Chapter 9
“What the hell kind of parents are you?”
The cop finally couldn’t take it anymore.
“She’s not even five years old! Bad enough you treat her like crap at home, but then you let her get bullied at school tool”
He slammed a bunch of photos down in front of Dad.
They were screenshots from school security cameras and some from home security footage too.
There was a picture of tiny me standing on a stool trying to wash dishes, but Jake had kicked the stool out from under me.
I touched the scar on my wrist without thinking.
remembered that day.
The fall really hurt and I dropped the bowl, which shattered everywhere.
landed right on the broken pieces and got a big gash on my wrist. Before I could even cry or tell Mommy it hurt, Jake said I broke the bowl because I was laying around with the water.
tommy didn’t even ask me what happened. She just believed him right away.
hen she yelled at me for being careless.
really, really hurt.
ut when I tried to explain, they said I was lying. So I stopped trying.
Do you have any idea how much she suffered because you played favorites? You’re completely clueless!”
he officer’s eyes were red with anger.
ad just sat there in shock.
is hands were shaking so bad he couldn’t even pick up the photos.
e couldn’t believe his precious son had been bullying his daughter behind his back.
e had no idea she’d been going through all this.
o wonder she was always so tiny and skinny.
Emma, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry… It’s all Daddy’s fault. I shouldn’t have ignored you just to make Jake happy. Daddy messed up so bad.”
e was crying hard, his face all twisted up with guilt.
eeing Daddy look so sad made me feel bad too,
floated over to him and tried to make him feel better:
Don’t cry, Daddy, You don’t have to worry about this stuff anymore because I’m already dead.”
You can be as nice to Jake as you want now, you don’t have to think about me, but…”
My voice got all wobbly.
If you and Mommy ever have another baby, please don’t treat her like you treated me, okay? It would make her really sad.”
Mommy and Daddy stayed at the police station all night.
I watched them come home like zombies and start packing up my stuff.
That’s when they finally noticed something.
I lived in the smallest room in the whole house, and I barely had anything at all.
Since I had a big sister, I just wore her old clothes and shoes and stuff. That way they could save money.
The only things that were really mine were my school books.
And that notebook covered in gold stars.
Mom and Dad started crying really hard again.
They felt so guilty that they took care of my funeral stuff really fast. They picked out an urn with stars painted all over it.
I didn’t really like it though.
I liked the one next to it that had little flowers on it.
Because my teacher told me that every winter ends, and every spring comes.
Hard times always go away.
And then spring comes with all its pretty flowers.
After Mommy and Daddy buried me in the cemetery, I realized I didn’t have to follow them around anymore.
guess it was because our family connection was broken.
There wasn’t any reason for me to stay in the world anymore.
o on the day when all the flowers in the cemetery looked the prettiest, my spirit slowly faded away.
f there’s another life after this one, I hope I get to be a little kid who’s really, really loved.
