Chapter 4: The Mischievous Big Sister
“Sasha!” Bubbles pushed against the door, but it wouldn’t budge. She turned to her sister for help.
“Well, this is troublesome.”
Sasha put her hands on her hips, surveying their surroundings for an escape route.
“The window… no good.” In the blink of an eye, the raging flames had blocked their only other exit.
“The door won’t open… the window…” Looking up, Sasha realized that while the door was indeed locked, the transom window above it couldn’t be bolted shut.
“Bubbles, help me move a chair!”
“Coming!”
Bubbles rushed over, her movements clumsy with fear. Together, they dragged a chair towards the door.
“Sasha, what are we going to do?”
Bubbles was frantic, her eyes red-rimmed with tears. This was all too much for her young mind to process. Instinctively, she turned to the person she trusted most for help.
“One chair…” Sasha compared her height to the window, then glanced back at the approaching flames.
“No time.” A wave of sadness washed over Sasha, but seeing the desperation in her sister’s eyes, she forced a smile.
She climbed onto the chair and held out her hand. “Bubbles, come here.”
“See that window up there? Yes, that one. You’re going to climb on my shoulders and climb through it. Trust yourself, Bubbles, you can do it.”
“But, what about you, Sasha? I can’t leave you behind!” Bubbles shook her head vehemently.
“Silly Bubbles…”
Sasha wiped her stinging eyes, her vision blurry from the smoke. “Once you’re out, go get help. Promise me you’ll save me, Bubbles.”
Something felt wrong, but with her sister’s insistent urging, Bubbles stepped onto her shoulders.
“Bubbles.”
“Yes?”
Halfway through the window, Bubbles froze at the sound of her sister’s voice.
“Be a good kid, okay?”
Sasha’s tone was strange, almost wistful. With that, she jumped up, pushing her sister’s feet with all her might.
“Ahhhh!”
Sasha crumpled to the floor, her body aching from the fall. She didn’t even try to get up.
Whispering a final blessing for her sister, she stared at the flames licking their way towards her and sighed.
“If only I knew… who…”
………………………………………………..
Silence descended upon the room as the little girl finished her story.
A rare pang of regret struck the ‘veteran.’ Perhaps he had been wrong this time.
Aya, tears streaming down her face, walked over and embraced Bubbles.
“Bubbles…”
“Waaahhhh!” The little girl burst into tears, burying her face in Aya’s chest.
“Bubbles is a big dummy, it’s all Bubbles’s fault. If it wasn’t for finding Bubbles food, Sasha, sister wouldn’t have…”
“It was an accident, sweetheart. Let it all out, you’ll feel better.”
The man quietly excused himself, stepping out of the room and leaning against the wall, lighting a cigarette.
The sound of the little girl’s sobs tugged at his heartstrings.
A while later, his phone vibrated. Glancing at the message, he extinguished his cigarette and knocked on the door.
“Aya, bring Bubbles out. Backup is here.”
The chatter inside ceased. A moment later, Aya emerged, leading the little girl by the hand.
“Senior, since this was all a misunderstanding, about Bubbles…”
“I understand how you feel, but we have to follow protocol… There’s nothing I can do.”
The three of them descended the stairs in silence, passing through the sea of flowers. As they stepped out of the orphanage, they were met with a group of heavily armed soldiers, standing guard as if facing a formidable enemy.
The man raised his hands, his expression unsurprised. “Stand down, everyone. It’s a misunderstanding. Please remain calm.”
Aya, after calming the anxious Bubbles, followed suit. “Easy there, we don’t want to scare the child.”
The soldiers, faces grim behind their helmets, remained motionless, as if they hadn’t heard a word.
A moment later, a tall, imposing man in a black suit and sunglasses approached them.
He studied Aya and the ‘veteran’ carefully, then glanced at Bubbles.
“I expect a detailed report on my desk.”
“Understood.” Aya and the man responded in unison.
The man in sunglasses nodded curtly and gestured to the troops behind him.
“Pack it up!” His voice boomed across the courtyard.
“One, two!”
“One, two!”
“One, two!”
“One, two!”
The soldiers chanted in unison, falling back into formation and boarding the armored transport trucks with practiced efficiency. Within minutes, the only ones left in front of the orphanage were the three of them and…
“Officer…” A hesitant voice called out. The orphanage director approached them cautiously.
The earlier display had clearly shaken the old man. Only after the soldiers had withdrawn did he dare to approach them.
“Director, I apologize for the inconvenience.” The man bowed slightly. The old man waved his hands dismissively. “Oh, no, it’s alright, officer…”
“It’s all over now, you can rest assured.” Aya added, “We just need to take Bubbles with us for a short while. Don’t worry, we’ll bring her back safe and sound once everything is cleared up.”
The director fell silent, his eyes downcast.
Mistaking his silence for distrust, Aya reassured him again. “Director, you have our word.”
“I’ll take good care of Bubbles while she’s away. I promise she’ll be happy and healthy when she returns.”
She turned to Bubbles and made a funny face. “Isn’t that right, Bubbles?”
“Hee hee!” The little girl giggled, her tears drying up. “Bubbles will be good. Bubbles won’t cause any trouble for Aya.”
“You…” Aya’s heart ached for the child’s understanding. She turned to the director, about to say something, but stopped short. The old man’s gaze flickered, avoiding her eyes.
Sensing something amiss, the ‘veteran’ frowned. Before he could speak, the director spoke, his voice trembling slightly. “That’s… that’s very kind of you, officer.”
“I’m relieved to know she’ll be in good hands, but… she doesn’t have to come back.”
“…What?”
Aya blinked, her mind struggling to catch up. “Bubbles will be back soon. This is just a formality, we…”
“I’m sorry, but we can no longer accommodate her here.”
The old man kept his head bowed, unable to meet Aya’s gaze. His voice, however, was firm. “This has always been a peaceful place, nothing like this has ever happened before.”
“The fire was the only exception… alas.”
“Officer, you don’t understand. Ever since Sasha… passed, everyone’s been on edge. It was an accident, but… people talk.”
“And now this…”
“There are far better facilities in the Federation… It’s for the best, for both us and Bubbles.”
“So please, don’t bring her back here.”
The old man bowed deeply. “Please!”
Aya instinctively looked at Bubbles. The little girl had her head down, clutching the rabbit doll tightly, her face pale and drawn.
Snowflakes fell around them, and Aya shivered.
“It’s cold,” the ‘veteran’ muttered, exhaling a cloud of breath into the frigid air.
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