All Chapters of The Dead Daughter They Couldn’t Escape: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

Mom dragged me out of the bathroom and dumped me back onto the bed.My soaked clothes clung to my skin, making me shiver even harder. The fever left my head so heavy that I could barely lift it. The curtains were pulled tight, leaving the room dark and airless.From the living room, I could hear the television and my brother, Derek Cox, laughing at his favorite show."Derek, come eat some fruit. I cut it up for you," Mom called, her voice suddenly soft and sweet."Leave me alone. I want to finish this.""That's enough TV," Dad said, though there was no real anger in his voice. "You've got a big exam tomorrow. Go get some sleep.""How's Gemma doing?" Derek asked.The living room fell silent.A few seconds later, Mom snapped, "Why are you talking about her the night before your exam? Don't put that in your head! She's sick because she's taking the hit for you, and that means you'll be fine. Now go to bed and get some sleep. You need to be sharp tomorrow."So that was all I was t

The taller girl in the photo wore her hair in two braids and grinned wide enough to show her slightly pointed canines. She had one arm wrapped tightly around the little boy beside her.It was a picture of Derek and me, the only one we had together. It must have been taken on a school field trip when I was seven or eight.I still remembered that day. Mom had only given me enough money for my own bus fare and lunch, but Derek had cried and begged to come along.I split the ham sandwich Mom had packed for me and gave him half. He wolfed it down, leaving crumbs all around his mouth.I had asked one of my classmates' dads to take a picture for us. Afterward, I saved my allowance for weeks so I could afford to have it printed.I never imagined Derek would still have it.He gently brushed his thumb over my face in the photograph. "Gemma."He said my name so quietly, his voice almost breaking."I'm sorry."His shoulders started shaking. He buried his face in his hands and cried as sof

Derek stood in the doorway and heard everything.There was no fear on his face, only grief and despair.He slowly went back to his room and closed the door behind him.I followed.He pulled a small box from beneath his bed. Inside were a few things that had once belonged to me: awards I had earned in elementary school, the first birthday gift I had ever made for him, a pencil cup crafted from an old soda can, and the only photograph we had together.He had secretly kept all of it.He carefully arranged everything on his desk, then set the photograph in the center and lit a candle beside it. He sat down on the floor and stared at my picture for a long time."Gemma, I'm sorry," he whispered. "I should've done something."His voice cracked."Please come back. Just let me see you one more time."He covered his face with both hands as the tears began to fall.As I watched him, something inside me finally began to thaw.But I knew I could never come back.And this family's suffe

Mom and Dad's bad luck only got worse.Dad found work hauling supplies at a construction site, but even after a full day of backbreaking labor, he barely earned enough to get by. One day, he fell from a scaffold and broke his leg. The contractor denied responsibility and covered only a small fraction of his medical bills.With both Dad and Derek needing care, Mom had no choice but to take a job as a grocery store cashier. She had once avoided anything that required real effort, but now she spent more than ten hours a day on her feet.The strain of their new life wore her down. Her posture grew more stooped, her temper became unpredictable, and she started picking fights with Dad over almost anything."This is all your fault!" Mom shouted. "You're completely useless. We never would've ended up like this if it weren't for you!"She jabbed a calloused finger in his face.Unable to stand because of his injured leg, Dad sat on the floor and shouted back, "You have some nerve blami