Blamed, Framed, and Frozen

What was supposed to be just a staged dragging turned into forceful gagging and restraining. My mouth and nose were covered tightly as I was dragged not toward the agreed-upon spot, but toward a beat-up van.

Mom and Dad froze, but they still said to Grace and Tommy, "See? She didn't listen, and now she's really getting kidnapped by traffickers!"

They just stood there and watched as I was shoved into the van.

The footage fast-forwarded.

I was taken to a filthy hideout where my hair was chopped into a mess, and I was changed into dirty, tattered clothes that were not mine, with grime smeared on my face. My hands and feet were tied, and I was crammed together with several other terrified children.

A few days later, at the train station. A woman was leading me by the hand, preparing to board a train heading deep into the mountains. When the woman was not paying attention, I suddenly headbutted her and broke free, rushing toward the nearby police station.

Using every ounce of strength I had, I knocked over a display stand, grabbed a fallen brick, and hurled it at the woman chasing after me.

There were screams, shouts from the police, and the sound of people running. In the chaos, a police officer shielded me behind him.

Before long, the traffickers were arrested.

At the hospital, the police contacted my parents.

...

I came home with my body covered in injuries. I stood in the doorway, looking at Mom and Dad inside, and at Grace and Tommy, hiding behind our parents with fearful eyes.

Mom was the first to rush over, but not to hug me.

She pointed at me and said to the still-shaken Grace and Tommy, "See that! That's what happens when you conspire with human traffickers! She deserved it!"

Dad added with a dark expression, "If we hadn't held you two back, you'd be the ones sold off into the mountains right now! Are you still going to wander off again?"

As the truth was fully revealed, dead silence fell over everything.

In the judgment hall, only heavy breathing and some people's stifled sobs remained. Every eye looking at my parents was filled with condemnation.

I still kept my head down, standing there.

The Grim Reaper's voice slowly rang out. "All three accusations are invalid! Joy was innocent in life and innocent in death. The guilty parties abused parental authority, inflicted cruelty upon a child, fabricated accusations, and acted with malicious intent. By law, they should be punished."

The demon guards turned toward my parents with heavy steps. "No! Don't!"

Dad finally panicked, trying to back away. However, he was blocked by the demons behind him.

Mom shrieked, "On what grounds?! We're her parents! What's wrong with disciplining our children?! Even if our methods weren't perfect, it was all for their own good! Grim Reaper, you can't."

Before she could finish, chains were already fastened around their necks. Then, they were dragged forward, toward a blazing abyss of fire.

My parents let out desperate screams, struggling with all their might.

Just one second before they were about to be thrown into the abyss, they jolted awake.

"It was just a dream. Just a nightmare. How could anything happen to Joy?" Mom clutched her frantically beating heart.

Dad wiped the sweat from his forehead, his voice hoarse. "It felt so real. Thank God it was just a dream."

Grace and Tommy were sleeping soundly in the next bed, as if nothing happened.

The two exchanged glances and let out long sighs of relief.

Just then, Dad's phone rang.

A serious voice came from the other end. "Is this Mr. David Lawson? This is the police department. Something's happened to your child."