Chapter 4

Erica and Michael headed off to school every day.

Meanwhile, I was left behind at home by myself, just me and the puppy Mom and Dad got for me.

One day, Erica pretended to have a stomachache and ended up skipping school.

She asked me to fetch her some hot water.

I obediently rushed to get the water for her, but as soon as Erica took a gulp, she spat it out in disgust.

She snapped, "Edith, are you an idiot?

"Were you trying to scald me alive?"

I was terrified, just standing there, trembling all over. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

Before I could even finish, she hurled the whole cup of hot water straight at me.

My face burned and hurt so bad.

I sat on the floor, wailing uncontrollably.

Suddenly, Erica's expression shifted, and she flashed a cold, sinister smile.

She bent down, patted my head, and said, "Edith, want me to take you to meet some friends and have some fun?"

I wiped my tears, hugged my teddy bear tight, and walked out of the house with Erica.

Mom and Dad always said I wasn't allowed to go out unless someone from the family was with me.

But Erica was my sister.

She led me through street after street.

We kept going until we ended up on a hillside.

Erica beamed at me and said, "Hey, Edith, wanna play hide and seek with me?"

My eyes sparkled, and I nodded enthusiastically.

I'd never had anyone to play hide and seek with before.

I squeezed my eyes shut and started counting. When I finally got to 100, I popped them open.

Erica had already disappeared, hiding somewhere out there.

I ran around, searching the tall grass and peeking into the woods, but no matter how hard I tried, Erica was nowhere to be found.

I spent the whole day searching, and by the time it was getting dark, there was still no sign of Erica anywhere.

I was terrified. I was completely alone out here.

My stomach was rumbling with hunger.

The distant howls made everything feel even scarier. I clung to my teddy bear, crying as I leaned against a tree.

Eventually, I cried myself to sleep, barely aware of anything.

When I snapped awake, freezing cold, I found myself face-to-face with a wolf.

Clutching my teddy bear, I scrambled to my feet and took off running.

The wolf was right on my heels, getting closer with every step.

I ran until I reached the edge of a steep cliff. I had nowhere left to run.

The wolf howled up at the sky, and then charged right at me.

I shut my eyes tight, crying desperately.

Suddenly, someone threw himself in front of me and grabbed me in a protective hug.

We tumbled down the hillside together. I was scared out of my mind, but that guy held my head close, shielding me as we fell.

When I finally came to, I struggled to my feet.

The wolf was lying dead nearby.

Michael's shoulder was shredded and bleeding badly where the wolf had attacked him.

I sat down next to him, sobbed uncontrollably, and frantically patted his face. "Michael, Michael, are you dying?"

Michael slowly opened his eyes, his hand trembling as he reached out and handed me my teddy bear.

He whispered, "Edith, don't cry. I'm fine."

Then, before I could say anything, he blacked out.

Dad and Mom came running toward us from a distance.

Suddenly, my head throbbed with pain.

I slumped over Michael, blacking out.

When I opened my eyes again, memories came flooding back like a tidal wave.

Linda and Frank got busted by the cops for kidnapping kids.

They hauled me into the car and sped off, but when the police were about to catch up, Linda yanked the door open and tossed me out.

I hit the pavement hard, right in the middle of the road, and that fall scrambled my brain.

They managed to shake off the cops and sped away.

I was seven at that time. The incident caused my IQ to dropped, and I never got any smarter after that.

Once I ended up in the orphanage, the other kids picked on me all the time.

When I went to a special school, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't make sense of anything the teachers were saying.

The other kids still picked on me.

To avoid getting hit or pushed around, I just went along with whatever they told me.

I'd hand over all the snacks they wanted.

I'd even choke down their leftovers to keep them happy.

They treated me like a toy, messing with me in the classroom, and I just grinned foolishly, letting them do whatever they wanted.

It wasn't until I turned fifteen that Linda and Frank finally got caught.

That was when I finally got to reunite with the Summers family.

As I was lost in thought, my eyes grew moist with tears.

"Edith, you're awake. How are you feeling?" Mom's voice was gentle, full of worry.

I forced myself to shake my head. "I'm fine, really."

Her eyes were swollen and red, proof she'd been crying for ages.

"Where's Michael?" I asked.

Mom looked up at me, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Your brother... lost his left leg," she choked out.

I lay there in shock, unable to react for a long while.

When we tumbled down the cliff, Michael held me so tightly, never letting go.

All I remembered was his leg getting smashed against a rock.

But he told me he was fine.

I jumped up and ran outside.

Michael was just being wheeled out of the emergency room. His left lower leg was gone, nothing there anymore.

I crouched down on the ground, tears streaming down my face.

I glanced at the watch on my wrist, the one Michael had put on me.

He told me back then, "This is a gift from me, Edith. With this watch, I'll always know where you are, and you won't ever get lost again.

"You have to wear it all the time, okay?"

I nodded obediently.

It was the first watch I'd ever owned, and it made me so happy for a long time.

I never imagined that this watch would actually help me when I needed it most.

I clutched my watch, and tears streamed down my face.

Mom walked up behind me, holding my teddy bear. "Edith, don't cry. Teddy is right here."

I took it from her, but I didn't look as excited as usual.

Mom looked at me, confused, and gently ruffled my hair. "What's wrong? Were you scared? It's all over now. You're safe."

With tears in my eyes, I shook my head. "Mom, I remember everything now."

Mom stared at me in disbelief.

After a long while, a smile slowly broke across her face.

She pulled me into a tight hug.

"Oh, this is great. Really," Mom cried, her voice shaking with joy.

I hugged the teddy bear close, my eyes growing cold and dark.

Erica, it was payback time.