"Caleb, I know you feel wronged, but I really have no choice.

"Please don't refuse to eat. No matter how upset you are, you have to take care of your body," Mom said.

She pressed her ear to the door and listened for a long time. Inside, there was only silence.

Panic crept into her weeping voice.

"Caleb? Can you answer me?

"Once your brother leaves, I'll let you out right away. I'll make you meatballs."

There was still no sound.

She stood up, wiped the corner of her eyes, and sighed.

"You're a stubborn child."

She left.

I floated in front of her.

'Mom, I'm not being stubborn. I'm dead.'

As she walked back inside, she wiped the corner of her eyes again.

I drifted outside the window and heard my parents talking softly.

"Is he asleep?" Dad asked.

"Yeah. He ignored me," Mom said helplessly.

Dad sighed. "I hope he doesn't starve."

Tears slipped down my face.

In the cellar, my body was beginning to stiffen.

Early next morning, Daniel got up to cook.

He thought about going to the cellar to grab some sweet potatoes, but Dad stopped him.

"We're going to Staghorn City today to eat out! We'll visit Staghorn College while we're at it. You don't have to cook."

Mom came out in the floral dress she only wore during holidays.

"Daniel, hurry up and get changed. Priscilla will be here soon."

Daniel didn't move. He glanced at the backyard.

"Can we take Caleb with us? He's never been to Staghorn City."

Mom's expression changed.

"What if he sees how nice the college is and makes a scene? No way!"

Daniel opened his mouth, but Dad cut him off harshly.

"That's enough! After you and Priscilla register, your mom and I will take him there!"

Daniel's face turned pale. He fell silent.

Mom smoothed things over. "Get changed and call Priscilla. I'll talk to Caleb."

She turned around slowly and walked out into the yard.

She heated up some cornbread and boiled an egg. She then carried them to the backyard.

Seeing that last night's food hadn't been touched, her expression darkened instantly. She pounded on the door.

"Caleb! Who are you starving yourself for? We're doing this to save your brother's life!"

There was no response.

"I'll count to three. Come out! One! Two!"

When she reached three, her voice suddenly softened. She spoke through choked sobs.

"Caleb, I'm begging you. Just take a bite. Your body is weak to begin with."

There was still nothing.

Her hands shook as she reached to lift the hatch.

Just then, Dad's voice came from the front gate.

"The bus is here! Hurry up or we'll be late!"

Mom's hand trembled. The hatch slammed shut with a loud bang.

She set the food down and sighed.

"The food's at the door. Come out and eat it yourself!"

She hurried off.

Inside the cellar, my body had already begun to give off a faint stench.

I stood where she had just been and said to her back, 'Mom, if you opened the door, you'd see that I'm dead.'

The bus rattled along.

I floated above Daniel's head. He sat by the window and stared in the direction of home the entire time.

Priscilla sat beside him and whispered, "Don't worry. Caleb is smart. He'll come around."

Daniel forced a smile.

Once they arrived in Staghorn City, they went to a restaurant first.

Daniel ordered two plates of frittatas.

"Caleb loves this."

He barely ate. He neatly packed the other plate of frittatas along with his leftovers.

They then went to the college.

At the entrance, the words 'Staghorn College' gleamed under the sun.

This was the college I had fought to get into through countless sleepless nights. I gave everything I had.

Priscilla suddenly said, "If Caleb were here, he'd be so happy."

Daniel stared at those two words. His eyes welled up with tears.

I followed them as they walked through the library, the track field, and the dorm buildings.

Mom sighed. "Daniel, take a good look for your brother."

Suddenly, Daniel broke down.

Tears fell uncontrollably.

He spoke through choked sobs. "This is Caleb's life. I'm stealing his life."

Mom hugged him. Her voice trembled.

"Now it's yours. This is the only way you can live."

I floated among them.

Daniel cried until he could barely breathe. Mom's eyes welled up with tears. Dad turned his face away. Priscilla clenched her fists.

Softly, I said, 'Daniel, I'm already dead. Mom's right. You need to live well.

'Go see the cherry blossoms on campus for me. Try all the food in the cafeteria for me.'

On the bus ride home, Daniel held tightly to the now-cold box of frittatas.

By the time they got home, it was already late in the evening.

Holding the box of frittatas, he ran straight to the backyard.

I drifted ahead to the cellar entrance.

A weasel lay there with grains of food still clinging to its mouth.

More than half of the oatmeal from last night and the cornbread from this morning had already been eaten.

When the weasel heard footsteps, its ears perked up, and it darted away.

Daniel walked over with the frittatas.

When he saw the empty plates on the ground, his eyes welled with tears instantly.

"Caleb, you ate."

He set the frittatas at the cellar entrance and called out.

"I brought you frittatas with chives and egg filling, your favorite. Try some."

There was no response.

He reached out to open the door, but Mom hurried over.

"It's dark!

"You have to catch the bus early tomorrow to get into Staghorn City. Go inside and sleep."

He hesitated.

"I want to see Caleb. I want to talk to him."

Mom pulled him up. "What's there to say?

"Once you leave tomorrow, I'll let him out. I won't risk him doing something reckless in the middle of the night."

Daniel hesitated. "But he–"

"No more buts. You have to get up early. Go sleep."

She dragged him away.

I stood at the cellar entrance and looked at the box of frittatas.

Frittatas with chives and egg filling were my favorite when I was little.

Daniel didn't even like chives, but every time we made them, he'd wrap a few with chives and egg filling just for me.

I crouched next to the box of frittatas at the cellar entrance.

Early next morning, everyone was up.

Mom checked Daniel's and Priscilla's luggage. Dad then carried the luggage to the door.

Daniel's eyes welled with tears. "I'm going to say goodbye to Caleb."

Mom grabbed him tightly. "Don't complicate things. Once you're on the bus, I'll let him out."

Just then, our next-door neighbor, Jenny, came by.

"Katie, can I borrow some cabbage? We've got guests coming for lunch."

Mom smiled and said yes. She turned around and headed to the backyard.

"Perfect timing. I'll check on Caleb while I'm at it."

She reached the backyard and headed toward the cellar.

Suddenly, she slowed down and frowned.

"What's that smell–"

A thick, rotten stench drifted from the cellar.

Her face turned pale. She staggered forward.

The cellar hatch was loosely closed.

Her hands trembled as she flung it open.

"Ahh!"

Her shrill scream echoed through the entire backyard.