- 3 hours ago
HOT DRAMA 2026
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Short filmTranscript
00:00I pushed my father off the cliff. His body was impaled on a dead tree. I didn't leave
00:06until I made sure he was dead. I will never forget the earthquake. Years ago, he abandoned
00:12my mother and me to save his love. After the earthquake, Mommy fell asleep. I curled up in
00:19her arms. She was getting so cold. We were hiding under a giant rock. I sucked on Mommy's finger.
00:26She fed me warm brown sugar water. Daddy's voice came through the broken phone. Get Stella
00:34and the lightly injured first. Leave Irene for later. She's tough as nails. Waiting a little
00:38longer won't kill her. It was really Daddy. Mommy said he would rescue us soon. But why did
00:45he make Mommy wait? I whispered to the phone. Daddy, Mommy went to sleep. She gave me lots
00:54of brown sugar water. It tastes like iron. But I'm not scared. Mommy said you'll come
01:02and save me before it all runs out. The phone went totally silent. I kept drinking the warm
01:10brown sugar water. Then Daddy started screaming through the speaker. He ordered everyone to
01:16find me. Daddy was coming to me. Found her. Over here. There's a kid still alive. Mommy, it's morning.
01:31Can we go home now? I pushed against her chest. It wasn't soft like it used to be. A whole
01:37section of it
01:38was crushed inward, covered in something warm and sticky. Hurry! Grab the kid first! Huge, rough
01:46hands reached in and tore me away from her. No! Mommy's still sleeping! I want to wait for her!
01:53My fingers locked in a death grip on the hem of her shirt. Re... The fabric gave way. A man
01:59in an orange
01:59rescue vest hauled me against his chest. My mouth was crusted with dried flaky red patches. It was the
02:07brown sugar water Mommy had been feeding me. Lucy! Oh God, Lucy! A figure came stumbling through the debris.
02:16It was Daddy. He was still wearing his expensive suit. It was dusted with concrete powder, making him look a
02:24little disheveled. He grabbed me from the rescue worker and crushed me against his chest. Thank God,
02:31you're alive. I thought I'd lost you. He was sobbing, his whole body trembling. Then a scent hit me. A
02:39sickeningly
02:40sweet, overpowering perfume. It was the smell Mommy hated most in the world. She always said it was the
02:48smell of a bad woman. I squirmed against him. Daddy, Mommy's still down there. She's asleep.
02:57Daddy froze. He didn't even glance at the rubble. Instead, he forced my face into his shoulder to block
03:04my view. Shh, sweetheart. Mommy. Mommy's gone to a better place. No, she didn't! She's right down there!
03:17I cried frantically, pointing at the pitch black gap in the concrete. Mommy gave me so much brown sugar
03:23water. She promised you'd come for us before it was all gone. All the color drained from Daddy's face.
03:30He stared at the dark, crusted blood around my mouth, gulping hard. A heavy silence fell over the
03:37medics around us. One of the nurses clamped a hand over her mouth, tears spilling down her cheeks.
03:44But Daddy just looked away. He couldn't meet my eyes. What was he so scared of? Was it because of
03:50the
03:50broken phone? The one that played his voice earlier, growling like a monster? The voice that said Mommy was
03:57tough as nails and that leaving her behind wouldn't kill her. Daddy, why did you tell them to leave Mommy
04:04behind? I leaned close to his ear and whispered, Daddy recoiled, shoving me back like I had just burned
04:13him. There was no relief in his eyes anymore. Only pure, naked terror. The ambulance siren wailed as we
04:21sped down the road. I sat in the back, still clutching the torn scrap of Mommy's shirt. Daddy sat
04:27across from me, wringing his hands nervously. His hands were perfectly clean, his nails neatly manicured.
04:34They looked nothing like Mommy's hands, which were caked in mud and dried blood. Lucy, while you were
04:39down there, did you hear anything? Daddy asked tentatively, unable to meet my eyes. I licked my
04:45lips. That rusty taste was still in my mouth. I did. A visible shudder ran through Daddy. What,
04:52what did you hear? I heard you tell them to save Stella first. The air inside the ambulance instantly
04:58froze. The paramedic who had been wiping dust off my face stopped, her hand hovering in midair.
05:04She shot Daddy a piercing, icy glare. Daddy forced an awkward smile that looked more like a grimace.
05:11You misheard, sweetie. The signal was bad. Daddy was just panicking.
05:15Really? I tilted my head, studying him. But who is Stella? Why is she more important than Mommy?
05:23Daddy opened his mouth, but no words came out. He quickly turned to look out the window, pretending
05:28to wipe away a tear. When we arrived at the hospital, a massive crowd swarmed us. Camera flashes went off
05:35nonstop, so bright I couldn't open my eyes. Suddenly, Daddy acted like a completely different person.
05:42He scooped me into his arms and began sobbing hysterically for the cameras. Thank God! Thank
05:49God for bringing my daughter back to me! I'd trade anything in the world, as long as my Lucy is
05:54safe.
05:55The reporters wiped their eyes and praised Daddy for being such a good father. I rested my chin on his
06:00shoulder, watching the side of his face. He was wailing loudly, but his cheeks were completely dry.
06:07He looked just like a clown on TV. Once we got to the VIP ward, I finally saw his Stella.
06:14She was staying
06:15in a massive private hospital suite. She was wearing a frilly pink lace dress and happily eating a slice of
06:24strawberry cake. There wasn't a single scratch on her. Even her hair was perfectly brushed and shiny. A woman in
06:32a
06:32flowing white dress sat by her bedside. She was very pretty, and she radiated the exact same sickeningly sweet
06:40perfume I had smelled on Daddy. The woman stood up.
06:45Victor, you're here. Her eyes were rimmed with red, making her look incredibly fragile and pitiful. Daddy set me down
06:52immediately and hurried over to her, taking her hands in his. Camille, how is Stella? She must have been
06:59terrified. I stood in the doorway, feeling like a piece of discarded trash. Stella noticed me. She
07:07wrinkled her nose and pointed right at me. Mommy, is she the feral girl who drinks blood? She's so gross.
07:15Drinking blood. Feral girl. I stared at the smear of whipped cream on her lip. My empty stomach gave a
07:22low
07:22rumble. The woman, Camille, walked over and crouched down in front of me. You must be Lucy. Oh, you poor
07:29girl. Come let me give you a hug. She reached out to me. That's when I saw the gold bracelet
07:35gleaming on
07:36her wrist. It was the exact same bracelet Mommy had. Mommy told me Daddy had specially made it for her
07:43to
07:43celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. So why was she wearing it? A sudden, blinding rage flared up in my
07:49chest like an enraged little animal. I lunged at her and bit down on her wrist. The bad woman shrieked,
07:55swinging her arm to violently shake me off. The sheer force sent me flying backward and my head slammed
08:01hard against the metal footboard of the hospital bed. A sharp dizzying pain shot through me, but I didn't
08:08shed a single tear. I just sat on the floor glaring at her with pure hatred. Lucy, are you crazy?
08:15Daddy rushed over.
08:16He tenderly cradled the bad woman's injured arm. Camille, are you okay? Did she hurt you? He snapped his head
08:23back around, glaring at me with absolute fury. How could you behave like this? Apologize to her right now!
08:31I stayed slumped on the cold floor. A warm trickle of liquid began sliding down my forehead. It was red
08:38too,
08:38just like the brown sugar water mommy had fed me. Daddy, I'm bleeding too. Are you gonna make me wait
08:45a little longer too? The room went dead silent. Daddy's face turned beet red with rage. The bad
08:51woman's eyes darted around. Ignoring the bite marks on her wrist, she put on a sickeningly sweet face
08:58and tried to help me up. Victor, don't be mad at her. She just lost her mom. She can't handle
09:04the shock.
09:04She stroked my head, but her nails dug hard into my skin. Be good, Lucy. I don't mind.
09:12Let me buy you some candy later, all right? I slapped her hand away. I don't want candy!
09:18I have the brown sugar water mommy gave me. The bad woman's smile vanished. Daddy, kick this freak
09:25out! She stinks! Daddy took a deep breath and buzzed for a nurse. Take her next door and get her
09:30cleaned
09:31up and have someone examine her head. She's clearly lost her mind. Examine my head? Daddy thought I was
09:37crazy. A young nurse led me away. As she cleaned my wound, she quietly wiped away her tears. Sweetie,
09:45it won't hurt. I promise to be gentle. I looked up at her. Miss, is my mommy really dead? Her
09:53hand
09:53trembled. She pulled me into a tight hug and finally broke down sobbing. Your mommy was a great mother.
10:01That evening, my grandparents arrived. The moment grandma saw me, she broke down and passed out from
10:08the shock. Grandpa leaned heavily on his cane, his hands shaking violently. He demanded,
10:14take me home with him. Dad, Lucy's been through a massive shock. She's talking nonsense right now.
10:20It's safer to keep her here for observation. But Daddy refused. But I knew the real reason. He was
10:25terrified I'd talk. Terrified I'd spill that secret. Late that night, the door to my room clicked open.
10:32It was Uncle Oscar, Daddy's personal assistant. Normally, he just trailed behind Daddy like a shadow,
10:38keeping his head down and his mouth shut. But tonight, the look in his eyes was completely different.
10:44He walked over to my bed and pulled something from his pocket. A phone with a badly shattered screen.
10:51Mommy's phone. Lucy, they dug this out of the rubble. It still works. I snatched the phone and hugged it
10:58tight
10:59against my chest. It smelled like mommy and there were patches of dried blood on the casing. Oscar gently
11:05stroked my hair. Lucy, do you want to help mommy get revenge? In a few days, it will be mommy's
11:10funeral.
11:11A lot of people will be there. And that bad woman will be there too.
11:16That day, if Daddy speaks upstorn, press this triangle, okay? I stared at the little red play
11:22button and nodded hard. Okay, this was a game. A game only Oscar and I knew about. I was going
11:29to
11:30make sure everyone heard exactly what Daddy said that day. It rained on the day of mommy's funeral. The sky
11:36was gray. It looked like a dirty rag. I wore the black dress grandma bought me. A tiny white flower
11:44was pinned to my chest. The memorial hall was huge. It was packed with white flowers. Mommy's portrait
11:53hung right in the middle. She was smiling in the picture. Her eyes crinkled like little crescent moons.
12:01Daddy stood at the very front. He wore a crisp black suit. He looked terrible. His eyes were sunken.
12:12His face unshaven. People said he was a deeply devoted man. That he had grown so thin just after losing
12:22his wife.
12:23The bad woman didn't show up, but Stella did. She wore a black lace dress. She mouthed the words,
12:33You don't have a mom anymore. She made mean faces at me. I just stared blankly at her.
12:41I slipped my hand into my pocket. My fingers brushed the cold shattered phone. The ceremony began.
12:49The somber music made my chest feel tight. Daddy walked up to the podium. He clutched a few sheets
12:57of paper. He started reading his eulogy. Irene, my beloved wife. He choked up on the very first line.
13:06The crowd wiped away their tears. They were moved by his heartbreaking true love.
13:12We've known each other for ten years and loved each other for ten years. You knew me better than anyone,
13:18and you were the person I loved most. The moment the earthquake struck, I wished I could have died in
13:24your place. If time could turn back, I would be by your side, holding your hand, and I would never
13:32let
13:32you face the darkness alone. He swayed, looking like he might collapse. A few relatives rushed up to
13:41hold him. They whispered words of comfort. Irene, how could you be so cruel? How could you leave Lucy and
13:50leave me behind? He beat his chest, wailing at mom's back. I stood in the front row. Oscar was right
13:59beside me. He
14:00knelt down to fix my collar. He gave my hand a tight squeeze. His palm was slick with sweat. Are
14:07you ready, Lucy?
14:08He whispered. Only I could hear him. I looked up at Daddy on stage. He was giving the performance of
14:16a
14:16lifetime. I watched his fake tears and trembling shoulders. I remembered her slicing open her own
14:26fingers. She fed me her blood, smiling through the pain. I thought about the dark cold rubble. I thought of
14:34Mommy's body growing cold. I remembered those cruel words. Waiting a little longer won't kill her. A massive
14:42wave of anger exploded inside me. I didn't fully understand hatred yet, but I knew I had to ruin his
14:52life. Clutching the shattered phone, I walked on stage. A hush fell over the crowd. They thought,
15:01that I just wanted to comfort Daddy. Daddy saw me approaching. Panic flashed in his eyes, but he hid it.
15:09He dropped to one knee and opened his arms. Lucy, come here, sweetie. Daddy misses her too. He wanted to
15:17pull me
15:17into a hug. He wanted to end his show with fake love. I stopped right in front of him. I
15:26didn't hug him.
15:27I raised the shattered phone instead. It was still stained with Mommy's dried blood.
15:35Daddy's pupils shrank in pure terror. He recognized the phone immediately. He lunged forward to snatch it.
15:45Lucy, that's dirty! Give it to Daddy right now!
15:48Right as his fingertips grazed the screen, my thumb slammed down on the red triangle.
15:55The Bluetooth is already synced to the giant speakers. The audio kicked in instantly.
16:01A harsh burst of static pierced the silence. Then that familiar cold voice boomed like thunder.
16:09Get Stella and the lightly injured first! The entire hall went dead silent. Every single eye locked
16:17onto Daddy. His hand froze in the air. The color completely drained from his face. The recording
16:26kept playing crystal clear. Leave Irene for later. She's tough as nails. Waiting a little longer
16:34won't kill her. Every word was a vicious slap across his face. Guests' jaws dropped in pure shock.
16:41They stared at this devoted husband. Furious whispers quickly filled the room.
16:49Is that Victor's voice? Oh my god, did he actually say that? Get Stella first? Who is Stella?
16:54Daddy collapsed to the floor like a rag doll. He scrambled up in a total panic. He tried to shut
17:03off the speakers. No! It's not real! It's a fake! It's just a sick prank! A heavy wooden cane slammed
17:12into
17:13Daddy's back. It was Grandpa. He beat Daddy over and over again. You bastard! You heartless bastard!
17:23Placed my daughter in your hands and this is how you treated her! She's tough! You made her wait! Do
17:30you
17:30know she bled to death down there! Tears streamed down Grandpa's face. Every strike was fueled by pure rage.
17:39Daddy cowered, shielding his head. Blood dripped from a nasty cut on his forehead. Nobody tried to stop it.
17:47They just watched with sheer disgust. The reporters finally snapped out of it. Camera flashes erupted like
17:55crazy. The tragic love story was dead. It was now a massive cheating scandal.
18:04Is Stella your illegitimate daughter? Did you let your wife die for your mistress? Did you let your
18:08die for your mistress? Microphones were shoved right into his bloody face. He covered his face,
18:15eyes, refusing to look up. I stood in the dead center of the chaos. I still gripped the phone
18:22tightly. Oscar rushed up and scooped me up. He shielded me and backed away.
18:29Good job, Lucy. He whispered softly. I looked over Oscar's shoulder. I stared at Daddy on the floor. He
18:38looked so small and pathetic, like a rat crushed under a boot. Stella burst into tears from the noise.
18:46She screamed from behind the marble pillar. Daddy, help me! The reporters finally snapped out of it.
18:56Is that Stella? She actually looks a bit like Victor. What? He let his wife die for a bastard!
19:04They threw them right at Stella. The scene completely spiraled out of control. The police showed up
19:12after someone called 911. Grandma pulled me close, sobbing uncontrollably.
19:19Let's go home, Lucy. He's dead to us now. I didn't cry or throw a tantrum. I just watched everything
19:30in dead silence. Before we left, I looked back. Daddy was kneeling before Mommy's portrait. He reached out
19:39to touch her picture. Grandpa kicked him away. Don't touch her with your filthy hands!
19:46Daddy collapsed onto the floor. He looked at me with pure desperation. Lucy, Daddy was wrong. I
19:58completely ignored him. I turned my head to Mommy's portrait. Did you hear that, Mommy? Everyone finally
20:05knows he's the bad guy. After that massive funeral scene, I got sick. The doctor said I had severe PTSD.
20:15I stopped talking entirely. I just hugged Mommy's old clothes. I wouldn't eat. I only drank brown sugar
20:26water. If I ate anything else, I threw up. Everything tasted like rusty iron to me. Grandma cooked different
20:36meals every single day, but I couldn't take a single bite. I lost so much weight. I looked like a
20:47terrifying
20:48little skeleton. Daddy came by our house a few times. He was suspended from his company. His reputation was
20:57completely destroyed. People threw rotten eggs at his door daily. He wanted to see me. He begged my
21:06grandparents for forgiveness. Grandpa chased him off with a heavy broom. He kneeled outside our front door.
21:14I watched him through a crack in the curtains. He stayed on his knees all night long. It was pouring
21:23rain
21:24that night. Just like the day of Mommy's funeral. He was totally soaked to the bone. His wet hair plastered
21:32to
21:32his face. He looked like a pathetic drowned rat. Lucy, I know I messed up. Please just look at me.
21:40You're all I have left.
21:41He screamed through the pouring rain. His voice was totally hoarse. I thought it was hilarious.
21:49I'm all he has left? What about Stella? What about the bad woman? Did they abandon him already?
21:58Grandma walked into my bedroom. She held a warm cup of brown sugar water. Grandma asked me so carefully,
22:07Lucy. Lucy, he's still out there. Do you want to see him? I took the cup from her hands. I
22:16took a tiny
22:18little sip. It was warm and sweet, but I still tasted a hint of blood. I shook my head at
22:26Grandma. I walked
22:28right up to the window. I pulled the curtains tightly shut in his face. I remembered being trapped under the
22:39rubble. I had screamed for him just like that. I screamed until my voice went hoarse, but he only cared
22:48about
22:49other people. Now it was his turn to scream. I was going to let him wait too. He could wait
22:57until he died.
22:59I sat in my room drawing pictures. I only used black and red crayons. I drew a pitch black box.
23:10A monster was
23:12trapped inside it. The monster was crying endlessly, but nobody paid any attention to it. Grandpa said
23:22daddy's company was going bankrupt. Everyone was boycotting his business. Nobody wanted to work with
23:30a murderer. Oscar dug up his fake accounting books. Turns out he wasn't just a terrible dad. He
23:38was a completely corrupt boss too. He embezzled tons of company money. He bought the bad woman a house
23:48and a car. I listened to my grandparents talking about it. I felt absolutely nothing inside. I just
23:56kept sipping my warm brown sugar water cup after cup. I drank until my stomach physically ached,
24:05until the rusty iron taste finally faded. The bad woman got arrested. She was caught at the airport
24:14trying to flee. Dad's company was completely ruined. She drained his remaining bank accounts.
24:22She tried to take Stella out of the country, but Oscar was one step ahead of her. His police
24:31buddies caught her red-handed. Grandpa took me to the police station. I had to give a statement about my
24:42custody. I saw the bad woman in the hallway. She was wearing shiny silver handcuffs. Her hair was a complete
24:52rat's nest. Her makeup was totally smeared. Stella was crying so hard she couldn't breathe. Snot was
25:01running all down her face. Mommy, I want to go home! I don't want to be here! Shut up! Shut
25:06up!
25:07Stop your crying! When she saw me, her eyes went bloodshot. She lunged at me like a total mad woman.
25:15It's all your fault, you little bastard! If it wasn't for your bitch mother,
25:18Victor wouldn't be completely bankrupt. I wouldn't be in this total mess!
25:23A police officer grabbed her instantly. He pinned her hard against the wall.
25:29Stay still! I hid behind grandpa and peeked out. Her face was completely twisted with rage.
25:38She looked like an ugly old witch. Daddy was there too. He was there as a witness and as a
25:47victim.
25:48Adam, seeing her, daddy charged forward. He tried to punch her right there.
25:55Camille, you vicious bitch! After everything I did for you, you cleaned out my accounts and ran?
26:00That's enough! Did right by me? Give me a break. If you really cared about me,
26:07you would have divorced Irina a long time ago. And you wanted me to give you a son. And what
26:13did you
26:14end up with? No son. So, that was the real truth. They tore into each other like rabid dogs. The
26:24cops
26:24couldn't watch it anymore. They forcibly dragged them apart. I looked at daddy's pathetic face. It was
26:31covered in spit and blood. Camille looked completely ruined too. Suddenly, I felt something shift inside
26:40me. The heavy boulder in my chest lifted. I let go of grandpa's hand. I walked right up to the
26:48bad
26:48woman. You are so ugly! I finally spoke my first words in weeks. Even uglier than the rats in the
26:57ruins.
26:58Then, I turned around. Grandpa, I want to go home. I want my warm brown sugar water. Later,
27:06grandpa sorted through mommy's belongings. He found an old diary. It had a light pink cover. It was mommy's
27:17favorite notebook. Grandpa put on his reading glasses. He read it and cried hysterically. He cried until he
27:26almost passed out. I leaned in to look too. I couldn't read all those big words. But I recognized mommy's
27:36drawings. Tucked inside the pages was a photo. It was a black and white ultrasound picture. It showed a
27:46blurry little shadow. He looked at me with tearful eyes. Lucy, this is your little brother. I was
27:56completely stunned. Or little sister. It turned out that on the day of the earthquake, mommy still had a
28:03baby in her belly. Grandpa read mom's diary out loud to me. Went in for a checkup today. The doctor
28:11said the baby looks perfect. I want to surprise Victor. I'll tell him on his birthday. I hope it's a
28:18boy. When he grows up, he can protect Lucy. Victor's been coming home later and later. He always smells
28:25like perfume. But I trust him. He promised he'd change. For my two children, I can endure anything.
28:33My tears came flooding out. I thought about the earthquake again. When that huge slab came crashing
28:41down. Mom didn't lie flat. She curled herself into a bridge. She used her back to block the rocks. She
28:53shielded me and the baby underneath her. In the dark, she kept encouraging me. She fed me her blood.
29:01She never once said she was hurting. So that was the truth. She was protecting both of us. Me
29:10and the baby. But what did dad say? He said mom was tough. He said save Stella first. He killed
29:21his own
29:21wife and his unborn child too. Somehow dad found out. That night he started wailing downstairs.
29:31He rolled around on the ground. He slammed his head into the wall. His forehead split open.
29:38God just kill me. I'm guilty. I'm a bastard. He was confessing. But it was too late. Mom couldn't hear
29:47him
29:47anymore. The baby couldn't hear him either. And neither could I. I held the diary tight against my chest.
29:55Grandpa. Grandpa, I don't hate him anymore. Grandpa stared at me in shock. Hating someone takes strength.
30:03Because he's not worth it. He deserved to rot like garbage. Dad was going to prison. For financial crimes
30:12and embezzlement. The amount was massive. Before sentencing, he begged grandpa countless times.
30:23He wanted to see me once more. Grandpa didn't want to agree. But I nodded.
30:32We met on a park bench. It was autumn. The leaves had all turned yellow. The wind felt sharp and
30:42cold. Dad was
30:44wearing the detention center vest. Handcuffs hung from his wrists. Only a few months had passed. But he
30:53looked 60. His back was bent too. When he saw me, his eyes lit up. He tried to reach for
31:00me. He wanted to
31:02hug me. But I stepped back. His hand froze in midair. Then he pulled it back awkwardly.
31:09Lucy. You've gotten taller. His voice came out rough and broken. Dad's going somewhere far away.
31:20I may not back home for a long time. I said nothing. I just looked at him quietly. He was
31:26crying hard now.
31:28I failed you. I failed your mom. And I failed that unborn baby too. I'll never repay that debt.
31:35Tears and snot covered his face. I watched him sob uncontrollably. And strangely, I felt calm.
31:45It was strawberry hard candy. Mom used to give me those with medicine.
31:53Mom used to say, candy makes the bitterness go away. Dad looked at the candy. Then he broke down even
32:01harder. His shoulders shook violently. But for the rest of your life, all you'll know is bitterness.
32:08I looked him straight in the eye. Because you deserve it. Then I turned and walked away. Behind me,
32:18Dad screamed himself hoarse. Lucy! Lucy! I didn't turn around. The wind lifted the fallen leaves.
32:27They spun into the sky. Ten years passed. That's long enough for broken bones to heal. And long enough for
32:35a
32:35little girl to grow up. Grandma passed two years ago. She died peacefully in her sleep. Grandpa said
32:42she finally went to talk to Mom. Now it's just Grandpa and me. On my 15th birthday, I woke up
32:50early.
32:50It was also Mom's death anniversary. Just like every year. But at the door, I kicked something hard. It was
33:00a package. The return address looked familiar. Black Ridge Prison. I carried it inside. Grandpa was
33:07coming out of the kitchen. He was holding a bowl of birthday noodles. Your noodles are ready.
33:13Who sent that? An old friend.
33:19A bank book and a letter. The bank book had a few thousand dollars. It was exactly the most a
33:28prisoner
33:28could save in ten years behind bars. The letter was written on cheap paper. The handwriting was shaky
33:35and crooked. Several spots were smeared with ink. Lucy, by the time you read this, I'll be gone. I'm
33:41going to your mother to beg her figness. For ten years, every time I close my eyes, I see the
33:46rubbles.
33:47I see your mother covered in blood. I hear her asking me again and again, Victor, why didn't you save
33:52me?
33:52And I hear that unborn child crying too. I kept the candy you left for me. The money in the
33:59bank book is
33:59clean. Live well, Lucy. The letter was short. I read it word by word. Then I folded it neatly. I
34:08placed it
34:10beside the bank book on the table. Grandpa watched me quietly. He looked like he wanted to speak,
34:17but in the end, he only sighed. Then he shoved the chopsticks into my hand.
34:24Eat before the noodles get sogry. Unknown number. The area code was from the prison. I answered,
34:33Is this Lucy Cole? Yes. This is Black Ridge Prison. Your father, Victor Cole, died by suicide in prison
34:40at 543 this morning. The body, a family member needs to come handle the arrangements. He didn't
34:48leave much behind. Just one final message. What was it? He said, save Irene first. Irene. My mother's
34:56name, he finally remembered to save mom first. Got it. I hung up. Then I kept eating. Grandpa's cooking
35:05hadn't changed in 10 years. It was still perfect. After I finished, I took the bowl and chopsticks away.
35:13I washed them clean in the kitchen. Then I boiled a kettle of water. From the top shelf, I took
35:21down the
35:22old metal candy tin. Inside was a single dark lump of brown sugar. I dropped it into mom's favorite glass.
35:30Then I poured in the boiling water, slowly melting away. A deep red drink. I carried the glass to the
35:39balcony. The autumn sunlight hit my skin. It warmed me all the way through. Mom, look. He said the
35:48brown sugar water was bitter. He couldn't drink it. But what did he know about bitterness? The pain you
35:53took for him? That was real bitter. I looked down and took a small sip. It was sweet. The clean
35:59scent of
35:59sugar cane spread across my tongue. That sickening taste of blood was gone. I took out the letter
36:05and a lighter from my pocket. The flame jumped up fast. It swallowed the thin paper hole. It swallowed
36:1310 years of late remorse with it. The black ashes lifted in the wind. I drank the last sip of
36:20brown
36:20sugar water and sugar water. So sweet. I looked into the distance. The sky was clear. Not a single cloud.
36:28So would my life.
36:29So would my life.
36:29So would my life.
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