Chapter 4

At the entrance, the words 'Staghorn College' gleamed under the sun.

This was the college I had fought to get into through countless sleepless nights. I gave everything I had.

Priscilla suddenly said, "If Caleb were here, he'd be so happy."

Daniel stared at those two words. His eyes welled up with tears.

I followed them as they walked through the library, the track field, and the dorm buildings.

Mom sighed. "Daniel, take a good look for your brother."

Suddenly, Daniel broke down.

Tears fell uncontrollably.

He spoke through choked sobs. "This is Caleb's life. I'm stealing his life."

Mom hugged him. Her voice trembled.

"Now it's yours. This is the only way you can live."

I floated among them.

Daniel cried until he could barely breathe. Mom's eyes welled up with tears. Dad turned his face away. Priscilla clenched her fists.

Softly, I said, 'Daniel, I'm already dead. Mom's right. You need to live well.

'Go see the cherry blossoms on campus for me. Try all the food in the cafeteria for me.'

On the bus ride home, Daniel held tightly to the now-cold box of frittatas.

By the time they got home, it was already late in the evening.

Holding the box of frittatas, he ran straight to the backyard.

I drifted ahead to the cellar entrance.

A weasel lay there with grains of food still clinging to its mouth.

More than half of the oatmeal from last night and the cornbread from this morning had already been eaten.

When the weasel heard footsteps, its ears perked up, and it darted away.

Daniel walked over with the frittatas.

When he saw the empty plates on the ground, his eyes welled with tears instantly.

"Caleb, you ate."

He set the frittatas at the cellar entrance and called out.

"I brought you frittatas with chives and egg filling, your favorite. Try some."

There was no response.

He reached out to open the door, but Mom hurried over.

"It's dark!

"You have to catch the bus early tomorrow to get into Staghorn City. Go inside and sleep."

He hesitated.

"I want to see Caleb. I want to talk to him."

Mom pulled him up. "What's there to say?

"Once you leave tomorrow, I'll let him out. I won't risk him doing something reckless in the middle of the night."

Daniel hesitated. "But he–"

"No more buts. You have to get up early. Go sleep."

She dragged him away.

I stood at the cellar entrance and looked at the box of frittatas.

Frittatas with chives and egg filling were my favorite when I was little.

Daniel didn't even like chives, but every time we made them, he'd wrap a few with chives and egg filling just for me.

I crouched next to the box of frittatas at the cellar entrance.

Early next morning, everyone was up.

Mom checked Daniel's and Priscilla's luggage. Dad then carried the luggage to the door.

Daniel's eyes welled with tears. "I'm going to say goodbye to Caleb."

Mom grabbed him tightly. "Don't complicate things. Once you're on the bus, I'll let him out."

Just then, our next-door neighbor, Jenny, came by.

"Katie, can I borrow some cabbage? We've got guests coming for lunch."

Mom smiled and said yes. She turned around and headed to the backyard.

"Perfect timing. I'll check on Caleb while I'm at it."

She reached the backyard and headed toward the cellar.

Suddenly, she slowed down and frowned.

"What's that smell–"

A thick, rotten stench drifted from the cellar.

Her face turned pale. She staggered forward.

The cellar hatch was loosely closed.

Her hands trembled as she flung it open.

"Ahh!"

Her shrill scream echoed through the entire backyard.