LAETIFICUS (Chapter 1)

"Where are you going?"

The figure turned around slowly, looking back at Marisa with an expressionless face. Their eyes were dark and empty, their lips curled upward into a forced smile.

"I'm... leaving, I guess." Her sister replied after a moment. She looked down at the ground, shuffling her feet nervously as she tried to find the words to say.

"...Will you come back?"

Her sister shook her head silently. "...No."

"Why not?"

"Because..." The figure paused for a moment, struggling to form the words she needed to say. "Because I don't belong here anymore. This isn't my home anymore."

Marisa stood still, staring blankly at her sister's back as she continued speaking.

"You're better off without me anyway." The girl added as she turned away again. "I'm just gonna cause problems for everyone else." She paused for a moment before continuing. "Don't worry about me, ok Mari?"

"But..." Marisa started to reply but stopped when she saw the look on her sister's face. She looked so... fragile, so broken. Marisa couldn't understand what was happening. She couldn't understand the feeling in her stomach. It hurt, it burned, it felt like fire spreading through her body. Like someone had poured acid into her veins.

"I'm... sorry." Her sister said quietly as she turned back around. "I'm... leaving now."

She opened the window and stepped out onto the ledge, jumping downwards and landing on the ground below with a soft thud. The moonlight cast its pale glow across her skin as she vanished in the black.

Marisa watched her go until she was gone completely, a shadow amongst a thousand others in the darkness of the night.

Her face was stained with tears.