her and fell in her soft arms. "Don't cry. Please, don't cry." All too soon, the arms released me and she walked away.

"Goodbye, Amy. I love you." I started to cry. Why would she leave me? I cried the whole night. 

~ Present day ~

"You left a letter. It said you were gone and that we shouldn't look for you, because you'd be fine. And you'd never return. Mom and Dad cried when they read that."

"And what about you?"

"I cried, but not so much as them, because I knew you'd return, because you had said so."

"I wouldn't."

"Huh?"

"I would never return."

"But why did you say you would, then?"

"You looked so sad. And you were only 10 years old. I couldn't bring myself to tell you I'd never return."

"Why did you leave?"

"Insistent as ever, I see. You didn't change much on the inside, didn't you?"

"I did! I've grown up!" 

"Okay, I'll tell you. But promise me one thing."

"That is?"

"Don't hate me after I'm finished."

~ 5 years earlier ~

There she was. That stupid, silly girl with her enourmous glasses. We were waiting for her to come. Anne had said she'd pass here around this time. There she was. The moment she stood in the middle of the bridge, we jumped up from our hiding places. 

"There you are!"

"Stupid girl!" 

"Why don't you buy normal glasses!?" They screamed to her.

"Silence!" I yelled. The whole group became silent. The only thing we heard were her little sobs.

"Didn't I order you to be quiet?" I said to her. "And you kept us waiting here. That are already two offenses. And you know what happens when you don't do what we want you to do." She nodded.

"Billy! Peter!" Two big boys walked to me. "Punish her." They started hitting her. She started screaming. Anne came to me.

"Someone is coming. Quick!"

"We're leaving!" I said. Everyone ran away, leaving her on the ground.

The next day when I came to school, she wasn't there. And she wasn't there the day after that. When we asked the teacher, he said she was in hospital. She was found on a bridge, completely beaten up. She was dead No one knew what happened. But I did. What have I done? I... This is all my fault! I've gone too far. I can't face her. I can't show my face to anyone anymore. I'll have to leave here. Forever.

~ Present day ~

"Amber."

"I know. Hate me. I deserve it"

"How could you have done that? Something so bad?"

"I don't know. I just got carried away, I think. You see now?"

"No. Why didn't you tell me?"

"How could I? You'd hate me forever, just like the rest of the world!"

"No! I could never hate you!" 

"That's what you're saying now."

"I... Amber, where do you live now?"

"Where I happen to be."

"I.... see...."

"I knew I shouldn't have come here. Please don't tell anyone you've seen me, 'kay?"

"Promised."

"Look me in my eyes." I did as she asked.

"I'll return. I promise. When I'll be able to face what I have done. I don't know when that will be. Goodbye, Amy, little sister." 

"Goodbye, Amber. I'll hope to see you again soon." Amber put the backpack on her back again and walked away. Soon she disappeared again in the crowd.