Buried Alive

Growing up, I was always the outcast. My folks kept my younger brother, Mikey, close, but I was shipped off to live in the sticks.

Finally, they brought me home, but it was like I was a ghost. My parents were all about Mikey, catering to his every whim and ignoring me.

Mikey, that little snake, accused me of being disrespectful, then straight-up lied and said I hired some guys to beat him up. My parents, without even a second thought, believed his lies.

Next thing I knew, I was shipped off to some hellhole of a boarding school.

With my folks' blessing and Mikey's encouragement, the staff at that place put me through some brutal “re-education”.

And in the end, just like they wanted, I was "fixed."

I was also dead.

1

I watched, helpless, as they tossed my body into the woods, the deepest part of the mountains, on the edge of town.

Strangely enough, my consciousness was still there.

I’d been dead for three days, according to what I could make out.

I wandered aimlessly, and I found myself back at the Mitchells’ place.

Just my luck, the whole crew was there.

They were all heading out on a cruise to celebrate Mikey’s birthday, leaving me, as always, behind.

They were gushing about the sights they'd see on the cruise ship, places I could only dream about.

I stood beside them, unheard, as my sister, Sarah, complained.

"Is Cody still not back? I’m starving, I thought we’d get something to eat right when we got home.”

Mom frowned, calling my name a few times, with no response.

“He’s always out, isn’t he? School was out days ago. I don’t know where he gets it from; the rest of us are civilized, but he’s just this worthless hick."

"Probably out with those hoodlums he hangs with," Dad added, not even looking up from his recliner.

“Maybe he’s still mad that Sarah didn’t pick him up when he called. The brat." Mom huffed, moving souvenirs around with an annoyed clatter. “Aren't we good enough to him? We take him in, but he turns on us. Mikey’s so small, and he’s his brother, he should be looking out for Mikey."

"Mikey tries to be nice to him, but Cody went and had his friends beat Mikey up, then he tried to act like Mikey was the one who started it!”

"I swear, I sometimes wish I'd never had that boy.”

I shuddered, staring at Mom.

Sarah tried to calm her down.

“Okay, okay, we'll deal with Cody when he gets back. Or maybe he needs a few more months at that boarding school."

Mom’s face twisted into an ugly grimace.

“I swear, I hope they can turn him into a decent person. I can’t even bring myself to take him out in public. He's such an embarrassment."

Mom's harshness made my heart sink. I thought back to when I was still living in the boonies.

I got really sick, and the clinic in town couldn't help. I didn’t want to bother Mom and Dad at work, so I kept quiet.

Later, they somehow found out about my sickness, and told me to hang in there, that they would come get me to take me to the city for a real doctor.

I waited with a sliver of ho...