Even now, as a spirit, just the sight of the sealed-off storage room door made me feel suffocated.
It was as if the darkness would engulf me again at any moment.
I staggered backward and quickly made my way to the dining room.
There, Dad and Ian surrounded Wendy, their voices soft and comforting.
Dad had his arm wrapped protectively around her. “You’ve lost weight recently, Wendy. You should eat more.
“I know what happened last time must’ve scared you. It’s only right Jennifer gets punished for what she’s done.
“I’ve gone easy on her this time, but don’t worry. I’ll make sure she knows her mistake. That’ll never happen to you again.”
Ian chimed in, his tone gentle. “You’re my one and only sister, Wendy…”
I stood silently behind them, listening as my father reprimanded me as if I weren’t there, and my brother denied my very existence as his sister. I wanted to cry, but no tears came.
By blood, they were my only family. Yet, to them, it felt like I didn’t exist.
Being tied up and thrown into that dark storage room had been torture. Yet to Dad, it seemed a fair punishment for the few minutes Wendy had spent in there.
The silence and pitch-black darkness terrified me, but there was no escape.
I’d gone mad, struggling against the ropes. I had to break a finger just to free myself from their binds.
