- 7.
The wedding ended. Polly left with Tom for
their new home.
My parents and my brother also went home.
Because of Polly’s wedding, the storage room.
<
in the living room was gone and my stuff was
scattered in the corner.
My mother was annoyed, so she finally called
me back.
But the phone rang for a long time without
being answered.
Mom’s face was furious. “She’s not picking
- up. she’s still holding a grudge!”
“Mom, don’t be mad, I’ll try to call her.”
My brother started calling me like crazy. He
was surprised to actually get through.
“Jenny, where the hell are you? You didn’t
even come home for the holidays or to see
Mom and Dad. Are you still one of us?”
<
“If you don’t come back I’m going to throw
out all your junk!”
There was silence on the line, then a man’s
voice.
“She’s here with me. If you want her back,
wire me ten grand, otherwise don’t call back!”
My brother was stunned. He hung up in a
hurry.
See? This killer really knows my family, they
would hide a mile away if you ask them to
spend money on me.
My mom asked anxiously, “What did she
say?”
My brother mumbled “Nothing she just bung
く
My mom’s eyes turned red, she slumped
down in a chair, and started blaming me for
being unfilial and disobedient.
She even said she wished Polly was the one.
who survived all that time ago.
Every time I heard that, my heart broke.
Even now, as a soul, it still hurts.
I was an unwanted child.
From birth to death.
Even though I had been missing for so long,
they did not care. They didn’t even wonder if I
was in danger.
They only had complaints.
<
Mom, do you know how scary that New
Year’s Eve was?
I was being pushed into muddy earth, the cold
rain was pelting me. It was so cold, like falling
into a scary icy abyss with thorns all over it.
I was trying to run, to escape. But I was still
cut up and bleeding.
I was screaming, crying, struggling, terrified
and helpless.
I was begging all of the gods and the saints,
and you.
I was begging you to help me.
