They Locked Me in the Freezer and Forgot I Existed Chapter 1

The day of the school field trip, I had a hundred-and-four-degree fever.

Mom didn't care whether I lived or died. She took my brother and walked out the door.

Before leaving, she turned to Grandma. "Keep an eye on her, Mom. Don't let her make a fuss."

Grandma came into my room. She looked at the sweat soaking through my sheets, and her face twisted with disgust.

"What a nuisance," she said. "It's just a fever. You're not dying. Stop being so dramatic."

She ripped the blanket off me, grabbed my arm, and dragged me out of bed.

"A little cold will knock a fever right out. Doctors and medicine are just a waste of money."

I stumbled and fell to my knees, kowtowing frantically, my forehead cracking against the tile floor with dull, hollow thuds.

"Grandma, I'm sorry, I know I was wrong, please, don't put me in the freezer. I'll die!"

She ignored me completely. She opened the chest freezer, shoved me inside, and pushed the lid down.

"You're not going to die. Take a nap, sweat it out. I'll let you out when I get back from my card game."

Bang! The lid slammed shut. Then came the click of the padlock snapping into place.