But the next instant, my heart sank to ice.
My teeth… were almost all gone.
During Jason’s punches, they must have been knocked out or shattered and swallowed.
Agonizing pain shot from my jaw straight to my skull. My body convulsed.
I tried to make a sound, even the faintest hiss of breath, but with my throat and mouth so damaged, only the weakest wheeze escaped.
Tears streamed down my face.
I couldn’t die like this—silently, unnoticed!
I summoned every last ounce of strength, straining my shoulders and knees to knock against the inside of the bag.
Once, twice…
Jason was sitting on the couch fiddling with the remote when, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the bag give the slightest shiver.
He froze, frowning, staring hard at it.
“Huh?”
He rubbed his eyes, checked the closed windows. No wind.
“Sis… the punching bag just… moved by itself?”
Emily’s door flew open again. She stormed out, glaring impatiently at the still bag.
By then, I had already drained the last of my strength and could no longer move.
“Moved? You blind? Which punching bag moves on its own?”
Emily shoved Jason’s head hard.
“You’re just bored out of your mind! Stop with the spooky crap. Do your own thing! If you interrupt my game again, I’ll beat you too!”
She slammed the door again.
Jason hunched his shoulders, rubbing his sore head, then squinted at the bag a few more seconds. It didn’t budge again.
“Guess I imagined it…”
Finally, he gave up and went back to his room to do homework.
By evening, David Miller came home.
He tossed his briefcase on the shoe rack, glanced at the quiet kitchen, and called out in his usual gruff tone.
“Why’s it so quiet? Didn’t your mom make dinner?”
Jason stepped out, worry flickering on his face.
“Dad, I think Mom ran away from home. She didn’t even take her phone—it’s been ringing nonstop in her room.”
“Ran away from home?”
David let out a laugh, shaking his head, utterly unconcerned.
“That temper of hers—always blowing up over nothing! Probably sulking again. Whatever. I’m starving. Got anything to eat?”
He walked straight to the fridge, found only leftovers.
In the end, he dug out a few beers and a vacuum pack of chicken wings from the pantry and sat down to eat.
The smell of food drew Emily out of her room. She sat at the table in silence, grabbing a wing.
Jason joined too.
David’s face darkened, watching his kids eat a pitiful dinner of cheap wings.