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RECAP: Last time the family went on vacation, met Bigfoot, roasted some marshmallows, caught some fish and had a generally good time. Until Val had another “episode” and stomped the diner flowers. That ended the trip and everyone headed home.

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So, when we got home Neil declared that he was starving and since I was kind of hungry too I followed him into the kitchen. Mom had to go to work and dad had went to bed because he had to go to work tonight. Val had disappeared again. Oh, this is Gai by the way. Mom was going to do this update but…she couldn’t. Anyways…

We were talking and got distracted and the next thing we know the grilled cheese sandwiches that Neil had slapped on the stove had caught fire. The alarm was going off and Neil ran forward as if he was going to do something. Yanking him back by his hoodie I threw my hands up over my face as the flames licked their way up the wall.

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“Oh my god! Mom is going to kill me! She’s always telling me not to put that much butter on the bread! Oh man, oh man, oh man!”

I peered at Neil as he hopped up and down. He kept muttering to himself. In the distance I could hear the fire sirens but…then I heard something else. Opening the door I peeked into each room. Alice was passed out on the bed, dad was snoring and drooling.  Where was Val?

Going outside I walked around to the back. Maybe she was on that stupid exercise bike that mom had brought. She seemed to love exercising. Me? I avoided it at all cost. What I saw froze me in my tracks. No…it couldn’t be. Oh geez.

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Okay, it had been a little hot but not hot enough for her to pass out. At least I didn’t think so. But I guess the heat, coupled with her exercising got her overheated. And with the fire going on we didn’t hear her call out for help. I was too late. How could I be too late? How could Val be dead with the Grim Reaper hovering over her staring down at her as if she was just like everyone else. She was my sister!

I tried to blink by the tears, to say something to the specter standing there but I was overcome with great, gulping sobs as I stared down at the lifeless body of my older sister. Sure, she had been mean but I never wanted her dead. Never.

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“P-please! Don’t take her. I’ll do anything!”

I don’t think he heard me. He pulled out a clipboard and flipped through the pages and then checked off a name. My sister was only a job to him, a name among millions. I happened to glance up and see a woman standing over Val. She slowly shook her head.

“I am so sorry for your lost,” she said softly. “So very sorry.”

I wanted to tell her she could be as sorry as she wanted but it wouldn’t bring my sister back. I wanted to tell her to get off our yard, that she didn’t belong there and especially not now. There were a hundred mean things that I wanted to say but instead I turned around and trudged back into the house to wake up dad.