Chapter 4
"Anna, I know you're nearby. Answer me, will you?" Dad's voice was shaky, desperate, almost pleading.
"I don't blame you for the mess, Anna. Really.
"We'll stop all the treatments, okay? Let's just go home and live like normal people."
As a ghost, I screamed at him, even though I knew he couldn't hear me.
"Dad, just go! Stop looking for me! Pretend you never had me!
"You did everything you could in the past three years. You've already done more than enough!"
Just as Dad was about to step closer and check right where I was hiding, a red semi parked right next to him suddenly rumbled to life.
The engine growled and the air brakes blasted out a sharp, hissing noise.
The kind-hearted driver stuck his head out.
Seeing Dad wandering around, he shouted a warning,
"Hey, buddy, don't waste your time over there! That's a drainage ditch with mud and thorns. Even someone with all their limbs working couldn't get through, let alone someone who's paralyzed.
"I saw a couple of wild dogs heading into those woods earlier. Maybe check over there?"
Dad halted, standing frozen for an instant.
He looked at the patch of snow that seemed impossible to get through, then glanced toward the distant woods.
He hesitated for a second.
Then he turned away.
He headed straight for the woods in the opposite direction.
I watched his figure fade into the swirling snow.
My last tear slipped down, freezing instantly into a tiny bead.
Goodbye, Dad.
The clock in the lobby struck midnight, playing its tune.
Out of nowhere, someone started setting off fireworks in the snow.
Bang!
Brilliant fireworks exploded in the blizzard, lighting up the night in every color imaginable.
Shouts and wishes echoed from far away. "Merry Christmas!"
But over here at the parking lot, there was nothing but silence.
The wind howled, sharp and lonely, like ghosts crying out in the dark.
Dad's hands were cracked and bleeding from the freezing cold.
Mom's throat was so hoarse that she couldn't make a sound but raspy, hissing noises.
They searched through the snow for four hours straight.
But they didn't find a single trace.
Crushed by despair, Mom couldn't take another step. She just dropped down in the snow, totally wiped out.
"I shouldn't have yelled at her. What a terrible person I am." Mom sobbed, her voice cracking.
"But I'm so exhausted. For three years, I've had to wake up five times every night to turn her over. I haven't dared to go out, haven't bought any new clothes, and I even monitor her movements when using the restroom.
"I love her. I don't want her to die, but I just want to breathe for once.
"Why did I take it out on her? What did she ever do wrong?"
Dad came over, clutching his head and sobbing, tears and snot freezing right onto his face.
"It's not your fault. It's me. I'm useless. I couldn't make enough money to hire a nanny," Dad choked out, guilt thick in his voice.
"I parked the car way out in the middle of nowhere. It's all on me."
Both of them loved me, but each of them was worn out.
This love was so heavy that only death could finally lift it off our shoulders.
I hovered above them.
I wanted to hug them, but my hands just slipped right through their bodies.
"Dad, Mom, you didn't do anything wrong. It's me. I shouldn't have stayed alive and been such a burden to you.
"You are finally free. Now you could sleep soundly for once."
In the distance, a small snowplow made its way toward us, flashing its yellow lights to clear the shoulder lane.
The snowplow rumbled along, clearing the shoulder of the green area.
The driver aimed to push all the snow straight into the drainage ditch.
The bucket lifted high, then slammed down with force.
But the driver noticed the blade hit something unexpectedly soft and yielding before he could even push forward.
Then, a piece of bright fabric peeked out from the snow.
It was the brand new scarf in bright red from Mom.
The driver's heart skipped a beat, and he slammed on the brakes.
He jumped out to check, and with a sweep of his flashlight, he finally made out what was there.
He was so freaked out he collapsed onto the snow, letting out a terrified yell.
"Holy crap! There's a person curled up in the snow!"