Chapter 7 The Last Escape
888 Words
Renata stayed in the hospital for the time being. Since that day, Douglas had completely disappeared, like he had never existed in her world.
Her body was falling apart fast, and it showed.
The symptoms of brain cancer were getting harder to ignore. Her vision blurred out of nowhere, a high-pitched ringing filled her ears, and the headaches hit like a truck, again and again. Sometimes the pain got so bad she curled up in the corner, drenched in cold sweat, biting down on her lip so hard just to keep herself from making a sound.
Renata forced herself to move around whenever she could. She had one thought stuck in her head. She had to leave. She did not want to die in this cold, lifeless hospital, or die in front of them.
That day, Renata was slowly shuffling around the room like usual. Through the c***k of the door, she noticed someone standing outside, hesitating.
Then she saw her sister. Carlin was holding a bowl of soup. She stood there for a moment, like she was fighting with herself, before pulling out a small packet of powder from her pocket and sprinkling it into the bowl.
At that moment, Renata felt her heart drop straight to the bottom.
Had her sister finally reached her limit with her, this so-called "impostor"?
A coldness spread through her, sharp and immediate. Even the last fragile hope she had about family went numb and silent inside her.
Before Carlin walked in, Renata quickly made her way back to the bed and lay down.
When Carlin entered, her face looked gentle, almost apologetic.
"Renata, I was wrong the other day. I got too anxious... Please don't be mad at me, okay?"
She handed the soup over. "You look terrible. Eat something. I made this myself, it's your favorite, remember?"
Renata lifted her gaze and quietly looked at her.
They looked alike, sure. But that was it. Nothing else about them was the same.
When she was little, Renata used to wonder how she could possibly have such a perfect sister. Sometimes she even thought, maybe things would be easier if she just did not exist.
Maybe she was never meant to.
So she reached out and took the bowl. Then she lowered her head, picked up the spoon, and quietly ate it, one small bite at a time, finishing the entire bowl without a word.
The drug worked fast.
A wave of dizziness slammed into her, along with a heavy, suffocating weakness. Renata felt someone lifting her up, slipping a coat onto her, helping her stumble out of the room.
Before she knew it, she was shoved into the back seat of a black car she had never seen before.
The car drove out of the city, heading somewhere unknown.
The driver wore a baseball cap, his eyes flicking to Renata through the rearview mirror. There was something filthy in that gaze.
"Damn, what a pretty girl. Shame though," he muttered, licking his lips.
Renata leaned back, clinging to the last bit of consciousness she had left.
Hearing that, a chill ran down her spine. She bit down hard on her tongue, trying to use the pain to stay conscious.
Was this Carlin's doing too? Did Carlin really hate her that much?
The man's hand started reaching back toward her.
"Don't touch me!" Renata slapped his hand away with everything she had left.
"b***h! You think you're better than this?" The man snapped angrily, slamming on the brakes as the car screeched to a stop near the empty shoreline. He ripped off his seatbelt and turned toward the back seat with a sick grin before lunging at her.
"I already got paid. Might as well have some fun first." The stench of alcohol and sweat hit her all at once.
Renata fought back desperately, scratching and biting like a cornered animal. But she was too weak. The drugs and her illness had drained almost all of her strength.
His hands tore at her clothes, rough and desperate.
No... please...
Somewhere deep inside, a final burst of strength exploded. Renata broke free, grabbed his head, and slammed it hard against the window.
Taking that split second, she shoved the door open and stumbled out.
The salty sea breeze hit her face.
"You b***h!" the man cursed as he chased after her.
Renata turned her head and took one last look at the faint city lights in the distance.
That place held everything she once believed in. Her sister, who used to mean the world to her. A love she once thought was real, nothing but an illusion.
A faint, pale smile crossed her lips. With the last bit of strength Renata had left, she stepped forward without hesitation and jumped.
Renata fell for a brief second before the freezing water closed over her.
The pain faded away. In its place came a strange, quiet peace.
For a moment, she thought she was back in childhood again, at the beach with her parents and sister beneath warm sunlight, Carlin's hand wrapped around hers as laughter carried through the air.
Maybe this was how it should end.
Douglas, Carlin... you can't cage me anymore.
In her fading consciousness, Renata thought she saw her parents reaching for her. And this time, she went with them.
- Writer
