The Sisters: The Curse of Gabriel's Gardens

Voices

Almost three weeks passed since the precious flash disc was stolen from Alexis and Diane's flat and since Alexis broke up with Anna. The investigation of Chance Arlington's history hit the dead end and the girls weren't able to advance any further.

Besides that, even though she wouldn't admit it because of her sister, Alexis lost all will to continue. Fortunately, she didn't slip back into intense depressions caused by Marlene Sanchez's death, but she basically stopped caring about everything. Her usually neat, elegant look became messy and untidy, just like her room. Her cooking also suffered under the influence of the breakup.

Alexis tried to cut Anna off her everyday life, but she was successful only partially. All her photos disappeared either into the shelf of Alexis' bedside table or into hidden folders in her phone and laptop and she also haven't seen her in person since they broke up. But still, her mind thought about just one face. Framed by black hair, with blue eyes, freckles and a contagious smile.

Conversations still echoed in her head, both their friendly talks before they started dating, confessions full of love and also the rude, aggresive slurs Anna gave her minutes before the end.

Diane caught her sister laying on the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling with earbuds in her ears. That wouldn't be so unusual, but the brunette noticed several things giving away Alexis still isn't in the right mind. She forgot to wear her glasses and was dressed only in unbuttoned blouse and underwear, which was really unusual since Alexis was usually insecure even in front of her sister. Another change was the music. Instead of soft pop-rock melodies, Diane heard muffled hard-rock riffs and even screaming.

From her own experience, Diane knew that softer songs are usually about happy love or melancholic lovesickness. Songs about rough breakups and shattered love were a domain of metal-oriented bands. She remembered Alexis' scornful approach towards heavy music and realized how deep is the wound caused by the breakup if it caused Alexis to tolerate, seek and enjoy this kind of art.

Also something in her face was different. Before, the best way to describe Alexis' face would be sweet or soft. Now, it was like the sweetness turned bitter and the softness hardened.

Upon seeing Diane, Alexis removed one of the earbuds. Diane could hear a song from a band she ocassionally listened to. Her predictions about its content, screamed at the top of the lungs, were correct:

Lately, you've been killing me, killing me,

We were, we were meant to be, meant to be,

You were the breath I would take in my lungs,

And now you say we're better alone...

"Lex?" Diane said carefully. "I know it's hard for you. You and Annie were the cutest couple I've ever seen, but now... I think there's a place for only one lazy person who just slacks around all day, listening to loud rock. I need the old Alexis back. Please."

Alexis turned off the music (It's like a foreigh tongue, we don't speak the same... It's like a different story on a different page...) and sat down, buttoning up her blouse with a slight blush on her face (at least something from the old Alexis remained). "That's a good point," she sighed. "I promised I'll recover quickly... but it's not as easy as I thought. I try to not miss her. But she makes it so damn hard."

"Remember, I also lost a friend," Diane said. "She cut me off, too."

"If she just told me what's wrong!" Alexis lamented. "We never had any problems. We didn't argue, except when it comes to the best Star Wars episode - she thinks it's Empire Strikes Back while my favorite is The Last Jedi... God, I'm remembering her again. Damn, Alexis, you have to STOP!"