Three years after I’d been sealed away beneath the ceiling, my so–called family finally hired a ghost–hunting streamer to uncover the truth behind my “fake” death.
During the live session, my mother clung tightly to Jesica Meyer–my replacement, the imposter daughter–and cried while scolding me as a heartless, ungrateful monster.
My brother’s voice was cold and cutting. “Back when she was still around, she was always pulling dirty tricks to hurt Jesica. And now she’s faked her own death just to spite us. Someone like her doesn’t deserve to be called my sister. She’s pure evil!”
Dad agreed with a sharp nod. “Exactly. If she really is dead, good riddance. And if she’s not–let the anchor bash her face in!”
They all hurled their hatred at me. To them, my being alive was a curse. I was better off dead.
And honestly, I was a little curious.
If they saw my actual corpse, would they feel even the tiniest bit of sorrow?
Late at night, in front of a crumbling, abandoned building…
A livestreamer with a camera mounted on his head and a flashlight in hand pushed open a rusted iron door.
“Good Jesica, family!” he said cheerfully to his viewers. “This is Jack Gross, your favorite Superstition Buster! Tonight, I’m taking you to a haunted mansion that’s become internet–famous over the past three years. The story goes, a wealthy girl named Anna Meyer – kicked out by her own family–threw herself into a well here and died. Since then, the place has been considered cursed.”
“Just yesterday, her family reached out to me, asking me to check out the location. So tonight, we’re diving deep into the mystery behind this so–called murder house!”
The yard was overgrown with weeds. A few distant swan cries echoed through the moonlight, sounding especially eerie in the silence.
The livestream chat exploded with messages.
[Anna? Isn’t that the evil girl who was once brought back home as the real daughter?]
[I heard that once she returned, she kept setting up her adopted sister using her ‘real daughter‘ status–then poisoned her! Her biological dad accidentally drank it instead!]
[She really did that? Damn. The Meyer familly never should’ve taken her back!]
[She almost killed her own Dad. That’s beyond monstrous!]
More rumors piled on.
[I heard that when she got kicked out, she stole a ton of valuables and sold them all off. Ever since, she’s been singing and dancing like a lunatic in that ghost house…]
[Pretending to be classy but ending up in a dump like that? Sounds fake. And what’s with the sobbing people say they hear at night?]
[You all don’t get it. She’s probably hiding here so her family won’t find her. Crying? Please–that’s
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not crying. More like moaning from too much fun, am I right?]
As the comment section spiraled, my brother added sternly, “We thought she’d regret her actions. Instead, she’s still playing sneaky games, trying to curse us. Anchor, take everyone inside. Let them see what she’s up to.”
Mom and Dad chimed in, “Yes, we can’t let her keep playing around like this!”
The chat boiled over.
[No way–so this murder house is a fake? She’s still alive?!]
[What a b*tch! Anchor, smash her face!]
Jack grinned. “I’ve said it before–there are no such things as ghosts. People create their own demons.”
“Tonight, we’re going to find out exactly what this so–called ‘real daughter‘ is hiding!”
His bold declaration sent the chat into a frenzy of cheers and flying digital gifts.
Jack lifted his flashlight and stepped through the weeds into the courtyard.
He made his way to the edge of the old dry well where I was rumored to have jumped to my death. A huge stone lay across the opening.
Covered in moss and grime, the stone glistened slightly under the moonlight and streaks of dried, blackened blood could still be seen staining its surface.
Fake daughter Jesica clutched her hair and wailed in front of it like a banshee.
“This is the place! In my dreams, my sister bit her own finger and cursed me–said she’d trap me in this well forever!”
My brother quickly wrapped an arm around her. “Don’t be scared. That wicked sorcery can’t touch you.”
Dad barked, furious, “Playing God again, huh? Let’s see what tricks she’s still hiding in that well!”
Jack grabbed his tools and got to work prying the stone loose.
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