Chapter 3

Travis's words dissolved my tears instantly.

Deep down, I thought, he still considers me his family.

As we walked to the car, Mom casually mentioned that Travis had changed the location to the old family cabin out in the woods.

"Travis said the private room was too small. Out at the cabin, we can eat and enjoy the starry night sky."

All the way there, I imagined how warm and beautiful a rustic family Christmas would be.

Travis had resented me growing up, and as adults, our schedules kept us apart.

We had never truly sat down for a proper Christmas dinner together.

Tonight was a first. It meant everything to me.

When we pulled up, the sight made me pause. The old wooden cabin looked abandoned, its porch rotting, surrounded by overgrown weeds. There wasn't a single light on.

Travis stood in the darkness, waving vigorously at me.

"Serena! Over here!"

I hurried toward him, feeling uneasy. "Travis, isn't this place a little too rundown for dinner?"

Travis offered a rare, warm smile, pointing toward the front door.

"What are you talking about? It's rustic. Romantic under the moonlight."

"The feast is set up inside. Go take a look. Everything you love."

Trusting him completely, I smiled and stepped through the doorway.

The moment my foot cleared the threshold, Travis snatched the phone right out of my hand and shoved me hard.

I stumbled onto the dusty floor. Before I could catch my balance, the heavy wooden door slammed shut.

"Click." The padlock engaged from the outside.

"Travis?! Mom?! Dad?!"

"It's pitch black in here! I'm terrified of the dark! Unlock the door!"

I hammered on the wood, screaming at the top of my lungs.

I had suffered from severe claustrophobia since childhood. Pitch darkness triggered violent panic attacks.

Once, as a kid, Travis locked me in a bedroom wardrobe for fun. By the time my parents came home from work hours later, I had passed out, foaming at the mouth.

Travis knew exactly what this darkness would do to me.

Outside, his laughter boomed through the cracks of the door.

"You love begging for an invitation, don't you? Let's see how much you like this one!"

"Who invited you to our family meal? A married-off daughter thinking she's hot shit!"

"Stay in there and think about your place! Once we finish our five-course dinner, maybe we'll come back and let you out!"

Footsteps retreated toward the car.

I rushed to the window, seeing Mom and Dad through the dusty glass. They looked uneasy, but neither moved to help.

"Dad! Mom! I'm sorry!" I shrieked, clutching the rusted iron bars of the window. "I get it now! I'm married, I don't belong in your family anymore!"

"I won't eat with you! Just let me out, please! It's so dark... I'm so scared..."

My body shook violently, cold sweat drenching my back.

Mom parted her lips as if to say something, but Travis shouted from the driveway:

"Mom, Dad, hurry up! I'm starving!"

The moment Travis spoke, my parents turned on their heels and marched toward the car. They didn't look back once, no matter how hard I begged.

Left in the dark, I forced myself to swallow the panic. I rummaged blindly across the dusty shelves, finally finding an old oil lamp and a box of matches.

My trembling hands managed to strike a match and light the wick. The warm yellow glow slightly eased the suffocating dread in my chest.

Through the window, I watched their car headlights fade into the distance. A cold, bitter numbness filled my soul.

Suddenly, a scuffling noise echoed from the corner.

I turned around. A pair of beady eyes stared back—a giant rat.

Before I could react, the creature darted across the table, knocking the lit oil lamp straight off the edge.

"Crash!"

Kerosene spilled across the dry wooden floorboards.

A ball of fire exploded.

The cabin was made of ancient timber with a dry thatched roof. Within ten seconds, flames roared up the walls, turning the room into an inferno.

I lunged back to the window, coughing violently. "Fire! Someone help me! Fire!"