She Locked Me In Basements And Called It Love Called It Training Chapter 03

She Locked Me In Basements And Called It Love Called It Training Chapter 03

Crack.

Another violent impact shattered the silence, and this time, it was my leg.

The same leg that had been broken in the car crash years ago felt completely pulverized, and the sensation in my lower body vanished instantly.

Mom, I didn’t know dying hurt this much.

I forced my eyes open, wanting to catch one last glimpse of the afternoon sun.

But as I looked up, I caught sight of a blurry figure on the distant rock face. It was Audrey, dressed in her professional climbing gear.

Suddenly, it clicked. Today was the day of Audrey’s regional climbing competition.

Mom hadn’t chosen this specific mountain park for my bungee jumping by accident.

No, I can’t die right in front of her.

My sister was brave, but seeing my broken body would still break her heart.

A desperate surge of survival instinct flared within me, and I used every ounce of my remaining strength to press the button on the walkie-talkie.

What if there was still a chance?

A second later, the device crackled with static, and the red light blinked on. The connection was live.

A wave of pure euphoria washed over me. Mom hadn’t actually turned off her receiver.

She still cared about me, didn’t she? She just hated that I was a coward.

“Mom, save me!” I sobbed into the mic. “The rope is breaking… everything hurts so bad…”

But the next instant, Mom’s frigid voice cut through the static. “It’s only been five minutes, and you’re already throwing a tantrum! How did I end up with such a weakling for a daughter? You don’t have a fraction of your sister’s courage.”

Then came the sharp click of the line disconnecting.

In the final split second before the call cut out, I caught the frantic voice of a ride operator in the background. “Ma’am, it’s been almost half an hour. Your daughter has a heart condition. She shouldn’t be doing extreme sports like this! This could kill her!”

Mom had simply laughed softly. “It’s fine. She’s done this plenty of times. Her heart was desensitized to this a long time ago.”

But it wasn’t true, Mom.

I wanted to tell her that my heart had never gotten used to the terror. It had been breaking for years, and now, it was finally about to stop beating altogether.

Crack.

This time, the blow delivered a fatal strike to my head.

The moment my skull collided with the rocky mountain face, my vision exploded into bright, flashing colors, scattering into the cold air before fading into total darkness.

Suddenly, I felt weightless. I floated upward, looking down at the broken, mangled body resting on the rocks below.

Dying really did happen in a flash. At least I hadn’t crashed down right onto Audrey’s climbing route.

But a sudden, roaring wind cut through my relief. I looked up toward the peak and saw the heavy snowpack shifting dangerously.

An avalanche was coming.

Panic seized my spirit, but Audrey was too far away for me to reach her.

I flew frantically toward the spectator platform where Mom was supposed to be, wanting to scream at her to get Audrey to safety.

But the waiting area was completely deserted.

As I hovered there, a furious shout echoed from the distance. It belonged to Dad.

“Are you completely out of your mind? You brought Lily out here to bungee jump?” he roared. “She has a heart condition and she’s terrified of heights! You didn’t even leave anyone to monitor her! Are you trying to kill her?”

Mom violently slapped his hand away, her eyes flashing with defensive rage. “You can bring Audrey out here to climb, so why can’t I bring Lily? I’m just trying to make her tough. What is so wrong with that?”

Before Dad could answer, a park ranger sprinted toward them, shouting at the top of his lungs. “Attention! We just received a severe weather warning! An avalanche is imminent! Clear the area immediately!”

Both of my parents turned pale. Without another word, they ran like lunatics toward the climbing wall where Audrey was competing.

Watching their panicked figures disappear, a heavy, dull ache rippled through what was left of my consciousness.

I quietly cursed myself for being pathetic. Why was I still feeling sad?

I was already dead. Of course their first priority would be to save Audrey.

Fortunately, Audrey’s reflexes were flawless. The moment she noticed the worsening weather, she used her safety lines to rappel down to the ground, landing safely before the snow could reach her.

Mom threw her arms around her, her voice trembling with a tenderness I had never once received. “Thank God you’re okay, sweetie. You’re safe.”

Audrey frowned, pushing Mom back with a look of deep confusion. “Mom? What are you doing here? You said you were busy today.”

Mom froze, her expression faltering slightly. “I brought your sister out here to bungee jump…”

Before she could finish the sentence, Audrey shrieked. “Bungee jump in this weather? Get her up right now!”

She and Dad turned to sprint toward the platform, but Mom threw herself directly in their path, blocking their way.