Chương 30: 29-Sibling

[Monday, 10: 47 AM: 2026/01/05] LYSANDRA: {We're almost home. … Sorry, I've been doing everything to make sure that Ellie is okay. What happened back there… My poor baby got sick from that. … It's not her fault; it really isn't. I was careless in how I mentioned about her- … Is she hearing me? No, she's still unconscious. … I don't really like telling strangers about personal matters, but you heard a bit too much back there… … sigh My daughter has a severe disability that affects her motor and social skills. Well, it was a lot worse when she first arrived, as me and Carla spent the first 100 years treating it. And the first half… I couldn't sleep like a human would. I'll be honest with you, I don't really need to sleep, but it helps me pass the time. It also helps me not to cry over some other things… … Sorry, we're about to reach the house, and I need to get Ellie to her room. Thank God her clothing isn't too tight, or her headache would have been worse. I need to tell Reuben to- … Oh, Reuben. He's my other child whom I adopted long after Carla went away. Ellie's little brother, whom she never knew about. He doesn't really understand digital stuff like me and Ellie do, but he's quite the little helper. He also has a condition like hers, but it isn't as bad as when I first met her. He's a fast learner, and he's good at social cues. Though he is still sensitive to sounds. Thankfully, it's pretty quiet around the house. … Oh, the use of emoticons and my "airheaded" behavior, I just use them to lighten the mood and also not alarm my daughter. Though I'll admit, I get distracted by a lot of pretty things.:) … Don't tell Ellie this, but I don't really use emoticons that much. It kind of disrupts the flow of text, and I prefer it just being something like this for you to read.

Though a student of mine (she does lessons remotely) would probably have a fit over the transcript format I'm using (I honestly like this version better, to be honest). … The house is up ahead. I think I should describe it for you, just out of courtesy} [There aren't as many trees, a lot of which were cut down by a friend of mine since Carla is not available to manage the forest. The sky is pretty clear, and it's mainly dead leaves along with some flowers and grass. We're going up a steep hill, which thankfully I made steps for long after Carla went away. Given Ellie's poor physical shape, I'm going to have to carry her up/down the stairs. But up the hill is our house. I'm keeping the descriptions of it brief as I need to get Ellie inside.] [It's a decent-sized house at first glance with green, vertical lap siding and some asphalt shingles that are slight, tannish brown. There's also a white gutter with a couple of downspouts at the eave. And of course there's four large, rectangular windows, three on the left, and one on the right from the French, double door with two, very pretty Venetian bronze door knobs and an arched transom at the top that Carla made out of a few oaks and the shards of glass from the bottles for target practice (Carla had quite the collection guns she programmed in). I should mention this, though while I designed the house, Carla was the one who made all of those fine details, as the door has engravings shaped like tulips on the sides (I'm surprised I got the name of that flower right). There is also a brick chimney on the right side of the roof. Carla was a pretty outdoorsy woman and hated the inside, so when we were talking about how to heat the house for the winter, she insisted it would be a wood stove. So, I went along with it (she built it of course). Now, as for the inside… that will be far later, as Ellie comes first. Now, give me a sec…] LYSANDRA: [I climb up the stairs, grabbing my daughter's legs securely as I make sure she doesn't fall over. I'm very afraid as I fear the data backlash will get worse without the data purification software in her bedroom. My breathing quickens, and I go to the door frantically and knock on it a few times. I wait patiently, checking Ellie frequently so she doesn't wake up with a blistering headache before I call to the door]"Reuben, your mother's outside! Please let me in as I need to get someone inside!" [I wait patiently, and notice Ellie isn't stirring (thank God). It only takes a few seconds, but I hear footsteps, and eventually a voice] REUBEN:"Who is it, mama? Why are you breathing heavily?" LYSANDRA:"Your big sister, the girl I told you she would be coming home today."

[I notice my daughter stirring, and my gaze is turned to the door, mortified over her getting even worse]"Reuben, your sister is sick; please let me inside!" [The door opens quickly, and I see my fluffy angel in the door way] {Before you ask what he looks like, here is the description. No caps like last time, as I was going through a lot of emotions. Read it or don't; I don't care; I have bigger things to worry about} {ENTITY: REUBEN MICHAEL HODGES} {DESCRIPTION: A digitigrade, two-legged cat with black and white fur and orange eyes. His belly consists primarily of white fur, his back a spiral-like pattern of black and white fur, and his tail is completely black, save for the tip of it. He wears a tri-colored, yellow, orange, and white t-shirt depicting a sun with a face. He has flared, green pants that cuff around the ankles so they don't interfere with his little kitty feet. And of course, he carries a knapsack slung over his left shoulder, filled with all the pretty rocks he collects (which he uses for all the hiking markers). Around his neck are ANC headphones for when it gets too loud for him} REUBEN: [My son stares at me and my daughter, confused]"Mama? Where have you been? Why is Ellie sick?"

LYSANDRA: [I go inside quickly and close the door behind me]"Receiving Room, that place I haven't been in for 100 years." [I turn to my daughter and notice she is opening her eyes a little] ELLIE: [My daughter groans, trying to focus her attention on her brother]"Mom… who's that…" Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. LYSANDRA: [I turn to Ellie, stern]"Your little brother, Reuben." ELLIE: > EYES WIDENS"Brother?!"

LYSANDRA: [I hush her as Reuben covers his ears. I then turn to her and give a nervous smile]"Yes, you have a brother, and his name is Reuben." [I drop my smile and quickly turn to Reuben]"Reuben, make some peppermint tea for your sister-she has a terrible headache." REUBEN:"Yes, mama." [He turns away from me, darts into the kitchen, and begins quickly making some tea] ELLIE: [My daughter nods on and off]"You never told me… I had… a brother?"

LYSANDRA:"Well, I was going until that data backlash, which wasn't your fault." [I go quickly to Ellie's bedroom door, open it, and quickly place Ellie on her bed. I turn off the lights, but create a small light on my left palm, just bright enough to illuminate my surroundings, but not cause any distress to Ellie. I place the back of my palm against her forehead; thankfully she doesn't have a fever. My breath quickens, alarmed by Ellie groaning in pain]"Give me a second, sweetheart…"

[I form a large water bottle and place it on her bedside table. I tap on it, which Ellie notices and begins drinking from it. Giving out a sigh of relief, I rush to the bathroom to get a hand towel and soak it in cold water, rushing back to Ellie to place it on her head as she is drinking from the water bottle, which is half-full. Seeing that, I tap the bottle and program in some more water for her]"Drink as much as you need, but you need to lie down."

ELLIE: > GROANS"I'm feeling a bit-" [My daughter clutches her forehead in pain] LYSANDRA:"You are not fine; please rest, Ellie." [A bit terrified that the purification software was not working correctly, I check the purification software output] {ANALYZING PURIFICATION OUTPUT… DONE} {PURIFICATION EFFICIENCY AT: 98. 7%} {Should take a few hours to remove the malware from her systems…} [I hear the soft clacking of teaware along with a soft knock, which signals to me that Reuben is done making the tea. I open the door, seeing my standing there patiently] REUBEN:"Peppermint tea for big sister Ellie, mama." [My son hands me the teacup on the tea plate] LYSANDRA: [I smile and nod at him]"Thank you, Reuben. Clean the plate in the sink; I'll be there in a few minutes." REUBEN: > NODS"Yes, mama." [My son turns away and heads back into the kitchen] LYSANDRA: [I smile and close the door gently as I turn my focus back on my daughter. I carefully go to her side and hand her the teacup]"Drink this, it will help your nerves, and the sugar will calm your headache." ELLIE: [My daughter nods and grabs the teacup, drinking from it in one gulp before handing it back to me]"Tastes good…" LYSANDRA: [I take a data cube from my inventory for miscellaneous junk, and digitize the teacup within it. I turn to my daughter, monitoring her condition as I inspect her, making sure she is at ease]"Ellie? Does everything feel okay?"

ELLIE: [My daughter rolls over to me, exhausted, and nods]"Yeah…" [She sighs contently as she feels her bed, laying her head against the pillow]"This is a very nice bed, to be honest…" > YAWNS LYSANDRA: > SOFT SMILE"It's made of memory foam, and one programmed to be as comfortable to you as possible." ELLIE: > SIGHS"I wish I remembered this, though…" LYSANDRA: > NERVOUS SMILE"Uh… Let's focus more on you going to sleep, okay?"

[I sigh and drop my smile]"You need to rest; get some sleep so the effects of that data backlash go away." ELLIE: [My daughter tiredly stares at me]"But I have some questions to ask about-" LYSANDRA: > ANNOYED"We'll talk about Carla some other time." > SIGHS"Just go to sleep. I'll make food for you, and I will clean your sweatshirt. If you need anything, just think to me. I'll be listening, okay?" {Which will only be used when it is cold outside} ELLIE: > TIRED SIGH"Thanks…"

LYSANDRA: [I smile and nod at her as she closes her eyes slowly. I get up and walk to the door to leave her room] ELLIE:"Hey mom?" LYSANDRA: [I turn to my daughter, concerned]"Yes Ellie? Is something wrong?" ELLIE: [My daughter's eyes appear to be closed as she turns her head to me on her pillow]"If it isn't too much to ask, can I have something to read in my head?" LYSANDRA: > SOFT SMILE"Sure, sweetheart…" {DOWNLOADING FILE "SHATTERED_HEART_SWAN. TXT"… DONE} {UPLOADING FILE TO ENTITY "ELLIE"… DONE} ELLIE:" Chronicles of the Shattered Heart?" > YAWNS"The file size isn't big enough to read the entire storyline, let alone the music that goes along with it. What did you download?" LYSANDRA:"Your favorite chapter; a certain girl that you would never stop talking about." ELLIE:"Alice…?" [My daughter rests her head more on her pillow] LYSANDRA:"Yes, Ellie, that chapter." > DROPS SMILE"You always read it to go to sleep, which you should do again." ELLIE:"Thanks, mom…"

[My daughter tiredly breathes, slowly beginning to read the story in her head] LYSANDRA: [I see my daughter beginning to slowly drift into sleep, comfortable enough for the purification systems to remove the malware. Satisfied, I smile, turn off the light from the palm of my hand, and open the door-not before facing my daughter again. After a century, she was now home safe and sound] whispering "Welcome home, Ellie."

[I leave the room, closing the door behind me gently as I head to the kitchen to help my son cook a reunion feast] {But, as for all of you, you've been pretty good so far. So, I decided to let you read that story as well, though I need to format it in a way to make it easier for all of you to read. I also need to install software so I can monitor Ellie when she sleeps. It's a unique condition that's not tied to her disability, but it's for her safety. … I'll just say it involves her sleeping and dreaming. I'll explain after the story, just so you aren't confused (she will be though). Please be patient; it will take me a bit, and don't ask how long, as if I told you, you will become very confused. Just know that I'm an eldrigital deity; nothing like Ned, but how I see things differs vastly from what you can see. Now, do me a favor and wait} {SKIPPING FOOTAGE… DONE}