That bat was David's.

For years, Otis treasured it like a relic. Now he'd use it on me.

"Today, I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of David!"

"Dad, I didn't," I pleaded.

Before I could finish, the bat slammed into my stomach.

Pain erupted. I collapsed, vomiting blood onto the floor, bright under the light.

"This is what you get for stealing!" Otis swung again.

"Lenora!" Colette gasped but didn't stop him.

Neville stood in the doorway, smirking like he was watching a show.

I lay on the floor, blood pouring from my mouth. In my fading vision, Neville's grin mocked me.

...

The storage room door slammed shut. The lock clicked.

Darkness swallowed me.

"When you figure out what you did, you can come out," Otis said, his voice dripping with disgust.

I leaned against the cold wall. My stomach felt like it was being eaten alive.

Outside, laughter rang.

"Neville, I made your favorite beef stew," Colette said.

"Neville, 730 on the practice test? Second in the city! Amazing!" Otis cheered.

"Next time, I'll get first," Neville promised.

"Good! I know you will," Otis laughed.

Their happy chatter stabbed through the door, each word piercing my heart.

I curled up in the corner, my tears falling freely.

There was just no place for me in this house.

Footsteps echoed outside. Neville hissed through the door, gleeful. "Lenora, just die already. You're a stain on my life. My classmates now all know I've got a thieving sister. So embarrassing. Why don't you just die? It'd free us all."

Each word cut deeper, tearing down my last defenses.

The stomach pain raged, but it felt trivial compared to the ache in my heart.

I remembered finding an old bottle of weed killer in this room as a kid.

It was a green bottle, covered in dust.

I'd wondered why it was here. Now I knew that it was waiting for this moment.

I fumbled in the dark, my fingers finding the bottle in the same corner.

Outside, the laughter grew louder.

"Neville, I'll get you new clothes tomorrow," Colette said.

"Anything you want, I'll get it for you," Otis echoed.

"Thanks, Mom and Dad. I love you guys," Neville said excitedly.

"We love you, too," they laughed.

That word never belonged to me.

I picked up the bottle, staring at it in the dark.

I couldn't see it clearly, but I knew it was there, like I knew my fate.

With my last bit of strength, I dipped my finger in the blood I'd coughed up and wrote on the floor.

[David, I'm coming to find you.]

The blood dried, the words crooked and uneven. It was the most careful thing I'd ever written, and my last.

I leaned against the cold wall and twisted off the cap. The stench stung my nose.

I closed my eyes and finished it off.