Part 5: The Parasite and the Host
Part 5: The Parasite and the Host
I spun around, the rusted box still in my hands. It was my father. He was standing in the doorway, the silhouette of his tall frame blocking out the morning light. He didn't look angry. He looked disappointed, like a teacher caught a student cheating on a test. 'I told you not to come here, Elena,' he said softly. 'You weren't supposed to know how we saved you.' I backed away, my heels catching on the loose floorboards. 'Saved me? You used her! You used my sister as a biological spare parts bin!'
He stepped into the room, his voice calm and terrifyingly reasonable. 'You were the one with the spirit, the intellect. Elise... she was weak. Her mind was fractured from birth. But her body... her body was a perfect match for yours. Every treatment, every transfusion, it was all to ensure you could live the life you deserved. We didn't discard her. We kept her in the best facilities money could buy, ensuring she was 'available' whenever your condition flared up.' I felt like I was going to vomit. Every memory of my 'miracle' recoveries after 'childhood illnesses' flashed before my eyes. It wasn't medicine. It was her.
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'Where is she now?' I demanded, my voice cracking. 'Where did those men take her?' My father sighed and checked his watch. 'She’s being moved to a more... secure location. You’ve made it impossible for her to stay in the city. Your wedding is in two days, Elena. Mark is waiting for you. The Governor is attending. You are going to put those papers back, you are going to drive home, and you are going to be the bride everyone expects you to be.'
I looked at him, truly seeing him for the first time. He wasn't a man; he was a monster who had curated a daughter like a prize rose, pruning away the 'dead' parts. 'And if I don't?' I challenged. He smiled, a thin, cruel line. 'Then we tell Mark. We tell him about your 'condition.' We tell him that without the 'maintenance' we provide, you have perhaps six months of sanity left before your brain begins to liquefy. Do you think he'll still want to marry a ticking time bomb?' I felt the world tilt. He wasn't just threatening my sister; he was threatening my life. But as he turned to leave, I saw something in the dirt where the box had been. A small, silver key with a tag that said 'Room 4B'. I realized Elise hadn't just left me a message about the floorboards. She had left me the way to find her. But as I reached for it, my phone buzzed. It was a text from an unknown number: 'He's not your father. Run.'
