Mom’s Punching Bag

“Alright, Mom.”

Bella suddenly spoke. Her voice was unusually calm.

“This time, I’ll take the punishment myself. It has always been Ray taking the beating for me all this time.”

Mom froze, seemingly unable to believe her ears that these words came from my sister’s mouth—from her obedient little daughter.

Bella didn’t look up.

Mom scoffed. “Oh, so you’ve decided to play the hero now? Thinking you can go against me? What, you think I’m heartless? Think I’m biased?”

Bella remained silent and just stubbornly stood there.

That silence totally infuriated Mom.

Her face darkened as she pulled a laundry rod from the balcony and beat Bella mercilessly.

“Well then, today I’ll show you what heartless really means!”

Blow after blow, Bella gritted her teeth without a sound.

Blood ran down her arms and dripped onto the floor.

I hovered nearby, desperate to scream, to stop it, yet my hands only passed right through her. I couldn’t grasp a thing.

Bella never once looked up. She stood there quietly and endured the beating.

After a dozen or so strikes, Mom finally stopped. Panting heavily, she threw the rod aside.

“Is that enough for you? Happy now?”

Bella was still silent, though she trembled all over in pain, with not a single utterance of a cry.

My heart ached so much I wept, calling out to her to no avail. She couldn’t hear me.

Having vented her anger, Mom slammed the door and left the house.

Bella stood there for a long time, then slowly crouched down to pick up the rod and placed it back on the balcony.

I thought she would go and get the first-aid kit.

But she simply walked into the kitchen and came out of it holding a fruit knife.

She walked to my door and rested her hand on the knob. She took a pause. Then slowly, she pushed the door open.

The moment the door was ajar, an indescribable odor wafted out.

Something that smelled so foul, like something was rotting…

I looked at myself in the corner of the room. My body was already somewhat swollen and decomposing.

Bella hesitated, but went in anyway.

I watched her enter, trying to call out, but no sound was produced.

The room was dim as the curtains were drawn. Only the bedside lamp cast a faint glow.

Standing at the doorway, she looked at my body on the floor.

She then crouched down and sat beside me.

“Ray.”

Her voice was soft.

I couldn’t answer her.

Her head lowered, and her shoulders began to shake.

“Ray, I’m sorry.

“I know you’ve always been the one taking the beating for me. I wanted to take it for you, but I was too scared. Mom’s beatings hurt too much.

“Every time you were hit, I told myself I wouldn’t repeat the same mistake. But I still couldn’t place at the top of the class or get full marks…

“Ray, am I really useless?”

I hovered beside her, shaking my head desperately.

“No, you’re not.

“Having such a brilliant sister like you makes me so happy.”

No matter how much I cried and shouted, however, Bella couldn’t hear me.

Her voice choked with tears. “Yesterday, when Mom hit you, you lay there and didn’t get up. I thought you were really angry this time. Until I saw the blood under the door…

“Ray, I killed you. I’ll pay you back with my life.”

She suddenly smiled, a smile worse than her crying.

My heart was in agony as I wept, yet I was powerless to do anything.

I could only watch as she raised the fruit knife.

I rushed forward only to have my body passed through her. I couldn’t stop her.

Bella placed the knife against her wrist, looked at our photo on the bedside table, and gave a pleased curl at the corners of her lips.

“Ray, wait for me.”

With that, the knife came down.

Blood gushed out in an instant.

The blinding red quickly stained her school uniform.

Furrowing her brows, Bella gently leaned her head against my shoulder.

“It hurts so much. Ray, so this is what it feels like every time you take the beating for me.”

I knelt beside her, wanting to hold her, trying to tell her that it didn’t hurt me.

She couldn’t hear my words, and all I could do was weep.

My attempt to cover her wound was fruitless. My hands passed through her time and again, unable to touch anything.

Bella’s breathing grew shallower and finally came to a complete stop.

Unsure of how much time had passed when the door lock clicked, Mom returned carrying two gift boxes with a newly bought cake cradled in her hands.

She hesitated in the living room and called out.

“Ray, Bella, come out. Let’s celebrate your belated birthday. I've bought you something yummy.”

The place was deathly quiet. No response.

Mom frowned and set some of the things down.

“Ray, can you hear me?”

Still no reply. Growing impatient, Mom reached the door to push it open.

It wasn’t locked, only slightly ajar.

She pushed it open wider and peered inside.

In an instant, her expression froze.