I heard his words whispering in my ears. Young, adventurous, always wanting to follow his sister to the ends of the world. This was only a fragment of my mind, our happiest moments together. The crisp air, the quiet streets with only the sounds of birds and passing cars, something truly... nostalgic.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaa5nCs3Afx
His eyes stared at me with admiration as he asked a simple question. "Can we go shopping!" I couldn't refuse, nodding my head with just as much excitement. After all, every week, on this exact day, we would do the same thing. Our parents never argued at this point in time, and handed us just enough to buy a few outfits and have lunch at the food court.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBlqhaHDOh
I figured he would get bored of it, being so young with such a short attention span, I guess he really enjoyed our time together. The mall we went to wasn't anything special; it was on the verge of being shut down, demolished, and rebuilt. If... no, when the mayor gets enough money, the new mall will be built.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUaLGfl9Q67
So many people wanted this, investing their own money for the goal to be reached. What once had over thousands of daily visitors, is now reduced to less than hundred. That's why, every time we visit, the shop owners and staff know us by name. The mall begins to feel more spacious than it really is.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgEJCPp882
I always wanted to ask my brother, "How do you smile in a place that's dying like a flower?" I should of took the first opportunity I had, for it could've been my last as well. I realize now that I had far too many opportunities to sit down with him and ask questions.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWdWR0x5N5
"What are you wanting to buy today?" I asked him. "I want Time!"98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fZS8tsAKo
"Time? You can't buy time silly."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFaXSX5FxP
"It's a video game! I have the right console for it and everything!"98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa79wGoLNpi
"Oh, that's what you meant. I guess we can take a look at the price when we come across it. I know buying more clothes would be useful, but we can switch things up for once."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKO3RHHQvnc
"Yay!" he cheered. We stopped at the usual stores, looking at more things we wished we could have, rather than what we needed. It caught my eye, shimmering like a beacon in the night, a beautiful locket in the shape of a star, perfectly engraved with a message.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYEGwHH7A73
It was part of a collection, and it was the only piece in Melonia. "We don't have enough for that, you know." my brother commented. 'The Forgotten Palette of Stars' was a collection that held a story to each piece. It contained a line from the poem with the same name.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgfObTs10J
Every child has heard the poem growing up, but not one of them knows where it came from. It's rumored to have been found in a bottle, floating until it reached shore, where it then was rewritten and told like a fairy tale.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgPvG7Y7rh
"Do you think I'll ever get my hands on it?"98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLf4MxFb8r3
"I... don't really know. If you get a good job in the future or something, you might have a chance. That's only if someone doesn't buy it before you."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtN7mN14KxU
"Yeah, thanks for the motivation."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAi0iyir0f
We reached the game store moments later, my brother rushed inside without me, grabbing the game off the shelf. "Hey, they have it on sale!" Even so, it was still expensive, and half our shopping money was now gone, not including our food money.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TU4zXrM6o
My brother let me have the other half for myself. I entered a small antique store, searching for something to store in the cabinet inside my room. Most of the stuff here was too expensive, but there was one item I knew was cheap, for if it wasn't bought within the next week, it was going to be thrown out.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIWLpdpNtzB
"She's beautiful." I said to myself, holding a doll with a half-shattered face. It was a doll that dressed so elegantly, but looked as if it was abandoned by the rest of humanity, forced to collect dust and rot away on a shelf.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IbGMZGARZ
"You seriously want that?" my brother asked. 98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FT4CrWV4B
"More than anything. I'll fix her someday, I'm sure of it. I think her name is Mai."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciTfxhRSXs
"Mai? Is that the best name you could come up with?"98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsIvuHCkMn
"Is it really that terrible?"98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VebfBxtp1
"Well, not really, but you came up with much better names for things in the past... like that dog you found in our backyard."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijk5CjrJFD
"Mai is a perfect name. There is something inside of me that tells me that's her name."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXvF8lNyGj
"Mom said the same thing about my name. You two are really weird."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWsJ08TLGU
Our last stop was the food court. We visited the usual place, ordering the same lunch, but something seemed off about today. I looked towards brother, and he asked about going to the bathroom.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOH2NzsyrhP
I gave him the go ahead and watched him vanish from my sight. Somebody watched from the distance, approaching me as I was finally alone. A girl around the same age as me. "Noria!"98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoK2fDdzZYU
"Do I know you?"98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCguIDrmdN
"Well, no. I watched your race yesterday! I was wondering if I could be your friend."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHB3mVzmAG
"Friend? I guess it's okay. I can't go running off and doing things at the moment. I'm waiting for my brother to get back."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtgVhWH0Y4
"You have a brother?"98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSy9a4v9tCB
"Yeah. Did you not see him sitting here with me?"98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TQiJpAiyx
"Oh, right. I wasn't going to ask you to go anywhere, just wanted to know if you wanted something else to eat."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedIGxW71KJ
"No, I couldn't accept something like that."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZg8m1olRn
"I-It's fine, I promise. I just want to chat for a bit. If your brother comes back, I'll get him something as well."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlq6Fd8SwTT
I continued waiting for my brother, answering the strange girl's questions. She was too energetic for me, acting a little too friendly. I showed her the doll I bought and she loved it as well. Her father was a doll maker, but he only made males, for all he could get shipped to his shop was male clothing for them.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2w1dhKoQUl
"Does he make tomboy dolls? They wear male clothing."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfEBF64sjK
"I could ask him if you like, but would you really be fine with her wearing something like that?"98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVt0I01bOqJ
"I haven't really made a personality for her yet, so I don't know for certain. I would need to cut her hair short, maybe give her a few bandages and cuts."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCEDapomdl
"I love that idea!"98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1SGlvJRk5
I looked at the clock on the wall, realizing it was getting late. "Sorry, but I need to look for my brother. We need to leave soon."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFnVsNFWCp
"Alright. If I see you at school, I hope you won't mind if I say hello!"98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8Vr3ks5Ej
I headed up the steps, back to the first floor. I had only an hour to find him, and if I didn't, who knows what my parents would do.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfTLcu3aUq
