My mother owned a camera that could take pictures of the future. When I was born, she snapped a photograph of me and my older sister, Megan. In the picture, I was supposed to encounter a kidnapper years later. I escaped safely, but Megan died saving my life. From that day on, I became the family’s sinner. At mealtimes, I squatted in the corner of the kitchen, picking through Megan’s lukewarm leftovers. At night, I slept in the cramped utility closet right next to Megan’s princess-themed bedroom, so I’d be close enough to turn off her light, fold her clothes, and fetch her water whenever she called. The night I caught a fever, my head spun so badly I couldn’t hear Megan asking for a fresh glass of water. Mom dragged me out of bed and locked me outside the front door. “You’re going to cost your sister her life one day,” Mom snapped through the crack in the door. “The least you can do right now is serve her to pay off your debt.” “You’re just being lazy,” she added coldly. “Stand in the draft for a while. The cold wind will freeze that fever right out of you.” I stood outside in the dark hallway until dawn. I didn’t push the door open until it was time to start preparing Megan’s breakfast. That was when I overheard my parents speaking in the kitchen. “Margo, she’s only four years old,” Dad said softly. “Don’t you think you’re going a bit too far?” Mom let out a heavy sigh. “When we had Megan, we decided she would be our only child, blessed with our undivided love. Then Sadie came along by accident. We betrayed Megan the moment Sadie was born.” She paused, setting down a mug. “Making Sadie yield to Megan helps ease the guilt in my heart. Besides, it’s not like that camera actually predicts the future. Once Sadie grows up and realizes that photograph was photoshopped, we’ll start treating her normally.” My breath hitched. The photograph that had made my entire life a nightmare—the reason I had suffered every single day—was fake. I walked into the living room, my legs numb, staring blankly at the framed picture hanging on the wall. Suddenly, the figure in the photo moved. The masked kidnapper turned his head, his raspy voice echoing inside my small storage room. “Are you willing to die in place of your sister?” … The photograph was real after all. I really was going to meet the kidnapper. My eyes lit up, and I nodded frantically. “I am!” A dark, unsettling smile curled under the kidnapper’s mask. “In three days, I will come for your life.” The voice faded, and silence swallowed the closet again. The photograph hung on the wall, still and lifeless. But I knew everything in our house was about to change. In three days, I would be dead. Megan would return to being the adored, only child of the family. Mom and Dad wouldn’t have to carry that heavy guilt anymore, and they wouldn’t have to feel like they were betraying Megan every time they looked at me. Overjoyed, I ran straight into Mom’s bedroom to share the wonderful news. “Mom! Mom! The man in the picture talked to me! He said I could die in Megan’s place, and I said yes!” I looked up at her, beaming. “You and Dad can give all your love to Megan now!” Mom didn’t look happy like I thought she would. She looked down at me, her brow furrowing into deep, angry lines. “What ridiculous nonsense are you spewing now? How could a piece of paper talk?” She shoved me aside. “Talking about dying first thing in the morning—do you have to bring such foul luck into this house? What if you curse your sister?” “I’m not making it up,” I whimpered, feeling a lump rise in my throat. She didn’t believe me. Just like last week, when Megan accidentally dropped a porcelain bowl and blamed it on me. I had tried to explain, but Mom called me a dirty little liar and struck me with the kitchen broom. My arm was still purple and green from the bruises. I opened my mouth to explain again, but my stomach let out a loud, hollow growl. From the time my fever started last night until now, I had been standing in the cold hallway without a single bite to eat. Holding my flat belly, I summoned every ounce of courage I had. “Mom… since I’m going to save Megan’s life soon, can I please have a piece of bread?” Whenever we sat down for meals, Mom always heaped the best dishes onto Megan’s plate, reminding me that Megan was my future savior, so I needed to eat less to show my gratitude. Afraid Mom would refuse, I pointed to the stale, half-eaten roll Megan had left on the table yesterday. “I can just eat that one. I’m really, really hungry.” Usually, whatever Megan didn’t finish was thrown straight into the trash. I had cried once, asking why good food was thrown away instead of given to me, but Mom had just glared at me with deep annoyance. “I bought those snacks for your sister. What she does with them is none of your business,” she had scolded. “Your sister is going to sacrifice her life for you one day, and here you are, picking fights over a few crumbs? Get into the utility room and think about what you’ve done, or I’ll give you something to cry about!” I stared longingly at the dry piece of bread. “Since I’m saving her now,” I thought, “maybe Mom will let me have it.” The next second, a hard palm cracked against my cheek. The force knocked me off my feet. I crashed onto the hardwood floor, my cheek burning red and a sharp ringing filling my ears. “You played this whole ghost story act just because you were greedy for food?” Mom towered over me, her voice shrill. “Every single day you try to steal from your sister! How many times do I have to tell you before it sinks into your stupid head?” When she saw the bright red mark on my face, Mom’s body stiffened slightly. Instinctively, her tone softened just a fraction. “Stop lying on the cold floor pretending to be hurt. If you’re hungry, hurry up and go make breakfast so it’s ready when your sister wakes up.” I stared at the dusty floorboards. None of it—not the food, not the love, not the kindness—would ever belong to me. Understanding that truth made a sharp ache blossom in my chest. At preschool, when the other children talked about their favorite candies, I never knew what to say. I didn’t have any friends. I wondered if I died and went to heaven, would I still have nothing to talk about with the other child ghosts? I tried to push myself up, but my arms felt like wet noodle ribbons. “Why are you still playing dead?” Mom growled. “I barely touched you. You’ve taken harder hits than that and bounced right back…” She grabbed my small arm to yank me up, her long acrylic nails digging deep into my skin. A sharp sting ran up my shoulder, but then she abruptly froze. She looked down at me, finally noticing something was wrong. “Why are you so hot?” I swallowed against the dryness in my throat, forcing my heavy eyelids open. “My head… it’s hurt since last night…” Mom let go of me like I had burned her. She grabbed the forehead thermometer from the nightstand and pressed it against my skin. The device let out a sharp, red warning beep. “104 degrees…” Mom muttered under her breath, a flash of genuine panic flickering in her eyes. Just then, Megan’s sweet voice drifted in from the hallway. “Mommy! I woke up all by myself today!” The worry on Mom’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a radiant, proud smile. “My precious girl! You are so amazing!” I envied Megan so much. She could sleep in until eight, brush her own teeth, and Mom would shower her with praise. But if I was even a few seconds slow getting dressed in the morning, Mom would snap at me, calling me an ungrateful brat who couldn’t even follow simple orders to serve my sister. “Wait in the living room, baby,” Mom called out sweetly. “Mommy’s coming to put you in your pretty dress.” Before stepping out, Mom cast a quick glance back at me. “Stay in this room and don’t come out, do you hear me? Don’t you dare pass your sick germs to your sister.” I gave a small nod, crawling onto the damp, mildewy mattress on the floor. It didn’t matter anyway. I didn’t have the strength to leave. I waited a long time, but Mom never came back to tell me what to do about the fever. Outside my door, the house was filled with the warm, joyous sounds of Mom, Dad, and Megan laughing together. Sometime later, a light knock sounded against the thin door of my closet. “Sadie, we’re taking Megan to the amusement park. Do you want to come?” It was Dad’s voice. From the hallway, Mom let out a sudden gasp. “Oh! I completely forgot Sadie was sick.” She pushed open the door, placing a glass of tap water and two pills on the small wooden crate I used as a nightstand. “She’ll be fine. She just needs to take this fever reducer and sleep it off.” Dad stepped inside, his brow furrowed with mild concern. “How high was her temperature? Maybe we should take her to the urgent care clinic first.” Mom shook her head impatiently. “Megan has her dance recital at the park today. She practiced all night. If we cancel now, our sweet girl will be heartbroken. Do you really want to ruin her special day?” Megan’s tearful, whining voice echoed from the living room. “Daddy, I rehearsed a solo dance just for you and Mommy! I want to go!” I swallowed the bitter pills with a gulp of water, feeling heavier and sleepier by the second. I tried hard to stay awake, forcing out a small whisper. “Daddy… take Megan to play. Sadie is okay.” If I ruined Megan’s mood, Mom would punish me later. Dad hesitated, looking down at me, but Mom was already tossing his coat over his shoulders. “Let’s go, we’re going to be late. We’ll just come back early and take Sadie to the clinic then. Sadie, stay home and be a good girl. Mommy will buy you a pretty dress on the way back.” The closet in Megan’s room was packed with beautiful dresses. Whenever Megan wore them, she would twirl around in front of me, the colorful skirts flaring out like a fairy’s wings in a cartoon. I was only allowed to wear Megan’s old, outgrown clothes. But even those were far too big for my tiny frame, hanging off me like loose flour sacks. I remembered how nervous I used to get, tugging at the oversized fabric to make it fit better, while Megan pointed at me and laughed hysterically. Once, I couldn’t resist the temptation. While Megan was taking an afternoon nap, I secretly slipped into one of her frilly pink dresses. I stood in front of the mirror, pretending that I was a little princess held in the palms of my parents’ hands, just like Megan. Mom had caught me. She flew into a terrifying rage, pulling off Dad’s leather belt and whipping me until my skin bled. She shouted that I was a born thief, that I’d grow up to rob banks and end up shot dead by the police. She reminded me, over and over, that Megan was going to lay down her life for me, and that I was a horrible monster for betraying her. It was Dad who had woken up later, snatched the belt away, and carried me to the emergency room when I couldn’t stand up anymore. I lay back down on my damp mattress, a tiny smile touching my lips. “Bye, Mommy. Bye, Daddy. I love pretty dresses. I want the blue one with the small flowers, just like Megan’s.” Mom gave a relieved nod and turned away. Dad lingered at the doorway, looking at me with a complicated expression, but he didn’t say anything. He picked Megan up in his arms and walked out. The front door clicked shut. I closed my eyes and fell fast asleep. When I woke up again, it was because my stomach felt like it was tearing itself apart from hunger. I slid off the bed, intending to creep into the kitchen, only to find the closet door locked from the outside. Mom didn’t want me coming out. She was afraid I’d contaminate the house. I searched around the small room until my eyes landed on the trash can in the corner. Inside was a plastic cup containing a few sips of spoiled boba tea. Megan hadn’t finished it yesterday. Mom had tossed it into my room’s trash so the smell wouldn’t bother Megan in the main living space. Usually, I took out all the heavy trash bags every morning when I left for preschool. But today, because of the fever, I hadn’t been allowed out. I carefully picked up the plastic cup. I remembered Mom always telling Megan that eating spoiled food would make her sick. “Does that mean I shouldn’t drink this?” But I quickly pushed the thought away. I ate leftover food that had been sitting out for days all the time, and I was fine. I put the straw to my mouth and took a sip. It tasted sharp and sour, like something fermenting. I winced, my face twisting at the horrible flavor. But as it went down, there was a faint, lingering hit of sugar. I hadn’t tasted anything sweet in so long. I didn’t hesitate anymore. I gulped down the rest of the liquid until the cup was completely empty. With my stomach no longer completely hollow, I lay back down on the bed to wait for Mom. Before Mom came back, the stomach pain hit. It was a sharp, searing pain that made me curl into a tight ball. I clutched my stomach, my hands shaking uncontrollably as I tapped the screen of the cheap kid’s smartwatch on my wrist to dial Mom’s number. I almost never called her. Last year, on Megan’s birthday, Mom took her to the store to buy a smartwatch. The store was running a promotion: buy one, get a basic model for twenty dollars. The clerk talked Mom into it, and Mom grudgingly paid the extra money, tossing the cheaper watch at me. “Look how good your sister is to you,” Mom had grumbled. “She’s saving your life in the future, and now you get a watch because of her. You can keep it on so when your sister wants a snack or water while you girls are playing, she can just call you. But don’t you dare place random calls yourself. I’m not wasting money on your phone bill.” I knew Mom’s money was reserved for Megan. Every single day after work, Mom brought home a little gift for Megan, never missing a day. The phone rang for a long time before someone finally picked up. The background was loud and chaotic—cheering crowds and merry-go-round music. They were still at the park. Mom’s voice was sharp with irritation. “Didn’t I tell you to stay home? If you don’t feel good, take the medicine!” “Your sister is finally performing on stage and you’re calling to ruin her moment? Is this how you repay her for saving your life?” My lips trembled, cold sweat pouring down my forehead. “But Mommy… my tummy hurts so bad…” “What? Speak up!” Mom yelled over the noise. I didn’t have the energy to scream. I tried again, my voice barely a squeak. “Mommy…” “It’s too loud out here, I can’t hear a word!” she cut me off impatiently. “Just tough it out. We’ll head home after your sister’s show… David! Hurry, get a photo of Megan!” “Click.” The line went dead. When I tried to dial back, an automated female voice informed me the phone was switched off. I tried calling Dad’s phone, but nobody answered. Maybe he couldn’t hear it over the noise. I didn’t want to be a burden anymore. Shaking, I crawled out of bed and found the remaining blister pack of pills Mom had left on the crate. But my stomach hurt even worse now. “Is it because I didn’t take enough?” Mom had said to take medicine if I felt sick. I had to be a good girl and listen to Mom. I popped all the tiny capsules out of their foil slots. Since there was no water left, I forced them down my dry throat one by one. The medicine was so bitter. Tears spilled down my cheeks. I dragged myself back to the mattress. My vision blurred, and the sharp pain in my stomach gradually faded into a dull, distant numbness. Darkness crept in from the edges of my eyes, and I lost consciousness completely. …… When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital bed. Mom was sitting by my bedside, her eyes bloodshot and swollen. “You ungrateful little brat!” she hissed the moment she saw me blink. “We leave you home for one single day, and you take a whole bottle of pills to threaten us?” “Your sister is willing to lay down her life for you, and you can’t even stand to see her have one happy day?” I clutched my dull, aching stomach, shaking my head with all the strength I had left. “No… I want Megan to be happy. I already agreed to let the kidnapper take me instead. I’m the one who’s going to die…” “Shut your mouth!” Mom grabbed a glass off the nightstand and slammed it violently against the floor. Shattered glass sprayed everywhere. “I sat by your bed for an entire day, and the first thing you say when you wake up is that you want to die?” “Then go die right now!” she screamed, her voice cracking. “Go ahead! That way your sister won’t have to! I never wanted you in the first place—having Megan is more than enough for me!” “Margo!” Dad roared from the doorway. Mom snapped her mouth shut, turning her back to me to wipe away her tears. When she turned around, her face was cold and detached once again. “We need to go home and make dinner for Megan,” she told Dad, her voice lifeless. “Let’s go. The doctors are monitoring her anyway.” “If we aren’t home tonight, Megan will be scared.” Dad picked up his car keys, looking down at me briefly. “Sadie, if you feel bad, press the call button or dial our phones.” “We’ll come see you tomorrow after we drop Megan off at school.” I gave a small nod. I was used to spending the nights alone. I wouldn’t be scared. I just guessed that Mom had forgotten about the blue dress she promised me again. …… Early the next morning. A stranger suddenly appeared in my room. He wore a dark tactical mask over his face, looking exactly like the kidnapper from the photograph. “The three days are up,” his voice rumbled. “Have you really made up your mind?” My voice was weak, but firm. “Yes.” The only regret I had was that in my short four years, I had never tasted a delicious snack or worn a pretty dress that was truly mine. The man reached out, his hand resting gently against my throat. In an instant, my body dissolved into thin air. The hospital bed was empty, save for the old photograph resting on the white sheet. Mom and Dad walked into the room carrying a breakfast container, arriving just in time to see the air swallow me whole. “Sadie!” Mom screamed, lunging forward to grab the photograph off the bed. The kidnapper was still in the picture. But the positions had changed. I was the one lying on the cold ground under the sharp blade, covered in bright red blood. Megan stood off to the side, completely unharmed. “Sadie…” Mom’s face drained of all color in a fraction of a second. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed onto the floor.
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