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Chapter 4

Author: Lane 99
Two uniformed police officers entered the house.

Mrs. Dawson came in behind them and pointed at Mom.

"Her! She knows her son has a severe pollen allergy, and she locked him in a room with more than a hundred pounds of fresh flowers!"

Mom looked nervous at the sight of the police. But the moment she heard Mrs. Dawson speak, she started shouting.

"Claire, you've got some nerve! You called the police over my private family business?"

The lead officer, whose name tag read Kessler, glanced at the locked steel door.

"This woman reported that someone has been confined in a room for hours and may be in immediate danger. We're here to investigate."

Noah hurried to explain.

"Officer, it's my older brother in there. Mom's had him locked up for hours."

He wiped the tears from his face and told them everything, carefully, one piece at a time.

When he finished, Officer Kessler frowned and turned to Mom.

"Ma'am, is that accurate? Open the door so we can check on your son."

Mom drew herself up. She wasn't frightened anymore. If anything, she sounded offended.

"Officers, we're simply disciplining our child. It's not nearly as serious as she's making it sound.

"He has a vicious streak and keeps trying to hurt his little brother. I'm teaching him a lesson. Parents are allowed to discipline their own children. That isn't a crime."

She shifted sideways to block the lock, making it clear she had no intention of cooperating.

So that was how she saw everything she'd done to me.

Not cruelty. Not abuse.

Just punishment I deserved.

Officer Kessler's expression hardened.

"There's a clear difference between reasonable discipline and child abuse.

"You knew your son had a severe pollen allergy. Deliberately locking him in a room filled with flowers creates a life-threatening situation. That may constitute serious child endangerment and abuse.

"Open the door and cooperate. If you keep obstructing us, you can be taken into custody."

There was nothing casual about his warning. Everyone looked at her.

Yet Mom kept insisting she was right.

"That boy has been rotten since he was little. If somebody doesn't keep him in line now, he'll grow up to be a criminal. Then you'll be dealing with him yourselves."

I hovered in the middle of everyone, quietly watching her tear me down.

A dull, heavy ache settled in my chest and wouldn't let go.

Then a faint metallic smell drifted through the gap beneath the door.

Blood.

It wasn't strong, but everyone in the room noticed.

Dad recognized it first. As a physician, he knew that smell immediately.

He went rigid. The color drained from his face as he stared at the door.

"That's blood. Why does it smell like blood in there?"

Mrs. Dawson covered her mouth. Tears flooded her eyes.

"Could the rats have...?"

Noah shook uncontrollably. He pounded on the door again and again.

"Ethan, please! Just answer me once! You're scaring me!"

The officers' expressions turned grave. Officer Kessler faced Mom again.

"Ma'am, we now have reason to believe someone inside may be injured and bleeding. Hand over the key immediately. Do not delay any longer."

Dad's chest rose and fell as he fought to contain his rage.

"Diane, are you really going to wait until there's no chance of saving him?"

Every pair of eyes settled on her.

After a long standoff, her rigid shoulders finally slumped. She took out the spare key.

Even then, she couldn't resist muttering.

"Everyone's making such a big deal out of nothing..."

Reluctantly, she slid the key into the lock.

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  • The Flower Room   Chapter 8

    One month after my death, the house that had once been so crowded and noisy stood cold and empty.Noah had moved in with Dad. He'd cut Mom out of his life completely.There wasn't a single bouquet left in the big house. Dad had carefully gathered all my little belongings, packed them in boxes, and locked them away in his study.After reviewing Mom's psychiatric evaluation and the circumstances of the fatal abuse, the court issued its ruling.She was deemed unfit to care for a child and permanently lost custody of Noah. The court also ordered long-term treatment in a state psychiatric hospital.In her small, secured hospital room, Mom drifted between agitation and confusion.Day and night, she held a faded pink stuffed animal close to her chest. It had been the only toy I'd owned as a child.She carried it everywhere, stroking its worn little face and murmuring my name."Ethan, Mom won't buy flowers anymore. Please come home."I was wrong. I shouldn't have locked you up. I shou

  • The Flower Room   Chapter 7

    Whatever hope Mom had been clinging to finally shattered.I watched her standing there, broken and dazed. I no longer felt hatred. Only a vast, hollow numbness.Every punishment, every false accusation, every act of cruelty I'd endured growing up had come to an end.Mom let out a scream that seemed to tear through the house.She staggered back to my body, pulled me into her arms, and held on. Her warm tears fell against my damaged face."Ethan, Mom was wrong. I was blind. Please don't leave me."She rocked me desperately, her voice breaking."Wake up, please. I'll never bring flowers into the house again. I'll never punish you. Whatever you want, I'll do it."Officer Kessler, who had reviewed the paramedics' preliminary findings, stepped forward. A pair of handcuffs clicked in his hands."Diane Carver, you're under arrest in connection with the abuse that resulted in your son's death. You'll need to come with us."Her grip tightened around me. She recoiled."Don't arrest me!

  • The Flower Room   Chapter 6

    Mom gathered my cold body into her arms and held it tight."Ethan, don't scare me. Mom won't lock you up anymore. I won't yell at you again."Please, just wake up. All right?"Watching her, Dad finally lost the last of his restraint.He raised his hand and slapped her across the face.His eyes were bloodshot as he roared, "Are you satisfied now?"Diane, you killed your own son!"Her head snapped to one side. A thin line of blood appeared at the corner of her mouth.She didn't dodge or argue. She only clutched me tighter and sobbed.Over and over, she repeated the same words."He isn't dead. My Ethan isn't dead. You're all lying to me."Noah approached her slowly, his eyes red and empty of warmth. All that remained in them was disappointment and resentment."Why?" he asked, each word deliberate. "Why have you spent our entire lives accusing Ethan of trying to hurt me? Why did you keep finding new ways to torture him?"I've told you a thousand times that it was my fault. You

  • The Flower Room   Chapter 5

    With the lock finally released, Dad drove his foot into the heavy steel door. It flew open.A cloud of pollen and a sickening metallic smell swept into the hallway.Flowers lay piled in tangled heaps across the room. Petals soaked with my blood had darkened and stuck together.I lay motionless in the middle of them.My body had long since gone cold.My face was the worst of it. The rats had damaged it so badly that my features were barely recognizable. My throat and neck were grotesquely swollen.Three gray rats were still feeding. The faint sound of their gnawing made everyone's skin crawl.Mrs. Dawson took one look and crouched on the floor, covering her mouth as she wept and retched.The officers' faces turned grim. One immediately called for backup over his radio. Soon the house was being secured as a crime scene.Dad pushed through everyone and stumbled into the room.He dropped beside me and began pressing down on my chest, again and again, trying to bring me back."Et

  • The Flower Room   Chapter 4

    Two uniformed police officers entered the house.Mrs. Dawson came in behind them and pointed at Mom."Her! She knows her son has a severe pollen allergy, and she locked him in a room with more than a hundred pounds of fresh flowers!"Mom looked nervous at the sight of the police. But the moment she heard Mrs. Dawson speak, she started shouting."Claire, you've got some nerve! You called the police over my private family business?"The lead officer, whose name tag read Kessler, glanced at the locked steel door."This woman reported that someone has been confined in a room for hours and may be in immediate danger. We're here to investigate."Noah hurried to explain."Officer, it's my older brother in there. Mom's had him locked up for hours."He wiped the tears from his face and told them everything, carefully, one piece at a time.When he finished, Officer Kessler frowned and turned to Mom."Ma'am, is that accurate? Open the door so we can check on your son."Mom drew hersel

  • The Flower Room   Chapter 3

    Mom's expression softened a little when she saw Dad.He hurried straight to the door."Ethan, don't be afraid. Dad's here. How are you feeling?"Dad was an allergist. He had rushed home with a full emergency kit for treating severe allergic reactions.But the door was still locked.He turned on Mom."Diane, open this door immediately!"Ethan has a life-threatening pollen allergy. If his airway closes, he could go into shock and suffocate. Are you trying to kill our son?"Mom was utterly unhurried, although she spoke more gently to Dad than she had to anyone else."Why are you getting so worked up? I know what I'm doing."I left plenty of allergy medicine in his room. If he feels sick, he can take it himself. There's no danger. Stop making such a fuss."I looked at the flowers packed into every corner of the room and gave a sad little smile.Mom, I'd never be able to reach the medicine you left me.Dad's fury exploded."Making a fuss? If his airway closes, he could be dead

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