From Sneers to Cheers: Anthea’s Ascent

The air was icy cold.
So cold, it made Rebecca shiver uncontrollably.
But the thermostat was definitely off.
And something was wrong with the lights, too.
They were dim-flickering in and out, every shadow thrown sharply against the walls.
Rebecca's image appeared on the monitor, and at that moment, Daniel became frantic, struggling desperately against his
restraints. He was terrified they'd hurt her.
Rebecca swallowed hard and shut the living room door behind her.
Hanging in the center of the room was a framed photo of Sandra.
In the picture, Sandra was smiling right at Rebecca.
A chill ran down Rebecca's spine, the tiny hairs on her arms standing on end. She rushed to turn on the television.
Static hissed from the screen.
The TV powered on, but nothing appeared-just a haze of white noise.
What was going on?
Was the TV broken?
Rebecca stepped closer, tapping the screen in frustration.
And then-
Snap!

The room's lights went out all at once.
Only the faint glow of the static-filled TV remained.

Had the power gone out?
Rebecca stumbled backward, bumping into a chair with a sharp clatter.
"Rebecca..."
"Rebecca..."
Two voices echoed through the darkness, soft and distant, but growing closer.
Cold sweat drenched her skin.
That voice-it couldn't be...
Sandra. It was Sandra's voice.
Sandra was looking for her.
Rebecca gripped the back of the chair, her face drained of color.
Bang-
Suddenly, the door to Sandra's old bedroom swung open on its own.
White mist billowed from within.
A pale figure emerged from the fog, her skin white as paper, two streaks of blood running down her cheeks.
Sandra.
It was really Sandra.
Rebecca's knees buckled, her legs trembling so badly she nearly collapsed.
“Rebecca,” Sandra called softly, “it's cold down here. Come keep me company...”
But as she spoke, Sandra's face twisted, her voice rising to a furious shriek: "You're my daughter! How could you be so heartless

and kill me?"

Sandra drew closer, step by step, and Rebecca broke down, sobbing as she scrambled backwards on the floor. "You died of
carbon monoxide poisoning! It had nothing to do with mel Please, don't come near mer in begging you!"
"It WAS you! You slipped sleeping pills into my drink and left the stove on, all so
I'd pass out and never wake up! You wanted me dead so you could blame
everything on me and your father!"
"After I died, you used Daniel's trust
to let the Christensens know I was gone, hoping they'd pity you and take you in-thinking you could claw your way back to the
family and maybe even your old engagement!”
"But you miscalculated! The Christensens saw right through you long ago!"
"When seducing Sherman failed, you set your sights on Daniel-tricking that fool into believing you'd slept together, so he'd take
responsibility for your child!" "Am I wrong?"
Just then, Sherman ripped the tape from Daniel's mouth.
Daniel fell silent, staring at Rebecca on the monitor, his face ashen, sweat beading on his forehead.
No.
It couldn't be.
Rebecca couldn't be that cruel.
But Rebecca didn't deny a single word.
"That's right! Everything you said is true! Daniel's nothing but a stepping stone to me I've only ever used him to get close to Mr.
Christensen. How was supposed to w Sherman was Mr. Christensen all along? If only I hadn't broken off the engagement, I
wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble!"
“But Mom, I did all of this for you! For our family! Didn't you always say you'd do
anything for me?"

Some mothers would give their lives for their children.
Why couldn't Sandra?