-Sophia-

If anyone else would have read this book they probably wouldn't have ever figured out what happened next. 

But I'm not anyone else.

I know exactly what happened. 

It's still crystal clear in my mind.

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I was listening to music while doing my English homework when I heard a knock on my door.

"Come in!" I yelled as I switched off the songs and turned around to face whoever was coming in.

The door creaked open slowly and I saw a small figure hobble through before collapsing on my floor.

It was Elise. 

She looked paler and weaker than ever before as she turned around to face me.

"Sophia, I need your help," she said, her whisper barely even audible. 

I crouched down next to my sister and looked at her in the eyes. I knew that she had been acting differently these days. I missed her caring, compassionate self. "Anything," I responded.

Elise brought her head down slowly. It seemed as if she was having a hard time keeping it up. 

"I'm weak," she mumbled quietly, "Weaker than I've ever felt before. And I think it's because I'm not eating..."

I looked at her for a second. I didn't expect her to tell me that. 

"Don't you think you should go to the doctor?" I asked.

When she didn't respond, I asked her something else.

"Are you sure it is because you aren't eating?" 

Elise gave me a staggered nod, "I'm sure. Which is why I need your help..."

"My help?" I questioned, "How so?"

Elise looked up at me with pleading eyes, "I need to start eating again. And I don't know how to anymore. I need you, Sophia. Please."

If my sister had told me this when she had first stopped eating then everything would have been different. But now, I  looked at her in disbelief. How could she say that? How? Was she really that selfish? Was she really that inconsiderate?

"Elise!" I yelled at her and pushed her away, "You can't do that!" 

She looked up at me; hurt and confusion lingering in her eyes. 

"What do you mean, Sophia?" she asked.

Didn't Elise understand? Didn't she?

"Elise, if you start eating again then everything will be ruined. Lexi will start teasing you again and Dad will start to beat you. When you became thin, he was finally pleased, finally! Don't you understand how terrible I felt hearing you scream while he beat you black and blue? Knowing that I couldn't do anything or else he would beat me too? I spent so many nights feeling helpless as I cried myself to sleep. But it all ended when you stopped eating. We're a happy family now. He loves me and you. Everything is great. Don't you want to be happy?" I pleaded. 

Elise looked at me. For enough time to make it awkward. Then she spoke words that I will never forget she said. 

"How can I ever be happy if I'm not healthy?" she asked, "How can I ever be happy knowing Dad will beat me if I'm not skinny? How can I ever be happy thinking about others before myself? How can I be happy if I spend every second looking in the mirror telling myself I am not good enough? Believing that I'm not good enough? You cried yourself to sleep but at least it wasn't you in my place! I know how it feels like! To be abused. To be told that you will never be loved. He doesn't love me. He never will. I can try forever to please the people around me. But nobody will ever find it good enough. For once, I want to be happy. 

So how can I ever be happy if I know that I'll always be weak?" 

Her eyes were filled with tears now. 

I was speechless.

"I'm sorry Elise," I told her, "But I can't take the chance of losing our family again."

Then, I heard I sound that I would have never expected to hear.

It was a cackle.

A cruel cackle.

It was coming from Elise.

"I can't believe it," she sneered as she shook her head in disbelief. 

"Elise-"

"I'm not talking about you." she hissed, "I can't believe I  was so stupid. I believed that I had some faith in you. My sister, the only person who I thought truly supported me; let me down when I needed it the most. I was so stupid to even think that you would help me."

She let out another cruel laugh.

I felt a stab in my throat as I tried to hold back my forming tears. 

"Elise," I tried to explain,  "I'm doing this for your own good,"

She stared at me. Her entire face was expressionless and pale. Except for her eyes. 

They were ice cold. 

"No, Sophia." she glanced at me, her frail voice just as emotionless as her face, "No you're not." 

She slowly got up after that and hobbled back over to the door before closing it quietly.

She never turned back. 

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I sat there.

Remembering.

I clenched the book close to my heart as a tear fell down my cheek. 

An hour after that, Elise Riverstine had died of a heart attack.

I could have listened to her.

I could have stopped her. 

She knew she was going to die. 

And there was nothing that could be done now.

Just like her heart,

I had failed her.