Mom Pulled My Plug for His Dream

When I was eight years old, my younger brother, Evan Gunn, extracted my artificial heart's battery to charge his phone. By the time my parents, Ethan Gunn and Andrea Alston, found out, I was already blue in the face and on the verge of death. Even after my life was saved, I was left with severe complications. From that day onward, Evan became all but invisible in our parents' eyes. They no longer smile at him or talk to him, instead focusing all their attention on me. Dad travels abroad to work, all so he can cover my heart's monthly maintenance costs. Mom quits her job to watch over me around the clock. She becomes a vegetarian in the hopes of trading her sacrifice for a longer life for me. I think to myself that even though I wasn't born healthy, I at least have parents who love me. At least, until the power suddenly goes out on the day that Evan is filling out his digital college application form. Seeing as the submission deadline is fast approaching, Mom doesn't hesitate to extract my heart battery and power the computer with it. As my heart pressure drops rapidly and my heart beeps in warning, I try to stop her. "Mom, you can't. My heart's going to—" Mom slaps me harshly with tears in her eyes and yells, "Evan has suffered for ten years because of this damn battery! There are backup batteries around the house! Must you insist on using this one? "You've already ruined his childhood! Are you now going to ruin his future as well? How could you be so cruel?" She snatches my battery away and locks me in my bedroom. Finally, Evan successfully submits his application. As their excited cheers ring out from the living room, I collapse heavily onto the floor. My heart's shrill alarm falls silent. I murmur, "Mom, now I'll never burden you again…" Chapter 1 When I collapsed, the back of my head struck the edge of a table, causing blood to flow ceaselessly. My vision went dark, and my body was slowly losing warmth. I struggled with all my might and screamed, "Mom! Help! Save me…" Yet, the complications I suffered due to my near-death experience at eight years old were now obstructing my attempts to seek help. I collapsed limply to the floor, my entire body convulsing. I retched as my stomach roiled. It felt as if my throat was clogged with mud. I couldn't even make a sound. At the same time, my mother, Andrea Alston, was hugging my younger brother, Evan Gunn, and kissing his forehead with pride written all over her face. She exclaimed, "You're the best, Evan! I knew you could do it, unlike Jasper, who's always sickly and burdening our whole family. But forget it—we're celebrating today, so let's not mention him anymore." My chest throbbed with pain, and tears fell from the corners of my eyes. Mom didn't know that the backup batteries had all long since worn out. I could never bring myself to mention it because I hated seeing how hard my father, Ethan Gunn, worked to earn money. I thought that a single battery would be enough, not expecting this sort of situation to happen today. I did my best to grab hold of the bookshelf near me in an attempt to make some noise that would attract Mom's attention. A second later, the entire bookshelf came crashing down. I sighed in relief. With a noise that loud, Mom would definitely come to check in on me. However, Mom simply startled at the noise and mistakenly assumed that I was throwing a tantrum. "Jasper Gunn! What are you pulling? I simply borrowed your heart battery for a bit, and you're throwing such a huge tantrum!" The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, and tears welled up in her eyes. "When did I ever not do right by you? Our whole family is working hard for your sake! We've neglected Evan for ten years to focus on your well-being! Have I still not done enough?" she asked. She rushed over to my room with keys in hand, planning to open the door. She yelled, "If you have anything to say, tell me to my face! Why are you quiet?" Unexpectedly, the fallen bookshelf wedged the door firmly shut, and she couldn't get it open no matter what. "I brought you the heart battery, so open the door, Jasper!" Yet, I could no longer fill my lungs with air. I was completely blue in the face, and my lips had turned purple. The corners of my mouth were smeared with vomit. I tapped on the floorboards with the tips of my fingers in a bid for help, but the sound it made was too faint for Mom to hear. When Mom failed to receive a response from me, she hurled the battery at my door, trembling with rage. "So, you're going to be petty, are you? Fine! Are you happy seeing me rage? I sacrificed so much for you, only to end up with such a selfish, self-centered child! I know that you're just jealous that Evan scored better than you! You disappoint me, Jasper!" My heart had almost stopped beating completely, yet the pain was just as excruciating as ever. Inwardly, I was yelling frantically, "Mom, no! I scored the highest in the entire city and wanted to surprise all of you with my results! I'm not jealous of Evan!" But now, the surprise had become a scare. Evan tugged on Mom's arm and said consolingly, "Mom, don't be angry anymore. I'm here. Jasper's just caught up in the moment. I'll have a word with him later, and things will be fine." Mom's rage vanished in an instant, and she pulled Evan into her arms. "My dear Evan, you're my most thoughtful child after all. If only Jasper were half as sensible as you, I'd die happy." My consciousness slowly faded away, my strength completely exhausted. My eyelids grew increasingly heavy, and the blood spilling across the floor was close to reaching the door. Just as I thought my life was about to end, someone opened the front door with a bang, and I heard Dad's voice call out, "Jasper! I'm home!" Chapter 2 Hope flared anew in my heart. Dad loved me the most, so he would definitely make it his first priority to check in on me. The sound of footsteps drew closer. I curled up and struggled to open my eyes through the excruciating pain. It almost felt like some warmth had returned to my body. However, before Dad could get close, Evan ran over and threw himself into Dad's arms. "Dad, you're finally back! I missed you!" he shouted. Dad frowned and was just about to push him away when Mom piped up with a smile, "Evan did quite well in his college entrance exam. He might be able to get into an elite college." Dad replied happily, "Really? That's great! What would you like as a reward, Evan? I'll buy it for you." Evan pursed his lips and said with a laugh, "So long as you and Mom are healthy, there's no better reward in my eyes!" Dad looked moved, while Mom wiped tears from the corners of her eyes. Meanwhile, I was lying in a pool of blood on the other side of the door. I wanted to call for help, but the metallic yet sickly sweet blood clogging my throat prevented me from saying anything. Dad looked around before finally asking, "Why don't I see Jasper? Is he alright?" Mom pursed her lips and replied, "Jasper? He's sulking in his room because he's envious of Evan's grades. He thinks he's above everything now. He completely refused to answer me no matter how much I yelled at him." After a moment's silence, Dad sighed and walked over to knock on my room door. "Jasper, it's me, Dad. Could you please open the door? I bought your favorite cake for you. It's alright if you didn't score well on your test. I'll always love you anyway." Behind the door, I was completely covered in blood, and my face was a dangerous purple. Tears mingled with blood slid beneath the collar of my shirt. I thought, "I'm sorry, Dad. It's my fault. I shouldn't have been a burden on all of you. I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry." Still, no sound came from my room. After waiting a moment, Mom finally couldn't stop herself from kicking the door harshly. "Jasper Gunn! Did you die in there or something? Where are your manners? Your father's talking to you, yet you're completely ignoring him! He's suffered so much for your sake! Is this how you repay him?" I couldn't help but scream inwardly, "Mom! Open the door, and you'll be able to see me!" Dad hurriedly restrained Mom and said, "Keep your voice down. Jasper's still in a foul mood." Mom grabbed hold of him and led him back to the master bedroom. "Let's all ignore him and go! He can put on airs all he wants! I'll be impressed if he can really refuse to talk to us for the rest of his life!" The sound of their footsteps gradually faded into the distance. I'd used up the last of my strength. My artificial heart beat one last time in my chest before stopping forever. When I next opened my eyes, I was no longer lying on the floor. I felt weightless, and the pain that'd been tormenting me for such a long time was completely gone. Warmth surged through my chest, and I rushed toward Mom and Dad. "Mom, Dad, I'm no longer sick! I won't be a burden to you both anymore!" I cried. However, my hand passed straight through Mom's body. I looked at my translucent fingertips, belatedly realizing that I was already dead. Mom was sobbing with her hands over her face. "Is Jasper trying to be the death of me? How am I supposed to go on if anything happens to him?" she asked in a choked voice. I bit my lip, reaching out to try and wipe her tears away. "I'm sorry, Mom. Don't cry. It's my fault for always making you worry." Yet, my fingers slipped straight through her face. Mom looked up abruptly, her expression vacant, and asked, "Ethan, you don't think something's happened to Jasper, do you? This won't do! I have to check on him!" Dad stood up alongside her. "How's that possible? Don't overthink it," he said. Just then, Evan stealthily flipped the circuit breaker back into position in the living room. He hung his head and whispered apologetically, "Jasper, please don't blame me. I just wanted Mom and Dad to look my way. I'm sorry." I looked on in shock. After a while, I smiled bitterly. It turned out that the power outage was a lie fabricated by Evan. A moment later, Evan abruptly lifted his hand and slapped himself hard. He staggered two steps back, willed himself to shed tears, and then ran crying to my parents. "Mom! Dad! Jasper hit me!" he wailed. Chapter 3 Evan threw himself into Mom's and Dad's arms and cried until he was out of breath. "I just wanted to apologize to Jasper, but he suddenly rushed out to hit me! He even called me a bastard and accused me of deliberately stealing both of you away from him! He also said… He said that you were the world's most useless parents, and he's been done with you two for a while now! "He cut the power on purpose to prevent me from filling out my application form! He wanted to ruin my life!" He showed off the handprint on his face and added, "Mom, Dad, I'm really scared!" I rushed in front of my parents and yelled desperately, "Mom, Dad, I didn't do it! Evan's lying! I didn't hit him! How can I when I'm already dead?" Yet, nobody heard my voice. Mom was trembling with rage. "And to think I was worried about him all this time! I never imagined I'd suffered this many years only to raise an ungrateful wretch!" Dad swiped a hand down his face and declared, "It looks like we've really spoiled Jasper." I stood rooted to the spot, tears streaming endlessly down my face. "I didn't do it! I'm not a rotten kid! I'm not an ungrateful wretch!" Dad gently wiped Evan's tears away and said, "Evan, don't cry. I bought a cake that we can eat together. Let's just ignore Jasper." Evan finally broke into a smile at this and nodded obediently. He cut a slice of cake for both Mom and Dad. "Mom, Dad, I'm the happiest child in the world right now," he said. I sat in an empty chair nearby, envy written all over my face. That was my favorite strawberry cake, after all. I could almost smell the fragrance of the whipped cream. However, Mom gently refused the cake. "You can have it, Evan. I can't eat it because it contains eggs," she explained. She lowered her gaze and continued, "I once swore before the cross that I would live a vegetarian lifestyle in exchange for Jasper's well-being." My eyes welled with tears, and I feebly tried to wrap my arms around her. My heart ached terribly to see several new strands of graying hair on her head. Dad sighed. Eventually, he walked over to my bedroom door with a plate of cake in hand. He knocked on the door, then said in a tired and exasperated voice, "Please knock it off, Jasper. As long as you apologize to Evan, we'll forgive you. So will you please come out and eat something?" Yet, the dead could not answer. After waiting for a while, he had no choice but to place the cake before the door. Mom's anger flared up again. She stabbed a large slice of cake with her fork and stuffed it into her mouth, then said in a deliberately raised voice, "If he won't eat it, we will! Ignore him. It's not like he's my only son." I bit my lip, my fingernails digging into my palms. That's right. It was a good thing my parents still had Evan, because then they wouldn't be too sad about me. Just then, the landline started ringing. Mom plastered a smile on her face and answered the call. "Ms. Wagner! Don't worry. Evan has submitted his college application form," she said into the phone. My homeroom teacher, Maria Wagner, replied, "That's good. What about Jasper? Did he decide to apply to Hareford University or Maracus Institute of Technology?" Chapter 4 Upon hearing my name from Ms. Wagner, Mom refused to listen to the rest of her question and simply brushed her off with a vague answer. "Jasper? Given his scores, does it matter which college he wants to apply to? It makes no difference." She then hung up without waiting for Ms. Wagner's reply. I stood where I was in a daze, feeling devastated. "Mom, I scored highest among every candidate in the city! I didn't let you and Dad down! Why aren't you willing to even ask about it? Do you really not love me anymore?" I asked aloud. Dad looked greatly disappointed. "I've never asked for Jasper to have good grades. All I ask is that he stays healthy and that our family can live in harmony. I simply don't understand how he turned out like this," he said. I felt aggrieved. It was as if someone had stabbed me with a rusty knife and twisted it, the pain bringing tears to my eyes. Dinner was a quiet, somber affair. Still, Mom and Dad left a meal for me outside my bedroom before retiring for bed. Unfortunately, I would never again be able to eat food. … The next day, Mom woke up early to check in on me, only to discover that the food and cake before my door had been left untouched. The whipped cream had lost its shape, and the strawberries were looking shriveled. Mom's expectant expression instantly faded. She pounded on the door and yelled, "Jasper Gunn! Get out of your room!" There was no response. Mom quickly teared up and asked, "What exactly do you want? You won't eat your dinner or the cake. Are you trying to starve yourself to send me to an early grave? Must I get down on my knees and apologize to you before you're satisfied?" Hearing the commotion, Dad rushed out of his bedroom and helped Mom up. "Jasper, enough! Come out so we can talk things over properly! Your mother's not in the best of health, so stop making her angry!" he shouted. Just as the words left his mouth, the doorbell rang. Mom hastily scrubbed a hand across her face before going to open the door. Several reporters carrying video cameras were standing outside the door. "Hello! We're from the local TV station, and we'd like to interview your son," he revealed. Mom's eyes lit up instantly, and her anger melted away in a flash. "Evan, come on out! People from the TV station are here to interview you!" she called out. Evan ran out of his room, looking very smug. However, the reporters exchanged glances before asking with a smile, "Is Jasper Gunn not home? He's this year's highest-scoring student among the candidates who applied for Hareford University, so we're here for him." Evan's smile froze on his face. Dad was stunned, but then he shouted with irrepressible delight, "Wonderful! I just knew Jasper was a capable kid! I knew he'd make it!" Mom hurriedly turned to lead the reporters while babbling incoherently in her excitement. "Honestly! Why didn't he share such wonderful news with us? Please come right in! He's in his room. I'll go get him." I hurriedly spread my arms to block her way, shaking with fear. "No, Mom! Hurry up and make them leave! Dad, please stop Mom quickly and don't let her see me! I'll frighten her!" However, they couldn't hear me at all. The reporters followed closely behind Mom with their video cameras over their shoulders, the lenses trained on my room door. The feed was being broadcasted live to thousands of households. The bookshelf behind the door was already teetering precariously from Mom's forceful kicks before, so it toppled over at the slightest push of the door. Mom flung the door open and announced, "Jasper, I'm coming in! Reporters from the TV station are here to interview you! It's a live broadcast, so everyone in the city will be watching! You should quickly tidy up your room!" A second later, her words died in her throat. Through the camera lenses, I was lying blue-faced in a huge pool of blood. The reporters were stunned, but their cameras were still trained steadily on my body. Mom rushed forward with a pale face and screamed heart-wrenchingly, "Jasper? Jasper!"