The year of the gas leak, Mom instinctively carried out my crying little sister first. By the time the paramedics pulled me from the kitchen, the lack of oxygen had permanently frozen my mind at the age of five. For the next thirteen years, Mom held me to sleep every night, crying and swearing that she would never leave me behind again. When Dad went on business trips, he would FaceTime me, coaxing me to count the little glow-in-the-dark stars on my bedroom wall. That was, until the day my sister Chloe got her acceptance letter to Stanford. Mom asked her what she wanted as a reward. With red, tear-filled eyes, Chloe said, "I want a graduation trip. Just the three of us... the normal ones. Just this once, please?" Looking at Chloe's swollen eyes, my parents' hearts softened. Before they left, Mom sat me down on the little stool by the front door. "Daisy, be a good girl. When we come back, I'll bring you your favorite strawberry shortcake." I nodded obediently, sitting by the door, waiting for them to return. But that very day, a transformer blew in our neighborhood, and the power went out. In less than three days, the fridge began to reek. All the food inside had spoiled. I was so thirsty. So hungry. I wanted to go outside and find Mom and Dad. But Mom had said if I stepped outside, she wouldn't want me anymore. I curled up next to the foul-smelling fridge, clutching Mom's jacket tightly, but I never lived to see the day they came back. … The day the Stanford acceptance letter arrived in the mail, Chloe's tears fell on the back of her hands as she begged, "Dad, Mom... I just want one graduation trip. Just the three of us normal people. Please?" The living room fell dead silent. Sitting on the rug, I tilted my head back and looked at her in confusion. "Chloe, what does three normal people mean?" "Is Daisy normal too? Daisy wants to go on a trip!" I dropped my building blocks and reached out to grab her hand. Chloe took a step back and swatted my hand away. "You're not! You're not normal at all!" She screamed at me, her eyes bloodshot as she completely broke down. "Do you have any idea what these past thirteen years have been like for me because of you?!" "Even when I get straight A's, Mom and Dad only care if you ate your dinner on time!" I flinched, shrinking back from her yelling. "Chloe, don't cry. You can play with my blocks." I eagerly held out my plastic blocks to her. "I don't want your stupid blocks!" She slapped them out of my hands. The plastic pieces hit the wall and cracked. Dad frowned and pulled Chloe behind him. "Chloe, how can you speak to your sister like that?" "If we hadn't saved you first back then, your sister's brain wouldn't have been damaged by the gas. How can you look down on her?" Mom pulled me into her arms, her heart breaking for me. "It's okay, Daisy. Don't be scared, Mom is here." When she turned to look at Chloe, her eyes were filled with reprimand. "Chloe, your sister can't be left alone. If we all go, what will she do?" Chloe cried even harder. "Just for a few days! Just this once!" "Since we were little, you gave all your love to her." "What about me? I'm your daughter too! Don't I deserve to have my parents' undivided attention for just one trip?" Her shoulders shook violently. "I'm leaving for college out of state soon. I won't be coming back much." "I just want one trip where we don't get weird stares, where we don't have to constantly babysit someone. Is that so much to ask?!" Dad fell silent. He looked at his youngest daughter, his face twisting with conflict. "Honey, maybe we really have focused too much on Daisy over the years, and we've neglected Chloe." "Daisy is older now. What if we prep the fridge with plenty of meals and set up some indoor security cameras? If we just go for three to five days, she should be fine." Mom's defenses began to crumble. Seeing this, Chloe immediately crouched at Mom's feet. "Mom, I'll teach her how to use the microwave. Please, Mom. Just this once." Mom let out a long sigh and looked at me, her voice tentative. "Daisy, Dad, Mom, and Chloe are going away for a few days. Will you be a good girl and wait for us at home?" "Where is Mom going? Are you not taking Daisy?" Mom forced a smile. "Mom is going to buy Daisy lots of yummy treats. Daisy is a big girl now, you can stay home by yourself, right?" I puffed out my chest and nodded vigorously. "Daisy is a big girl! I can stay home!" For the next few days, the house was a flurry of activity. Mom stuffed the fridge to the brim. Chloe held my hand, teaching me over and over again. "If you're hungry, open the top shelf of the fridge, put the container in the microwave, and press the red button. If you're thirsty, grab the milk and juice from the second shelf." I watched intently and shouted my answer. "I remember! Hungry, press the red button! Thirsty, drink milk!" On the day they left, Dad stood at the door with two large suitcases. Chloe finally had a smile on her face. Mom walked over and sat me down on the stool by the door. "Daisy, you have to be a good girl and wait for Mom at home." She gripped my shoulders tightly. "And whatever you do, absolutely do not open the door and go outside. There's a Big Bad Wolf out there who snatches away naughty kids, and then you'll never see Mom again." I was terrified and nodded profusely. "Daisy won't go out! Daisy will wait right here." Mom kissed my forehead. "Good girl. When we get back, I'll bring you your favorite strawberry shortcake." "Strawberry cake! I want a giant strawberry cake!" Mom took one last look at me before turning and walking out the door. Bang. The heavy front door shut behind them. The house fell dead silent, leaving only the tick-tock of the wall clock. I stared unblinkingly at the closed door. As the sky outside grew dark, the lights in the house seemed to grow brighter. My stomach started to rumble. I was just about to stand up and go to the fridge for food. Suddenly, there was a soft pop. All the lights instantly went out. The house was plunged into pitch-black darkness. I shrieked and fell back onto my stool. "Mom?" My voice echoed in the empty house. The darkness pressed in from all sides. I couldn't even see my own hands. "Mom! I'm scared!" My tears flowed uncontrollably. I fumbled for the smartwatch on my wrist and tapped the icon with Mom's face on it. It rang for a long time before someone answered. "Hello? Daisy, what's wrong?" Mom's voice sounded rushed. I could hear the sound of ocean waves in the background. "Mom, it's dark! The house went dark!" I cried into the watch. "Daisy is scared of the dark! Mom, come back!" The other end of the line went quiet for a moment. Then, Dad's voice came through. "What's going on? What is Daisy saying?" "She says the house went dark. Did the power go out?" Mom sounded tense. A moment later, Dad replied, "That's impossible. I just checked the utility app. We have a credit on the account. Why would the power go out?" Mom's breathing grew heavier. "Should we... should we head back early?" Chloe's voice chimed in from a distance, laced with suspicion. "Mom, don't panic. If you're worried, just check the security cameras." There were a few seconds of silence. "Why are the cameras offline?" Mom asked, confused. Chloe quickly answered, "The Wi-Fi probably dropped. Our router does that all the time. Honestly, she's probably just throwing a tantrum because she realized we aren't coming right back." Mom was silent for a while. "That's true... she always acts out when I leave." "Daisy, are you throwing a fit?" Mom's voice turned strict. "You're a big girl now. You can't lie to us." I shook my head frantically, my tears splashing onto the back of my hand. "Daisy isn't lying! It's really dark! I can't see!" "Enough, Daisy. Behave." Mom cut off my cries. "You can't lie just because Mom left the house. If you keep doing this, Mom won't want you anymore." Hearing that Mom wouldn't want me, I was so terrified I immediately swallowed my sobs. "Daisy will be good! Daisy won't throw a fit! Please don't throw Daisy away!" "Good. Now go turn on the lights and eat your dinner." Mom hung up. "Daisy will turn on the lights. Daisy is a good girl." Holding onto the wall, I felt my way to the switch and pressed it hard. Click. No lights came on. I pressed it a few more times. Still pitch black. Tears streamed silently down my face. "Mom lied. The lights are broken." I didn't dare call back. I was too scared Mom would throw me away. "Daisy isn't scared. Mom will be back soon." I hypnotized myself with those words over and over, eventually falling asleep in a state of exhaustion and terror. For the next two days, the power never came back on. When I was hungry, I grabbed a container from the fridge, but the microwave wouldn't light up. Pressing the red button did nothing. I had to eat the cold food. The food tasted worse and worse. The milk started to taste weird, too. By the third day, a horrific stench began to waft from the fridge. I didn't dare eat it, but my stomach grumbled violently. I pressed the call button with Dad's face on my watch. "Dad, Daisy is hungry." When the call connected, I was so miserable I started sobbing. In the background on Dad's end, I could hear music and Chloe laughing. "Daisy? Why are you calling again? The fridge is full of food, how can you be hungry?" My tears fell in heavy drops. "The microwave doesn't light up. The fridge smells yucky, and the food tastes sour. Daisy can't eat it." I tried my best to describe what was happening. "Sour? That's impossible. The food is in the fridge, it shouldn't be spoiled yet. Daisy, did you grab the wrong one? The blue container on the top left shelf—did you grab that one?" "Daisy doesn't know... It's all dark in the fridge at night. I can't see the colors." "You're still saying it's dark?" Dad's voice turned icy. "Mom told you yesterday, the house isn't dark!" "It is dark." I patted the watch anxiously. "The milk and juice went bad too. Daisy wanted to drink water, but the sink won't give me any." The other end went silent. "Is the water off?" Dad's tone shifted. "Hold on, Daisy. Dad will call the HOA." I heard the sound of Dad dialing on another phone. A while later, Dad's tone was completely dark. "The HOA said the community water supply is perfectly fine. There's no shutoff." "But... there really isn't any water..." "Maya Daisy Miller!" Dad called me by my full name. "Yesterday you said the power was out, today you say the water is out. Are you just throwing a tantrum because we didn't bring you with us?!" I whimpered, repeating, "There's really no water. Daisy twisted the knob so many times..." Mom took the phone. "Daisy, Mom knows you're upset, but you can't use these tactics to make us worry. Every time we check, you're making it up. How are we supposed to believe you?" "Daisy didn't lie..." My voice grew smaller and smaller. "Alright, that's enough. There are two bottles of water in the cabinet under the stove. Drink those for now. We'll be home in a few days." I obediently said okay. Chloe's voice drifted over from a distance. "Mom, stop letting her manipulate you! Yesterday it was the power, today it's the water. Is there gonna be an earthquake tomorrow? You finally get to spend time with me, are you just going to revolve your whole trip around her again?" Mom didn't answer her, but there were several seconds of silence on the line. Dad sighed and spoke into the phone. "Daisy, you've really disappointed me." "Eat your food and stop lying, do you understand?" "No, Dad. Daisy is so hungry. Daisy wants to go outside and find you." Hearing that I wanted to go out, Mom's voice spiked with panic. "Maya Miller! Don't you dare walk out that door!" "Did you forget the last time you ran off and almost got kidnapped?!" My entire body violently shuddered. Deep in my memory, I remembered sneaking out to find Mom and getting lost on the streets. When Mom finally found me, she slapped me hard across the face. "If you ever run off again, I won't want you! I'll throw you in the trash!" That was the first time I had ever seen Mom that angry. The sting of that slap still lingered on my cheek. Terrified, I immediately pulled back the hand I had reached toward the doorknob. "Daisy won't go out! Daisy will be good! Please don't throw Daisy away!" I sobbed and begged. "Then stay in the house and behave!" With that, Mom hung up. The watch emitted a rapid beep-beep-beep. I stared desperately at the blank screen as my stomach let out another thunderous growl. So hungry. So thirsty. I fumbled my way to the cabinet under the stove. Mom said there was water there. I squatted down, reached inside, and felt around. Empty. There was nothing. I felt around again, my fingertips brushing against the very back of the wooden cabinet. There really was nothing. I sat there dazed for a moment, then crawled over to the fridge. I pulled open the door. A pungent wave of rot hit me in the face, making me gag. I felt around the top shelf, grabbed a container, popped the lid, scooped a handful with my fingers, and shoved it into my mouth. It was slimy, sour, and bitter. It was so disgusting I wanted to vomit. But I was too hungry. I swallowed the entire container of rotting food. Then I reached for the milk on the second shelf. The carton was bloated and bulging. I bit the straw and sucked hard. A rancid, sour stench shot straight to my brain. I couldn't swallow it. With a loud retch, I threw up all over the floor. A little while later, a searing pain tore through my stomach. Clutching my belly, I curled into a ball next to the fridge, breaking out in a cold sweat from the agony. I bit my lip, forcing the whimpers to stay trapped in my throat. Day four. I was curled up next to my foul-smelling vomit. It felt like thousands of tiny bugs were biting the inside of my stomach. My throat was so dry it felt like it was splitting open. I fumbled for my watch and hit the call button. It rang for a long time. So long I thought Mom would never answer. "Hello?" Mom's voice finally came through, accompanied by deafening cheers and the clinking of glasses. "Cheers! To Chloe's bright future!" That was Dad's voice. "Mom... it hurts..." I pressed the watch to my lips, forcing the words out with the last threads of my breath. "Mom... it hurts... bugs are biting Daisy's tummy... when are you coming home?" Silence on the other end for a few seconds. I heard Dad's voice lean in. "What is it? Did she call again?" Mom covered the receiver, but I still heard her say, "Daisy says her stomach hurts." "Yesterday it was the power, today it's the water, now her stomach hurts." Dad's voice was heavy with exhaustion. "Don't you realize she calls the exact second we sit down to enjoy ourselves?" "The last few times were fake, and nine times out of ten, this one is too. If you go back now, what about Chloe?" Mom took a deep breath. When she spoke again, her voice was suppressed to absolute ice. "Listen to me very carefully." "Do you think that just because you cry wolf, this entire family has to drop everything for you?" Tears slipped from the corners of my eyes as the pain ravaged me. "No... Daisy ate yucky food... it really hurts..." Chloe's laughing voice drifted through the phone. "Mom, the cake is here! Come blow out the candles!" Mom said to Chloe, "Daisy says her stomach hurts at home." Chloe's laughter stopped. "Mom, every time you believe her, she pulls this. Don't you see she's just—" Chloe paused. "Whatever. I'm not gonna say it. You're always going to choose her anyway." After another few seconds of silence on the line, Mom brought the phone back to her mouth. "Listen to me." "It's not that Mom doesn't love you. But you keep lying to me over and over. If you keep acting like a brat, the minute I get home, I'm sending you to a care facility. Think about that." My mouth hung open, but I couldn't make a sound. Beep— The call disconnected. Mom said she was sending me away. She didn't want me anymore. I closed my eyes in despair, the blinding pain in my stomach coming in waves. I felt my body growing colder and colder. In the dark, my hand found the jacket Mom had left behind before she walked out. It still smelled like her. I hugged the jacket tightly to my chest and buried my face in it. "Mom, Daisy won't call anymore. Daisy will be good." "Please don't throw Daisy away..." In a haze, I thought I saw the front door open. Dad stood there holding a strawberry shortcake, smiling warmly at me. "Daisy, look what Dad brought you!" Mom gently pulled me into her arms. "Daisy is the best girl. Let Mom give you some cake." Chloe stood next to us, smiling sweetly. "Come on, let's eat it together." I wanted to reach out, but I couldn't lift my hand. The image in front of me grew blurrier and blurrier. Day seven. The lock clicked, and Mom's voice echoed from the hallway: "Daisy! Mom's home! Come see what Mom brought you!" No one answered. She slipped off her shoes and walked deeper into the house, but suddenly, she froze. In her line of sight, a stiff figure was curled up on the kitchen floor, surrounded by dried, blackened vomit. A bloodcurdling scream instantly shattered the dead silence of the house. "DAISY!"
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