Laura and Marie

Chapter 1
Laura was getting ready to go to Chuck E. Cheese for her birthday, March 22nd.

She got an Elsa plush, some sweets, birthday money, some Tsum Tsums, Dolls and a WInter Barbie doll.

”Daddy! I’m almost done!” She said as she stepped out.

Then they heard a thump from upstairs, Zoe went upstairs to investigate.

”Marie?, Marie, It’s time to go to Chuck E. Cheese.” She said.

Then Zoe opened the door and saw Marie lying unconsious in her bedroom.

She was on the ground lying on her side.

Marie wore her party dress to wear for Laura’s birthday.

”Marie?, Marie!” She shouted and kneeled down onto the floor.

Danny and Laura went upstairs.

”Danny! She’s burning with fever!” Zoe said.

Danny got a thermometer from the bathroom and handed it to his wife.

”106.2” She said.

”Mama........” She said and coughed.

She coughed violently, It was so warm.

Zoe picked up her daughter.

”If her condition doesn’t improve, We’ll call an ambulance.” Danny said.

“Daddy? What about Chuck E. Cheese?” Laura asked.

”I’m sorry baby girl, We will go another time, Marie is too unwell to go and I can’t leave her in the house by herself.” Danny explained.

30 minutes later, Marie’s temperature spiked to 107 and she now had difficulty breathing.

”Da.......ddy......” She moaned.

Danny called 911

”It’s my stepdaughter, She’s not breathing properly and her fever is now 107.” He said, panicking.

Marie was lying on a couch with a wet towel on her forehead in her Avengers pajamas.

The ambulance arrived in 10 minutes and paramedics entered the living room.

Marie now started coughing up so violently that mucus started to develop.

Chapter 2: A Very Unhappy Birthday
Laura grumpily spent her birthday pouting and sulking in the playroom. She refused to help her family take care of her stepsister, Marie, whom she began to see as a burden.

"That is not fair!" she whined. "It is my birthday! Today should be about me, not that...that...burden!"

She frowned as she sat in an isolated area away from her family who had just went and spoiled her special day all because of that Korean burden just got pneumonia on purpose so that she wouldn't get to go to Chuck E. Cheese's, making it an inconvenience for her. Marie had ruined everything...and so had her adoptive mom Zoe!

"Stupid Zoe..." she grumbled. "She ruined my life, too."

Laura also resented her stepmom ever since she met her father, who was widowed at the time while the duo were living in Boston, Massachusetts. Zoe introduced them to her adoptive daughter Marie, from North Korea, who looked a bit awkward and odd.

The brunette did not want a sister...or a brother; she enjoyed being an only child and her daddy's company. She never even knew her own mother, who passed away from a terminal illness when the former was a baby.

She shut the door.

The doctors told them Marie’s condition was quite serious and she needed to be in hospital for several days. Danny explained the situation and the dilemma about his young daughter who was having a birthday and had turned four.

”Eomma.....Appa........” She whispered softly.

Zoe brought Marie's Law plush, some manga, her Tsum Tsum plushies and Ruby.

Danny looked at his stepdaughter, Her face was pale, she coughed a bit and was almost too weak to get up...or move.

”Dad......” She said to Danny, her voice became very croaky.

Danny was in disbelief, how will he tell Ri Kon-Yung his little girl is sick and might not pull through. Also, the doctors and nurses informed him that the surgery Marie needed to save her life was extremely expensive. Where were they going to get the money to pay for the operation?

Suddenly, Danny's parents, 4 nephews, 6 nieces, three brothers and two sisters came in, followed by his co-workers and the family's housekeeper.

"Just hurry up and die..." Laura thought to herself, as she was now hiding in the linen closet. "You have been a burden and a thorn in my side!"

Chapter 3: Marie's Out-of-Body Experience
Laura had had enough; that burden had ruined her birthday one too many times and you only turn 4 once in a lifetime. That's it. She told everyone that it was her fourth birthday on social media...and that her stepsister ruined it...by getting sick with pneumonia...on purpose and having to stay in the hospital so that the family would have to cancel the trip to the birthday girl's favorite place, Chuck E. Cheese's. Her daddy was now ignoring her on her own birthday....by giving his fake daughter extra attention while her replacement mommy was considering getting rid of Laura so that they could afford an operation to save Marie's life.

So left a note, "Going back to Boston! Don't bother looking for me. Tell your fake daughter Marie thanks for ruining my birthday! Love, Laura," For more than seeing Disney's Frozen on Ice, a trip to Chuck E. Cheese, the Memphis Kiddie Park or Kalahari water park resort, a trip to Disney World or Coney Island, the Disney's Frozen licensed dolls, toys and other merchandise, a trip to Cedar Point or Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, or any kind of indoor playground, Laura's one birthday wish was simply to return to Boston, the town in Massachusetts where she was born.

She hopped into her blue/purple 6V Disney Frozen 4x4 ride-on, packed her blanket, snacks, jacket, toys and dolls, and then she put her foot onto the petal and began driving down the sidewalk on their street, hopping to reach Boston.

The thing broke down after passing the next houses.

"Hey, what gives?" Laura demanded. "What's the big idea?"

Meanwhile at the hospital, having almost died, Marie began to have an out-of-body experience. She had just floated out of her own body.

"Did I do that?" She asked herself as she looked around and saw her body on the hospital bed.

Then she heard her adoptive mom and stepdad talking to the doctors about the cost for a surgery that would save her life.

It took Marie a few seconds for her to realize that she was floating a few feet off the ground.

She was in her Avengers pajamas.

”Danny, I have no choice, we will have to use the money we have been saving up for the next trip to North Korea.” Zoe said.

"What about our health insurance?" Danny inquired. "Or do I have to give up Laura's college fund as well? I just started a gofundme(.)org account,"

"Zoe, Daniel!"

The couple turned their heads to see their family therapist, Dr. Leila Morgan standing by the doorway. She was looking rather frantic.

Marie floated even higher and higher. She was flying!

"Cool!" Marie thought to herself. "I can fly!"

With that, Marie began to hover from the hospital building and at a bird's view, she was getting a great view from the city of Cleveland. That city had a much better view from up in the sky than down below.

"What a great view!" The Korean-American tomboy cried out with mirth. "I never even knew Cleveland looked awesome from up here!" She could see the buildings, the bridge, the Cavaliers basketball stadium, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the aquarium, the Indians baseball stadium, A Christmas Story House, the zoo, historical sites, memorials, convention center, West Side Market, buses, roads, freeways, parks, transit systems, gardens, Noodlecat, museums, nature center, Lake Erie Monsters hockey field, neighborhoods, schools, national parks, activity centers, creeks, libraries, towers, the Old Stone Church, shops, Cleveland Gladiators indoor football arena, rivers, lakes, Burke Lakefront airport, wildlife center, the Great Lakes Science Center, Cedar Point, the Browns football stadium, the trees, the houses, everything from a better angle.

She saw Laura down below.

"They won't even notice me when I am gone!" she pouted as she was driving her Frozen 4x4 ride-on, down the road. "They're too busy taking care of stupid, dumb Marie to worry about me! By the time the stupid commie whore gets better, I will be gone! They'll be real sorry they forgot my birthday! It's all Marie, no. Scratch that. It is all Andrew's fault!!! He's the reason Marie got sick after she got home from his house!!!"

Chapter 4: Later that Evening
That evening at home, Danny spoke with Andrew's father, Police Leuitenant Tinnings about Marie. The police leuitenant sighed with sheer guilt, admitting that he was to blame as he neglected to replace an air-cleaning system that night as he was in a rush, leaving for his nightly police patrol.

Danny even explained the dilemma about his biological daughter's birthday.

Meanwhile, Laura who was in a sour mood, had no other choice but to return to the Lara-Rutter house when she realized that the public park had already gotten dark. A homeless man who came and sat next to her on the park bench appeared rather intimidating, scary and even unpleasant to lay eyes upon; his hands were dirty, and his clothes were old, worn and smelly; his teeth were yellow and his dark hair was greasy. The man also had liquor in his breath, which was rather unpleasant, and this frightened poor little Laura. Her little heart began racing as she hopped into her Frozen 4x4 ride on car and drove back home.

Her daddy had told her never to talk to strangers and when it was after the sun went down, that is when she had to come home. She had to remember which way to go. It had taken her a while to remember the paths to take which would lead her home, and by the time she had quietly returned to the backyard of the Lara-Rutter residence from her adventure, she was now completely tired, dirty and not to mention soaking wet for it had started to rain. She had also been sprayed by a family of skunks when she accidentally disturbed them when her little Frozen ride-on car had completely lost control, swerved and collided into their territory, unintentionaly frightening the family of a mother skunk, a father skunk and four to eight baby skunks, who in retaliation, sprayed unpleasant, noxious and repulsive stench upon the child and nobody at the park wanted to play with or speak with her. This was turning out to be such a terrible birthday for her so far.

Why? Why must God mock her and make her special day so miserable? Is it because God hated her, forsaken her, and turned his back on her?

I bet stupid dumb Marie is happy and laughing at my worst birthday right now! Laura thought to herself, as tears filled her eyes and icy-cold freezing rain began to whip her. At least she was grateful to be back in her own backyard and away from that scary-looking homeless stranger at the park, but she still smelled really awful!

"Laura? Sweetheart?" A voice chimed somewhere. "Is that you?"

Zoe stepped outside in the yard, calling for her stepdaughter, followed by Danny.

Dr. Morgan, the nanny, the housekeeper, her grandparents, uncles, cousins and aunts came out.

"Sweet merciful heavens!" The housekeeper exclaimed. "Whatever is that terrible smell?!"

"Where have you been, child?!" Dr. Leila Morgan demandEd as Laura headed inside the house, leaving behind a trail of muddy footprints.

Chapter 5: Three Days Later
A few days passed by, and the surgery was a complete...success! Marie made a full recovery and was allowed to go home to rest for one week. Dr. Leila Morgan, the nanny and the housekeeper were busy giving Marie extra attention.

Laura, still in a very sour mood, hid in the linen closet as she refused to help out.

"Stupid Marie!" She muttered. That was when she started acting up and demanding attention by hitting people nearby, screaming, swearing, charging and tearing around the house, yelling, stomping her feet and knocking over tables, making a mess in every room, chairs and furniture, and causing chaos.

She darted outside into the garden and trampled on Zoe's flowers, knocking over potted plants, and tried every single trick to get attention.

Chapter 6: One Week Later
A week later, and Marie was completely well again. She was allowed to go to school again!