Why were they being nice to me when they
were insulting me for Justin the other day?
Was it just because I was going to die?
It was pathetic.
Claire gave me an apple.
“Jake, I was thinking about you the other day,
when you used to follow me around and say
Claire!
“I was annoyed, but now I miss it.”
She laughed.
“You’re right to ignore me, I wasn’t paying
attention to my feelings.‘
“I realized I was in love with you, I—”
- 8.
I cut her off.
“Are you done yet?”
She looked at me.
“I know it’s too late, but-”
I cut her off again.
“I don’t love you anymore.”
“What?”
I said, “When you let them drag me away, I
stopped.”
Claire laughed.
“Don’t do this. You were always in love with
me.”
I scoffed.
“Why are you so confident?”
She went silent for a few minutes.
Her phone rang.
“I gotta go.”
She left.
They were annoying me every day, so I said I
wanted to leave.
They didn’t want me to leave.
“It’s not safe, you’re sick and need someone
to take care of you.”
“I’ll make up for all the pain I caused.”
I said, “Aren’t you worried I’ll hurt Justin?”
They looked embarrassed.
The same things they used to yell at me with
was now stopping them.
Claire walked in.
“Let Jake stay with me. I can take care of
him.”
She looked at me.
“This is what he wants, right?”
I said, “You’re wrong. I want to be alone.”
“I don’t want to see you again.”
Г
The folks paled.
Mom sobbed, Claire grabbed my hand and
begged.
“Jake, you need to be taken care of…”
I smirked and pushed her away.
“I might die faster if I stay with you.”
She didn’t know what to say.
Now, she knew I was never in love with her.
I saw Brittany on the day I left.
She looked over at me, and didn’t know what
to say.
Г
I didn’t say anything.
I went to the house they promised me, and
locked the door so no one could get in.
They brought food that night, and stood
outside.
“Jake, this is your favorite soup.”
I didn’t take it.
“I don’t want soup.”
When I was on the farm, I was hungry for five
days.
Those folks made soup and I snuck some of
- it.
く
They hit me and the dog bit me.
I almost died in the cellar.
Whenever I see soup, I panic.
Mom was crying.
“I know you hate us, but you have to eat.”
Dad said, “What do you want to eat? I’ll make
it.”
I stayed silent.
Because I couldn’t eat, when I got back, I ate
too much.
I ended up throwing up everywhere.
く
My body couldn’t handle it.
I was barely keeping my health up with the
IVs.
I used to love trying new food, but now I had
problems eating.
- 9.
After the folks left, Ashley called.
She wanted to come over.
“I asked a doctor, and got a recipe that you
might be able to eat.”
I agreed.
I needed some nutrients.
L
The food tasted good and didn’t hurt me.
Ashley said, “You lost a lot of weight.”
She looked down.
“I’m sorry, I was a terrible sister, but I know I
was wrong…”
“I want to be nice to you. Can you try to hold
on for a few more years?”
I didn’t say anything.
Ashley was simple, but sensitive.
She knew I didn’t want to survive.
She put her face in her knees and cried.
Г
I didn’t comfort her, and went to sleep.
The sudden change in kindness was useless.
Claire texted me, I blocked her, but she kept
getting new numbers.
Sometimes she’d share her daily life,
sometimes she’d ask about my health,
sometimes she’d talk about memories.
I just laughed.
She was just acting.
If I didn’t see so many disgusting things in the
past four years, I would be fooled.
The folks and Ashley showed up with Justin
Justin had a bruise, and was hit.
The folks had Justin ordered the villagers to
hurt me.
Brittany told the truth.
The kidnapping was staged.
The injuries and depression was all a lie.
Ashley pinned Brittany down.
“Brittany knew all this time, and helped cover
it up!”
She kicked Brittany.
“You were lying to us for years! It’s time to
<
Mom pulled me.
“We’re sorry! We didn’t know!”
I pulled away.
“What’s your point?”
“I almost died so many times, and that’s all
you have to say?”
The folks looked down.
I said, “I won’t forgive you, don’t bother me. ”
Justin yelled, “Stop acting!”
“You’re a loser! You had everything, but
you’re barely alive.
く
useless that you can’t even beat me without
dying!”
I looked at him.
“I didn’t want to compete with you. You’re
imagining things.”
He started crying.
The folks and Ashley kept coming by.
They always stayed outside, hoping I’d let
them in.
Ashley made the food, and it was helping me
get stronger.
One day, they knocked on the door.
<
“Justin and Brittany were convicted.”
The villagers that listened to them were
arrested.
Hearing about it, I started shaking.
The torture and pain was a nightmare I
couldn’t escape!
“We’re sorry! Are you going to hold it against
us forever?”
I closed the door.
- 10.
I started getting weaker, and the pain
happened more often.
Г
The folks and Ashley were always outside
yelling and screaming.
They didn’t want to go home, and they set up
a tent, so they were always there.
They had servants send me reports.
I couldn’t keep fighting.
I just wanted to love myself for the rest of my
life.
I made a social media account, and posted
about my life.
I became popular.
During that time, I met a lot of people who
Г
We would hang out and play games.
My life finally had meaning.
Wherever I went, the folks and Ashley
followed, but didn’t try to talk to me.
The folks didn’t show up anymore.
Ashley told me that they went to the other
side of the country, so they could try to save
- me.
I wasn’t thankful.
It was their fault.
I don’t care if they’re trying to redeem
themselves.
Г
After I got sick again, Ashley knelt and
begged.
“Justin died, please stay alive…”
Justin’s death involved the Thompson family
and Claire.
They did this too late.
Claire moved across the street, and she and
Ashley stood outside.
She would talk to me through the door.
I threatened to call the cops at first, but
eventually ignored her.
One night, Ashley started crying.
The servants told me that the folks plane
crashed and there were no survivors.
I closed my eyes.
