Sacrificed Son, Unbreakable Soul

I could hear their frantic voices from the backyard, a chaotic symphony of coddling C

started a few minutes l

n this door

the wall. The silence from my room seemed to i

xamined. I knew they would find nothing wrong. When they returned hours later, the h

dn't yell. He just pulled a crumpled hundred-dolla

entment. "Go buy yourself whatever it is

let a small, slow smile spread across my lips.

ked, her voice sharp with suspicion as

py," I said, my voice light and airy. "I'm overwhelmed with joy for Cal

w how to deal with this new version of me. The old Ethan would have bee

e couch, his foot propped up on a pillow, a small ice pack rest

of him and performe

ents to hear from the kitchen. "For my unforgivable clumsiness and the terrible

did

abbed me by the shirt, his face purple with rage. "You think thi

I said calmly. "Isn't

lunt instrument, and my precision was disarming him

the party tomorrow!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the hallway. "You will s

I heard the lock turn. I

t a profound sense of relief. They had locked me in, but they had also

m light. I pulled up the email from MIT, the one I had saved. I clicked on the link to

their approval, had died in the last 24 hours. It had

so

e was no longer on hold, waiting for their permi