Blood for Blood

Chapter 1

The gas leak… it got us all. Carbon monoxide poisoning.

My last conscious act was calling my husband, Chad.

He swore he was coming, but he never did.

Our dog, Lucky, dragged me out of the bedroom. I lived.

My whole family? They were gone. Nine frozen bodies that night.

When I woke up, the grief nearly swallowed me whole. I was a wreck.

And then, just to twist the knife, Chad’s little sweetheart posted a cozy picture of them on Instagram.

“Some people would kill for this kind of love. I get it handed to me.”

Yeah, real subtle.

I choked back the bile and texted Chad.

“Is that why you didn’t come?”

“Oh, please! Spare me the act, Ginger. Can’t you be more like Stacy? Using your family as a way to trick me? How pathetic are you.”

“We’re done.”

I typed it, hit send, and blocked him. Just like that.

Next was taking care of my family’s arrangements, getting them cremated, and scattering their ashes.

Three days later, I went back to the house with Lucky, my seven-year-old golden retriever who saved my life.

I was gonna take what was mine and get out.

Mom’s bracelet, the one she always wore, Dad’s old baseball card, Grandma’s worn out bible, and my sister’s… everything.

They were proof I’d been loved.

I inhaled the lingering scent of them, like that would keep the memories from overwhelming me.

Mom and Dad teaching me to ride my bike, Grandma’s soft hands holding mine, my little sister’s endless chatter.

Every happy moment was a monster, tearing me apart.

I wiped my eyes and grabbed my suitcase when the front door swung open.

Chad and his girlfriend, Stacy, were standing there.

Stacy looked all mournful, clutching a shoebox.

“We should let Buster stay here tonight, then go bury him tomorrow.”

Buster was a stray kitten she’d picked up last week.

They came toward me. Chad’s face soured the second he saw me.

“Playing runaway now, Ginger? Grow up.”

Like I’d committed some kind of crime.

Stacy hid a little smile and looped her arm through Chad’s.

“Ginger, I’m so sorry. Buster passed away a few days ago, and I asked Chad to keep me company. I had no idea you guys had plans.”

I said coldly:

“Your relationship is not my business.”

Chad’s face darkened.

“Shut your mouth if you can’t talk right. Stacy’s already upset about Buster. Must you rub it in?”

Always defending her, always assuming the worst of me. I lost count of how many times he’d done it.

I didn’t answer. He kept going, all annoyed.

“Ginger, can you shower and get some sleep? Just stop already.”

There was a hint of softness in his voice, but mostly it was a threat.

Whatever. I didn’t want to hear another word from him. I just walked right past them, dragging my suitcase.

Maybe it was the fact that Chad tried to be nice, or because I did something that went against his wishes, he lost it. He yelled after me.

“Stop right there! Stacy told me the truth. She was at your house that day. There was no gas leak. You’re lying. You think I don’t know what you’re doing?”

I froze. My brain shut down. A sharp pain shot through my heart.

So that was it. That’s why Chad left my family to die.

I’d given him my last hope, and he tossed it aside because of Stacy’s lie.

In his mind, ten human lives were worth less than a stray kitten, less than Stacy’s words. He couldn’t even call to check?

I was pathetic.

Stacy grabbed my hand, all sweetness and light.

“Ginger, don’t be mad at Chad. Blame me. I shouldn’t have told him.”

Rage boiled inside me. Because of her, my family was dead. And now, she was smearing me.

I wrenched my hand away and shoved her.

She stumbled and fell, dropping the shoebox.

Chad’s face twisted. He rushed to her, all concern.

“Are you okay?”

Then, he turned on me, eyes like ice.

“Stacy’s trying to help you, and you attack her? Apologize! Apologize to Stacy!”

“No way.”

I stood my ground.

We glared at each other, the tension thick enough to cut.

Stacy started wailing, clutching the shoebox.

“Buster! Buster! Mommy failed you. I couldn’t protect you.”

Her performance made Chad’s anger explode.

His eyes narrowed.

“One last chance. Apologize, or you’ll regret it.”

He was back to his old tricks. High and mighty.

I would have caved. I would have begged. Because I was terrified of losing him.

I had been since day one.

I’d chased him for three years. Three years of throwing my heart at his feet.

And when he finally gave in, everyone told me I wasn’t good enough for him. It ate at me.

So I poured everything into pleasing him. I morphed myself into what he wanted, just to stay in his orbit.

His smile after taking everything from me was enough to make me happy.

Ten years. Ten years of that. Day in, day out, until now.

The day my family died, that love died with them.

I lifted my chin and spat two words at Chad.

“No chance.”

“Have it your way. Do it!”

He barked the order, and two security guards moved in.

They grabbed me and kicked open my suitcase. My family’s stuff spilled out.

“No! No!”

I reached for it, but Chad was a wall of ice.

“Burn it.”

The guards started tossing the items into the fireplace, one by one.

The bracelet, the card, the bible, the photos, journals… all of it, tossed into the flames.

“No! Please, no!”

I screamed and struggled.

The guards held me tight. I couldn’t move. I could only watch as the fire consumed the last pieces of them.

My heart was a gaping wound. Pain became a monster, tearing me apart.

Helplessness, rage, despair… it all poured out in a silent flood.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I apologize. Please, stop burning them!”

Chad snapped an order, and the guards let go. I fell to the floor, clawing at the remnants of my family.

Chad watched my misery, then turned and walked out with Stacy.

Leaving me alone.

I moved into a new place and started to process the grief.

After a week, I felt the hole in my heart begin to close.

I got my act together and set out to start a new life.

I called up an old friend, and we talked for hours.

She said she missed the old Ginger, the bold, spirited woman who chased what she wanted.

A brilliant designer, who commanded respect and attention.

After getting together with Chad, I’d become his shadow, following his lead and completely losing myself.

And I didn’t want to live like that anymore.

So, I started looking for work. Made new friends. Changed my surroundings.

I felt alive again. I found new meaning in life.

I was so busy, I barely thought about Chad.

Even though he called every day.

And I would repeat:

“Divorce. Sign the papers.”

Life went on. Then, I got a call from the new tenant of my family home.

“Ginger, the graveyard has been destroyed, you better go see what is going on.”

I froze. All my loved one’s ashes had been buried there.

I got a cab and raced to the area. Diggers had already started tearing the area up.

I searched around and found Stacy holding onto Chad.

“Darling, I know Buster will be happy buried here.”

“Do not worry, if the families of the deceased are still around, we will simply throw more money at them to solve the situation.”

Chad agreed while having a smile on his face.

He nodded to begin, and the diggers started tearing up the ground.

I ran in, screaming and telling them to stop.

“Stop it, please stop!”

The roaring of the machines drowned me out, even with my screaming.

I watched the diggers ripping up the ground, taking with them the urns containing the ashes.

My mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa were torn from the ground and dropped into piles of rubble.

At that moment, my heart was ripped out and stomped on. Grief and anger led to me forgetting about my safety.

I ran in front of the digger as it got closer to the last urn.

“Get back! Leave them alone!”

A big voice rang out.

“Stop!”

I turned to see Chad running towards me.

“Ginger, what are you doing here!”

I yelled back.

“Who allowed you to do this!”

Stacy walked over, clearly annoyed.

“What does this have to do with you, this entire property belongs to Chad, he doesn’t need your permission.”

“Chad, I think this is an urn.”

Stacy held up the broken urn.

I realized that it was my mom’s urn.

I ran towards her to grab it back, but Stacy loosened her grip and let it fall to the floor.

The wind blew and scattered the ashes across the floor.

With tear filled eyes, I knelt to the ground to put the ashes back in the urn.

Unfortunately, the wind grew and there was nothing I could do.

I sat on the ground and cried.

“I am sorry, I am so sorry, I could not protect you.”

Stacy scoffed and looked down on me.

“What are you crying for, its not as if your family is the one who died.”

“What do you want, they are just graves, they have nothing to do with you!”

Chad cursed and picked me up.

“Nothing to do with me? Each person buried here is my family!”

Stacy replied.

“Ginger, aren’t you being funny, picking up random graves to claim family, you are too impatient.”

“It’s not as if your family is dead.”

I clenched my fists, hatred ran through me, and I could not hold back any longer.

I pushed Stacy down and held her in place.

“You are right, my family is dead, and it is all thanks to you!”

I picked up a rock and struck her on her head.

“Now, you must pay!”