<div class="text">
I opened my eyes and was met with a lonely little cloud in the sky. I turned my head slowly towards the voice. My big sister Amelia was staring at me with a hopeful look.
<br>
<br>
{(Link: "Yeah, you're right")
[
(goto: "first")
]}
<br>
{(Link: "Not really, looks more like hare poop")
[
(goto: "second")
]}
</div><div class="text">
Amelia smiled so big her eyes turned into small crescent moons and her dimples came out. I managed to give her half a smile back. Amelia turned her face back towards the sky. After a while she pointed straight up.
"That one clearly looks like a heart, and that one looks like a teddybear," she said and looked back at me. Her quick but worried glance towards the hands at my chest did not escape me.
"You're not even trying," she sighed. I looked up at the empty sky again.
<br>
{(Link: "I am, I promise. Look at that cloud over there")
[
(goto: "third")
]}
<br>
{(Link: "...")
[
(goto: "fifth")
]}
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div><div class = "text">
"Oh shut up!" Amelia exclaimed with laughter. "How can you not see the ears? The tiny tail?"
<br>
<br>
{(Link: "You mean the two big turds with the tiny turd on the side?")
[
(goto: "fourth")
]}
<br>
{(Link: "Yeah yeah fine, it looks like a little bunny. It's ugly though")
[
(goto: "first")
]}
</div>
<div class= "text" >
I pointed at one of the clouds that have started to take shape.
"That one looks like a fluffy cloud. That one looks even more like a fluffy cloud. And wow look at that one, a super fluffy cloud!" I said.
"You never take anything seriously, do you? You haven't changed one bit," Amelia said and shook her head with a smile.
<br>
<br>
{(Link: "...")
[
(goto: "fifth")
]}
<br>
{(Link: "Maybe not, but everything else has")
[
(goto: "fifth")
]}
</div><div class= "text" >
Amelia hit me lightly on the arm. She turned her head away in an attempt to seem upset but when our eyes met again we both burst out laughing. My laughter quickly turned into coughing and the burning feeling in my chest grew. My hands had turned wet and sticky, glued to where they lay. Amelia got quiet. I looked back to the empty sky again.
<br>
<br>
{(Link: "...")
[
(goto: "fifth")
]}
<br>
{(Link: "Hey, look at that cloud over there")
[
(goto: "third")
]}
</div><div class= "text" >
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I only wanted to help. It's better if you stay awake so I thought the clouds could help and..." she paused. "I didn't want you to be alone."
It got quiet between us. My eyes burned and it got harder to breathe. The lump growing in my throat made it had to talk.
<br>
<br>
{(Link: "I miss you")
[
(goto: "sixth")
]}
<br>
{(Link: "I'm scared")
[
(goto: "seventh")
]}
</div><div class= "text" >
"I know," she said with a gloomy voice. "But it's okay, you just have to stay awake for a bit longer. Please, for my sake."
The burning tears welled over and the lump in my throat became suffocating. Amelia moved closer and laid her hand on my cheek. It was warm and soft, almost real.
"Please," she begged desperately.
<br>
<br>
{(Link: "//Close your eyes//")
[
(goto: "nine")
]}
<br>
<div class=textshake>
{(Link: "//Take her hand away//")
[
(goto: "ten")
]}
</div><div class= "text" >
Amelia looked at me with sorrow. She moved closer and laid her hand on my cheek. It was warm and soft, almost real.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
<br>
<br>
{(Link: "//Nod//")
[
(goto: "nine")
]}
<br>
{(Link: "//Take her hand away//")
[
(goto: "ten")
]}
</div><div class= "text" >
Amelia rested her forehead against mine and dried my tears. It became easier to breathe and my body became light, with no pain in my chest.
<br>
(text-style:"blur")["I think I see someone! Over there!"]
<br>
The blood disappeared and the ground became soft. Amelia wrapped her arms around me and hugged tight.
<br>
(text-style:"blurrier")["Oh my god. I don't think she's breathing. Call an ambulance!"]
<br>
It was like laying on a cloud in a warm summer sky.
</div><div class= "text" >
I closed my eyes and held her hand tightly in both of mine.
<br>
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "Forgive me."
<br>
"You have nothing to apologize for, beloved little sister. Thank you, for persevering," Amelia answered. The pain in my chest grew in a way I didn't think was possible. The ground felt hard and cold and I could barely get any air.
<br>
"I think I see someone! Over there!" A voice called in the horizon. Amelia slowly pulled her hand away. I opened my eyes and she was gone.
<br>
"She's still breathing. Call an ambulance!" shouted the silhouette standing above me. It picked me up and started whispering comforting words but the tears fell anyway. I looked up at the sky. Not a cloud in sight.
"Hon andas fortfarande. Ring en ambulans!" skrek sillhuetten som stod ovanför mig. Den lyfte upp mig och började viska tröstande ord men tårarna föll ändå. Jag tittade upp mot himlen. Inte ett moln i sikte.
</div><div class= "text" >
"I miss you too," she said with a gloomy voice. "But we can meet later, okay? You just have to stay awake for a bit longer. Please, for my sake."
The burning tears welled over and the lump in my throat became suffocating.
<br>
<br>
{(Link: "I just wanna stay here with you")
[
(goto: "eight")
]}
<br>
{(Link: "I don't want to leave you again")
[
(goto: "seventh")
]}
</div><div class="text">
A warm wind blew lightly by. The grass around me swayed gently and the hair in my face tickled. My hands on my chest were too heavy to move the strands. It was a clear blue summer sky, not a cloud in sight. The sun was blinding so I closed my eyes, just for a little while.
"Look at that one! It looks like a hare, don't you think?" a familiar voice asked beside me. "Come on, open your eyes and look!"
<br>
<br>
{(Link: "//Open your eyes//")
[
(goto: "zero a")
]}
<br>
{(Link: "//Keep them closed//")
[
(goto: "zero b")
]}
</div><div class="text">
"Hey sleepyhead! You can't fall asleep in the middle of the day, wake up!" the voice continued loudly. I opened my eyes and gave my big sister Amelia an irritated look.
<br>
"Finally! Look at the cloud now, doesn't that look like a hare?" she asked and gave me a hopeful look. I looked up at the sky and saw that a small lonely cloud had formed.
<br>
<br>
{(Link: "Yeah, you're right")
[
(goto: "first")
]}
<br>
{(Link: "Not really, looks more like hare poop")
[
(goto: "second")
]}
</div><div class="text">
(align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXX=")[(text-colour:blue)[Cloud Gazing]
<br>
by Izabella Novo
<br>
<br>
<br>
{(Link: "START GAME"
)
[
(goto: "start")
]}]
<div/>