Ding Dong, Evelone Calling...

Bang, Bang, Bang! The door was about to come off its hinges, but Evelone didn't care. She knew the door was unlocked, she could have simply turned the knob and walked in, but the noise, like most things Evelone did, was for effect...the drama of it all. Terrified, Sampson hopped quickly behind Sebastian's left ear, peaking out, hoping she would tire and go away, but Sebastian knew better. He grabbed the old grey blanket that had been keeping him warm, tied the ends around his neck, pulled up the edges like a cape and wrapped himself up inside like Dracula protecting himself from the new morning's sun.

Finally, the door flew open with a kick, and there she stood, the sister from hell. In one hand, Evelone held the mysterious package, and in the other, the now half eaten plate of food. Luckily, Sebastian had no appetite, staring into his sister's face and the evil smile upon it, Sebastian wasn't sure if he would ever eat again. He was, however, curious about the package she held. Could it be a birthday gift from her, he thought...for a split second, then almost laughed out loud at such a ridiculous notion. Evelone did not give gifts. She hid gifts, she returned gifts, she had been know to open the gifts of others, but giving a gift? Oh no. But who was it from? Evelone walked into the room like she owned the place, criticising with her eyes everything in it, shaking her head, tisk, tisk, tisking away, but Sebastian barely noticed, his eyes remained on the package. Noticing this interest, Evelone held the box up and began to shake it violently, "I wonder what's inside," she cackled, then threw it hard across the room where it finally landed safely on his bed beside the opened gift sent by his parents - a bag of coffee beans from the Democratic Republic of Congo. They both stared at the box, then Evelone's left eye moved in Sebastian's direction. Her ability for independent eye movement always unnerved the boy, so he remained still, no sudden movements. Evelone was fast and could strike without warning. He knew to be patient.

She walked toward the desk, illuminated by the reading lamp, her face grotesque in shadows. With her free hand, she grabbed off the plate the remaining bit of Red Velvet cake and licked her dry, cracked lips, but before shoving it into her mouth, she ever so politely asked, "You didn't want this did you? No, I didn't think so." And like a python set free in a pet mouse store, she tossed the cake down her gullet and swallowed it whole. Finished and satisfied, she smiled in Sebastian's direction, her teeth stained red from the red dye of the Red Velvet cake. Dropping the empty plate on the floor, she slowly walked over to the bed, shaking her head, disgusted by the embarrassingly large amount of gifts Sebastian had received this year. "Two presents?" she asked. "Why do you get two? Everybody turns ten, you're not special. I mean for shit's sake, Hitler turned ten, so big deal for you." She slid the box across the bed, "Go ahead, open it." Sebastian did not move. "I said open it!" she screamed. Careful and carefully, Sebastian took one step and since he was still alive, he took one more, then another, still breathing, then another till he was holding the package in his sweaty and shaking hands. He looked at the box with no return address, simply addressed to him. Slowly, he pulled the tape off the edges, one by one. "You gonna keep that paper for your hope chest?" Evelone yelled. "Just rip it open!" But Sebastian paid no attention. After a moment, the gift was unwrapped. Sebastian pulled off the lid, set it down and looked inside. Sitting on top of the Styrofoam peanuts was a note, and like a scent, the familiar handwriting instantly brought him back to a happier time, it read simply - Happy Birthday, Bro. I miss you, JoJo.

"What does it say?" asked Evelone. Knowing no answer would come, she grabbed the note from Sebastian's hand and read it to herself, and for a moment, Sebastian thought he saw something human in her face, some true emotion like "hurt" because the note hadn't mentioned her...and then as quickly as it came, it was gone. Evelone crumpled up the note and looked inside the box, "He sent you nothing," she laughed. "Just a box of Styrofoam crap. Happy Birthday, Sebastian, have fun with you're crap." Picking up the box, Evelone started tossing the peanuts around the room, "You can pretend it's snowing," she cried. "Watch out, here comes an avalanche," and dumped the remaining bits over Sebastian's sad little head. The boy tried not to cry, but couldn't understand why his JoJo would play such a terrible joke. He lowered his head and watched the Styrofoam accumulate around his legs. Looking up into the box, he watched the white storm fall, wanting more, wishing there was enough to bury him alive, when Crack, something hard fell from the box and smacked him across the face. Sebastian looked down at his feet and saw, covered in the snow, the object the Styrofoam was truly protecting - his gift, his birthday gift from JoJo. Quickly, the boy reached down, brushed of the white bits and smiled in amazement by what he saw - a silver painted, sheathed plastic sword, bright and full of light, engraved with one word - GOODNIGHT.