After I Died, They All Felt Sorry For Me

I lost track of how long I had been asleep and had no idea what time it was.

The pain in my body was relentless, making me wake up and drift back into an uneasy sleep repeatedly.

Voices argued outside the door.

"Let me in. I need to teach her a lesson, or who knows when she'll get it."

"What more teaching? You beat her senseless yesterday. If you hit her again today, how are we going to explain it to her school tomorrow? We can't just keep making excuses. You know how crucial this time is."

"Fine. Just make sure you keep a close eye on her. The SAT is coming up; she can't afford to mess up."

"Pfft, whatever. You'd better get going or you'll be…"

Their voices faded as they walked away.

Finally alone, I sank back into a heavy sleep.

When I woke again, Ashley was shaking me, urging me to get up and come home.

I struggled to my feet and followed her.

As we walked past the little iron gate, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd be right back in that dark room soon.

We were in the old part of town, where buildings were ancient and peeling.

We lived on the fourth floor, and my aching body made each step a laborious effort.

Just then, a kindly old lady from the second floor, accompanied by her granddaughter, greeted my mom.

"There's a sale at the Mall today. Eggs are cheap. You'd better hurry before they're gone."

"Sounds good. I'll head over later since we're out of eggs."

I trailed behind silently, but the old lady's curiosity got the better of her.

"Isn't today Thursday? Why isn't Kate in school?"

Before I could answer, Ashley jumped in.

"She's not feeling well, so I brought her home."

"That's not good. The SAT is coming up, and health is so important. You can't afford to slack off as parents."

Ashley gave an awkward smile. "Of course. We'll take care of it. Let's go, Kate."

Ashley glanced back at me, signaling me to hurry. My heart sank as I heard the old lady's voice trailing off.

"Let's hope our little one grows up to be like Kate, always bringing home awards."

"What are awards?"

"They're what we put on the wall at home. They're earned through tests and show how smart our little one is."

"I want to be like her when I grow up."

I vaguely remembered being that child once.

Getting first place was a cause for celebration.

But after that, if I fell short of first place, it meant either harsh words or a beating.