Twisted Embrace

I couldn't relax.

I pretended I hadn't regained my sight and fumbled my way out, only to see Mom standing there in a nurse's uniform covered in blood, gazing at me with a loving smile. Her expression was exaggerated, her eyes bulging, and her fingernails looked like they hadn't been trimmed in ages. She was holding a knife smeared with blood.

At her feet were piles of notes that read "Don't tell your parents you've recovered your sight.".

A chill went through me as I glanced at them.

As I looked further down, I… saw an arm lying on the cutting board!

"Suzie, what's wrong?" Suddenly, I felt a heavy weight on my shoulder, and every hair on my body stood on end.

It was Dad's voice.

"I'm fine. Mom, what's for dinner tonight?" I tried my best not to let my eyes move around.

But the next moment, Dad crept up in front of me in silence and leaned down. He stared straight into my eyes with a furious look as he looked at me with his head raised.

His hair was greasy, his beard unkempt, and he looked more like a wild man.

I could feel the chill down my spine, and I nearly passed out right there and then.

But somehow, I forced myself to keep smiling.

"You can see now, can't you?!" Dad suddenly grabbed my shoulders and hollered before slamming me hard against the wall.

Mom didn't try to stop him. Instead, she clutched the knife and smiled strangely, mumbling, "Then you're not my daughter anymore."

"Mom! Where are you?! Dad's hitting me!" Terror took over, and I hurriedly pretended to be blind, flailing around with open eyes as if I couldn't see a thing.

Both of them paused for a moment. Mom was the first to drop the knife to the floor and pull me into her arms. She once again spoke to me in a soft voice, "Honey, Mommy's right here. I'll give Daddy a scolding later, okay?"

The knife hit the ground with a clang, making me shudder.

There was also the scent of blood on Mom.

She turned around and slapped Dad hard across the face. "Why are you hitting our daughter!"

Dad's neck made a sharp crack, but when he turned back around, he looked like his old self again, full of guilt as he apologized. He was just as warm as he used to be.

Still, I knew everything had already changed.

I shook my head. "It's okay, Mom."

But I clenched my fist tightly.

Just what was this place?

I was sure they weren't my real parents, but they wore my parents' faces. Everything was so twisted and bizarre. What was I supposed to do?

At dinner, I found a finger on my plate, a shiny platinum ring wrapped around it, strangely familiar. Cold sweat ran down my back when I saw the human finger appearing on the dinner table.

I set the finger aside and forced myself to eat the pasta as I tried not to throw up, one small bite at a time. But with every mouthful, I could feel my stomach churning.

Gods… What if I had already eaten… so much… human flesh before this?

"Suzie, don't you love meat the most?" Dad leaned over, staring right into my eyes.

I struggled to stay calm. Saying it was human flesh would be way too suspicious.

"Dad, there's hardly any meat here. They are all bones. I can't see, so I'm worried I'll hurt my mouth." I giggled as I held Dad's arm.

The wariness in Dad's eyes disappeared. For a moment, I even saw tears glimmering in his blank eyes, as if he had remembered something. His voice choked as he replied, "Alright, sweetie."