Thud! Thud! Thud!
A flurry of blows rained down on my chest, ribs, and shoulders…
Each strike brought searing pain; I felt as though my organs were shattering inside me.
I tried to open my mouth to scream, to beg for mercy, but the tape sealed it shut.
Pain and suffocation blurred my consciousness.
Finally, one especially heavy blow landed on my head.
The world went black.
I passed out.
Jason, drenched in sweat, was toweling off his forehead.
Suddenly, Emily cracked her door open.
She stepped out, froze when she saw him standing by the bag.
“You’ve been training… didn’t it feel… off somehow?”
Jason stopped mid-motion and turned back.
“Off? Not at all. I actually felt great today.”
Emily stared at the punching bag, which stood perfectly still, showing nothing unusual.
Her tense shoulders relaxed, and she let out a long sigh of relief.
“Nothing, then… Guess she really stormed out of the house in anger.”
“Huh? What’d you say, sis?”
Jason didn’t catch it.
“Nothing!”
Emily shook her head, her voice once again full of irritation.
“Go wash those stinky clothes of yours, they reek!”
Jason felt indignant, about to retort—
Bzzz, bzzz…
Suddenly, my phone rang loudly in the bedroom.
Jason glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already after two in the afternoon.
“Weird… Mom went out without her phone? It’s way past lunch and she’s still not back…”
He walked to Emily’s door, hesitated, then knocked.
“Sis? Sis! What do you think happened to Mom? Could something really have happened?”
From inside came Emily’s sharp, impatient shout.
“Shut up already! What could possibly happen?”
Seconds later, she yanked open the door, her face twisted with frustration at being interrupted.
“She probably got pissed this morning seeing me play on my phone. She stormed out to play the runaway act, that’s all! Who’s she trying to scare?”
“Forget her. Once she calms down, she’ll crawl back tonight.”
Before Jason could reply, she slammed the door shut again.
Left in the hallway, Jason opened his mouth, then said nothing.
I don’t know how much time passed before I woke again, ripped out of darkness by searing, unbearable pain.
Each breath tugged at broken ribs, my organs felt displaced and crushed.
No—I couldn’t die like this.
I licked furiously at the tape. The beating had loosened it, and at last, I could open my mouth!
Saved! I could finally call for help!
I tried to shout “Help!” with all my strength.