"Larry, what's wrong? Your face is pale, and your hands are cold."

There came the worried voice of my younger brother, Shawn Reid. I snapped back, ending the painful memories.

It was a hot summer night, but my head was covered in dense cold sweat. Chills kept running down my spine.

I had been reborn. It was not the time to dwell on painful memories. I should do something to prevent the tragedy from happening.

"Larry, are you all right? Have some water."

My little sister, Maryann Reid, handed me a glass of water. I looked at her face and couldn't help shedding tears.

Wayne and Russell were beasts. They didn't even spare a 5-year-old girl.

Flustered, Maryann stood on tiptoe to wipe away my tears.

"Larry, are you sick? Why are you crying?"

A sudden inspiration struck me. I could pretend to be ill.

As soon as Maryann finished speaking, I collapsed to the floor, convulsing badly.

Maryann and Shawn freaked out, screaming at the top of their lungs.

"Mom, Dad, come over! Larry is possessed by a ghost!"

I couldn't believe that was what they thought.

Hasty footsteps echoed in the stairwell.

My dad lifted me, and my mom anxiously felt my forehead.

"It's icy. What's wrong with Larry?"

"I don't know. I just saw his pale face, and he suddenly collapsed and started convulsing."

My dad slapped his thigh.

"Oh no, could this be epilepsy? I heard people in the village say epilepsy looks like this. Let's get him to the hospital as soon as possible."

Halfway there, he remembered something.

"Wasn't Wayne supposed to come for a visit today? You should stay at home. I'll take Larry to the hospital."

My heart skipped a beat. That wouldn't do.

In his arms, I began convulsing again and crying.

"Mom, I want Mom."

I saw her face turn pale instantly, realizing how terrifying my current appearance and actions were.

She slapped her thigh in panic, "Timothy, call Wayne and tell them to reschedule. Larry's health matters more."

Initially, she wanted Shawn and Maryann to stay home and do their homework, but Maryann seemed too frightened to stay alone and insisted on coming with us.

And so, the four of us set off together.

When my dad got me into the car, I thought to myself that once this crisis passed, they must keep a low profile.

We owned a car, arousing many people's envy.

The familiar smell of disinfectant in the town hospital eased my anxiety slightly. At least, we made it through the night.

Krystal was the nurse on duty that night. She rushed over anxiously. "What's going on? Larry was fine when I left this afternoon."

Hearing her voice, I buried my face in my dad's chest and wept. Krystal cared about me so much, and I would not let her suffer for 20 years.

The doctor couldn't find anything wrong, so he prescribed some fluids for observation. If there were further episodes, I would have to go to the larger hospital in the city.

I considered continuing to pretend, but given my parents' characters, they would probably rush to the city with me or even buy a house there.

But Wayne had targeted my family. Furthermore, my dad was a warm and generous person who wouldn't forget his friend even if we moved to the city.

So, evasion was futile. Wayne had already harbored the intention to kill everyone in my family.

The only way out was to resist, and I had to resist.

It was a sleepless night for me. I looked at my family closely, afraid if I closed my eyes, I would return to that dark ward.

The rooster crowed, and the warm sunlight shone into the ward, dispelling some of the chill. I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Surviving last night was one thing, but what about tonight? What should I do?

My brain was working at full speed. If I told them that I had been reborn, they wouldn't believe me. It was especially so for my dad, who detested anything superstitious or paranormal.

If I told him, he'd just spank me might even tell Wayne about it as a joke.

What about Mom? My mom ran a business, so she might believe in such things to some extent. It was worth a shot.

But the priority was to go home and set up traps.

I threw a tantrum, insisting that I was fine. Krystal had the doctor check me over once more, and he suggested I stay for a few more days.

Unable to resist my strong insistence, they finally took me home. The five of us left the hospital together.

I pulled my mom and Krystal into a room, wearing a serious expression.

"Mom, Krystal, I have something to tell you that you might find unbelievable, but everything I'm about to say is true."

At first, they listened with smiles, but those smiles faded as I continued, especially when I mentioned that Krystal had to be with Wayne to pay for my medical bills.

Tears began to fall from her eyes.

My mom grabbed some tissues, visibly angry.

"Larry, what is wrong with you? Scaring your sister like this. Where did you get this bad habit?"

She then spat a few times into the air.

"Bah, don't talk nonsense like this. If your dad hears you, he'll beat you for sure. Don't mention it again!"

She gave me a stern look and left the room. My heart sank. As expected, she didn't believe me, but did I see a flicker of seriousness in her eyes?

I stepped forward and gently hugged my weeping sister. "Krystal, don't cry. Do you believe me?"

She looked at me with confusion, nodding and then shaking her head.

"I don't know. My mind keeps telling me that it's all fake, but your story makes my heart ache, as if these things could happen. Larry, tell me the truth. Are you playing a prank?"

I stared at her and solemnly shook my head.

She was half-convinced but decided to cooperate with me anyway, thinking it would just be a child's play. Her racing heart kept reminding her of heeding my words.

Finally, I breathed a sigh of relief. At least Krystal was willing to listen. I told her to take Maryann to Grandma's house first.

According to the original timeline, they would make their move around nine o'clock. I asked Krystal to keep an eye on the phone and call the police if the line went dead.

At that point, they would likely have cut the phone line and be ready to act. I just needed to stall them until the police arrived.

Krystal held onto me tightly. "Larry, why not just call the police directly? Why wait until they act?"

"Krystal, do you think the police would believe a story about rebirth? Besides, without any evidence, how could Wayne possibly be arrested?"

"But at least with the police involved, Wayne and his cousin wouldn't dare act recklessly. Why take the risk of confronting them?"

I shook my head, closing my eyes to recall their actions in the previous life. Would they not dare to act recklessly? No.

"Krystal, you don't know about Wayne. He's a vindictive and ruthless person. If he gets away with it, he'll come back for his revenge. He's like a ticking time bomb!"

"He'll stop at nothing to get what he wants. Do you know why he wasn't caught for twenty years in his previous life? Because he had exceptional counter-surveillance skills and had prepared thoroughly."

"Krystal, our only way out is to fight back. It's the only path we can take."

Krystal wiped away her tears and replied, "I was confused. I'll take Shawn and Maryann away."

She wanted to take me with her as well, but after I reassured her multiple times that I had figured out how to deal with them, she reluctantly gave up the idea.

After lunch, Krystal made an excuse about missing grandma and took our siblings out. Mom gave her a strange look.

"You, grown up as you are, believe Larry's nonsense."

Nevertheless, she didn't stop Krystal. Grandma lived in the neighboring village, half an hour away.

"What's wrong, dear? Did Larry say something again?"

My mom rolled her eyes and served my dad food. "Just have your meal."

I found two pieces of wood and struck a few nails into them, planning to place them at the staircase before they arrived. Once they climbed up, they would surely step on the nails.

Then, I went to Krystal's room and took a few syringes filled with sedatives.

I also grabbed a pair of scissors and placed them next to the power line. If necessary, I would cut off the power. I knew the inside of the house better than they did, and darkness was the best cover.

After I set up a few more traps, it was getting dark. They were coming.

My mom watched me do all this without saying a word. I knew she always had doubts because of her business nature. Even though she didn't believe, a seed of suspicion had been planted.

I sighed. My mom probably thought that if nothing happened tonight, she would spank me tomorrow with my dad.

"Larry!"

A voice startled me, and I saw Shawn waving from the window. Wasn't he supposed to be at Grandma's? How did he manage to sneak back?