They Took Everything by Vote, So I Disappeared Chapter 03

They Took Everything by Vote, So I Disappeared Chapter 03

“Four to one.”

Dad made the final call.

“Erin, go get the bracelet.”

I sat in my chair, staring at the four hands raised in front of me.

Just like countless times over the past eighteen years.

Whenever they raised their hands, I had to give something up.

My tutoring money.

My college choice.

And now, the last keepsake Grandma had left me.

“Okay.”

I didn’t argue.

I didn’t cry or make a scene.

I got up and went to my room.

From a storage bin under the bed, I pulled out an old red velvet box.

I gently traced the pattern on the lid with my fingertip.

Grandma, I’m sorry.

I carried the box back to the living room and set it on the dining table.

Mom snatched it up, opened it, and immediately smiled.

“This is really good-quality gold.”

“I’ll take it to the jewelry buyer this afternoon and sell it.”

Bryce let out a long breath of relief.

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“And thanks, Erin.”

They ate happily.

After dinner, I was standing at the sink washing dishes when laughter drifted in from the living room again.

“Mom, once Erin starts at the local state college, she’ll be on campus most of the time, right?”

Kelsey’s voice carried into the kitchen.

“My room is seriously way too cramped!”

“Can I have the spare bedroom and turn it into a walk-in closet?”

“A walk-in closet?”

Mom paused.

“Erin can just sleep on the couch in the living room.”

“It pulls out into a full-size bed.”

“That’s way more comfortable than that old narrow bed she has now.”

Dad thought about it for a moment.

“Well, we should be fair about this.”

“Let’s wait until Erin finishes the dishes, then we’ll vote.”

I turned off the faucet and set the clean dishes in the drying rack.

Then I dried my hands and walked out of the kitchen.

“Erin, you heard what Kelsey just said, right?”

Dad looked at me.

“I heard.”

“Then let’s vote.”

Dad leaned back against the couch.

“All in favor of turning the spare bedroom into Kelsey’s walk-in closet, raise your hand.”

Four hands shot up again.

They all looked at me.

Waiting for me to react the way I always had.

Hurt.

Resentful.

And eventually forced to give in.

But this time, I slowly raised my right hand too.

Kelsey stared at me in disbelief.

“You… you actually agree?”

“Yeah.”

I lowered my hand, my voice calm.

“Four to one.”

I paused.

“No. Five to zero.”

“Unanimous.”

“The room’s yours.”

I turned and walked back to the room that would soon no longer be mine.

Behind me, Mom muttered,

“Why is she agreeing so easily today?”

Dad gave a dismissive snort.

“At least she knows we’re family.”

“She’s finally learned to help her family.”

Because I didn’t need that room anymore.

I dragged a black duffel bag out from under the bed.

That was all the luggage I had.

A few changes of clothes.

An old water bottle.

And a stack of technical books.

I packed everything into the bag one piece at a time, then zipped it shut.

My phone screen lit up.

A text message.

“Erin, the special train to the Red Mesa High Desert research facility will depart tomorrow at 5:00 a.m. Please report to the train station on time.”

I typed a short reply.

“Got it.”

Outside the window, the sky slowly darkened as lights came on in house after house.

I sat on my wooden bed, listening to music drifting through the wall from Kelsey’s room.

This was my last night in this house.