Dead By Day Three

Just because I left a window cracked for half an hour, my younger brother caught a cold and ran a raging fever in the middle of the night. Enraged, Mom locked me inside a freezing, thirty-below cellar. "How on earth did I give birth to a cold-blooded monster like you?! You won't be happy until you've killed your own brother, will you?! Since you love the cold so much, get your butt down there and cool off!" Down in the dark, I sobbed and begged Mom for mercy, but the biting cold slowly drained every bit of warmth from my body. Mom didn't care in the slightest. "I'm starving you for three whole days to teach you a lesson! This is what you get for being a jealous brat!" My brother's fever broke the very next morning. To make it up to him, Mom took him on a three-day trip to an amusement park. When Mom finally came back, standing at the top of the cellar to demand if I had learned my lesson, all she received was endless, deafening silence. Because I had already been dead for three days. Chapter 1 I died in what they called a detention room, though it was really just a damp and freezing cold cellar that had been abandoned for years. Even right before I passed away, I was still holding out hope that Mom would come and let me out. Maybe my obsession was just too strong, because after I passed, my soul drifted right over to Mom’s side. I watched as Mom took my younger brother, Zack, to an amusement park, letting him run wild and have the time of his life. Mom held Zack in her arms on the carousel, laughing without a care in the world. The bright, glittering lights on the carousel stung so badly that I could barely keep my eyes open. Zack held an ice cream cone that had already melted into liquid and casually tossed it aside. Meanwhile, I had never even tasted ice cream in my entire life, simply because Mom always said money was tight and snacks like that were a waste of cash. Yet, when Zack wasted it, it was just considered a rare moment of him enjoying himself. This was my very first time visiting an amusement park. Even though I was only a ghost, I was still so happy. I was finally able to sit right beside Mom, riding the carousel, the bumper cars, and the roller coasters together. Zack’s laughter and screams echoed in my ears, and Mom looked at him with nothing but doting love. But then, as she turned her head, her gaze locked right with mine. My breath hitched. For a second, I actually thought Mom could see me. I even greedily thought that if this was the very first time Mom ever smiled at me like that, I could die content. It wasn't until the park was closing for the night that Mom finally led Zack away. Halfway home, Zack put on a pitiful act. "Mom, Cody is still at home. Are we really just going to leave him be? I mean, he didn't mean to give me a fever on purpose. Cody was probably... probably just desperate for your attention." Hearing my name suddenly brought up made my heart skip a beat. However, thinking about it now, I couldn't help but laugh at myself. How could a soul like me have a heartbeat? Even so, I still found myself anticipating Mom's answer. That's right—I had already been dead for three days. Had Mom even thought of me once during all this time? However, the very next words out of Mom's mouth felt like a bucket of ice water dumped straight over my head. "He's already so old, yet he still acts like a kid, throwing a tantrum over jealousy! If it wasn't for him, would you have ended up in the hospital? You suffered so much, and here you are, still speaking up for that brat! "Zack, you're way too sweet. What are you going to do if people walk all over you in the future?" I froze, completely numb all over. That day, Mom and Dad had gone out to pick out a gift for Zack, leaving the two of us alone at home. Zack kept throwing a fit, begging for handmade pasta, insisting he wouldn't touch the store-bought stuff from down the street. So, I had no choice but to roll out the dough and make it from scratch for him. Right after the pot started boiling, the combination of steam and the indoor heating made the temperature inside spike instantly. Zack, while playing video games, barked orders at me to open the window, shouting that it was way too hot. I tried to reason with him calmly, telling him it was below freezing outside. Since he was wearing thin clothes and his health wasn't great to begin with, he'd catch a cold easily. Who would have guessed that Zack would just slam his keyboard down and scream at me? "Cody, don't you forget who runs this house! You do whatever I tell you to do! You were born to be my slave!" I stood there in complete shock. Even when I was really little, Mom and Dad always drummed it into me that since Zack was younger, I needed to give in to him and take care of him in every possible way. But I had never once imagined that I was actually Zack's slave, even though I had spent all these years doing slave work. Yet, hearing those words coming straight from Zack's mouth still made my heart go cold. In the end, I didn't even have the energy left to talk back. It was true that Zack knew how to throw fits, make a scene, and play the victim. Every time, Mom and Dad would blindly take Zack's side without ever asking questions. So I had no choice but to obey Zack and open the window, all while trying to keep an eye on the boiling pot in the kitchen, accidentally scalding a massive blister on my hand in the process. Chapter 2 When I brought the bowl of pasta over to him, Zack suddenly claimed he wasn't hungry anymore. Just then, Mom and Dad came home. Hearing Zack sneeze, Mom’s immediate reaction was to shove me hard to the side. She rushed forward, deeply distressed, feeling Zack’s forehead before gasping out loud, declaring he had a fever. Zack looked at me, and I caught the sly look in his eyes. "It's okay," Zack whimpered weakly, tugging on Mom's sleeve. "It's my fault for having such a weak body. Cody probably opened the window because it was too hot. I just thought if I put on extra clothes, I wouldn't be a burden to Cody." Mom stroked Zack’s head with aching fondness. Then, without missing a beat, she turned around and slapped me across the face. Her bloodshot eyes stared at me as if I were her mortal enemy, not her son. The crisp sound echoed through the room. Before I could even process what happened, my cheek burned, stinging from the impact. Mom’s voice turned sharp and venomous. "Cody, are you even human? You knew Zack’s health was delicate, yet you still opened the window? Do you have any idea how freezing it is outside?! All you care about is stuffing your own face! You don't care if Zack is hungry or freezing. How on earth did I give birth to a cold-blooded monster?!" Before I could even explain, Mom grabbed me by the ear and dragged me straight outside. Deep down, I knew that even if I tried to explain, Mom wouldn't believe a word. She only ever believed Zack. It was ridiculously cold outside. I wore only a thin, short-sleeved T-shirt—one of Zack’s old hand-me-downs that was so small it exposed my waist. The icy wind battered against my body and face, biting straight to the bone. Mom dragged me all the way to the cellar door in the backyard, pointing down at the pitch-black space as she barked her order. "Since you love the cold so much, get your butt down there and cool off! Don't you dare come back up until you figure out how to take proper care of Zack!" Truth be told, this cellar had been dug years ago by my grandparents when they were still alive. The older generation was always afraid of high electricity bills for refrigerators, and since our region was way up north, the temperature here was naturally much colder than elsewhere. Storing food in the cellar worked just as well as keeping it in a fridge. After my grandparents passed away, Mom found using it too much of a hassle, so the cellar was simply abandoned. I stared down into it hesitantly. Just standing at the opening, I could feel the ice-cold draft surging up against my face. It felt at least fifteen to twenty degrees colder than it was outside. For the very first time in my life, I wanted to stick up for myself. I knew that if I didn't try my hardest to make Mom believe me, going down there would literally kill me. "Mom, it was Zack who wanted handmade pasta, and he complained it was too hot, so I—" Another hard slap landed squarely on my face. Mom’s eyes were filled with pure disgust. "Cody, you've even learned how to lie now? Don't you think I know what kind of person Zack is? Why would he bother you to do all that for him? He's the most sensible child in this house! He always gives in to you, always does things for you. Would he ever make such an unreasonable demand?!" My body froze on the spot. Right... Zack always played the sweet, perfect child in front of Mom and Dad. But behind their backs, he treated me like a slave. All he ever did was talk, while I was the one doing all the actual labor. Yet he was the one who got all of Mom and Dad's praise and sympathy. My whole body was shaking. I couldn't tell if it was from the cold or sheer rage. For the first time, I screamed at Mom hysterically. "Why do you never believe me?! There are security cameras in the house that you can check! Why do you always take Zack's side every single time?!" I thought this would make Mom rethink things, but without a second thought, she pushed me straight down into the cellar. The cellar was deep—a good twelve to fifteen feet down. The moment I slammed into the floor, a sharp, excruciating pain shot through my ankle. I couldn't move it at all. Mom’s shrill voice came echoing down from above. "You stay down there and think about what you've done! Since you're so greedy for food, your punishment is no food or water for three days!" With that, Mom turned around and walked away. No matter how heartbreakingly I begged for mercy down there, Mom never once turned back. I tried wrapping my arms around myself for warmth, but it was far too cold outside, and my clothes were way too thin. I shivered uncontrollably in the dark. After Mom went back inside, she immediately took Zack to the hospital and stayed up all night taking care of him. As for Dad, he simply went along with Mom's actions. He didn't say a word to stick up for me, nor did he lend me a single glance. Chapter 3 Down in the cellar, I tried to save myself. But I couldn't climb out. My ankle was almost certainly broken, and without a drop of food, hypothermia slowly set in. In the end, I breathed my last right there. During those three days, Dad had gone off on a fishing trip with his buddies, while Mom took Zack to an amusement park to have fun. "Mom, maybe we should head home and check on Cody," Zack's voice pulled me sharply from my racing thoughts. "I'm worried he might hold a grudge against me over this. After all, we're brothers. I really don't want something so small to drive a wedge between us." A bitter laugh caught in my throat. If Zack truly cared about me, he would have stepped up to explain things when Mom was ripping into me. He would have begged her to stop when she threw me down that hole. After all, he knew better than anyone that Mom listened to every single word he said. Yet, he hadn't lifted a finger. And now, on the surface, he sounded like he was pleading for me. In reality, he was just using the opportunity to drop subtle hints to Mom that I was petty, vindictive, and held grudges. Mom rolled her eyes, her face twisted in utter disgust the second my name came up. "He wouldn't dare! He's your big brother. It's his job to protect you for the rest of his life! What right does he have to hold a grudge against you? If he dares to hold resentment toward you, just watch me break his legs!" I let out a bitter laugh, though tears had somehow begun to sting the corners of my eyes. She wouldn't need to break my legs herself; my ankle was already broken. In fact, she would never get the chance to snap my legs ever again. Mom and Zack finally arrived back at their hotel. As usual, she pulled Zack into her arms, gently patting his back while reading him a bedtime story. I remembered it so vividly. Ever since Zack was born, Mom had always held him like that. It started from when he was a baby, through kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and right up until now. Meanwhile, I was always the one standing just outside Zack's bedroom door, like a pathetic rat lurking in the shadows to catch a fleeting glimpse of someone else's happiness. Before Zack was born, that brief gentleness had once belonged to me, too. It was fleeting, but it occupied such a massive, precious corner in the dark, lonely timeline of my life. Every time Mom and Dad treated me unfairly, I would pull that memory out from the back of my mind just to tell myself proudly: 'See? They loved me once, too.' Sadly, I had only ever been loved for a tiny, temporary moment. "Alright, sweetie. I'm going to head over to my room now," Mom murmured softly. Her tone was dripping with tenderness, as if a single harsh word might shatter a fragile porcelain doll. Zack was her sweetie. But whenever my parents called out to me, it was always my full name—cold and transactional. Even the contact names on their phones reflected it. Every time I accidentally caught a glimpse of Zack saved as "sweetie" while I was just "Cody Morrison", my heart would ache. The moment Mom shut the door behind her, Zack bolted upright in bed. He pulled out his phone, the pale screen casting an eerie glow across his face. I couldn't see who he was texting, but then I heard him send a voice message, his tone practically bursting with arrogant pride. "You mean Cody? That good-for-nothing is probably dead by now. It's twenty below zero out there, and he's been locked up for days. How could he possibly be alive? "I've hated his guts for a long time. Just thinking about splitting half the family estate with him in the future makes my skin crawl. "Damn right, I wanted him dead! He actually thought he could steal Mom and Dad's love from me? Thought he could touch the inheritance that belongs to me? In his dreams!" A chill ran down my spine. I never dreamed that Zack had done all of this on purpose, and my death was entirely within his calculations. That meant his little show on the road earlier, asking Mom to let me out, was nothing more than a calculated act, knowing full well my time was already up. And the reason he wanted me dead was so ridiculously simple. He knew all along how blatantly Mom and Dad favored him, so why would they have ever given me their love or a single penny of their money? In their minds, even after I entered the workforce, my hard-earned savings were meant to be handed over to Zack on a silver platter. I burst into wild, uncontrollable laughter. I lunged forward with everything I had, desperate to drive a fist straight into Zack's face. My fist passed right through his cheek, striking nothing but air. I was so blinded by rage I'd forgotten I was just a ghost and couldn't do a thing. Why was life so cruel? Why was I forced into a family like this, only to find out the brutal truth after I had already turned into a ghost? Chapter 4 I drifted helplessly into Mom's room. She had just stepped out of the shower and was standing in front of the mirror, applying various creams and lotions to her face. But the moment her fingers touched a high-end bottle of toner, her movements froze. I remembered that bottle. I had bought it as a birthday present for her earlier this year, using the money I had earned from my part-time job. Truth be told, Mom was usually very frugal. Except when it came to Zack, Mom was stingy with everyone, especially herself. The skincare products she used were cheap, generic ones for a few bucks. When I visited my classmates' homes and saw the luxury brands their mothers used, I silently noted the names. During winter break, I worked non-stop for a whole month just to save up enough money to buy her that single bottle. Mom was momentarily stunned when I handed the gift. But before she could process it, Zack shoved his way forward, snatched the bottle right out of her hands, and put on an exaggerated, mock-concerned face. "Cody, I know you're super vain, but Mom isn't like that. You bought a fake knockoff just to show off. What if it ruins Mom's skin?" The look of pleasant surprise on Mom's face instantly cracked at Zack's words, replaced by disgust as she looked at me. Panicking, I tried desperately to explain that I had bought it directly at the department store counter with money from my part-time job. In my desperate rush to defend myself, I looked every bit like a guilty criminal. Instead of listening, Mom spoke up, her tone cold. "I thought you were just vain and got scammed, but you're actually sitting here lying through your teeth. I am so disappointed in you!" With that, Mom tossed the expensive toner aside. Right on cue, Zack stepped forward, offering a peeled grapefruit to Mom with a flattering smile. "Happy birthday, Mom! I don't have much to give you, but I made this with all my love. I hope you live a long and healthy life!" I stared at that cheap grapefruit. I was the one who had carefully peeled every bit of that skin off for him, only for him to turn around and hand it to Mom as his own gift. Mom's eyes crinkled with joy. She pulled Zack into a tight embrace, beaming with pride. "You really are the thoughtful one, Zack, unlike some people. I don't care about expensive gifts. It's the thought that counts." In that single moment, I felt like a total clown. I was the one who bought the skincare bottle. I was the one who peeled the grapefruit. So how did I end up as the vain, selfish liar? Mom didn't throw the toner away after that. Instead, she placed it front and center on her vanity. For a long time, I foolishly hoped she had realized it was authentic. But then, in front of the entire family, she delivered a righteous lecture. "Our family might not be dirt poor, but we aren't rich either. We don't need luxury items to put on airs, and buying fakes is even more disgraceful. This bottle stays right here so all of you remember the lesson. Vanity is the most shameful trait you can have!" Even though she addressed the entire table, her eyes were locked onto me. My face flushed, not out of shame, but out of helpless despair from being falsely accused. As I watched her now, I wondered why she had packed that bottle for her trip. Right on cue, she muttered to her reflection in the mirror. "Why did I even bring this with me? It must be that brat Cody trying to make a fool out of me on vacation!" Cursing under her breath, Mom tossed the toner into the trash can. When she slandered me back then, I thought it was just Zack manipulating her, driving a wedge between us. I made excuses for her favoritism, telling myself it made sense for parents to shower more affection on the youngest, weakest child. However, seeing the brutal truth right before my eyes destroyed every single lie I had ever told myself. It was never a birthday gift from a son to his mother, but a stain of embarrassment branded onto her heart. And I was nothing more than the shameful son she couldn't stand, the one who never deserved an ounce of affection. I let out a bitter laugh, finally feeling a strange sense of release. The maternal love I had spent years desperately craving was nothing more than a cage I had locked myself inside. The truth was: some parents really just don't love their children. Chapter 5 I thought Mom would go straight to sleep after washing her face, but to my surprise, she got into bed and pulled out her phone to call me. After the phone rang once, then again, with no answer, Mom let out a cold snort and muttered to herself. "At least the brat knows his place. He wouldn't dare crawl out of that cellar without my permission." I let out a bitter laugh. Here I thought she had finally remembered me, but she was only calling to check if I had managed to escape on my own. She knew full well that I didn't have my phone with me when she shoved me down there. Though even if I had carried it with me, what difference would it have made? So Mom turned around and dialed Dad instead. "Are you at home? Go let Cody out. While you're at it, ask him if he realizes what he did wrong. As long as he's willing to apologize to Zack the second we get back, he won't have to go back down into that cellar. Besides... he's been locked up for days. What if he dies out there?" Dad's impatient voice cut Mom off before she could even finish. "I haven't been home for days. He's not an idiot—he definitely climbed out on his own a long time ago. You honestly think he'd just let himself freeze to death? "Anyway, I've got a bite on my line. I've got to go!" The line went dead. Mom knitted her brows and muttered under her breath, "It's true. He's old enough to know better. I'm worrying over nothing." I stood beside Mom's bed in silence. She had completely forgotten that when she pushed me down, she never bothered to lower the ladder. From the very beginning, she never intended to let me out. The next morning, a frantic ringtone woke Mom from her sleep. She answered groggily, only to hear Dad's panicked voice blaring through the speaker. "Why aren't you back yet? Something happened. Cody... Cody's dead." The phone slipped right out of Mom's hand. Her mind instantly snapped awake, and she bolted upright in bed. "What are you talking about?! How could he be dead?!" "The doctor said... severe hypothermia. He froze... froze to death." Dad's voice grew weaker and softer with every word. "Is he stupid?! If he was freezing, why didn't he just come back inside?" Mom screamed into the phone. I couldn't tell if she was furious at me for being foolish enough to obey her orders and stay put, or angry that following her orders turned out to be a fatal mistake. Dad snapped. "It's a fifteen-foot drop, and you didn't even leave him a ladder! How the hell was he supposed to climb out?! The doctor said his ankle was broken, too. Even if he tried to crawl up, he couldn't have made it!" This was the very first time I had ever heard Dad argue with Mom over me. But what was the point now? I was already dead. He wasn't yelling out of genuine grief or love for me. He just needed someone to blame so he could stand on the moral high ground. Mom's phone hit the floor with a loud crack, the screen shattering into a spiderweb of cracks. Zack walked into the room right at that moment, a bewildered look on his face. "Mom, what happened?" Mom's face was deathly pale. Even her voice trembled violently as she spoke. "Zack... we need to go home right now... Your brother... he..." Zack feigned deep concern, leaning in urgently. "What happened to Cody?" "He's dead..." The words dropped like a heavy stone into a quiet pond, plunging the hotel room into an unsettling silence. However, there wasn't a shred of shock on Zack's face. From an angle where Mom couldn't see, I caught the subtle grin tugging at the corner of his lips.