Chapter 1
When I was six, I played a game called "Red Light, Green Light" with my brother, Leo Fields. That was the freeze tag game that kids loved. Something went terribly wrong, and my mind got stuck in that frozen state forever. My intellect never grew past six years old, and the shock of it left Grandma's mind fractured.
Overnight, my brother Leo Fields became a different person. The boy who used to hold his head high now survived on scholarships and dug through trash for recyclables to feed us. When classmates jeered and called him a street rat, he would just shrug. But if some stranger dared to call me "dumbass," he would fly into a rage and swing his fists to defend me.
That night, he cradled me close while his tears dripped onto my hair. "Our Mae isn't a fool," he choked out. "You're just growing slower than others. Promise me, okay? Never wander more than half a step away." I nodded like the child I was and then became his shadow for three long years. That lasted until Molly Wells came along.
All it took was one muddy handprint on her spotless skirt because I had forgotten to wash up after playing. Leo exploded like a firework and shoved me out the door. "Mae Fields, you've been an anchor around my neck," he shouted. "Must you drag Molly down too? For once in your life, stop being such a burden!" His voice cracked on the last word.
Suddenly, my muddled child mind understood that I was the curse poisoning his life. So I crawled into Grandma's custom-built coffin, the one she had prepared for herself. I closed my eyes and began counting. The game was on.
In the suffocating darkness of the coffin, I examined my hands. They looked clean now, didn't they? Maybe Leo's pills were kicking in, because his face, black with fury, floated in my vision.
The iron gate clanged shut with a final crash. "Mae, you are nine years old and still acting like a toddler," he roared. "How many times do I have to tell you? Stay away from Molly. And then you lied about it?" An icy pause followed. "This is not what I raised you to be."
Huddled in my wooden prison, I sniffled and said, "I didn't lie. I didn't mean to." 'Why was he so mad? Even Molly had said it was okay. Pfft. When I got to heaven, I decided I would beg the angels to make me his big sister. Then I would yank his ears until he squealed like a piglet.'
A giggle rose in my throat as my eyelids turned heavy as lead. Only one last worry nagged at me. I was using Grandma's coffin, so Leo would need to make her another one. That cost money, and I wondered if the crumpled bills under my mattress would be enough.
Grandma always said that money did not grow on trees. On her good days, she would teach me to fold paper flowers to sell, but my hands were all thumbs. When I sobbed about being useless, Leo would stuff a piece of candy into my mouth, and the sound of a quick pop would shut off my tears instantly.
He would nuzzle my nose and sigh with a tired smile. "You are still my baby sister," he would say. "One piece of candy, and the storm clouds vanish."
"Mae, go play," he said as he took the paper from my hands. "I will take care of it." With a quick flick of his fingers, the sheet transformed into a delicate butterfly. "This is for you, Mae."
My eyes widened with wonder, and I hugged the butterfly tight while I dashed around the room and giggled without stopping. Leo and Grandma watched me with warm smiles as I spun in circles and filled the tiny space with my joy.
"Leo, Mae needs to learn to grow up," Grandma murmured with a tone of concern. "You cannot take care of her forever." A heavy silence settled between them. 'What did forever even mean?' Mae did not understand. After what felt like ages, Leo finally spoke in a voice barely above a whisper. "I can. I will take care of her forever."
Suddenly jolted back to reality, I fished a piece of candy from my pocket and popped it into my mouth. The candy tasted bitter. I scrunched up my face because I was upset. Leo had lied. He promised to stay with Mae forever, but the second Molly came into the picture, his words meant nothing. 'Liar, liar. But maybe it was for the best. With me out of the way, Leo could finally be happy with Molly.'
A foggy drowsiness crept over me as my eyelids grew too heavy to keep open. I pulled the lid over myself. "Goodnight, Leo. Goodnight, Grandma."
