Don’t Lock Me In Again

In Don’t Lock Me In Again, William is a model student sacrificed by his parents to serve as a living warning for his rebellious sister, Judy. While Judy thrives, William endures three years of horrific abuse at a behavioral center, resulting in permanent physical injuries and psychological trauma. By the time Judy secures her college future and the family decides to bring him home, William has been broken so thoroughly by his instructors that he no longer even recognizes his own name.

Chapters

Chapter 3

Saturday evening.

Relatives and a few of Dad's business partners started arriving one after another. The living room was filled with noise.

I stood at the turn of the stairs, too afraid to go down.

More than five people together meant being surrounded and talked down to.

"William, come down here."

Dad's eyes hardened. For a second, all I saw was Vincent's face.

I walked over slowly and stopped in the middle of the room. Dad put a hand on my shoulder, smiling like he was showing something off.

"Come on, everyone. Take a look at William. It's been three years. Doesn't he look completely different?"

Uncle Ronan gave me a once-over and smiled. "Well, look at that. He's put on some weight. And he's gotten quiet, too. Not the same kid at all."

"Exactly."

Dad patted my shoulder.

"You all remember what Judy was like. I sent William to that place, and she straightened out overnight. Now, look at her. She got into a top college."

He pointed at the banner and the framed copy of the letter on the wall.

"Two birds, one stone."

He glanced back at me.

"Go on, William. Say hi to Uncle Ronan. Show everyone how well-behaved you are now."

I opened my mouth.

"H-Hello, Uncle Ronan."

Aunt Marie stepped forward and took my hand.

"See that? He's polite and calm now, so much better than before. No one liked how wild he used to be."

I flinched.

"So what did they teach you in there, William? Pick up any skills? Why don't you show us something?"

"Yes, come on, give us a little show," a few others said.

Dad looked at me, his expression making it clear I didn't have a choice.

"Recite something. Anything you remember."

My lips moved. The only line in my head was the one I said every day.

I was livestock. I didn't deserve to be human.

"I-I can't."

Dad's smile faltered for a second.

"He's shy. Don't push him."

He waved it off, but his eyes cut straight through me.

"Sit down. After dinner, do better."

Uncle Chester had a couple drinks in him, and his voice grew louder. "Paul, your boy really changed. How'd you even think of something like this?"

"I didn't have much choice."

Dad poured himself another glass of wine, relaxing into it.

"You didn't see what Judy was like back then. She was skipping school, getting into fights, dating boys. She didn't listen, and punishment didn't work either.

"Then my friend, Mike, told me about that place. I figured punishing her wasn't getting anywhere. Better to let her see what punishment looks like."

"So you sent William instead?"

"Exactly. Worked right away."

My cousin, Nathaniel Easton, came up behind me with a glass decanter. He leaned in and casually set a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't touch me!"

I shot to my feet like I had been shocked.

The decanter tipped over and shattered on the floor.

Everyone turned.

Nathaniel froze. "I was just pouring you some wine…"

Dad's face darkened.

"William, he was offering you wine."

Aunt Marie stepped in quickly.

"It's fine, it's fine. He's just a little shy…"

She reached out and touched my head.

As her fingers pressed down on me, my knees buckled on instinct. I dropped to the floor, arms over my head, curling in tight.

"I'll be good! Don't hit me, don't hit me! I'm sorry!"

My knees hit the tile.

"I'll say it. I'm livestock. I don't deserve to be human. Please don't hit me again!"

Glasses froze midair. Forks stopped halfway.

Every pair of eyes in the room locked on me.

"Enough!"

Dad rushed over and grabbed my arm, hauling me up.

"What are you doing? In front of everyone? Are you hell-bent on embarrassing me?"

"I'm sorry, sir! I'll do whatever you say!"

I couldn't see Dad anymore. Just concrete walls, iron bars, and fluorescent lights glaring into my eyes.

"Let him go!"

Judy's voice came from somewhere far away. She stepped between us and pulled me back toward the corner.

"Don't touch him. You're making it worse!"

The room fell apart.

My relatives exchanged looks. Someone was already reaching for their coat.

"Let's…call it a night."

Mom's voice shook.

"I'm so sorry. H-He's not feeling well."

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Continue to next part

Some chains are forged in iron. Others in desire. Sebastian Kol has existed for six centuries. Cursed to burn alive in his own skin every night he transforms into a beast even he cannot control. He wants one thing. Freedom. And after five centuries of searching, a prophecy finally gives it a name. Leilani Ravenwood. She carries the mark of the moon goddess on her skin and a prophecy that brands her as his salvation. Her blood silences his beast, and her touch sets him on fire. In the worst possible way. And in the best possible way. Furious at the hold she has over him, Sebastian takes her, strips her of everything, and bends her world until it breaks, determined to own what the goddess dared to use against him. What follows is dark and consuming. A monster who has never met his match, and a woman who proves to be it. But Leilani Ravenwood does not break easily. And somewhere between the hatred and the hunger, the punishment and the pull, the ancient beast begins to suspect the terrible truth. The woman born to be his salvation may already be his undoing, his poison and cure wearing the same skin. And he is running out of reasons to care.

Fantasy Horror Vampire Werewolf

8.2

Gone on My Sister's Death Anniversary

8.2

In Gone on My Sister's Death Anniversary, a tragic murder unfolds beneath a Ferris wheel. After the protagonist is killed, the murderer sends a photo to her mother, posing as the victim. Consumed by grief and rage, the mother sends a hateful message, wishing for her daughter’s death because she blames her for her sister's passing years ago. Tragically, the mother’s wish comes true, unaware that the sibling she believes is dead is actually the one who committed the crime.

Horror Modern Mystery Young Adult

8.2

Graduation Gift: A Half-Used Lottery Ticket

8.2

After getting into a top college, the protagonist receives a strange graduation gift from their cousin, Jessica Boone: a partially scratched lottery ticket. A modest twenty-dollar win triggers a bizarre reaction when Jessica offers two hundred thousand dollars to reclaim it. Upon refusal, Jessica turns violent, hurling the protagonist from a high-rise as their family cheers. Suddenly, time resets by thirty minutes, returning the protagonist to the moment the ticket is first offered.

Fantasy Horror Modern Mystery Young Adult

9.2

My Curse, Their Endless Guilt

9.2

I was born with a curse. I see a shimmering, crimson timer above everyone's head, counting down to the exact moment of their death. For this, my family has treated me like a monster for eighteen years, blaming me for every tragedy I foresaw. On my 21st birthday, the timer finally appeared above my own head. I had twenty-four hours left to live. I spent my last day preparing a feast, a desperate plea for one final family dinner. With only minutes to spare, I called my eldest brother, Fredrick, my voice breaking. "Please, just come home," I sobbed. "I'm going to die tonight." His response was colder than the grave. "Are you really so desperate for attention that you'd stoop to such pathetic lies?" Then, I heard the click of the line going dead. I died alone at that table, surrounded by the food no one came to eat. But my death wasn't the end. It was the beginning of their nightmare, a personal hell of guilt they could never escape.

Fantasy Horror Modern

7.3

My Fiance's Deadly Betrayal

7.3

A week before my wedding, my fiancé' s sister-in-law, Kimberlee, ran me off a bridge. As I lay dying in the wreckage, my fiancé, Deacon, rushed past me to comfort her, barking at the paramedics to prioritize her "superficial" shock over my fatal injuries. He forced my crushed hand to sign a waiver absolving her of all fault, then left me to die in the rain. "She's just trying to get attention," he muttered. "Kimberlee is the priority. She almost died." I watched as a ghost while he ignored the pleas of my colleagues to perform the life-saving surgery I needed. He even told my mentor he wished I were dead. Then, he proposed to Kimberlee with my ring. My love for him finally shattered. I was dead, my career was being destroyed, and my murderer was wearing my ring. But death wasn't the end. It was a front-row seat to their betrayal, and I was tethered to the man who let me die, forced to watch every single moment.

Horror Mystery Romance

9.5

Teaching in the Village

9.5

After graduating, I arrived at a rural school eager to help my poorest student, Caden Morgan. But my kindness was met with a horrific trap. Drugged during a home visit, I awoke locked in a pigsty, forced into a brutal captivity that ended in my violation and death. When my parents sought justice, they were murdered too. Now, I have miraculously regressed to my very first day in the village. This time, I will not show mercy. Every single member of his monstrous family will pay with their lives.

Horror Modern

Don’t Lock Me In Again

Chapter 3

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