Chapter Five: “Fall Seven Times, Stand Up Eight”

I sat down on a tube lipstick and put my head in my lap. It was so surreal. Not more then what should be five feet behind me is a dresser, and yet it looks like miles and miles from me. Everything now is just so damn big. Shoes, shirts, socks, handbags, they all are practically immoveable objects.

I felt the ground begin to tremble, then the door swung open as I fell off the tube of lipstick. I looked up from the ground as my sister now fully dressed, walked back into the room. I could immediately smell her perfume, it never bothered me before but as she entered this time, it smelled bad.

I screamed in her direction hoping she would somehow here me, but it was no use, I watched her pleated skirt flitter as she walked towards her desk grabbing her dark blue backpack which matches her dark blue v-neck sweater. As she walked back towards the door with her Ipod in hand I yelled one last time but she didn’t even react to my screams for help. As she put the ear buds in, and walked out the door that was it.

I felt alone, and I was for the first time. I had been alone all along, but I was at least near my family, even if they had no idea I was here. I kicked at my sister’s tube of lipstick while still lying on my back. I was standing up when I heard it hit against something. I turned around to see what it had hit and a smile crept across my face, I bolted over to the box of joy, some people call it the Nintendo DS.

I climbed on top of it and took in its full glory, the screen now looked gigantic, the buttons were larger then my hands. It was incredible. I closed my eyes and prayed as I hit the power button hoping my stupid sister had not left it on without turning it off.

“God, Hi, I know you remember me. We don’t talk much but if you could just make this turn on, I swear I will never, ever, ever make fun of my younger sister again.”

I opened my eyes slowly and looked at the most glorious image I had ever seen. The words Nintendo sprawled across the screen. I looked down at the touch sensitive pad, hoping Nintendo decided to go with quality. I pressed down on the touch pad with all my strength and moved towards the notepad like feature.

I sloppily wrote out help, shrunk and then saved the message. I struggled to turn off the gigantic machine and looked at my sisters pink DS lite. I could not believe this thing was going to be my savior. I never was a big Nintendo fan, but if this worked, I would be quickly changing my mind.

I had no idea how much time had passed. My legs were burning as I trudged on. Everything was starting to bother me as I looked at the gigantic nightstand sitting next to my sister’s massive bed. The air filled with the smell of my sister’s laundry. Unfortunately, it wasn’t freshly washed laundry spread about her room. I was about to continue complaining silently to myself in my head when I noticed the bag of chips. My stomach growled as my mouth watered as my legs pulled me towards the nacho cheesy goodness of the opened bag of Doritos. I was without thought or concern crawling the half-eaten bag of chips. I for once loved my sisters constant snacking and messiness. I bent down beside one of the massive tortilla chips and bit in. The chip was a bit harder then I remembered them being. As I struggled to chew the tortilla chip until I finally spit it out. I slumped to the floor wondering if they were stale, when the all to familiar trembling began to return.

The door squeaked as it opened and then I heard Al slam it shut. I cowered in fear as I heard her walking about the room. It sounded like she was everywhere. I could hear footsteps everywhere and then the bed squeak a bit as the springs compressed under her weight.

I wondered if she would use her DS when I felt the bag begin to tilt. I made a grab for something to hold onto my hands found nothing but smooth plastic as I slid down faster and faster amongst a slew of tortilla chips, I crashed into the pile and slid beneath them. I screamed as I looked up at her from deep within the bag. I could see her straight dark brown hair fall, and her dark blue v-neck sweater and the underside of her jaw.

“Alyson” I shouted as I tried to move out of the pile of chips but this only caused me slide down a few rows deeper. The strong nacho cheesy smell was everywhere, as I felt the nacho seasoning stick to my body. I yelled Al’s name out again as her hand appeared overhead. I watched as her head titled down and her eyes look into the bag.

“mmmm” her voice an audio assault on my ears as her hand lowered into the bag. I was now kicking myself for moving around so much earlier. She might have seen me if I would have been a little more patient, but instead I made matters worse.

I could only watch as her hand lowered into the bag. My heart was racing as I looked on. What surprised me most though, was how I felt. I felt fear; I was scared of my younger sister. I wasn’t sure if it was fear of being found, fear of the situation, or just fear of my sister. It could have been mixture of them all. Her hand was like a claw. I watched it force its way through the chips I struggled in vein to move. Then her fingers began to curl around the chips and ascend out of the bag. She shoved a couple in her mouth as I watched her easily chew the chips I could not.

Crumbs pelted the floor and fell back into the bag as she ate. I watched in terror as her hand reached in again, however this time I felt the bag lift up as well. I was shaken as the bag slammed against her stomach as she walked; her hand once again grabbed several chips and ascended out of the bag. She shoved them into her mouth one after another uncaringly.

“Al! Alyson!” I screamed knowing that I was to far away and my voice to weak to reach her. The bag then lurched and began to freefall. There was a crunch noise as the bag impacted the ground.

“Coming Mom” my sister yelled as she walked out of the room.

Everything was once again still and silent. I somehow had ended up atop of the pile of Doritos; only much to chagrin the bag was vertically standing up. I carefully made my way over to the edge and tried to see if I could push it over only I felt something solid. I felt around the side of the bag more and all I could feel was solid. The bag could be leaning against anything. How I am going to get out of this now? I thought to myself as I sat down atop the pile of chips and leaned against the side of the bag.

Well, now what?” I said to myself with a heavy sigh.