Chapter 3

"Sarah, do it. Just two turns."

"No one will ever find out. It'll just be an accident."

I took the wrench, my palms slick with sweat.

I squatted down, gritting my teeth, and jammed the wrench onto the nut fixing the railing.

The nut was rusted solid. I used too much force, and my fingernail snapped, bleeding.

"My turn."

Leo pushed me aside, picked up a crowbar, and inserted it into the steel pipe's connection point.

With a soft "CRACK," the weld snapped, and the steel pipe wobbled.

We then poured a layer of used engine oil onto the steel pipe.

Leo looked at the trap, a faint smile on his face.

After all this, we packed up, ready to head back the way we came.

As we reached the second-floor stairwell, a cough suddenly came from a dark corner.

"Cough, cough… Who's there! Trying to steal my rebar, huh?! Stop right there!"

It was Robert's voice.

I grabbed Leo's hand and was about to run for the exit.

"Sarah? Leo? What are you two doing here?"

Robert emerged from the shadows, holding a flashlight.

The bright light blinded me. I instinctively tried to hide the backpack behind my back.

"Dad… I… I saw it was going to rain today, so I brought you some warm clothes."

I stammered an explanation.

Robert looked at us suspiciously, his gaze lingering on our muddy shoes.

"Why didn't you call me if you were bringing clothes?"

"This construction site is full of hazards, what if you fall?"

He grumbled, pulling a plastic bag from his pocket and stuffing it into my hand.

"Take it! These are calcium supplements, for Leo."

"The kid's too short."

I clutched the bag of calcium, still warm from his body heat.

"Thank you, Dad. You… be careful up there, the wind's strong."

"Don't drink too much."

"Alright, alright, now hurry home and do your homework!"

"You two just annoy me! You two burdens!"

He waved a hand, turned, and walked upstairs, his back stooped.

I watched his silhouette disappear, the cold wrench in my backpack digging painfully into my back.

Late that night, the heavy rain arrived as expected, lightning tearing across the sky.

Thunder shook the construction site, all sounds drowned out by the rain.

Leo and I, wrapped in raincoats, climbed to the top floor.

In the shack, Robert sat by the railing, holding a liquor bottle.

I had spiked that bottle with half a bottle of disulfiram, and with the liquor's strong taste, he hadn't noticed.

After drinking half a bottle of the doctored liquor, Robert’s eyes bulged, his face contorted in madness.

"Drink! All of you, drink!"

"Tonight, us two men won't stop until we're drunk! Hahaha!"

Seeing us enter, he slammed the bottle onto the table.

"Sarah! Leo! You're just in time!"

"Look, your mom's here to pick us up! She's flying in the sky!"

He pointed at the night sky outside, a twisted smile on his face.

Suddenly, his expression changed.

"No! You bitch! How dare you bring another man here!"

"You're making a fool of me!"

He grabbed a wooden stool and smashed it fiercely into the air.

Wood chips flew. He turned, his bloodshot eyes locking onto Leo.

"It's you! You bastard!"

"You're the one who led your mom astray! You must be her and that other man's bastard! You want to hurt me, don't you!"

He lunged forward, clutching a broken stool leg.

"Run! Run!"

I shouted, pushing Leo toward the railing.

Leo screamed, turning to run, his steps faltering.

"I'll cleanse this family today!"

"I'll kill you two dogs! Die, both of you!"

Robert ran wildly on the muddy ground, chasing Leo.

Leo reached the railing, stopping abruptly.

He turned to look at Robert, then leaned backward.

Half his body instantly hung in the air.

"Ah! Help!"

Leo let out a scream.

Robert reached him, saw Leo falling, and his expression froze.

The murderous intent in his eyes instantly turned to terror.

"Leo!"

He roared, threw away the stool leg, and lunged without hesitation.

He grabbed Leo's collar tightly, trying to pull him back.

The railing couldn't bear the weight of two people.

"CRACK!" A muffled snap.

The steel pipe came loose, and the railing instantly collapsed.

Robert lost his balance and tumbled over with the railing.

Leo, however, using Robert's push, flipped back onto the platform.

He lay on the ground, panting, his eyes calm.

Robert didn't fall immediately; he grabbed onto the rebar at the edge of the platform.

He hung suspended in mid-air, the heavy rain washing over his face.

"Sarah… save me… pull your old man up…"

"Please, pull your old man up…"

He saw me, and desperation exploded in his eyes.

I walked to the edge of the platform, looking down at him.

Rainwater ran from my hair into my eyes, stinging.

I slowly squatted down, reached out my hand, and placed it over his.

"Dad, didn't you say living was too tiring?" I said softly.

Robert was stunned:

"Sarah… what are you doing… I'm your dad…"

"I'm your own father…"

"I know." I nodded, forcing a smile.

"So, I'm sending you to see Mom. She's been waiting for you down there for a long time."

With that, I exerted force, one by one, prying his fingers open.

Just as he was about to fall, a sudden chill ran down my spine.

Behind me, in the rain, I heard extremely faint footsteps.

Robert stared intently at the shadow behind me, his face contorted with terror.

"Run!!"

The next second, before I could act, he actually let go of the hand he was using to save himself!