Mother approached me holding a white cloth. I couldn't understand what she intended to do, but looking at her expression, I knew something terrible had happened.
Unfolding the white cloth, Mother spoke.
"They say your father has just passed away. Now that he is gone, people will come swarming in to kill and humiliate us. So, before that happens, let's go together."
Suddenly, Mother seemed terrifying, but I couldn't run away from her. She wrapped the white cloth around my neck and pulled it tight.
Mom, I can't breathe. Please, don't.
I flailed and struggled as the cloth in her hands strangled me, but I couldn't break free from her grip, and I slowly lost consciousness.
How much time had passed since I blacked out? A light appeared in the distance and rushed toward me in an instant. Simultaneously, a flood of unknown knowledge surged into my mind.
The memories of the six-year-old boy I was, and the information from the future merged, allowing me to perceive my current situation. I began to clearly understand why I had ended up like this.
After some time, I suddenly snapped back to consciousness and opened my eyes. I frantically looked around for my mother.
She was hanging there, swaying in the air, suspended by the very same white cloth she had used to strangle me.
Mom!
I wanted to scream for her, but my voice wouldn't come out. When she told me Father had died, I didn't know what death meant. But now, I know what death is. I also know why Father died, and why Mother tried to strangle me to death before taking her own life.
In the distance, I could hear the sound of people shouting. I had to run.
I scrambled to my feet to escape the house. Right in front of me lay the final will my father had written for us. I grabbed the will and fled outside.