Chapter 4

Once the door closed, the house fell deathly quiet.

The stabbing pain in my back and the violent cramps in my stomach twisted together. Every breath I took tasted like blood.

After lying there for hours, my condition took a sudden, violent turn for the worse.

A warm, thick rush of liquid erupted from my throat.

Bright red blood instantly stained my favorite white dress, pooling onto the hardwood floor.

I convulsed violently, my body locking up in pain.

I reached my hand out, desperately trying to grab onto anything.

Staring at the growing pool of dark blood on the floor, my survival instinct kicked in.

I didn't want to die. I really didn't.

I grit my teeth and started crawling toward the landline phone in the corner of the living room.

It was only a few feet, but it took me ten agonizing minutes.

I dragged myself forward, leaving a horrifying trail of blood behind me.

Memories of when I was seven flashed through my mind.

That year, I was hit by a car and broke my leg.

Mom and Dad had rushed to the hospital so fast they didn't even put their shoes on properly.

Mom had held me, crying her eyes out, while Dad begged the doctors with teary eyes to save me.

I thought, even if they hated me now, even if they preferred Hayden...

If they knew I was actually dying, if they knew I was bleeding this much...

They would run back to save me without a second thought, just like they used to.

With trembling fingers, I dialed Dad’s number.

It rang for a long, long time before he finally picked up.

Through the receiver, I could hear the roar of a roller coaster and Hayden's cheerful laughter.

"What do you want now?!" Dad’s voice was filled with extreme impatience.

I gasped for air, crying into the phone with the last of my strength.

"Dad... it hurts so bad..."

"I'm bleeding so much... my stomach... please, come back and save me..."

There was a brief second of silence on the other end.

Then, Mom's mocking voice drifted over.

"I knew she'd pull something! Listen to her, she's faking her death again!"

"She just can't stand us having a good time!"

Dad hesitated. "What if... what if it's real?"

Mom sneered. "Real? She's just trying to ruin our day because we took Hayden out and left her behind."

Dad let out a sigh of relief.

Then, he let out a cold, mocking laugh.

"Audrey, you'll really use any cheap trick just to compete with Hayden, won't you?"

"You think we'll run back just because you claim you're bleeding? Do you think I'm a gullible idiot?"

I clutched the phone cord in despair, my tears mixing with the blood on the floor.

"I'm not lying... it really hurts... please..."

In the background, Hayden screamed, "Dad! I want that giant strawberry ice cream!"

Dad’s voice instantly softened into a gentle tone. "Okay, buddy. Dad will buy it for you right now."

But when he spoke back into the receiver, his voice was pure ice.

"Do you hear that? Hayden is happy right now."

"If you want to die, go do it somewhere else. Stop calling to ruin our day!"

I opened my mouth, but another surge of blood rushed up my throat.

I coughed up a huge splash of blood right onto the phone receiver. I couldn't make a sound.

Dad roared angrily on the other end.

"I'm warning you! If you dare call again, I'll come back and break your legs!"

Click.

The line went dead.