When I was five, some kid in kindergarten
pulled a chunk of my hair out.
The next day, he disappeared.
The news said he accidentally fell from the
roof.
But I knew that the candy he was clutching in
his hand when he died was the kind Mom
always bought for me.
In elementary school, my teacher thought I
was from a poor family and was always
making snide remarks about me.
Even though I did chores with the other kids,
she always gave me the dirtiest. hardest jobs
<
She laughed when I tripped carrying a heavy
bucket of water in the bathroom.
I didn’t tell my family.
I hated the teacher, but I didn’t want my
family doing something bad.
But Mom found out.
Soon after, I heard on the news that the
teacher had died.
She was jumped and assaulted by some gang
members while she was walking home at
night.
Her arms and legs were broken.
When I saw the pictures of those guys, my
blood ran cold.
I’d seen Mom talking and laughing with them
near our house.
Mom’s cold fingers traced one of my bruises.
I snapped back to reality and shivered.
Mom sighed softly.
“Sometimes I really wonder if you’re my kid.”
I stared at her, not saying a word.
I knew I wasn’t her real kid.
I’ve always been a softie.
And I cry way too easily.
I remember when my cat got out when I
opened the door.
When we found it, it had been tortured.
One of its legs had been sawed off, and one
of its eyes had been gouged out.
I was sobbing.
My brother saw me.
He said, “You don’t want it to suffer anymore,
do you?”
I nodded through my tears.
The next second, he snapped the cat’s neck.
I heard the bone break.
But I remember, he was smirking.
Later, Dad checked the security cameras and
<
saw that two boys in the neighborhood were
the ones who hurt the cat.
We went to their parents.
They just brushed it off.
“It’s just a stray cat. How much do we owe
you?”
“Call the police? Don’t be ridiculous. Our kids
are only fourteen years old, and honestly, it’s
your fault the cat got out. I haven’t even said
your cat scared my children…”
One of the boys peeked out from behind his
mom, smirking.
“Mom, that cat scratched us first!”
“You hear that? I haven’t asked for any
money yet, and now you’re here. Who knows
if your cat had rabies?” the mom scoffed.
I was so angry, tears were streaming down
my face.
“I saw them on the security camera. They
stepped on the cat’s tail, that’s why it
Г
scratched them!”
The boy said, “It was an accident! That cat
scratches people, it should be killed!”
I ran up to argue with him, but his mom
shoved me to the ground.
My brother helped me up.
He said, “Yeah, a creature that scratches
people should be killed…”
His voice was icy.
Mom and Dad didn’t say anything, just smiled
at the woman and her kid.
The woman seemed nervous, like she wasn’t
used to parents who wouldn’t argue with her.
She told us to leave.
A few days later, I woke up crying.
I went to the kitchen to get some water.
The front door opened.
I saw my brother walk in.
His face was hidden in the shadows.
I smelled blood.
く
There was a red stain on his jacket.
“Bro… what did you do…” I asked, shaking.
I already knew the answer.
He grinned.
“I took care of some creatures that scratch.”
The next day, the police came to our
neighborhood.
The two boys had been gutted.
Their insides were everywhere.
That’s my family.
They act like they care, but they scare me.
Mom pinched my cheek.
“What are you thinking about?”
“I was just saying that. You’re my precious
baby.
