Pinky Promise

"..."

"Ug…" 

"Nin..."

"Nina..."

"Nina..."

"NINA!!"

Joseph's eyes suddenly snapped open, and he erupted straight as an arrow, sweat dripping down his forehead, his chest heaving struggling to breathe.

His gaze quickly darted around looking at his surroundings— in a small room bathed in a soft, golden hue, the first rays of morning sunlight filtering through the gaps in the worn-out curtains. 

The peeling walls, the feint stench of rot, the familiar creeks and hums— It was without a doubt his room.

His gaze shifted downwards, and he was met with the sight of crumpled bedsheets, stained with what he could only describe as patches of dried blood and dirt.

His arms and chest enveloped loosely with an odd, white, paper-like wrapping were in a similar state, possibly even worse.

'Is this… toilet paper?' He inwardly thought. 'What's going on…'

His mind buzzed with a sharp, almost concussive pain. 

All that he remembered from last night was Nina's state, his failed heist, and the sudden encounter with a bearded man.

'How the hell did I get here?'

That was when suddenly, he felt a small weight alleviate off his thighs. 

His mind reeled— his senses heightening to find an answer.

Yet before absorbing everything around him, the answer found its way directly to him.

"JOOOEEEYYYY!!"

"JOEYY!! YOU'RE ALIVE!! YOU'RE ALIVE!!"

An abrupt tightness swathed around his chest, akin to a boa constrictor wrapping around its prey crushing flesh and bone. 

This pain came in the form of a quivering small figure with dishevelled blonde hair and tear-streaked cheeks, burying into his chest. 

"N—Nina!?" He barely managed to mutter.

"I WAS SO WORRIED!! I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!!!"

"Nina… a…"

"Yes Joey!?"

"A little less tight please…"

"AHHH— S—sorry" Her body and arms flung back revealing her bright red cheeks. "I was just… I didn't mean—" 

"It's okay Nina… I'm so happy to see you—" It took all his power, but Joseph somehow managed to find the energy to move his aching body, softly covering his crying sister.

She slowly hugged him back.

All the world along with its worries melted around him. Nothing else mattered. The happiness from seeing his sister alive and well was immeasurable. The warmth of the hug enveloped him, a cocoon of comfort and safety. He had felt something amiss ever since he woke, but it was as though all melted away in his sister's delicate embrace.

"Joey… I thought you were dead… I was so scared…" She snapped him out of his stupor, memories of yesternight slowly trickling back from his subconscious.

"Huh? You should know it would take a lot more than a blizzard to kill me!" He mused, trying his best to hold back the dams of his eyelids. 'It was me who thought you were dead…' He inwardly added.

"Blizzard? All of this from a blizzard!?" She pushed away from him slightly and stared dead into his soul. "You have bruises covering your body! You have a big mark on your forehead!? What happened!"

"..."

There was an odd silence as the two stared at each other before he spoke.

"I had a job interview… I just got injured on the way…"

"HUH!? What? Are you lying to me!?"

"NO! Nina! You should know that you're the only person I'd never dare lie to!" Joseph's resolve was firm, sincerity evident in his eyes and shaking arms. "You're… All I have…"

"It's okay Joey… I believe you… It must have been hard and scary…" She looked down and softly rubbed his bruises.

"I promise I'll tell you everything when you're older… I'd never lie to you…"

"No lies between us! Pinky promise?"

"Uhhh… sure…" 

Nina held out her pinky, but when Joseph tried he felt a sharp pain digging from his shoulder, though his face showed no distress as he slowly pushed on to conclude the deal.

"Cross my heart"

"And hope to die"

"Eat a thousand needles if I lie"

"Pinky Promise!!"

The shaking was a little aggressive for Joseph's joints, yet his smile prevailed as he spoke, "Anyways! How are you feeling? Yesterday you seemed pretty sick."

"Sick?" She looked at him with a face of confusion. "I'm not sick Joey! I'm good good!" She put on a bright smile and flexed her massive, non-existent biceps.

"You're a good strong girl aren't you?" He beamed outwardly.

But inwardly…

'She's lying… So much for her promise…' He inwardly chuckled.

He did not need to take her temperature to know that her condition had only slightly improved. 

Her face was not only red out of embarrassment. Her speech held a clear rasp and heaviness, her body trembled still, and the seemingly random pauses she would take in between sentences were her attempts to hold back any cough or sneeze.

Joseph took a deep breath to regain his composure. 

He looked down at his injuries and the mess of toilet paper woven around his body. It was then he remembered more…

And he felt that same sinking feeling… 

He had been so swept up by his initial turmoil and seeing his sister that he had not begun to realize his own reality…

 Joseph

'Why am I home!?'

Flashes of memories returned to me one by one. Both my mind and body were beaten to near death, the only thing that had kept me moving that night was my sheer will and pure adrenaline.

The man was going to take me with him somewhere, but I stopped him and told him to take me home instead. I told him some excuse about me needing to make preparations, but that was such a lie. The reality was I had to see my sister, that was the only thing on my mind… By any means necessary…

But he did it! I now realize It's too illogical! He had all the power in the world to deny me but didn't!

Why did he agree!?

I told him to drop me several blocks far away from the house, and I made sure to check my surroundings with every step… I didn't see a thing! So why… Why was this feeling crushing my chest!?

'Could it have been—' My gaze dropped to the soiled bandages around me, and instantly, the sinking feeling somehow intensified, like an anchor dragging me into an endless cloudy abyss.

My poor sister… I collapsed as soon as I stepped through the door…

The image of Nina finding me, thinking I was on the brink of death, tore my heart to shreds.

My body didn't wrap itself or just stumble to bed on my own. No, Nina, my precious sister, she must have wrapped me herself and hauled me here. I can see the toll it took on her, those dark circles under her eyes tell the whole story… I made her cry… And it was clear she didn't get any sleep that night.

She did that while she was sick herself. Her smile, it was back now, lighting up her face, but it was like a candle in the wind – fragile, temporary. How long before it's snuffed out again?

That was when suddenly, the face of that man who 'saved' me erupted in my mind.

It was my only path to redemption. 

'I will create heaven on earth for you…'

'That man gave me a mission. I need to be in good condition by then… I can barely even move my hands, let alone walk… But my body's more than used to such beatings… He gave me a week's time— I'll be decent by then. There's no running from this… I can't afford to…'

_____________________

"Hey… Jojo… What's inside that bag? You brought it with you last night…" Nina tapped him on his shoulders, snapping him out of his stupor as he smiled.

"Oh, this?" He picked it up, revealing what was inside…

She looked in confusion as he pulled out what could only be described as a long, folded blueprint.

"A Map?" 

"Kinda… Yeah… It's for my new job,"

"Can I see!?" She leaned in closer.

"Sure!" He opened it wide, showing it to Nina for a split second before returning it to himself.

"HEY! I didn't see anything!" She grumbled. 

"That's because it's confidential!"

"Confetti…?"

"It means it's secret," He smiled.

"Joey…" She looked up slightly and pouted.

"Nina, have I ever told you you're the best sister a man could ask for? How could I ever survive without you?"

"Y—YEPPP!!" She slowly regained her vigour. "Only every day! Without me, there's no point in living anymore!" 

In this seemingly dark moment, both either sick or injured, with no resources, money, family, or food, in a moldy broken home with an eviction on the horizon, they both sat laughing as though they had no care in the world…

That was because they knew in their heart of hearts, all they needed to survive was each other.

"Oh yeah, I was wondering why you used toilet paper to wrap me."

"Ahhhh— Was I not supposed to!?" Her gaze lowered even further. "Isn't that what they do in the movies…"

"Pfff" Joseph could not help but giggle at such a response.