A gripping story of passion, heartbreak, obsession, and revenge that will keep you hooked from beginning to end. Every episode is packed with shocking twists and intense emotions.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00My mom called me a liar from the day I was born, not because I actually lied, but because of
00:04this
00:05thing on my wrist, the Verity band. Mom was obsessed with science-based parenting, so when
00:09my twin sister Emma and I were born, she strapped these bands on us. Green light means truth, red
00:14light means you're manipulating reality. Emma's band? Always green. She could literally cut up
00:19mom's designer dress and blame the cat, and that little device would glow like a Christmas tree.
00:24Not me. She'd say. Green light. Believe me? Mom, I'm hungry. Flash. Red light.
00:29Instant punishment. And mom's punishment wasn't gentle. No food. Locked in my room. Digital
00:34blackout. No phone. No Wi-Fi. Nothing. The machine doesn't lie, Stella. Starve now, learn later.
00:42I'm doing this for your own good. After 10 years of this, I started believing it too. Maybe I really
00:48was born wrong. New Year's Eve, everything changed. Mom was getting ready to take Emma to see the ball
00:53drop in Times Square. And that's when the pain hit, like a knife twisting in my gut. I collapsed on
00:58the
00:58floor, my skeletal frame curling into itself. Mom. Please. It hurts. Nice try, Stella. Faking
01:08sick to crash our night? Pathological. She grabbed Emma's hand and headed for the door. I wanted to
01:13scream. But part of me thought, maybe she's right. The band is red. So I must be lying. I must
01:18not
01:18actually be in pain. Sorry mom. I won't lie anymore. But the pain got worse. Way worse. The door handle
01:25turned. For one second. I thought, she's coming back. She's a doctor. She'll know something's wrong.
01:31Hurry up. The fireworks are starting. Emma's waiting. Mom's voice was ice cold. Mom. Please.
01:40Something's really wrong. I feel like I'm dying. She glanced at my wrist. Red light, flashing like
01:46crazy. She crouched down, grabbed my chin, forced me to look at her. Stella, how long are you going to
01:52keep this up? Can't you just be honest? Stay here and think about what you've done. Dad appeared in
01:58the doorway. Honey, should we at least leave her some food? Mom stood up, brushing off her hands like I
02:03was dirt. Food? She has a stash of snacks she bought with stolen money. She won't starve. Lock
02:09the door. When that band turns green, we'll talk. Dad hesitated. But what? Soft parenting is why she's
02:16like this. Look at Emma. Her band is always green. Stella's just a compulsive liar. She needs
02:22discipline. But my closet was empty. Emma stole that money. Emma ate those snacks. Emma just stood
02:28there with her glowing green band saying, Not me. And mom believed her. I didn't take it either.
02:32Red light. Three days locked up with nothing but bread and water. Mom turned to leave. Mom turned
02:37to leave. Emma peeked through the door, made a face at me. Bye sis. We're gonna see the pretty
02:43fireworks. Her band glowed soft green. So pretty. The door locked. The house went silent. Just me
02:49alone. The pain was unbearable. But I kept thinking, Mom's right. The machine doesn't lie. The band is
02:54red, so I must be lying. I kept repeating it like a prayer. Eventually, I almost
03:02believed it. The pain, dulled. Or maybe I was just going numb. I crawled to my desk. I
03:07had to write. That was the rule. If the band glowed red, I had to pen a thousand word apology
03:12essay. Or mom would never let me out. I am a liar. Write it down, and maybe mom would
03:16forgive me. Maybe she'd even take me to the hospital. I opened my journal. Pages and pages
03:21of apologies I'd written over the years. Sorry I lied. I won't do it again. But this time,
03:26I wanted to write the truth. My vision blurred. I could barely see. My hand shook as I wrote.
03:30Mom, I really love you. It really hurts. Why won't you believe me? Please believe me
03:37just once. The moment I finished the last word, the pain vanished. Just gone. I felt light,
03:43weightless. I looked down. I was floating. And there, slumped over the desk, was my body,
03:48motionless. The Verity band still flashing red on a dead girl's wrist. Oh, I'm dead. But I never
03:54learned how to be honest. Sorry, Mom. I heard laughter. Mom, Dad, Emma, coming through the front door.
04:00Mom's voice was so warm. Tonight's fireworks were amazing. Especially that smiley face one,
04:07just like our Emma. I'd never heard her sound like that when she talked about me. I floated toward
04:12them, my ghost self moving on instinct. I wanted to help them take off their coats. That's what I
04:16always did. Mom, I reached out to hug her. My arms passed right through her body, like wind. She
04:22shivered. Why is it so cold in here? Is the heat off? I stood there, staring at my transparent hands.
04:27Right. Dead people can't hug the living. Dad said casually. Should we check on Stella? She
04:32hasn't eaten. Still the good cop. I looked at Mom hopefully. If she finds me dead, will she be sad?
04:37Will she regret it? Starved for all I care. This whole fake sick for attention thing is out of
04:42control. She pushed open my door. Didn't even turn on the light. In the dim glow from the hallway,
04:47she saw me slumped over my desk. I looked like a skeleton. Hadn't moved. Mom's voice dripped with
04:52sarcasm. Still putting on an act? Think I'll carry you to bed? Stella, you're ten years old,
04:57not five. Emma squeezed past her, held up her wrist with that smug little grin. Look, my band's green.
05:03Stella's is still red. She's lying even in her dreams. Mom patted Emma's head. That's my good girl.
05:09Ignore the liar. Let her stay there. Maybe she'll learn how to be honest. Should we at least put her
05:15in
05:15bed? It's freezing. Put her in bed? The parenting expert says cold treatment is the answer. Look
05:22at that red light. She's still in full defiance mode. No reflection at all. Come on, we have to
05:28visit grandma tomorrow. The door locked again. I floated next to my corpse, staring at that single
05:33point of red light in the darkness. Mom, if you just stepped closer, if you just touched my hand,
05:38you'd know I was ice cold. But you didn't. You believed the machine, not the daughter you carried
05:42for nine months. That night, a rat crawled out of my empty closet. I used to scream whenever I saw
05:48rats. But now I just floated by the ceiling, watching it scurry across my dead body. It bit
05:53into my toe, but no blood came out at all. I didn't feel anything. Finally, no more pain. It's okay.
05:59You can't feel it anymore. It'll be over soon. The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window.
06:05No warmth reached my body. In the kitchen, I could hear mom making breakfast. The smell of bacon and eggs
06:11crept under my door. My favorite. But mom always said liars don't deserve meat. So I only ever got
06:16steamed broccoli. She was clanging the pans extra loud on purpose, trying to tempt me out. Trying to
06:21make me give in and apologize for things I never did. In the old days, I might have caved. I
06:26might
06:26have confessed to anything for one bite of scrambled eggs. But I don't need food anymore. Dad asked,
06:31reading his paper. Stella still hasn't come out? She is so stubborn. She can eat or not. I don't care.
06:37Emma walked to my door and made a big show of sniffing the air. Then she screamed dramatically.
06:42Mom! Stella's room smells gross! Did she poop in there?
06:46I floated by the door, watching my sister with bitter amusement. The heat was on full blast.
06:51After just one night, my body had started to rot. Now mom would hate me even more. Mom stormed over.
06:57Stella! Are you an animal? The bathroom is right there! Did you seriously go on the floor just to
07:03spite me? I remembered being six. I had food poisoning. Couldn't make it to the bathroom in
07:08time. Soiled my pants. Mom didn't help me clean up. She made me stand in the yard. Pointed at me
07:13and told the neighbors. Look at this. She's such a mess. She can't even use the toilet by herself.
07:19Now she thought I was dirty again. Leave her. Let her sit in her own stink. But dad stood up,
07:25frowning. That smells really bad. I should check. It could be a dead mouse or something.
07:32My heart, if I still had one, leapt. Dad, please open the door. I'm right here.
07:39Just turn the handle and you'll see I'm not moving. You'll see my face is black.
07:44I waved my transparent arms frantically. Dad's hand touched the doorknob. His phone was ringing.
07:49Dad's face went pale. What? The server crashed? Okay, okay. I'm on my way.
07:54He grabbed his coat. Honey, there's an emergency at work. I'll be gone for a few days.
07:59Wait, what about Stella? He was already out the door. I froze. So close. One second away. If that
08:05call had come one second later, I would have been found. Maybe then I wouldn't have rotted alone.
08:09That afternoon, mom took Emma shopping. The house was empty except for my corpse. When they came back
08:14that night, loaded down with fancy lobster and gif, the smell had gotten worse. Mom gagged the second
08:19she walked in. Stella, are you trying to turn this place into a dump? She didn't even open my door.
08:25Just grabbed duct tape and sealed the gap at the bottom. You want to be disgusting? Fine. Stew in it.
08:30Don't stink up my house. She patted her hands together, satisfied. Then went to steam the lobster.
08:36I stared at that sealed door. My last shred of hope suffocated under that tape. So that's it.
08:40I'm worth less than a lobster dinner. By day three, even the duct tape couldn't contain the smell.
08:45Mom was arranging fresh flowers, trying to cover it up. But the stench of death is unmistakable.
08:50Sweet. Rotten. Oily. She cut a rose stem too hard. A thorn pierced her hand. She snapped.
08:55She grabbed a rolling pin from the kitchen. I floated in front of her, waving my arms
09:08desperately. Don't come in mom, please. I'm decomposed. You'll be scared. Even though she
09:15never loved me, I didn't want her to see me like that. But she walked right through me. Ripped the
09:20tape off. Jammed the spare key in the lock. Bang. The door flew open. The smell hit her like a
09:24wall.
09:27She stumbled back, dry heaving.
09:30Stella! What are you doing?
09:32She saw me, still slumped over the desk. Back turned. Not moving. To her, this was the ultimate
09:37rebellion. I'm talking to you!
09:39She marched over, raised the rolling pin, but stopped. She wanted to see my face first.
09:44Wanted to see my defiant expression. She grabbed the back of my shirt. Grabbed my skin. The moment
09:49she touched me, she froze. Through the thin fabric, her hand didn't feel warm flesh. She felt cold,
09:54hard, dead meat. What? But momentum carried her forward. She yanked. Crash. My body, stiff as a
10:00board, toppled backward, taking the chair with it. And there was my face. Blue black. Eyes bulging.
10:05Features twisted in agony. On my blackened wrist, the Verity band hung lifeless. No red light. No
10:11green light. Just silence. Thud. My journal slid off the desk. Fell open at mom's feet. The last page
10:16stared up at her. Mom, my stomach really hurts. The band is broken. I'm not lying. Please don't punish me.
10:23Mom screamed. Not a human sound. A raw, guttural shriek that tore through her throat. She stumbled
10:28backward, slammed into the bookshelf. A vase shattered, but she didn't seem to feel the
10:33pain. She just stared at me, eyes wide, unblinking. No. No, no, no. This is makeup. Special effects.
10:39Stella, get up. I'm not, I'm not mad anymore. Stop scaring me. The second her skin made contact
10:44with my corpse, she recoiled like she'd been burned. That cold was too real. Mrs. Lisa from next door
10:50called 911. She'd heard the screaming. When she saw what was in my room, she collapsed in the hallway.
10:55Within minutes, sirens. Police. A medical examiner. They pulled up the crime scene tape. Cameras
11:00flashed over my body. Mom sat on the couch. A female officer's hand on her shoulder.
11:05She was faking. She always lies. The band was red. Machines don't lie. I was just teaching her.
11:14I was doing it for her own good. No one responded. They all looked at her like she was a
11:18monster.
11:19The medical examiner crouched next to my body. He muttered under his breath.
11:23Severe malnutrition? Organ failure? This kid was starved for at least a month.
11:29He carefully tried to remove the Verity band, but it had fused. Damn it.
11:33He cursed. He had to use tools to pry it off. RIP. Even dead. My soul flinched.
11:38A cop picked up my journal. Put on gloves. Started reading. His face went from neutral to horrified.
11:43Mom's eyes locked onto that book. Suddenly, she lunged for it.
11:47That's her confession! She admits she lied! Look! She wrote it herself!
11:52Back off. We'll determine what's true.
11:55That's when Dad got home. He saw the black body bag being wheeled out on a stretcher.
11:59Saw the long zipper that sealed away my entire life. His legs gave out. He collapsed. Wet himself.
12:04Emma stood nearby, sobbing in confusion. She pointed at the blood-stained Verity band on the evidence table.
12:10Why is Stella's band black? Mine's still green, see?
12:14She held up her wrist. The green light blinked cheerfully. It was grotesque.
12:18The cop started questioning Mom in the living room. She grabbed the Verity band off the table like it was
12:23a life raft.
12:24That band proves she was lying! Red light means lie! I never abused her! The machine told me! I was
12:33just educating her!
12:34The officer looked at her like she'd lost her mind.
12:37Ma'am, calm down. The victim shows signs of extreme malnutrition.
12:41Mom was shaking now.
12:42That's discipline! That's teaching her to be honest!
12:46Then she did something insane.
12:47You don't believe me? Fine! I'll wear it! I'm not lying! Watch! It'll be green!
12:52She snatched the band, still stained with my blood and bits of skin, and jammed it onto her own wrist.
12:57Click. Lock. The rubber pressed against her skin. Sticky. Cold.
13:01She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She needed to prove she was innocent.
13:05Needed to prove her parenting was right. She held up her wrist.
13:08Watch. I'm Rachel. I'm Stella's mother. That's a fact. Absolute truth.
13:14The red light exploded, bright, violent, like a fresh wound tearing open.
13:18Mom's confident expression shattered. She slapped the band like it was a broken TV.
13:22What? No! I said the truth! I am Rachel!
13:27It's broken! The examiner broke it! Let me try again!
13:30She started talking faster, panic rising in her voice.
13:34I never abused her! I did it for her own good! I love her!
13:41The red light flashed faster, and suddenly, she remembered, me, 10 years old, getting the maximum punishment, curled on the
13:47floor, biting my lip so I wouldn't scream.
13:49Is this what it felt like? Mom lost it completely. She started screaming at the band, spit flying.
13:54Why is it red? I'm telling the truth! Turn green, you piece of junk! You're framing me!
14:00But the red light kept flashing, like it was mocking her.
14:03You're a liar. You're a liar. You're a liar.
14:06Enough!
14:07A tech officer stepped forward. He'd had enough of this circus.
14:10Stop. That device isn't a lie detector.
14:12He picked up the user manual they'd found during the search, slammed it on the coffee table, he walked toward
14:17mom, and his voice turned cold.
14:19This is a basic biometric monitor. It measures skin conductivity and heart rate.
14:24When you're nervous, scared, in pain, your heart rate spikes. The light turns red. That's it.
14:31Think about your daughter. Ruptured antics. Organ failure. The pain must have been unbearable.
14:37Her heart was racing. She was terrified. And what did you see? A red light.
14:42So you punished her more. Which made her more scared. Which made her heart beat faster. Which made the light
14:49redder.
14:50You turned her cries for help into a torture device. You starved your daughter to death.
14:56Boom. Mom's world collapsed. She sat there, staring at the flashing red band on her wrist, and finally understood.
15:02For ten years, every red light wasn't because I was lying. It was because I was scared. Scared of her
15:07anger.
15:08Scared of being misunderstood. Scared of eating food I was allergic to.
15:11I was in pain. Pain that made my heart race and sweat pour down my face.
15:15I was desperate. Desperate for a hug. For her to hold me the way she held Emma.
15:19Every single signal from my frightened heart, she interpreted as proof of my lies.
15:23Mom suddenly screamed. She clawed at the band.
15:25Get it off! Get it off! It's red! I'm not a liar! I'm not! Still, I can't take it back!
15:32I'm sorry!
15:33It's all my fault!
15:35This little bit of pain, and she was breaking.
15:37Mom, I suffered for ten years. The cops needed evidence for charges.
15:41So they opened my journal in front of my parents. The female officer's voice was soft, but each word cut
15:46like a knife.
15:47February 14th. Sunny.
15:49Mom put celery on my plate. I'm allergic. I said I can't eat it.
15:53Mom, I can't eat celery. Otherwise my throat will swell up.
15:57But because I was scared of making her angry, my heart raced.
16:00Red light. Mom said I was picky. Lying. Made me eat the whole plate.
16:04That night I threw up blood. My throat felt like it was on fire.
16:07Mom saw it and said I'd snuck tomato juice.
16:09That I was faking. She punished me for ten more minutes.
16:12Mom's hand flew to her mouth. She was shaking violently.
16:15She remembered that night. She really did think it was tomato juice.
16:18She didn't even look closely. Just turned away to read Emma a bedtime story.
16:22That was blood. From a swollen, torn throat.
16:25Dad couldn't take it anymore.
16:27This man who'd been invisible for ten years.
16:29Who always stayed out of it.
16:30He snapped. He lunged at mom and slapped her across the face.
16:39Mom fell to the floor. Blood at the corner of her mouth.
16:42But she didn't fight back. Didn't cry. She just stared into space.
16:45Muttering.
16:46Then her eyes landed on Emma. Cowering in the corner.
16:49It's her. It's Emma.
16:51Emma's band was always green.
16:53Emma was the good one.
16:55If it wasn't for that green light making me trust her.
16:58I wouldn't have believed the red light so much.
17:00This is Emma's fault.
17:02All eyes turned to Emma.
17:03That little princess we'd all protected.
17:05The cop walked over.
17:06Gently removed the green Verity band from her wrist.
17:09Took out a screwdriver.
17:10Pried it open right there.
17:11Crack.
17:12The plastic shell split.
17:13Inside, no sensors.
17:15No chips.
17:15No heart rate monitor.
17:17Just two cheap LED lights and a watch battery.
17:19The circuit was hardwired.
17:20Power on.
17:21Green light.
17:22That's it.
17:22This is a $2 toy.
17:25The circuit is hardwired.
17:27Power on.
17:27Green light.
17:28No matter what she said, did, or lied about.
17:30It would glow green forever.
17:32Your so-called science-based parenting was a joke.
17:36A sick, biased joke.
17:38Mom stared at the broken plastic.
17:39That was her truth for 10 years.
17:41That was the evidence she used to convict me.
17:43A toy.
17:44One that put me in hell while Emma lived in heaven.
17:46So I wasn't a liar.
17:47I wasn't a bad kid.
17:49Then what was all that suffering for?
17:50I laughed.
17:51Laughed until I cried.
17:52Turns out ghosts can cry too.
17:54The officer turned to the last page of the journal.
17:56Her voice broke.
17:57Mom, if I die, will the band stop glowing red?
18:01Or if it turns green, will you hug me then?
18:03I'm not lying.
18:04My stomach hurts so much.
18:06Like knives.
18:07Next life, please don't make me wear the band.
18:10Please.
18:11I just want to be a normal kid.
18:14I want to eat your steak burgers.
18:15Mom stared at the shattered pieces of plastic on the table.
18:18That green light she trusted without question?
18:21A cheap piece of junk.
18:22Because of that toy, she spoiled Emma for 10 years.
18:25Because of that cursed red light, she tortured me for 10 years.
18:29Mom started laughing, her voice cracking with every sound.
18:32I killed my honest daughter.
18:36And I worshipped a liar.
18:38She'd lost her mind.
18:39For real this time.
18:42My death became front page news.
18:44Mrs. Lisa, the neighborhood gossip, posted everything online.
18:47Starved to death by fake science band.
18:50This is where that monster lived.
18:53The internet exploded.
18:54Monster.
18:54Murderer.
18:55She doesn't deserve to be a mother.
18:57Comments poured in like an avalanche.
18:58Someone doxxed mom.
18:59Our address got leaked.
19:01People threw red paint on our door.
19:02Wrote death in huge letters.
19:04Dad got arrested too.
19:05Neglect.
19:05Failure to protect.
19:06He wasn't there when I died.
19:08So he got off light.
19:09But his company fired him immediately to avoid the PR nightmare.
19:12Our family went bankrupt.
19:14Sold the house, the car, everything.
19:16To pay legal fees.
19:17Dad couldn't stand living with that psycho anymore.
19:19He took what little money was left and Emma, and disappeared.
19:22Emma was a bad seed, sure.
19:24But she was still his blood.
19:25Before they left, Emma tried to take her green band.
19:28Dad stomped on it.
19:30Why the hell would you want that piece of trash?
19:32Mom got out on bail.
19:33The psyche val said she had severe PTSD and psychosis.
19:37They left her alone in that rental apartment.
19:39The one that still smelled like death.
19:41Her mental state deteriorated fast.
19:43She started talking to me like I was still there.
19:45And she refused to take off the red light band.
19:47To punish herself.
19:48She'd added a shock device to it.
19:50One that delivered a jolt the second the light flashed red.
19:53She said the small shocks were the only thing that eased her guilt.
19:56It was her self-imposed punishment.
19:57I floated around the apartment.
19:59Watching her unravel day after day.
20:01She'd cook a whole table of food.
20:02Then talked to the empty air.
20:04Stella, dinner's ready?
20:06No celery today?
20:07It's all steak burgers.
20:09Your favorite.
20:10She'd pick up a piece of meat.
20:11Her hands shut.
20:12The band flashed red.
20:13She was anxious.
20:14She smiled.
20:15But her eyes were empty.
20:17Mom's heart is racing.
20:19Mom's lying.
20:20Liars don't deserve food.
20:22She put down her fork.
20:23Picked up a remote.
20:24One she'd rewired to trigger the shock on her wristband.
20:26And shocked herself.
20:28Her body convulsed.
20:29It hurts.
20:30Is this what Stella felt?
20:33I'm sorry.
20:35Mom started reenacting my diary entries.
20:37I couldn't eat celery because of my allergy.
20:39So she forced herself to eat spoiled food until she vomited blood.
20:43Then swallowed it back down.
20:44I was locked in isolation.
20:46So she locked herself in my old room.
20:48Lights off.
20:48And bowed to my photo until her forehead bled.
20:51Over and over.
20:51Blood on the floor.
20:52Late at night.
20:53She'd see the red glow of the band reflected on the wall.
20:56To her.
20:56It looked like my bloody eyes watching.
20:58She scribbled a red pen on the back of my journal.
21:01I'm sorry.
21:02I was wrong.
21:02Red light means pain.
21:04Red light means love.
21:05Please come back and say it hurts one more time.
21:07I'll save you.
21:08I promise.
21:09Too bad I'm dead.
21:10Dead people can't cry for help.
21:12Eventually.
21:12The state intervened.
21:13Mom's self-harm got so extreme.
21:15She nearly killed herself.
21:17That they committed her.
21:18She ended up in a psychiatric facility.
21:20She was the strangest patient there.
21:21She'd found a red plastic ring somewhere.
21:23And wore it around her neck like a collar.
21:25Her homemade band.
21:26If anyone tried to remove it.
21:28She'd bite them like a rabid dog.
21:31Don't touch my light.
21:33Stella's watching.
21:34She'll be mad if you take it.
21:36She developed a Pavlovian response.
21:39Rachel, time to eat.
21:40Mom would touch her neck.
21:41Then start convulsing.
21:42Screaming.
21:43Red light.
21:44Red light.
21:45Don't punish me.
21:46I'll eat.
21:47I'll eat.
21:48Even if the food was scalding hot.
21:49She'd gulp it down.
21:51Burning her esophagus.
21:52Wouldn't spit it out.
21:53She was reenacting my final moments.
21:55Living my hell on repeat.
21:56Years later.
21:57Emma grew up.
21:58Without proper guidance.
21:59And with a trail of infamy behind her.
22:01She ended up at the bottom of society.
22:03When she ran out of money.
22:04She remembered.
22:05Mom's still in that facility.
22:06She showed up one day.
22:08Crazy lady.
22:09Dad's dead.
22:10Give me your hidden stash.
22:12Emma stood there in heavy makeup.
22:13Face full of contempt.
22:15She looked at mom's hollow.
22:16Broken form and spat on the floor.
22:18Disgusting.
22:19Just like your dead daughter.
22:21If you don't give me money.
22:22I'll pull your tubes and send you to join her.
22:24For a moment.
22:25Mom's cloudy eyes cleared.
22:26She looked at Emma.
22:27And suddenly remembered.
22:29That band.
22:29That always green toy.
22:30That decade of deception.
22:32It was you.
22:33You lied.
22:34You're the fake green light.
22:36You killed Stella.
22:37Give her back.
22:38Give her back.
22:39Give her back.
22:39Die.
22:40You should have died.
22:42Not her.
22:43You.
22:43Give her back.
22:45Emma thrashed.
22:46But couldn't break free from a madwoman's grip.
22:48Borderlies rushed in.
22:49Sedated mom.
22:50Pulled her off.
22:51Emma stumbled out of the room.
22:52Terrified.
22:53They're all insane.
22:54She bolted for the exit.
22:55Wham.
22:56A truck plowed into her.
22:57She smiled.
22:58Barely.
22:58Both legs shattered beyond repair.
23:00Wheelchair for life.
23:01A total wreck.
23:02Meanwhile.
23:03Mom was strapped to a bed.
23:04Staring at the ceiling.
23:05Tears streaming.
23:06In her dreams.
23:07She finally saw me.
23:08I was 10 again.
23:09No band.
23:10White dress.
23:11Smiling.
23:11She reached for me.
23:12Crying with joy.
23:14Stella.
23:15But her hand sparked with electricity.
23:17The second she touched me.
23:18I burst into flames.
23:19Turned to ash.
23:20She woke up screaming.
23:22Heart rate through the roof.
23:23If she'd been wearing that band.
23:24It would have been blood red.
23:26Eternal torment.
23:27I stood in the void.
23:28Watching it all.
23:29Mom in the facility.
23:30Emma in a wheelchair.
23:31Baking on the streets.
23:32Dad.
23:33Drunk and dead in some gutter.
23:34I felt.
23:35Nothing.
23:35No satisfaction.
23:36Just a flat.
23:37Dead calm.
23:38Next to me was an old dog.
23:39Buddy.
23:40My childhood pet.
23:41Mom threw him out years ago.
23:42He'd been waiting for me at the boundary.
23:44Buddy nuzzled my leg.
23:45Barked twice.
23:46As if to say.
23:47Let's go.
23:48Don't look back.
23:49Yeah.
23:49Time to leave.
23:50This life was too bitter.
23:51Nothing worth holding on to.
23:52I floated to mom's hospital room one final time.
23:55She looked ancient.
23:56Hair completely white.
23:57Frail as paper.
23:58She sensed something.
23:59Her cloudy eyes focused on a point in the air.
24:02Right where I stood.
24:03Stella.
24:04Is that you?
24:05Her trembling hand reached into the emptiness.
24:07Mom destroyed the band.
24:09I don't believe in it anymore.
24:11Come back please.
24:13I'll cook for you.
24:14No celery.
24:15I'll buy you new dresses.
24:17Not Emma.
24:18Only you.
24:19Tears rolled down her face.
24:21I looked at the red marks on her neck from the homemade band.
24:24I sighed.
24:24Reached out.
24:25My cold, ghostly finger touched her forehead.
24:28This was my final mercy.
24:29Sleep mom.
24:30In sleep there's no pain.
24:32Her eyes fluttered shut.
24:34She slumped into a deep, dreamless rest.
24:36A breeze blew through the room.
24:37The old journal on her nightstand flipped open.
24:40The last page, my dying words, stared up at the ceiling.
24:43But below it, in shaky handwriting, were new lines.
24:46Next life.
24:47Let me wear the band.
24:48Let me be the liar.
24:50Punish me however you want.
24:52Just don't leave me.
24:53I stared at those words.
24:55It's too late.
24:56Repentance means nothing to the dead.
24:58Mom, I don't hate you anymore.
24:59But I don't love you either.
25:01Let's not meet again.
25:03I turned away.
25:04Buddy wagged his tail.
25:05In the distance, a door of light appeared.
25:07The gateway to the next cycle.
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