Chapter 7
Mom was pacing anxiously. The sound of running water still came from the upstairs bathroom.]
She was elated to see me, saying she’d removed all the curtains from the windows. Now we just needed to lure the shadow creature out.]]
I called out several times, but the shadow creature wouldn’t budge, as if it knew I was trying to trick it.[]
To my shock, Mom suddenly slapped me hard across the face!]
I was stunned, holding my stinging cheek as tears sprang to my eyes.
“Mom, why did you hit me?“]]
Mom blinked rapidly, signaling me to play along with her act.
“Charlotte! I always thought you were a good, obedient girl, but you’ve been lying to me? Where did you just go? Why is there blood on your dress?“]
“What have you been doing outside?!”
“Tell me! Explain yourself! Do you know how much I’ve sacrificed for you? Your father hasn’t cared for you for years–it’s always been me looking after you! How could you be so reckless outside?!”
Under Mom’s theatrical scolding, I forced myself to play along despite the pain and humiliation.]
Looking at Moin’s contorted face, I almost believed I’d actually done something terrible.
The shadow creature heard Mom berating me. Whatever remained of my father’s paternal instinct in its assimilated flesh stirred it to action. It began crawling out of the water.
Splash!
Water spilled everywhere as the bathroom door opened.[]
The shadow creature came downstairs, dripping wet, ready to scold me too.[]
“Charlotte, what are you doing? What foolish thing have you done? How dare you lie to me repeatedly?!“]
As the shadow creature advanced aggressively, Mom pushed me toward the yard, trying to lure it into the sunlight.]
In that moment when Mom shoved me, I caught sight of something unexpected–a scar on her right side, below her waistline. It had four stitches and looked decades old
It appeared to be an appendectomy scar.]
But Mom had never had an appendectomy! I remembered that clearly![]
The person who’d had an appendectomy was my aunt.]
As a child, I’d even laid my head on my aunt’s stomach to look at o
Chapter 7
How could this be?
Why my aunt’s scar was on my mother’s body now?![]
There was no time to think more. Seeing the shadow creature rushing toward me, I ran into the yard.[]
The sun was blazing. The shadow creature carelessly charged out after me, standing at the doorway and scolding me furiously, just as Dad used to do.
“Charlotte! You’re becoming more and more disobedient!“[]
“Charlotte, have you forgotten everything your father told you? People outside don’t have good intentions–they’re malicious! You shouldn’t associate with them, understand?!“[]
The shadow creature stomped its foot, its expressions identical to my father’s.]
Tears welled up in my eyes, and I began to sob uncontrollably.[]
Before me, the shadow creature started to evaporate, water rising from its form…]
By the time it realized something was wrong, half its body had already dissolved.]
The ground became soaking wet. The shadow creature itself no longer cast a shadow, finally reducing to nothing but a puddle of water and a lingering stench.]
In an instant, the shadow creature vanished.]]
My father was also truly gone forever.
A gust of wind blew, and there was nothing left.]
Our home seemed as if nothing had ever happened.]]
Mom came out looking relieved, embraced me, kissed my forehead, and caressed my cheeks.]
“It’s okay, Charlotte, it’s over now, we’re safe.“]
“Our life can finally go back to normal, Charlotte. Can you just pretend none of this happened? Don’t dwell on it.”
“These strange events… you’ll understand them naturally someday. You might not comprehend them now.“]
I nodded, then secretly looked down again.
Mom indeed had a scar on her lower right abdomen, identical to the one on my aunt’s body.[]
Apold theory formed in my mind.
Did my aunt and mom..]
switch places?]
