In Torrential Rain, Eccentric Parents Reveal Their True Colors

The torrential rain came.

My parents dropped their facade and forced me to go out and search for supplies.

Because I couldn't swim, I ended up drowning.

Meanwhile, they stayed at home, smugly enjoying the food they had stashed away.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself two weeks before the end of the world.

This time, it was my turn to enjoy food while watching them struggle to survive.

***

"Alicia, I'm talking to you. Why aren't you responding?"

My mother's voice through the phone snapped me back to reality.

I glanced at the steam coming from the kitchen and finally realized that I had been reborn.

I was reborn two weeks before the apocalypse of torrential rain, right when my mom suggested staying with me for a while.

I had always thought I was born into a happy family.

I had a harmonious family with loving parents, and they always treated me and my younger brother equally.

In my past life, when my parents suggested staying at my place with my brother for a while, I happily agreed.

Little did I know that before the apocalypse even arrived, they would reveal the true faces they had hidden for twenty-seven years.

"Alicia, are you listening?"

My mother's impatient voice came from the phone.

"I'm listening." My voice was hoarse as I leaned against the stove, turning off the faucet.

She didn't notice the change in my tone.

"I said your brother just graduated, and we've both been missing you. We were thinking of staying at your place for a couple of days to keep you company."

"Okay. How about you come over after two weeks? I'm on a business trip right now, and there's no one at home."

After a bit more small talk, I hung up.

I rushed to the balcony, greedily soaking in the sunlight.

It wasn't until I checked my phone and saw the exact date that the reality of my rebirth truly sank in.

In my past life, my mother had said the same thing.

Naively, I thought they missed me.

I had cleaned every nook and cranny of the house in preparation for their arrival.

Even when the apocalypse arrived as expected, I still believed that dying together with my family wouldn't be the worst thing.

But my parents didn't think that way.

They shamelessly enjoyed the food I had bought.

They were gaslighting me, claiming that as the elder sister, I should take on more responsibilities. All the while, they schemed to have me transfer ownership of the house to my brother.

But two months later, the torrential rain didn't stop. It only got worse.

The food supplies at home were nearly gone.

Dad dismantled the bedroom door and turned it into a makeshift raft.

I never would have guessed that the task of going out to search for supplies would fall on me.

After all, I was the only one in the house who couldn't swim.

Terrified, I refused to go out. But it was as if my mom didn't see the fear on my face and kept pushing me.

"Alicia, your dad and I are getting older. It'd be too risky for us to go out.

"And your brother is still young. What would he know about finding supplies?"

I kept shaking my head, backing away.

She continued, "You're the elder sister. You have to take responsibility for this family."

Tears streamed down my face as I screamed, "He's twenty-four! What could he not do?

"I'm the only one here who can't swim. Do you want me to risk my life?"

My brother chimed in defensively, "You're so paranoid! How could such a small thing make you think we're trying to kill you? You're the eldest; can't you show a little responsibility?"

Ignoring my breakdown, my mom glanced back at my brother, stopping his accusations.

Her expression was calm as she said, "How can you say that? Your father and I love you deeply.

"But I already explained it to you. If you don't go, we'll all starve to death.

"You wouldn't want to see that happen, would you?"

I bit my lip, unable to believe that the woman speaking with such righteousness was my mother.

I looked to my father, who had been standing silently to the side, hoping for help.

But the compassion and kindness he used to show were gone. He stood there, stern-faced, with no intention of defending me.

Even my brother, who I had doted on endlessly, was standing there impatiently, waiting for me to leave.

I crouched on the floor, covering my ears, and shaking my head frantically.

Dad, seemingly out of patience, took two steps forward, grabbed my wrist, and yanked me up.

"You brat, this isn't up to you anymore.

"You really thought you were something just because we humored you all this time?

"We only have one son in the Duarte family. He can't bear any risks. Now get out there and find some supplies."

Clinging stubbornly to the door frame, I refused to let go.

He lost his patience and slapped me across the face. "I'm only going to say this once more. Get out there and find supplies."

He had exerted all his strength.

Blood instantly trickled from the corner of my mouth, and a ringing filled my ears.

I collapsed on the floor, feeling utterly hopeless. It wasn't until that moment that I finally accepted the truth that the family I had always revered, the parents I had loved, and the brother I had cherished so much weren't my safe haven.

I wiped away my tears with my sleeve.

I pulled on my rain jacket, shouldered my waterproof backpack, and walked out the door without hesitation.