Ruby replied, "How would I know? This place stinks! It's disgusting!" She pinched her nose, wishing she could retreat to the car and roll up the windows.Their reaction didn't surprise me one bit.I drifted out of the car. I'd spent 15 years in this village. Near the school was a livestock farm, which bustled with herds of cattle and sheep. The lush green pastures were dotted with all-natural fertilizer.Before Grandma passed, I'd lived here with her, miles away from my parents. It was just the two of us, surviving together.After school, I often helped tend to the livestock, earning a few bucks to scrape by.Ruby and I didn't even attend the same school. She was enrolled in an elite private academy in the city, while I went to a small-town high school near Grandma's house.My parents had never asked about my grades, my life, or how I managed out here. They'd never once set foot in this town.The only time they came was for Grandma's funeral. Even then, they rushed through the c
"Really?" Mom shrieked after hearing Ruby's words. "That ingrate sneaked around with some man during the funeral? Who taught her her manners?"I didn't understand why Mom was always so furious with me. My birth wasn't something I could control. Her pain was a result of her love for Dad and her willingness to bear children for him. But somehow, she always blamed me for that suffering.Our family had always been like this. When something went wrong, someone had to take the blame. No evidence was needed. If it were me, then I would be punished.Dad had remained silent throughout. When he finally spoke, his words shocked me. "Could Jolene be in some kind of danger?" he wondered, his voice low.Mom and Ruby froze."Dad, if something has happened to her, why didn't she come to us for help? Clearly, she doesn't see us as family! Maybe she's still angry at you for kicking her out."After Ruby spoke, Dad just lit a cigarette and took a long drag. Then, he tossed it on the snow, stamping
Trembling in fear, Mom called the police. It didn't take long for officers to arrive and take both Reggy and Dad into custody. Fighting in public resulted in three days of detention.Mom, who had been fuming, chose to forgive Reggy after hearing his explanation.The officer taking the statement listened to the whole story and quickly sensed something was off. "How long has your daughter been missing?" he asked."Three months! She ran off after stealing money on the New Year’s. We yelled at her, and she stormed out. She hasn't come back since," Mom responded irritably before taking a sip of water."Have you tried contacting her during that time?""Why would we? She did something wrong! She should come and apologize to us. Why should we, as her parents, go begging for forgiveness?" Mom rolled her eyes.She grew increasingly agitated as she thought about Caleb in the hospital and me supposedly hiding to avoid donating bone marrow."She's a murderer! I'm gonna call the police on her
Curious, I floated out of the house, thinking they had finally discovered me.After wandering for months, I was tired. But I still couldn't find the path to heaven. Maybe it was because my death hadn't been acknowledged by the living yet.Was my obsession holding me back and preventing heaven from accepting me?However, the outcome was disappointing.At this moment, a group had gathered around Honeybee. Their attention was fixated on the card in its mouth.My body lay just beneath their feet, but no one noticed it.Mom rushed forward and snatched the card from Honeybee's mouth. A smug expression crossed her face. "Now you're scared, huh? Writing a letter to apologize? I know you're nearby. Stop hiding and come back right now!"I wasn't hiding. I was standing right in front of them.Mom opened the card. The handwriting was delicate, and a birthday cake was drawn next to the words. "Happy birthday, Mom! Love, Jolene. P.S. Check the back of the card."A silver necklace was pasted
But Mom said the words I had always wanted to hear, even if it was for Caleb.…April 13th, 2025. Heavy rain. The 103rd day after my death.At home, a fierce argument broke out because Mom suggested that since they couldn't find me, maybe Ruby could be tested for a bone marrow match. She should donate if she were a match.Ruby felt like the world was crashing down on her upon hearing that. She bluntly said that donating would ruin her ballet dreams and her entire future.Dad sympathized with Ruby. He argued that they could wait until after her ballet competition to talk about it."Ruby is Caleb's sister too!" Mom shouted. "Can't she make this sacrifice for him?""She's about to compete in the most important event of her life! That's her dream!" Dad retorted."Does Caleb's life not matter more than Ruby's dream?"…I floated in the bathroom behind Ruby. She was leisurely drying her hair in front of the mirror. Her blond hair and blue eyes were proof that she had inherited Dad'
I slammed my fist into Ruby's proud, beautiful face. "Don't act like you care."She was sent flying through the bathroom wall. She tried to run, but I chased her relentlessly."There's a ghost!" she screamed in pure terror, not realizing that she was now a ghost, just like me.She bolted down the stairs to the living room. "Dad! Mom! Help!"Instinctively, she ran toward Dad, but her body passed right through him.Just like I had once felt, she was in shock. She turned and reached for Mom's hand to beg for help.But no matter how much she called out, Mom and Dad were still arguing. They were oblivious to her presence."You're dead!" My harsh words struck her like a powerful punch in the gut.I knew she wasn't dead yet, but she was close. I said it on purpose. After all, she had caused my death. I had been drifting aimlessly for months because of her."No! No way!" Ruby shouted. "I'm too talented. There's no way I can just die like this!"She rushed upstairs, desperately trying
I drifted through the house. I used to feel like I didn't belong here. There was no place to call my own.Now, I regretted it. Every time I came back, I only stayed for just one night. Worried that my family wouldn't like it, I rushed back to school the other day.If I had communicated more, maybe this misunderstanding wouldn't have happened.Eventually, Dad and Mom discovered Ruby, who was lying unconscious. Her face was pale, and her breath was shallow. An ambulance rushed her to the hospital.Outside the ICU, Mom and Dad were still arguing."This is all your fault!" Dad yelled, his eyes bloodshot. "If you hadn't forced Ruby to donate bone marrow, she wouldn't have tried to kill herself!""And if you hadn't kicked Jolene out of the house, Caleb wouldn't be in the hospital!" Mom shot back, pounding her fists against Dad's chest."It's too late to say anything now. One of our three kids is missing, one is in critical care, and the other is barely hanging on. How did we end up li
April 3rd, 2025. Sunny. The 93rd day after my death.Floating in the air, I watched my parents talk to the doctor in the ward. Their conversation was too heavy, and their faces were weary."Mr. Newman, Mrs. Newman, your son's leukemia was detected in its mid-stage. It's critical that he undergo a bone marrow transplant as soon as possible. However, the hospital doesn't have a matching donor."Generally, family members have a higher compatibility and are safer for bone marrow transplant surgeries. You need to hurry and find a compatible donor."The earliest available surgery slot is on the 8th of next month. The procedure will cost 138 thousand dollars. We need the payment as soon as possible."Once my parents left the hospital, they started arguing.138 thousand dollars was a significant amount for our family. We had the money, but if it went to my younger brother, Caleb's medical bills, my older sister's private ballet lessons would have to stop.My sister, Ruby, was the captai
I drifted through the house. I used to feel like I didn't belong here. There was no place to call my own.Now, I regretted it. Every time I came back, I only stayed for just one night. Worried that my family wouldn't like it, I rushed back to school the other day.If I had communicated more, maybe this misunderstanding wouldn't have happened.Eventually, Dad and Mom discovered Ruby, who was lying unconscious. Her face was pale, and her breath was shallow. An ambulance rushed her to the hospital.Outside the ICU, Mom and Dad were still arguing."This is all your fault!" Dad yelled, his eyes bloodshot. "If you hadn't forced Ruby to donate bone marrow, she wouldn't have tried to kill herself!""And if you hadn't kicked Jolene out of the house, Caleb wouldn't be in the hospital!" Mom shot back, pounding her fists against Dad's chest."It's too late to say anything now. One of our three kids is missing, one is in critical care, and the other is barely hanging on. How did we end up li
I slammed my fist into Ruby's proud, beautiful face. "Don't act like you care."She was sent flying through the bathroom wall. She tried to run, but I chased her relentlessly."There's a ghost!" she screamed in pure terror, not realizing that she was now a ghost, just like me.She bolted down the stairs to the living room. "Dad! Mom! Help!"Instinctively, she ran toward Dad, but her body passed right through him.Just like I had once felt, she was in shock. She turned and reached for Mom's hand to beg for help.But no matter how much she called out, Mom and Dad were still arguing. They were oblivious to her presence."You're dead!" My harsh words struck her like a powerful punch in the gut.I knew she wasn't dead yet, but she was close. I said it on purpose. After all, she had caused my death. I had been drifting aimlessly for months because of her."No! No way!" Ruby shouted. "I'm too talented. There's no way I can just die like this!"She rushed upstairs, desperately trying
But Mom said the words I had always wanted to hear, even if it was for Caleb.…April 13th, 2025. Heavy rain. The 103rd day after my death.At home, a fierce argument broke out because Mom suggested that since they couldn't find me, maybe Ruby could be tested for a bone marrow match. She should donate if she were a match.Ruby felt like the world was crashing down on her upon hearing that. She bluntly said that donating would ruin her ballet dreams and her entire future.Dad sympathized with Ruby. He argued that they could wait until after her ballet competition to talk about it."Ruby is Caleb's sister too!" Mom shouted. "Can't she make this sacrifice for him?""She's about to compete in the most important event of her life! That's her dream!" Dad retorted."Does Caleb's life not matter more than Ruby's dream?"…I floated in the bathroom behind Ruby. She was leisurely drying her hair in front of the mirror. Her blond hair and blue eyes were proof that she had inherited Dad'
Curious, I floated out of the house, thinking they had finally discovered me.After wandering for months, I was tired. But I still couldn't find the path to heaven. Maybe it was because my death hadn't been acknowledged by the living yet.Was my obsession holding me back and preventing heaven from accepting me?However, the outcome was disappointing.At this moment, a group had gathered around Honeybee. Their attention was fixated on the card in its mouth.My body lay just beneath their feet, but no one noticed it.Mom rushed forward and snatched the card from Honeybee's mouth. A smug expression crossed her face. "Now you're scared, huh? Writing a letter to apologize? I know you're nearby. Stop hiding and come back right now!"I wasn't hiding. I was standing right in front of them.Mom opened the card. The handwriting was delicate, and a birthday cake was drawn next to the words. "Happy birthday, Mom! Love, Jolene. P.S. Check the back of the card."A silver necklace was pasted
Trembling in fear, Mom called the police. It didn't take long for officers to arrive and take both Reggy and Dad into custody. Fighting in public resulted in three days of detention.Mom, who had been fuming, chose to forgive Reggy after hearing his explanation.The officer taking the statement listened to the whole story and quickly sensed something was off. "How long has your daughter been missing?" he asked."Three months! She ran off after stealing money on the New Year’s. We yelled at her, and she stormed out. She hasn't come back since," Mom responded irritably before taking a sip of water."Have you tried contacting her during that time?""Why would we? She did something wrong! She should come and apologize to us. Why should we, as her parents, go begging for forgiveness?" Mom rolled her eyes.She grew increasingly agitated as she thought about Caleb in the hospital and me supposedly hiding to avoid donating bone marrow."She's a murderer! I'm gonna call the police on her
"Really?" Mom shrieked after hearing Ruby's words. "That ingrate sneaked around with some man during the funeral? Who taught her her manners?"I didn't understand why Mom was always so furious with me. My birth wasn't something I could control. Her pain was a result of her love for Dad and her willingness to bear children for him. But somehow, she always blamed me for that suffering.Our family had always been like this. When something went wrong, someone had to take the blame. No evidence was needed. If it were me, then I would be punished.Dad had remained silent throughout. When he finally spoke, his words shocked me. "Could Jolene be in some kind of danger?" he wondered, his voice low.Mom and Ruby froze."Dad, if something has happened to her, why didn't she come to us for help? Clearly, she doesn't see us as family! Maybe she's still angry at you for kicking her out."After Ruby spoke, Dad just lit a cigarette and took a long drag. Then, he tossed it on the snow, stamping
Ruby replied, "How would I know? This place stinks! It's disgusting!" She pinched her nose, wishing she could retreat to the car and roll up the windows.Their reaction didn't surprise me one bit.I drifted out of the car. I'd spent 15 years in this village. Near the school was a livestock farm, which bustled with herds of cattle and sheep. The lush green pastures were dotted with all-natural fertilizer.Before Grandma passed, I'd lived here with her, miles away from my parents. It was just the two of us, surviving together.After school, I often helped tend to the livestock, earning a few bucks to scrape by.Ruby and I didn't even attend the same school. She was enrolled in an elite private academy in the city, while I went to a small-town high school near Grandma's house.My parents had never asked about my grades, my life, or how I managed out here. They'd never once set foot in this town.The only time they came was for Grandma's funeral. Even then, they rushed through the c
April 4th, 2025. Sunny. The 94th day after my death.My family waited all night, but I never came home. Anxious, they started pacing inside the house."That ungrateful brat! She gets thrown out, and now she thinks she's tough? She won't even pick up the phone!" Dad yelled. His temper flared, and he smashed his phone onto the floor. It hit the wooden floor with a thud, leaving a big dent.I flinched. If I had been there, it would've definitely hit me.Mom started to panic. Caleb was still in the hospital waiting for both a marrow match and the money for his treatment. "Maybe she heard we want her to donate marrow to Caleb and decided to hide.""Should we go to her school and look for her?" Ruby suggested.This idea immediately united my parents. They wasted no time heading out in Dad's SUV."What kind of sister acts like this? Her brother's about to die, and she's hiding? I'll catch her at school and show her what happens when she pulls a stunt like this!"…Dad's SUV sped down
April 3rd, 2025. Sunny. The 93rd day after my death.Floating in the air, I watched my parents talk to the doctor in the ward. Their conversation was too heavy, and their faces were weary."Mr. Newman, Mrs. Newman, your son's leukemia was detected in its mid-stage. It's critical that he undergo a bone marrow transplant as soon as possible. However, the hospital doesn't have a matching donor."Generally, family members have a higher compatibility and are safer for bone marrow transplant surgeries. You need to hurry and find a compatible donor."The earliest available surgery slot is on the 8th of next month. The procedure will cost 138 thousand dollars. We need the payment as soon as possible."Once my parents left the hospital, they started arguing.138 thousand dollars was a significant amount for our family. We had the money, but if it went to my younger brother, Caleb's medical bills, my older sister's private ballet lessons would have to stop.My sister, Ruby, was the captai