"She's still there," Gloria told her, "at that unknown place, wherever that was."
"Annie's gone?" Big Sis sat up straight. "Can't she come back?"
"She refused to come back," Gloria replied.
"Are you sure?" the short-haired sister questioned further.
Gloria nodded. "I tried to reason with her. She just didn't want to return."
After a pause, Second Sis turned to her older sister. "Marie, do you believe all this?"
Big Sis slowly got to her feet. She stepped to the photo of the three sisters on the shelf, picked it up and gazed into it. She traced a finger around the image of her youngest sister.
The other girls watched her from where they sat.
"You know," Marie began, "I never really understood Annie, never knew why she would throw herself off the bridge. I thought it's because of the, you both know, the dress."
What!? Had Second Sis also known about the suicide and the dress!? Had she kept it a secret from Gloria too?
"But what if there was more?" Marie continued, "What if there were reasons so strong that Annie did not want to come back? I suppose we can't ask her now. Annie's gone at the bridge. Instead we've got Gloria."
Second Sis turned to Gloria. "Do you know what she's talking about?"
Gloria thought for a moment. "It's possible that Annie had another reason why she jumped from the bridge. But I don't know what it is. I can't remember what it is."
"What do you mean you can't?" the blond sister asked.
Gloria shrugged helplessly. "I've Annie's memories in my head somewhere but I can't just remember whatever I wanted."
Second Sis stared at her for a while. Then she looked back to Marie. "So do you believe her?"
The older sister closed her eyes.
"Marie?" Second Sis prompted.
"Annie would lie about this," Marie said finally. She faced the other girls with sad eyes. "Gloria won't." She replaced the picture on the shelf. Then she turned and started for the stairs.
"Big Sis," Gloria called after her.
Marie spun sharply towards Gloria. "Don't call me that!" she demanded, "Annie, my sister, is gone. You're not my little sister." With that, she fled to her room.
Gloria watched the older girl's departure quietly. Maybe telling Marie had been a bad idea. She rubbed her eyes before any of her tears could spill. "Do you believe me?" she asked Carrie.
"I don't know what to believe," Carrie admitted, "The story is just too incredible to believe."
Gloria nodded. "I understand. I find it hard to believe that what I saw wasn't a dream. But it does explain everything."
Carrie gazed quietly at the floor.
"So what now?" Gloria asked.
Carrie leaned back on her couch. After a short moment, she decided, "This is too much to think about. Let's just continue as we always do."
Yes, they should take it one step at a time.
***
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