I Bled for Mom's Reality Show

Caked in mud, her eyes bloodshot, my mother grabbed me by the shoulders. "Elliot, the company's collapsed. I… I killed a competitor. It was an accident. There's no way out now. You're the only one who can come with me." I believed her. I swallowed my fear and followed her into the mountains, deeper and deeper until there was nothing left of the world I knew. To keep her alive, I searched for food, forcing down insects, drinking whatever murky water I could find. When a pack of wolves began circling our shelter, my first instinct was to step in front of her. "Mom, I'll lead them away. You go." I glanced back at her one last time…and made my choice. I would give up my life for hers. However, when I leapt from the cliff and my body shattered against the rocks below… I still saw her. She was inside a descending helicopter, calm and composed, lifting a glass of champagne. Celebrating. That was when it finally clicked. The desperate escape that had driven me to sacrifice myself… was nothing more than a carefully staged show. She had been acting the entire time. I…was the only one who had actually died. Chapter 1 Three days ago, I was still at school, buried in final exams. Then my mom burst into the classroom, her makeup smeared and her face a mess, grabbing my hand and dragging me out without a word of explanation. She said the company went bankrupt and that they owed millions to loan sharks, and if the money was not paid back, those people would not bother with the law but would simply make us disappear. I believed her because she cried so hard it looked real, her hands shaking as if she could not control them. So we ran, hiding deep in the mountains, where for three straight days the rain poured down as if the sky split open. Ever since I drank the half bottle of water Mom gave me, my head felt heavy and foggy, like it was stuffed with wet cotton. The water tasted a little bitter, but she said it was spring water. I did not eat for two days. My vision kept doubling, shadows overlapping everything. My ears rang nonstop, and even the wind sounded like something screaming. We were hiding in a damp, freezing cave. Mom was devouring the last half of a compressed biscuit I saved. She ate fast, wiping her tears as she went. "Elliot, I'm sorry," she said between bites. "I dragged you into this. I made you suffer." I leaned against the icy rock wall. My vision kept fading in and out, and I did not even have the strength to lift my hand. I wanted to sleep. However, I did not dare. I gripped a sharpened wooden stick so tightly my nails dug into my palm. The pain was the only thing keeping me awake. Just a moment ago, the wolves came. At least, I thought they were wolves. I could not see clearly at all. The rain blurred everything, and that strange dizziness made it worse. All I could make out in the darkness were more than a dozen pairs of glowing green eyes, and a sick, rotting smell that made my stomach turn. The ringing in my ears drowned out everything, so I could not hear the faint mechanical sounds, thinking they were just the low growl of beasts. Mom collapsed to the ground, shaking, her words falling apart. "It's over. It's over. They're going to tear us apart." I stared at the dark shapes closing in, my heart pounding wildly, not because I was afraid to die, but because I was afraid she would. Dad died early, and she raised me on her own. She was always busy with work and rarely had time for me, but I knew she loved me, and that was enough. I grabbed a burning branch from the fire, adrenaline surging through my body and pushing past the weakness. "Mom, run!" I shouted with everything I had as I rushed out through the narrow gap between the rocks. To the left was a gentle slope, her only way out, while to the right was a cliff, a dead end. If I ran left, and the wolves could not catch me, they would turn around and go straight for her. I did not hesitate. I turned and sprinted toward the cliff on the right. I was going to drag them into a dead end. Make sure they never even thought about turning back. The "wolves" took the bait. They howled and all turned to chase after me. Behind me, I heard her boyfriend's lazy voice drift over. "Hey, don't run out of frame. There's no camera set up over there." Chapter 2 The wind was too loud, and my head felt too foggy. I did not catch what he said at all. All I could hear were hurried footsteps behind me, getting closer and closer. I ran to the edge of the cliff. Loose rocks crumbled under my feet and tumbled down into a bottomless darkness below. Behind me came the stench of those wolf jaws. Several shadows already lowered their bodies, ready to pounce. I glanced back once and saw the entire pack closing in, but by then, Mom was already safe. I hurled the burning branch at them, shut my eyes, and jumped. The moment my body lost all weight, there was nothing left but the sound of the wind in my ears. The last thought that flashed through my mind was that Mom was finally safe, and as long as she lived, the fall was worth it. … When I opened my eyes again, my body felt light as a feather. I looked down and saw another me lying twisted among the rocks, one leg bent at a horrible angle, my school uniform torn to shreds by branches. Blood stained the stream beneath me, only to fade as the water carried it away. Was I dead? Was that what came after death? Before I could even process it, a massive roar suddenly came from the top of the cliff. Blinding beams of light snapped on, turning the mountaintop as bright as day. I drifted upward to get a better look, then froze as a helicopter descended, its rotor blades whipping up violent gusts of wind that bent the trees in every direction. A group of staff in camouflage uniforms rushed out. The wolves that were just trying to tear me apart were having their heads removed. They were people. Crew members in special effects suits. A few well-trained wolfdogs, then lying obediently on the ground, wagging their tails. "Cut! Perfect!" Harriet Lawson stepped out from between the rocks, brushing dirt off her clothes and smoothing out her expensive coat. There was no trace of the panic or madness from before. The director hurried over with a flattering smile, handing her a glass of champagne. "Ms. Lawson, that performance was unbelievable. The livestream has just passed three hundred million viewers. Everyone online is calling this the best family drama of the year." Harriet took the champagne, turned to the camera, and took a graceful sip. That familiar smile spread across her face, the one that always meant she had everything under control. "That kid acted really well. "I almost believed it myself. Especially that final jump. The emotion was spot on." She called out toward the edge of the cliff, her voice clear and casual. "Alright, Elliot, stop hiding. The props team has already cleared out, and the holograms are off. Get up here. I had them prepare your favorite tomahawk steak." I hovered in midair, staring at the smile on her face, and the whole thing felt absurd, so absurd it hardly seemed real. There were no police, no bankruptcy, no killers, and even the wolves were not real. The crew started packing up, loading all the so-called dangerous props onto the helicopter. Someone asked quietly, "Why hasn't Mr. Lawson come back yet? I saw him jump just now. Could it be?" Harriet waved her hand, cutting him off with complete confidence. "Relax. There are safety nets and air cushions down there. I saw the staff go down earlier. "That kid is probably waiting for me to praise him. That's his little trick. He just wants me to feel bad for him." She turned back to the camera, speaking to the countless viewers watching the livestream. "Kids these days are too soft. If you don't teach them a real lesson, they'll never grow up. See? This time we pushed him, and look at the potential he showed." Cheers and applause broke out all around. Everyone was celebrating the perfect success of this so-called survival challenge. Chapter 3 I was the only one left, drifting in the freezing wind. Looking down at my lifeless body below, I felt nothing at all. … The helicopter slowly lifted into the air, carrying the celebrating crowd toward the luxury camp at the foot of the mountain. I was pulled along by some invisible force, drifting beside Harriet. She leaned back against a leather seat. Sitting next to her was her boyfriend, the producer of this show, Timothy Lloyd. Timothy held up an iPad, showing her the numbers, grinning from ear to ear. "Harriet, you nailed it. The whole internet is calling you a 'tough love mom.' They're saying everything you did was for your kid's own good. Our company's stock is already up five percent after hours." Harriet slipped an arm around his shoulders and kissed his cheek lightly, her smile calm and satisfied. "Of course. Who do you think set this whole thing up? Audiences love stories like this, rich kids being forced to face reality. Elliot's too quiet, barely noticeable most of the time. If I don't push him, he'll never understand how harsh the real world can be." Timothy leaned into her, his tone half-teasing, half-concerned. "You're the only one who could go that far. When I saw him jump, my face went pale. Honestly, it was kind of hard to watch." "Hard to watch?" Harriet took a sip of red wine, completely unfazed. "He's my son. If he can't even handle a staged scare like this, how is he supposed to take over my position in the future?" She paused, the corner of her lips lifting slightly. "Besides, everything was under control. I had the team set up three layers of safety airbags down there. Softer than his bed at home. He wouldn't even get a scratch." I floated above them, staring at her like it was all perfectly normal. Three days ago. Harriet burst into my school and dragged me out, reeking of alcohol, her designer suit torn and her face marked with bruises. "Elliot, it's over. It's all over. The company's gone bankrupt, and we owe millions to loan sharks. If we can't pay them back, they'll kill me." She broke down completely, her legs giving out as she collapsed to the ground, clutching me tightly. I was terrified. All my life, she was Ms. Lawson, untouchable and perfect. I never saw her like that. Without even thinking, I shoved all five thousand dollars of my savings into her hands. However, she pulled me into that beat-up van and drove straight into the deep mountains. For those three days. We ate wild fruit and drank dirty water. To let her have one more bite of that moldy bread, I lied and said I was not hungry, then turned around and scraped tree bark to fill my stomach. My hands were torn open by thorns, and my feet were covered in blisters, but I never complained once, because she said, "Elliot, you're all I have now." All she had. I was always a coward, someone who could not even handle dissecting a frog in class, and yet, for her, I was willing to risk my life. In the end? All of that was just for her stock price, her popularity, and her vanity as some kind of "educator." Those moments when I struggled on the edge of life and death, in her eyes, were nothing more than "emotionally rich" performance material. So in her heart, I was not even a person. … The helicopter landed on the lawn of a resort hotel at the foot of the mountain. The place was brightly lit, already set up for a celebration banquet. A long table was covered with lobster, champagne, red wine, and that so-called favorite of mine, a tomahawk steak. The truth was, I did not even like tomahawk steak. What I liked were simple vegetables and light, home-cooked meals. That was what my dad used to make for me before he passed. Ever since he died, Harriet never remembered what I liked. She remembered that Timothy did not eat green onions. She remembered that he liked his filet mignon medium rare. However, she never remembered that I was allergic to red meat. Chapter 4 The moment Harriet stepped off the helicopter, she was surrounded by reporters and livestream hosts. Camera flashes burst nonstop, so bright they made my eyes ache. "Ms. Lawson, what inspired you to design this part?" "Ms. Lawson, some viewers say this kind of 'death-style education' is too extreme. What do you think about that?" Harriet adjusted her suit, that perfectly practiced smile already in place. "Young people today have very low tolerance for pressure. I did this so Elliot could understand that you can unlock your potential only in extreme situations. And look at him. In the end, didn't he do great? To protect his family, he overcame his fear. That is what growth looks like." Thunderous applause erupted. Comments flooded the livestream. [Ms. Lawson is absolutely right. Kids like this need to be pushed. They can't stay in their comfort zone forever.] [I actually cried. That look in Elliot's eyes at the end; it was so steady. That is what it means to be part of the Lawson family.] [This is real education. It might be harsh, but it works. Respect Ms. Lawson.] I stared at those words, a laugh almost escaping me. So this was what they called love. Yeah. It just happened to bury me along with it. After greeting people in the crowd, Harriet finally took her seat at the head of the table. She cut into a piece of steak, still red inside, and chewed slowly. A thin line of blood ran down from the corner of her mouth. It looked exactly like the blood that splashed out of me when I hit the rocks. "Why isn't Elliot back yet?" She checked the time, her brows knitting slightly. "It's been half an hour. Even if he walked up, he should be here by now." The director was gnawing on a nearby chicken leg, speaking with his mouth full. "He's probably still down there throwing a tantrum. He's a teenager. Realizes he got tricked, feels embarrassed. It's normal to sulk a bit." Timothy chimed in from the side. "Yeah, Elliot's always been a bit proud. He's probably hiding somewhere, waiting for you to come comfort him." Harriet let out an icy laugh and slammed her knife and fork back onto the table. "Comfort him? That will only make it worse." Her tone turned sharp. "That kid is way too self-centered. No sense of the bigger picture at all." She glanced around at the guests, lowering her voice, which somehow made it even harsher. "Tonight is a celebration banquet. With so many important guests here, he actually dares to embarrass me in public?" She pulled out her phone and dialed my number. Her phone screen was still being mirrored onto the big display, and the entire room went quiet, waiting for the touching moment of a mother and son reunion. The phone rang a few times. "Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently powered off," The mechanical female voice echoed through the hall. Harriet's expression darkened. "Oh, so now he dares to turn off his phone." She stood up and shouted at the director. "Send people down to find him. Tell him if he doesn't show up in front of me within ten minutes, I'm cutting off all his allowance next month. Let him go earn his own living." I floated right in front of her, watching her lose her temper. "Mom, do not bother. Dead people did not need an allowance," I let out a silent, helpless sigh. The director did not dare waste a second. He grabbed a walkie-talkie and contacted the search team below. "Joshua, Joshua! Stop wasting time and get Mr. Lawson up here now. Ms. Lawson is angry!" Only static came back at first. After a long pause, a broken voice finally answered. "We checked the whole area and didn't find anyone." "What do you mean you didn't find anyone?" The director's voice rose in panic. "Weren't there three safety airbags? Did he just vanish into thin air?" "The airbags! The airbags are empty." The voice on the other end trembled. Chapter 5 "And, we found a shoe next to the airbags." The director froze for a second, then instinctively looked at Harriet. Harriet's face was dark as she drank in silence. The moment she heard that, she snatched the walkie-talkie, clearly annoyed. "A shoe? What's the big deal? He left it there on purpose to scare me. That kid, so now he's trying to get back at me because I tricked him?" She shouted into the radio, "Keep searching. Expand the area. Even if he dug a hole and buried himself, you dig him out and bring him to me." She tossed the walkie-talkie aside and angrily loosened the collar of her shirt. "Kids these days are full of tricks. Look at that. He even took off his shoe just to make me worry." She complained to Timothy, "This is what happens when a child isn't disciplined properly. When he gets back, I'm locking him in his room for a month." Timothy tried to calm her down while agreeing, "Seriously, Elliot's being ridiculous. He's not a kid anymore, still playing hide and seek like this. Doesn't he realize how exhausted everyone is?" The tone in the livestream chat started to shift. [This kid is so ungrateful. His mom went through all this trouble to teach him, and he's throwing a tantrum?] [Exactly. He's overdoing it. It's just a show. Why go missing like this?] [I feel bad for Ms. Lawson. Being a mom is so hard.] I looked at those comments. Felt nothing. That shoe fell off while I was struggling in the air. Not far from it, my body lay quietly among the rocks, already cold. Then it started to rain. The clear night sky suddenly filled with dark clouds, and heavy drops began crashing down. The camp fell into chaos. Staff rushed to move equipment out of the rain. Harriet sat under a large umbrella, watching the storm outside, her expression growing worse by the second. "That brat really expects the whole crew to stand out there in the rain for him?" She cut into a medium-cooked steak while replaying the livestream footage on her phone. The screen was filled with comments like "insane," "amazing acting," and "this mother and son duo really know how to create buzz." Harriet watched with obvious satisfaction, letting out small, pleased laughs. "Look at this traffic. The company's stock is definitely hitting the limit up tomorrow." She speared a piece of beef and put it into her mouth, the one that was supposedly bought for me. Another half hour passed. The rain kept pouring, and the search team still did not return. Harriet checked the time again, her fingers tapping impatiently against the table. She took out her phone and dialed my number again. "Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently powered off." She threw the phone onto the sofa, frowning as she snapped at the director. "Is this kid seriously this petty? Hiding down there just to scare me?" The director did not dare respond. He could only keep urging the search team again and again. Harriet turned back to the camera and complained, "Kids these days are too spoiled. Acting in a show like it's real, making the whole crew stand out in the rain for him." Right then, the walkie-talkie crackled with static. Then the trembling voice of the search team leader came through. "We didn't find him. We only found a shoe." This time, his voice was clearly shaking. "And, the shoe was covered in blood."