Kill Them With Kindness

My mother-in-law Mindy was fanatically superstitious. When my daughter Amy came down with a high fever, she followed an old wives' tale and wrapped the child in three thick quilts, causing her to nearly suffer permanent brain damage from overheating. I immediately rushed Amy to the hospital and repeatedly warned Mindy not to feed her anything strange. The moment I stepped away to pay the medical bill, she forced "holy water" she'd gotten from a suspicious temple down my daughter's throat when she'd only been barely saved from death's door. My daughter had an adverse reaction, and she suffocated to death on the spot. Devastated, I tried to call the police to arrest Mindy, but my husband Sam insisted she had only meant well, and had told me to be more understanding. "Mom was just desperate to save her! You don't have to take it this far, we could always have another child!" Because of this incident, I ended up being diagnosed with severe depression. Mindy, however, was insistent that I'd been possessed by an evil spirit and called on an exorcist to perform a purging ritual on me, inflicting wounds all over my body with a whip. By the time I was barely clinging to life, my husband came home from work. When I tried to beg him to save me, he forced me down by my limbs. "Listen to Mom. Once the evil spirit is exorcised, you'll be all better." And so, I was beaten to death. When I came to, I returned to the day Mindy tried to "help" my daughter once more. This time, I would make sure they had a taste of their own medicine. Chapter 1 "Oh, a child's fever isn't much to be worried about! Just wrap her with a bunch of blankets and force her to sweat out the chill!" Mindy clutched three thick comforters, piling them over Amy's tiny body one after another. As she mumbled under her breath, she made sure to tuck every single corner tightly right up to Amy's neck. I burst out in cold sweat, my heart pounding wildly. I'd just been reborn, back to the night before Amy's high fever-triggered convulsions. In my previous life, I'd desperately argued with Mindy and tried to pull the blankets off, only to be stopped by Sam, who had rushed in after hearing the commotion. Because of that moment's delay, Amy's fever spiraled into convulsions. Later on, at the hospital, Mindy forcefully fed Amy a bottle of cloudy, pungent holy water, causing my poor daughter to go into shock and die of asphyxiation in my arms. I would never be able to forget how Amy's small hands clawed desperately for breath as she turned purple. Nor would I ever be able to forget how Sam clamped a hand over my mouth when I tried to call the police, nor how he told me, "We can have another child, so don't kill my mother." I would never forget how they worked together with those charlatans they called exorcists, and how I was struck with a "holy scepter" until I died. Hatred surged through my chest like a tidal wave, and for a split second, I wanted nothing more than to storm into the kitchen, grab a knife, and butcher that venomous old hag where she stood. However, I bit hard on the tip of my tongue, using the pain to force myself to calm down. Now was not a good time to act just yet. This time, I'd make sure that Amy would leave, and that those two would pay the price! Pretending like I'd just woken up, I quickly shuffled to the bedside and tore the two topmost comforters away from Amy's body while Mindy was off in the kitchen, leaving only the thinnest layer. Watching as Amy's breaths became calm, I quickly reached into the bedside drawer, slipped out a fever suppository, and administered it as quickly as I could, using my body to block anyone from seeing me do so. The moment I finished, Mindy walked in with a chipped ceramic bowl. The bowl held a murky, cloudy concoction. Flecks of what seemed to be gray ash floated on the surface, and a nauseating stench rose from it. "Here, I got this holy water from a reputable temple. Feed it to her, and she'll be healed immediately!" Watching her raise her hand to pour the "holy water" into Amy's mouth, my eyes widened. That bowl was the very thing that had killed my daughter in my previous life. Springing to my feet, I deliberately caught my slipper on the floor and crashed towards Mindy with all my might. "Ouch!" With a pained cry, Mindy lost hold of the bowl and it shattered against the floor with a loud crack, spraying the filthy liquid all over her pants. "Don't you even know how to walk? Do you know what lengths I went to to get that holy water?!" As she pointed at me and screamed, the commotion woke Sam in the next room. Still wearing his slippers, he rushed into the room and rushed towards me without even sparing a glance at our feverish daughter. Smack! A solid slap landed across my face, and I felt my face swelling up, my ears ringing. "Have you lost your mind, Delia? Mom got that holy water specifically for Amy, so why did you put her goodwill to waste? You made her suffer for nothing! Are you trying to make everyone's life miserable?" Sam pointed at me and shouted, but my physical pain was nothing compared to the hatred in my heart. Clutching my cheek, teardrops slid down my face as I fell to the ground loudly. "I'm sorry, I didn't do it on purpose, I swear! I was just too worried about Amy, so I couldn't even stand properly!" Crawling over to Mindy, I gripped her pant leg desperately. "I'm sorry, Mindy! I'm sure you were thinking of nothing but the best for Amy! "B-But maybe… maybe it was a sign! Maybe God thought that the holy would have been too much of a miracle for Amy to bear? Could that have been why they caused this to happen?" Seeing me so humble and apologetic, Mindy's anger melted away visibly, and she snorted. "At least you know what you did wrong. I did it all for my poor granddaughter's sake, but since it was shattered, she simply must not have been fortunate enough to drink it!" Sam, satisfied by my submission, gave another dismissive snort. "Alright, stop groveling like someone just died and go mop the floor. "Mom, go back to bed. Don't waste your breath arguing with her." I lowered my head and silently fetched the mop, mechanically wiping away the filthy puddle. 'Sam, Mindy, just you wait… 'If Amy isn't blessed enough to enjoy your miraculous remedies… 'I'll make sure every last drop of those blessings is saved for the two of you.' Chapter 2 Because I had administered medicine and secretly wiped Amy down with warm water, her fever finally broke in the second half of the night. By the next morning, Amy had already recovered enough to be able to sit up in bed, eating oatmeal. Mindy looked at her energetic granddaughter with great pride and loudly boasted in the living room, "See? I told you my methods work! "When a child has a fever, you have to make them sweat it out. If it weren't for me wrapping her up in blankets yesterday, would she have recovered so quickly today? "Young people these days are just too delicate, always rushing to the hospital for medicine. Too much of it and the kid's brain will turn to mush!" Sam scrolled on his phone from his seat on the sofa, nodding in acknowledgment. "Yes, you know best, Mom. "The wisdom of the older generation is definitely better than that of those exploitative hospitals!" In the kitchen, I was steaming an egg pudding for Amy. Listening to the nauseating conversation outside, I let out a cold scoff without saying anything. Amy had just recovered, and her stomach was still very weak. A few days later, Mindy somehow heard yet another absurd folk remedy from one of her old friends. That afternoon, I'd only just brought out my healthy, simple dishes from the kitchen when Mindy walked out of the kitchen carrying a small aluminum pot. The moment she lifted the lid, a strong, pungent smell of urine filled the entire dining room. My stomach churned violently, the scent almost making me throw up. "What in the world is that? Why does it smell so bad?" I frowned, looking at the pot. Mindy, looking pleased with herself, took out two peeled eggs from the pot that had already been tainted an ominous shade of yellow and placed them in front of Amy. "This is good stuff, it's eggs boiled in a child's urine! "I went next door to collect the urine of a baby boy that had just turned one month old, you know? "Amy's only just recovered, and her body is weak. Eating this will drive out all the lingering sickness, and she won't even catch a cold for an entire year, I swear!" Looking at the eggs reeking of urine, I pulled Amy behind me protectively, my expression darkening. "Amy's stomach is already weak! How could you feed her something like this? What if she gets a bacterial infection? Throw it away!" When she heard this, Mindy shrieked like a scorned witch, striking her wooden spatula against the table heavily. "What in the world do you know? A child's urine is filled with enough energy to purge evil spirits and strengthen the body! "I got up before dawn to collect it, and now you want me to throw it away just like that? What kind of intentions do you have?" The argument caused Sam, who'd been playing games in his room, to come out and check. He frowned visibly when he smelled the scent of urine, but once he saw me opposing his mother, he immediately yelled at me without asking what had happened. "What are you making a fuss about again? Mom kindly prepared that remedy for Amy, so what right do you have to stop her from eating it?" "Can't you smell it, Sam? It's urine! Amy is only three years old. What if she gets sick? Who's going to take responsibility?" I asked, my eyes reddening from tears. "I am!" He shoved me hard, and I fell back into a chair. Pointing at me, he shouted, "Mom worked hard to prepare this remedy, and it's something other people can only beg for! "I think you just don't like it when things go right for our family! If anything happens to her after she eats the eggs, I'll take her to get healed, so I don't need you here acting like you're some sort of martyr!" Watching Sam's righteous expression, filled with blind obedience, my heart felt as cold as ice. "Fine, I won't stop you…" I covered my face, sobbing softly. "Mindy was just trying to help, and I was just causing a scene… "B-But… Amy is still small and can't eat it herself, so I'll mash it up so that she can eat it. That should be fine, right?" Seeing me finally compromise, Sam let out a cold snort. "See, was that really so hard? Stop making Mom mad all day, geez." Mindy raised her chin gleefully. "Go on, feed it to her. If it goes cold, it's going to lose its properties." I carried the bowl of urine-boiled eggs into the kitchen. With my back to them, my expression turned ice-cold. Without hesitation, I dumped the two disgusting eggs straight into the trash. Then I took out two normal boiled eggs I had prepared earlier, mashed them up, placed them in Amy's little bowl, and drizzled a bit of salt and pepper. Then, Amy obediently finished the eggs in the kitchen. As I washed the dishes, I listened to laughter from the living room, where Sam and Mindy were chatting happily. My grip tightened around the plate I was holding. 'Since you trust your mother's folk remedies so much, since you insist you'll take responsibility… 'Then next time, I'll make sure these remedies are used completely on you!' Chapter 3 Thinking that her methods had worked on Amy once more, Mindy became even more assured and emboldened in her ways. Lately, Sam's company had begun interviewing candidates for an internal promotion to department manager. Determined to win the position, he'd been working overtime every day for the past two weeks. The relentless workload and lack of sleep finally caught up with him. Three days before his final interview, he came down with a severe case of the flu. Burning with fever, he lay in bed, too weak to even turn over. "Cough… Delia, get the fever medicine and antibiotics from the drawer for me. My head feels like it's about to split open…" Sam clutched his head, pleading with a hoarse voice. I chuckled inwardly, but outwardly, I acted like I was the most worried wife in the world, rushing outside to get the medicine box. The moment I opened the medicine box, Mindy rushed over like a gust of wind and snatched the medicine from my hands, glaring at me fiercely. "How could you feed him this medicine? Eating antibiotics is going to make him stupid! "He's interviewing for his manager position in two days! What if these pills cause damage to his brain, and he won't be able to answer the interview questions? Are you trying to ruin his future?!" Acting conflicted, I looked at her. "B-But he's got a high fever, Mindy…How can he not take medicine? What if it turns into pneumonia...?" "Bah, don't jinx him!" Mindy tsked, spitting on the ground. "That sort of thing won't happen to him with me here! "Sam's going to become a big-shot manager, so God must be testing him! "Two days ago, I went to have his fortune read, and the fortune teller told me that Sam's bound to meet trials and tribulations this year, and that evil spirits would stop his ascension! "He's only gotten sick because he's been haunted by evil spirits!" The moment I heard the words haunted by evil spirits, my heart skipped a beat, the horrifying memories surfacing in my mind. As I expected, Mindy continued, "No, this won't do. Medicine isn't nearly enough. "I've contacted some exorcists from the next town over! They're well-versed in exorcising all forms of evil spirits, and they'll be here any minute! "Today, we're getting rid of the evil spirits clinging to Sam once and for all!" Less than half an hour later, the doorbell rang. Mindy hurried excitedly to answer it, and three dubious-looking men in shabby costumes walked through the door. The moment I saw their leader, a man with a large mole on his face, the blood in my veins went cold, and my fingernails dug deeply into my palms. It was them! In my past life, these three "exorcists" took Mindy's money and struck me to death with a so-called holy scepter drenched in dog's blood! Suppressing the murderous rage surging inside me, I lowered my head obediently and stepped aside. The fake exorcists entered the bedroom and theatrically circled Sam's bed, before a mole-faced man slapped his thigh dramatically. "Goodness, ma'am! Your son's gotten sick because of the century-old evil spirit, clutching onto his back and absorbing his life essence! "If you had asked me to come one day later, he'd be beyond saving!" Mindy was so scared that her legs nearly gave out, and she clasped her hands together, bowing repeatedly. "Please, save my son! We'll pay whatever it costs!" Chapter 4 "Exorcising evil is our sacred duty, ma'am." Lucas, the mole-faced man, put on a profound, mysterious expression. From the cloth bag at his side, he took out an iron basin, poured in half a basin of what seemed to be ash, before lighting up a talisman and throwing it into the basin. Immediately, the ash ignited, sending up thick, acrid smoke as the iron basin rapidly grew scorching hot. "With the flames derived from the very sun, we shall purge this evil spirit! Ma'am, take off your son's shirt. I will apply these sacred ashes onto his navel and exterminate the evil spirit through fire!" Although Sam was delirious with fever, he heard every word. His eyes locked onto the smoking basin of blazing-hot ash, and all the color drained from his face. "No… Please, no! Mom, I'm going to get burned to death! Delia, help me!" Sam screeched and struggled, wrapping himself protectively with his blankets. Mindy panicked and lunged forward, pinning down his legs. "Don't move, Sam! They're trying to save you! Getting burned a little is better than being killed by evil spirits, right?" But Sam was much stronger than she was, and she couldn't hold him down by herself. Seeing him desperately pleading with me for help, I immediately stepped forward. The leading exorcist shot me an annoyed, dirty look. "What are you doing, young lady? Go hold your husband down! If we miss this prime opportunity, he's going to perish!" Seeing me step between him and his mother, Sam's eyes welled up with tears. "Delia, I knew you wouldn't let me suffer like this, quick…" Mindy's expression became dark, and it seemed like she was two seconds from shouting at me. Instead, without the slightest hesitation, I threw my full weight onto Sam's arms, pinning him firmly against the mattress. "Delia… what are you… what are you doing? Save me!" Sam looked at me, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Just endure it, honey! Once the evil spirit is purged, you'll get promoted, and your sickness will be cured!" Then, word for word, I hurled his own words from my previous life back at him. "The older generation has always cured great ailments with folk remedies! Mindy's only worried about you, so don't take it too far!"