Until Neopia Stops Spinning

      I groan, clutching my stomach with one hand and steadying myself on the window sill with the other. It had been so long since I had eaten, so long since my owner, Brianna had logged on. Two whole years. The majority of those two years having been spent at this window, looking and hoping I would see her come up the road. And for two years I have been disappointed.

     "I see you haven't moved since I left." My sister, a Christmas Grundo, stands in the door way of my room shaking her head. "What a sorry excuse for a brother you are. Here," she says, tossing me 1/3 of a sausage omelet, "I managed to grab this at the money tree."

      I'm not going to lie to you, if it weren't for Sprinkles, there is no way I could have survived those couple of years. While I spent all my time at the window, she spent all of hers at the money tree, trying to get food. She rarely ever got anything, there are some pretty nasty neopets hanging out around there that a little Grundo like her wouldn't have a chance against. But if she did get something, she always gave some to me.

     "Thank you," I say, scarfing it down.

     "Yeah, well. I couldn't let you become a real ghost, now could I?" she said, gesturing to me.

     "Yeah." I turned my head back to the window. "Do you remember how hard Brianna worked to get the Ghost Paintbrush? She saved every penny. The fact that she made us eat nothing but omelets for a whole month was kind of a downer, but she meant we-"

     "Do you remember how she left us two years ago, left us to fend for ourselves?"

     Despite the angry words, there is no anger in her voice. Just a twinge of sadness. I turn around to face her and see she has tears in her eyes.

     "Micheal, Brianna's not coming back. She grew up and got busier and moved on. At first, I was really mad. I thought that her leaving meant she had never loved us at all, that it was all a lie. Sometimes I still feel like that. But then I remember all the good times we had. She was always writing stories about us and posting them on our pet pages, trying to draw us, and the adventures we had! We were all always so happy. We made Brianna happy for a long time, Micheal. And I know you'll never fully give up hope she will log on one day. But I think it is time we move on. Its time we make other little girl or boy happy."

     She holds out her hand to me. I know she is right. It's time to move on. I look at it outstretched for a moment, and then place mine in hers. We walk out of the house like that and down the road, hand in hand. I don't look back at our house. I know if I do I'll run back and never leave.

      I had a hunch about where she was leading me, so when we stop in front of the small little brick building I'm not surprised. We walk up to the door of the pound.

     "You ready?" she says, looking at me with tears welling in her big red eyes.

     I nod. She gives my hand a squeeze and opens up the door. We walk into a small room, with three doors along the farthest wall. To the left side of the room is a pink Uni at a reception desk. A nameplate on it reads Molly. Molly gives us big smiles.

     "Can I help you?"

     "Yes," I say. "Were looking to be adopted. Both of us."

     The Uni's bright smile fades and is replaced with a look of sympathy.

     "Oh," she says with a sad tone in her voice, "I'll go get Dr. Death."

     "Thank you."

      I turn to my sister. Tears running down her face she says to me,

     "You know, no matter who your owner is, wherever you go, you're always going to be my annoying little brother, right?"

     "Yeah, and you will always be my bossy big sister."

     "And she will always be our first owner."

     We embrace, not knowing if it will be the last time we see each other.

     "Excuse me," a sour old looking Techo in a lab coat says, "If your still going through with this, now is the time."

     Sprinkles looks at me for reassurance and I nod.

     "Yeah. We're sure. I'll go first." She lets go of my hand and follows the Techo into the other room. I wait for what seems a very long time. Eventually Dr. Death opens up the door and gestures for me to come in.

     "Now, this is the last chance to back out, I wouldn't blame you if you did."

      I think about it. My little room in Neopia Central looked a lot more appealing compared to this awful place. I'm about to say I changed my mind, when I think of Sprinkles and Brianna. What's a house with out a family? I shake my head and then look up to meet his gaze.

     "No," I say firmly. "I'm sure this is what I want to do."

     He raises one eyebrow questioningly and motions me towards yet another door.

     "Suit yourself. Don't say I didn't warn you." He shuts the door behind me with a bang.

     I look around and my heart sinks. All different types of neopets and people looking to adopt are in the room. Some of the pets run up eagerly to them, hoping they will be taken home. Others don't even try anymore. They lay slumped down farther in the back, looking defeated. I don't see Sprinkles in the room. A girl with bright red hair and freckles sees me and grins. She walks over and holds out her hand.

     "Hi! I'm Jen. Good to meet you!"

      ****

     "I live in Brightvale- that is to say, we live in Brightvale," Jen chatters on, her hands waving around wildly as she apparently likes to do when she talks. I hear a familiar voice to my right say something, I look and happen to catch Sprinkle's eyes. She waves, a big grin on her face. I wave back, knowing now that everything is going to be all right.

      *****

      My new family is great. I have a brother now, and a little sister. Jen and I get along very well, its nice having an owner again. I haven't seen Sprinkles since that day, but I hope she's happy. I think of her and Brianna often though, after all, they were my first family.

      Not all of owners leave when they grow up, some choose to stay for a long time. Some leave when they grow older and come back years later, and some never come back at all. I don't know why some leave and some don't, why some never grow bored and others tire of it quickly. All I know is, until the day Neopia stops spinning, I'm going to do my best to make people happy. After all, that's what were here for.

The End