Borrowed Blood

The storage room was dark. The hallway light poured in from behind Derrick, illuminating a large stain of dark red across the floor. It stretched from the doorway where he stood all the way to the corner of the room.

I was slumped against the wall with my head tilted slightly to one side.

A dried wound cut across my temple. The area around it had swollen into a massive purple bruise, so swollen that one of my eyes was nearly unrecognizable.

Blood from my nose had run past my lips and chin, smearing across my cheeks and ears.

The front of my shirt had long since lost its original color.

It was soaked through with blood.

The pool beneath me had spread to Derrick’s shoes, sticky and dark.

“Harriet?”

Derrick’s voice trembled.

He called my name again.

“Harriet?”

Mom had been celebrating Sheila’s safe return. When she saw Derrick storm toward the storage room, she followed him.

The sight before her made her scream. She covered her mouth and staggered back a step.

Dad had been comforting the frightened Sheila. After hearing the commotion, he rushed over as well.

The moment he saw me, all the color drained from his face.

Peeking out from behind him, Sheila leaned forward.

She had just finished crying in front of Mom and Dad. Her eyes were still red as she spoke in a soft voice.

“What is wrong with Harriet?” She stared at the blood on the floor. “That blood is not fake, is it?”

A moment later, she let out a small laugh.

“After all, Derrick pretended to have ALS for three years. Maybe Harriet resents us and decided to fake fainting with some stage blood to scare everyone.

“She grew up with human traffickers. She is probably an expert at lying…”

“Shut up.” Derrick’s roar cut her off instantly.

Sheila flinched so hard her whole body shrank back.

Tears spilled from her eyes.

Mom stepped in front of her. “How can you talk to your sister like that?”

She glared at Derrick. “She is terrified too. Instead of comforting her, you are yelling at her?”

Derrick did not answer.

He bent down and lifted me into his arms.

As he carried me toward the door, he barked out orders.

“Get the car ready.

“We are going to the hospital.

“Call ahead and tell them to prepare for an emergency patient.”

The car sped toward the hospital.

The entire way there, Derrick refused to let go of me. His palms were drenched with cold sweat.

As he held me, memories from the last three years flashed through his mind one after another.

When we first met, he had made things difficult for me on purpose because he wanted to test me.

Sometimes he intentionally knocked over his bowl of food, then used it as an excuse to yell at me.

Again and again, he reminded me that I was responsible for the deaths of our parents and sister. Each accusation forced me to lower my head and work even harder caring for him.

Back then, he had only planned for the test to last one month.

One month was enough.

Enough to see whether hardship had changed my character.

One month later, Sheila called him. She cried so hard she could barely speak.

“So now that you have her, you do not need me anymore?

“I guess blood wins in the end.

“You had not seen her for ten years, but after spending one month together, you trust her completely.”

Her voice broke into sobs. “I am only the adopted daughter.

“Of course I will never compare to the real one.”