When the earthquake hit, my mother chose to save her sister

When the earthquake hit, my sister, Lily, and I were buried. I was badly injured. Mom, a rescue worker, wanted to move the rubble crushing me to save Lily first. I begged her not to, it wasn't safe. But she snapped, “You’re so selfish! You’d rather your sister die! I wish I’d never had you!”

She got her wish. I died. And Mom, who’d never liked me much, lost her mind.

1

I died, but my soul lingered near Mom. She carried Lily toward the medical tent, her face etched with worry. “Lily, honey, stay with me. The doctor’s coming.”

Dad raged, “That Anna! How could she be such a terrible sister? She didn't even try to protect Lily. Good riddance!”

I gave a ghostly sigh. They'd never liked me. Now I was gone, just as they wanted. They could pretend I’d never existed.

The doctor checked Lily thoroughly. Dehydration. That’s all. Not a scratch on her. One of Mom’s colleagues, a guy named John, said, “Anna’s still down there. We need to go back for her.”

Mom waved him off. “She’s tough. She’ll be fine. She’s just sulking because I didn’t carry her out first.” Then, softer, as if justifying to herself, “Besides, I already shifted the rocks off her. She was talking, looked okay when we got Lily out.”

I floated above them. I’d heard those words a thousand times while I was alive, yet they still stung. Mom told Dad to stay with Lily and went back with the rescue team.

She returned at nightfall, scanning the crowd, her face grim. "Where is that girl? Why isn't she back yet? Lily’s fine, why is she so different? So irresponsible!" Then, bitterly, "If she's not back, she can stay out there. One less thing to worry about."

I’d been trapped with Lily, yet her only concern was my absence. The same old blame. I was used to it, but the pain was a sharp, familiar ache. I was always second best, a shadow to Lily. They never loved me.

Mom, a trained rescuer, knew the risks of moving those rocks. Yet she ignored my pleas, shifted them anyway, and blamed me for my own impending death. Then she took Lily and left me to die. There wasn't an ounce of love for me in her heart.

John looked troubled. “Susan, Anna’s a good kid. Maybe something happened? We should go back.”

Mom thought I was playing games. “Good kid? You don’t see how she treats Lily when you're not around. It's all an act. She wouldn’t dare stay out there.” She trailed off, muttering, “Besides, she's been trying to get rid of Lily since they were in the womb…"

"Mommy! Mommy, I'm scared! Mommy, help me!" Lily, pale and teary-eyed, woke up and flung herself into Mom’s arms.

Mom’s words evaporated. She hugged Lily close, crooning, “It’s okay, sweetie. Mommy’s here.”

John and the others hesitated. "Susan, she's just a kid… We should…"

Mom cut them off sharply. "She’s being difficult. You're all exhausted. Go home and rest."

"Mommy, where's Anna? Where’s my sister? You have to save her!"

I saw a flicker of…satisfaction? …cross Mom’s face, quickly replaced with a show of concern for me.

Dad chimed in. ...