Chapter 3

I gently shook Grandma by the shoulder, but there was still no response.

When I saw how lifeless she looked, my hands began to tremble.

I slowly placed a finger under her nose to check if she was still breathing.

The bowl slipped from my hand and shattered on the floor, splattering soup everywhere.

There was no breath, not even the slightest hint of one.

"Grandma… Grandma, wake up… Please don't scare me..."

I desperately shook Grandma, my voice full of panic and helplessness.

There was only one thought running through my head—Grandma was dead. I had let the person I was supposed to care for die!

Mom and Dad trusted me with her, and I screwed up the one thing I was supposed to do.

I'd gotten Grandma killed. What would Mom and Dad think of me now? They'd be even more disappointed in me.

"No… This can't be happening…"

I was babbling incoherently, my whole body shaking uncontrollably. What should I do? What was I supposed to do?

Right, I needed to call them! I had to call Mom and Dad right now! I shakily rummaged through the mess on the floor for my phone.

The screen was covered in soup, so I quickly wiped it with my sleeve. With trembling fingers, I finally found Dad's number.

I tapped the call button, and the phone began to ring. I screamed internally, "Come on! Pick up, Dad! Please pick up!"

Finally, it connected. "Hello?"

Dad sounded cheerful, with upbeat music playing in the background.

"Dad…"

As soon as I tried to speak, my voice got stuck in my throat.

"What's wrong? Make it quick. I'm driving."

"It's Grandma, she…"

Suddenly, a piercing screech of tires blasted through the speaker. Then came the sound of a violent crash, followed by shattering glass and screams.

The call suddenly disconnected.

"Dad? Mom?" I yelled into the phone, but there was nothing but a busy tone. Panicking, I called again, but the call wouldn't go through.

I tried to call Willow's smartwatch too, but no one answered. No matter how much I called, nothing went through.

A cold chill washed over me. I stared at Grandma lying on the bed. I'd let Grandma die. And did Mom and Dad just get into a car crash because of my phone call? What about Willow and Ivan?

I couldn't even bear to think about it. I collapsed onto the floor, sobbing hysterically.

Before long, I could smell something burning. The mushroom soup was still bubbling away on the stove.

Did I forget to turn off the stove?

I numbly made my way to the kitchen. Sure enough, the stove was still on.

Gas was silently leaking into the room, filling the air with a faint, unpleasant smell.

I reached for the knob, but froze before I could turn it off.

Why should I bother? Grandma was dead. Mom, Dad, and everyone else were probably dead too. The whole family was gone.

And all that was left was me, the oldest, the dumbest, the most useless one, who had absolutely nothing to offer but being devoted to the family. And I'd completely ruined that one thing, too.

I killed Grandma and everyone else. I'd killed them all.

I slowly lowered my hand before walking out of the kitchen.

When I got to the living room, I sat down on the couch.

As the smell of gas grew stronger, my head started spinning.

I lay down, closing my eyes. This was for the best. I might as well just go with them…

Maybe in another life, I'd be a little smarter. Maybe Mom and Dad would finally pay attention to me.

Just as my consciousness started to fade, I thought I heard the doorbell.

It rang once, then twice before ringing frantically.

And then, everything went silent.