The day Dream returned from studying abroad, she brought sunshine with her—at least that's what everyone thought. I should have known better.
"Surprise!" she announced, bursting into our cliff-side picnic with her camera already rolling. "I'm back early! Isn't this wonderful?"
My mother smiled warmly, embracing Dream while I unpacked the picnic basket. "We've missed you so much, dear."
Cole—my husband, the man who had confessed his love to me ninety-nine times—looked at his adopted sister with undisguised adoration. "You should have told us you were coming home today. We would have prepared something special."
"Oh, but this is special," Dream insisted, her eyes sparkling with what I now recognize was calculation. "I've planned the perfect game for us to play together. Something to welcome me home and celebrate our family reunion!"
The wind picked up as we spread our blanket on the cliff-side clearing. The view was breathtaking—rolling hills below, the ocean in the distance. My mother had chosen this spot for our weekly family picnic, a tradition she cherished.
"I call it 'Trust Fall with a Twist,'" Dream explained, positioning herself near the cliff edge. "We'll take turns standing here, and the others will push us gently. It's all about family trust!"
My mother laughed nervously. "Oh, honey, I don't know about this. The edge looks so..."
"It's perfectly safe," Dream assured her, already guiding my mother toward the precipice. "I've measured everything. The ground slopes gently here, not straight down. See?"
I watched as Dream carefully positioned my mother, her camera capturing every moment. Something felt wrong—the way Dream's smile didn't reach her eyes, how she kept glancing at her phone between shots.
"Ready?" Dream called out. "One... two... three!"
What happened next seemed to unfold in slow motion. My mother's laughter turned to surprise as she lost her balance. Dream's hands, which should have steadied her, instead gave a slight push. The ground crumbled beneath my mother's feet.
"Mom!" I screamed, lunging forward.
But it was too late. My mother's body tumbled over the edge, her scream cutting through the wind before fading into terrible silence.
---
"Accidents happen," Cole said flatly, his hand gripping mine with uncomfortable tightness. We sat in his lawyer's office, papers spread across the polished table.
I stared at him in disbelief. "This wasn't an accident. Dream planned it. She recorded everything!"
"She was making a home movie," Cole countered, his voice hardening. "The police report says your mother lost her balance. No one's at fault."
"But the video—"
"Has been edited already," Dream interjected from across the table, tears streaming down her face. "I cut out the awful parts. I never meant for this to happen, Violet. You have to believe me."
I looked to Cole for support, but found only coldness in his eyes. "Sign the papers, Violet. This is for everyone's good."
"What papers?" I asked, though I already knew.
"The settlement agreement," his lawyer explained smoothly. "It states that this was an unfortunate accident, and no one will seek further investigation or legal action."
My hands trembled as I read the document. "This is wrong, Cole. My mother is dead."
"And Dream is devastated," he replied, glancing protectively at his sister. "She's family, Violet. Your mother would want us to move forward together."
---
"You're going to eat it all," Dream whispered, her camera hidden in the folds of her sweater. "Every bite."
I stared at the plate before me—spoiled meat crawling with maggots, something that had once been food but now resembled decay itself.
"Please," I whispered, my stomach churning. "Not this."
"Oh, but this is the best part," Dream insisted, her voice sickly sweet. "Cole will be so upset if he sees you've been naughty again. And Grandma's care facility... they might lose their funding if certain videos get leaked online."
My grandmother—my last remaining family member, frail and dependent on the care facility Cole had arranged.
"You wouldn't," I said, though I knew she would.
Dream's smile widened as she tilted her head, studying me through her lens. "Eat," she commanded softly.
I picked up the fork with trembling hands. The smell alone made me gag, but I forced myself to take a bite.
"That's it," Dream encouraged, zooming in on my face. "Show everyone how much you enjoy my special treats."
Over her shoulder, I could see Cole entering the house. Dream quickly switched to her innocent persona, helping me to my feet with false concern.
"Oh, Violet, you look unwell," she called out loudly. "Are you okay?"
Cole rushed over, genuine worry in his eyes—eyes that once looked at me with love, before Dream returned and everything changed.
"I'm fine," I managed, the taste of rot still coating my tongue.
Dream's camera continued recording from her pocket, capturing my humiliation for her private collection—or worse, for the world to see.
As Cole led me away, Dream's whisper followed me: "There's more where that came from. Much more."
