Chapter 3

Seeing that I stayed on my knees, Lisa finally stopped scowling. "You would've been fine if you had just behaved, but you had to cause a mess! It's what you deserve!"

She then told Jimmy, "Watch him! He pushed Hal—he's staying there the whole day for that!"

With that, she left with everyone, while my soul followed them and noticed the back door of the shelter.

They clearly knew their way, as they soon emerged at the luxurious Crawford Villa where I had lived for over a decade.

I stared at them blankly, floating in the air while my chest hurt.

Three years ago, the Great Drought scorched the earth, killing all plants and causing countless fatalities.

My family was worried since I had a bad heart, and they quickly packed everything and took me to this so-called shelter.

I had forgotten my medicine, and they didn't hesitate to rush home for it with Hal.

Soon, we were informed that they had died of 'spontaneous combustion'.

I cried so much that I was choking and went three days without food, and I lived the next three years riddled with guilt that I had caused their deaths.

But there was no apocalypse, let alone sacrifice.

And I really didn't know how I should react to that.

-

Hal was nestled on the living room couch, and it was clear it was his favorite spot.

He smiled with sweet innocence as my parents sat by his side. "It will be three years tomorrow, so I've made an edit of the video of Neil's time at the shelter. Check it out—do you think he'll like my present?"

Mother tousled his hair, her smile at once content. "You've always been such a good kid, Hal. You're even thoughtful enough to get Neil a present after what he did to you."

Lisa snorted coolly, her eyes devoid of warmth. "Hal is just so kind. If Neil keeps throwing tantrums, then we can keep him at the shelter. Don't enable him."

I floated in front of them, feeling chills despite being just a ghost.

'There's no need to wait, Lisa—I'm already dead, and you're all just punishing a corpse.'

Lisa pulled out a tablet in an instant.

I wanted to rush up and stop her before I knew it, as I didn't want them to see me being a mess.

But it was too late, as Lisa tapped into the camera feed to see me lying limply.

-

Whenever I was given little scraps of food and supplies, I'd quickly find myself mobbed, punched, and kicked all over endlessly.

Even as the mob did it, they'd be laughing.

"Take what you want! He is the chief's brother, and she has a lot of good stuff! She wouldn't care!"

"Don't worry about him! Do whatever you like!"

"We have the chief's permission! Hit him!"

I curled up and begged them to stop.

When I complained to Lisa each time, she'd just frowned and snapped at me, "It's your fault. You can't even protect what's yours, and you're always complaining."

I thought she blamed me for our parents and Hal's death, so I never argued hard.

It was only now that I realized she was just punishing me for Hal.

-

Even as the video of me kept playing, rowdy laughter rang from the shelter.

Soon, the camera angle changed to show Lisa standing on the balcony of Crawford Villa, holding a stack of hundred dollar bills and throwing it to the actors in the shelter.

The cheers were thunderous and fawning.

"Thank you, Ms. Crawford! We make more money working for you than working an honest job for three years!"

"She really loves her brother, spending a ton just to fake the apocalypse and get even for Hal's sake!"

"Those three years are so worth it! Neil won't ever bully him again!"