Mom I Became Good 156

Posted by Admind, ? Views, Released on August 21, 2025

Chapter 3

Those crimson letters burned into my mind.[]

I flinched so hard that I dropped the journal. A photograph slipped out and fell to the floor.

The photo showed a sunset over a sandy landscape with the ruins of Rhyolite in the background. Half–buried in the dust was a woman’s body.]

The face had been… eaten away by animals. It was unrecognizable. But I knew the clothes. And the bracelet on the corpse’s wrist–I recognized it instantly.[]

It was the bracelet I’d made for Mom during a school trip four years ago. I’d had our special phrase laser–engraved on it as a way to show my love for her.[]

But how could that bracelet be in Death Valley?]

And whose body was that?]

My mind was racing, my nerves stretched to the breaking point.

Click! Click!

Suddenly, a knock at my door that nearly gave me a heart attack.]

“Charlotte? Are you asleep? Why is your door locked?” Dad jiggled the handle twice, more forcefully than his earlier gentle demeanor.

“Charlotte, open up!”

“What are you doing in there? You’re locking your door for an afternoon nap in your own house? What are you hiding from your dad?”

“What the hell are you doing? Do you have a boy in there? Are you dating someone behind my back? You waited until I was asleep to bring him home? You have no respect for me!“]

Dad’s voice grew more frantic with each word. He violently twisted the doorknob and started kicking the door. I was too terrified to move.

I desperately tried calling Mom, but all I got was “The number you have dialed is not available.

BANG!

The next second, Dad forced the door open!

I’d barely managed to hide the journal when he stormed in, his face twisted with rage as he searched my room.]

“Where is he? WHERE IS HE?!“[]

“Where did you hide that boy, Charlotte?!“]

Chapter 3

I could barely breathe, silently crying as I shook my head.]]

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about, Dad. There’s nobody here. I was just taking a nap.“]

“You need to lock the door for a nap?” He shot me an icy glare. “Don’t ever lock your door again, understood?!“]

I nodded meekly, curled up on my bed.[]

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Dad’s expression instantly changed to a smile, and he reached out to pat my head.[]

“That’s my good girl. That’s my Charlotte.“]]

As his hand touched my hair, I caught that smell again–that sickening odor of decay.[]

Dad wasn’t MY Dad anymore.]]

And Mom? I had no idea if Mom was still MY Mom.]

Everything had become a nightmare puzzle.]

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For two weeks after Dad’s return, Mom never showed up. I even couldn’t get through to her phone.]

During those weeks, Dad’s behavior grew increasingly strange. He developed a ravenous appetite and seemed terrified of sunlight, staying indoors all day. He wouldn’t even dare go into the yard.]

And his temper also spiraled out of control. The slightest thing would set him off into a rage.

Then afterward, he’d always try to comfort me, stroking my head and calling me his “good girl.“]]

I didn’t understand what was happening.

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All I knew was that every time Dad touched my head, that putrid smell grew stronger.

And it was getting worse by the day.

I went back to check the journal again, but found that Dad’s blood–written warning was the final entry. After that–nothing. It was as if my real father had vanished right after writing those words.]]

Gradually, my fear hardened into numbness.]

I began to grow bolder.]

Instead of waiting for Mom to return and uncover the truth, I started researching Death Valley legends online on my own.]

Death Valley is one of the most inhospitable places on earth, with extreme temperatures and mysterious phenomena that have been documented by numerous scientists.

This merciless desert has claimed many explorers and researchers, yet continues to attract those seeking to uncover its secrets. I searched online for information, but found mostly similar legends and tales–nothing particularly enlightening.]