They Called Me Slow Until I Died To Name The Killer

I was the slow one. The one who never quite caught up.
The day my sister came to pick me up from school, she was dragged into an alley, brutalized, and murdered.
I was the only witness.
Mom and Dad gripped my neck, their eyes red and blazing.
Tell us! You saw him, didnt you? Say it out loud!
I opened my mouth, but the sound was trapped behind my teeth.
In a fit of rage, they threw me out of the house.
Unable to care for myself, I ended up on the streetsbegging, scavenging for garbage, sleeping under the city bridges.
Until the day a man in a black suit found me.
He said he was my sisters fianc. Dean.
He crouched down, looking straight into my eyes, his voice barely a whisper:
I can take you to a place where we can replay the moment you saw that day.
But the cost is your life.
My grimy hand clenched the stained fabric of my sleeve. I nodded hard.
Ill do it.
What was there to fear about death?
I was afraid of forgetting forgetting whose face my sister saw last.
1
The light of the high-powered broadcast lamps was blinding, aimed directly at my face as I lay on the Memory Retrieval Stand.
The auditorium below was packed. Cameras, like dull black eyes, stared at me.
They said this entire process was being live-streamed to the world.
Dean, the man who called himself my sisters love, stood beside me, his expression unreadable.
Its not too late to back out.
I shook my head.
Just then, a commotion erupted at the entrance.
I looked up and saw Mom and Dad rushing in.
The moment Mom saw me, tears streamed down her face, but the words that followed were like shards of glass:
You heartless thing! Your sister was so good to you, buying you candy, picking you up from school and she died such a horrific death
You clearly saw the killer, so why didnt you speak up?!
Dads eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse:
We raised you for this long. Even if you were slow, we never once resented you!
But you? Is this how you repay your sister?
A wave of hushed chatter swept through the audience.
The cameras swiveled toward my parents.
Mom was crying so hard she could barely stand:
You were always jealous of your sister, werent you?
Jealous because she was smart, because she was beautiful, because everyone loved her
But did you know, she never once looked down on you, her slow little sister!
She didnt even have to pick you up that day! She did it because she worried about you, worried the other kids would pick on you
Moms voice rose to a shriek:
She died because of you! Do you even realize that?!
I stared blankly at their hysterical faces, and my eyes slowly filled with tears.
So they really did hate me that much.
In everyones eyes, I was the reason Soph died.
Deans hand pressed lightly on my shoulder. He murmured,
Your sister she wouldnt blame you.
I turned my head and looked at him, asking softly,
If I go through with the Memory Retrieval, the person who hurt my sister will be caught, wont they?
Dean was silent for a moment, then nodded:
Yes. Live, globally broadcast evidence. Everyone will see the truth of that day.
Then lets start.
Dean looked at me again. But its going to hurt a lot.
He gestured to the center of the stand, where a long, thick silver probe stood upright.
See that needle? Its going to pierce your skull and enter your cerebral cortex to read your memory.
The deeper the memory, the deeper it goes.
You need to pull the very deepest layersthe scene of the crime. So it will go very, very deep.
I froze for two seconds, then my gaze drifted back to my parents, still crying and cursing below the stage.
Then I smiled faintly.
Im not afraid of pain.
Deans brow furrowed.
If catching the killer is the only way to help my sister,
And if it means Mom and Dad can forgive me I dont care how much it hurts.
Dean was silent for a long time.
Finally, he looked at the doctor in the white coat and nodded: Proceed.
The doctor stepped forward, his eyes sweeping over me before turning to Dean:
Mr. Dean, once the Memory Retrieval process begins, it cannot be stopped.
The neural extraction is irreversible. Upon completion, the patient will suffer catastrophic brain damage resulting in brain death.
He paused. Should we inform the patients family of the risks beforehand?
I spoke immediately: No! Dont!
My voice was quiet, yet firm and absolute.
Everyone looked at me.
I met Deans gaze, my eyes unwavering:
Please dont tell them yet okay?
Below the stage, Mom was still weeping; Dads face was dark with anger, staring up at the platform.
Deans Adams apple bobbed once.
All right.
Two nurses approached, helping me lie down on the cold metal stand.
My body was secured with restraintsat the wrists, ankles, and across the chest and abdomen.
Finally, a metal halo was clamped around my forehead.
A nurse approached with a syringe, injecting a cold liquid into my vein.
The world began to blur.
Above me, the long silver probe slowly descended, its needle-tip perfectly aligned with the center of my forehead.
The next moment, Moms horrified voice suddenly cut through the air:
Stop, hold on!
2
My eyes snapped open, a flicker of hope igniting in my chest.
Mom, was she worried about me?
The very next second, her cold voice returned:
Doctor, please make absolutely certain that you retrieve the events of that day.
If it means getting the truth, you dont need to worry about her body.
Dad chimed in:
Thats right, money is no object. Well pay extra if you guarantee you can catch the killer who murdered Soph!
A sharp, stabbing pain twisted in my heart, and tears spilled out, uncontrollable.
After hearing their words, Deans gaze darkened, a flash of pity crossing his eyes.
The retrieval continued. The silver probe pierced my forehead and entered my skull.
The drilling pain was excruciating; my entire body convulsed. I bit down hard on my teeth.
I could feel warm blood trickling out, seeping into my ears, matting my hair.
The first memory appeared on the main screen.
The image shook violently, like a scene viewed through tears.
A gray sky, black funeral streamers, and Sophs portrait displayed in the center of the wake.
I was kneeling on the floor. The room was full of people, everyone dressed in black.
Mom was draped over Sophs casket, her sobs tearing through the air.
Dad stood beside her, his eyes swollen, his body shaking uncontrollably.
Suddenly, Mom spun around and rushed towards me, clutching my shoulders until her fingers dug deep into my flesh:
Lucy, tell me! What happened that day?
You saw it, didnt you? Tell Mommy, who killed your sister
Her fingernails nearly punctured my skin. Her voice was sharp and grating:
Say it! Just tell us!
I looked up, tears streaming down my face.
Im sorry I really cant remember
Moms voice spiked:
How can you not remember?! Your sister died right in front of you!
She suddenly grabbed my hair and slammed my head down onto the floor.
Thud!
My forehead hit the tile hard.
Bow to your sister! Apologize to her!
Another blow.
Weve been so good to you, how can you do this to your sister?!
Thud!
A spot of bright red blood stained the tile.
How could you forget? How could you forget!
In the image, my forehead was a bloody mess, my eyes wide, the pupils reflecting my sisters funeral photo.
Blood flowed down my temples, mixing with tears, dripping onto the floor.
I didnt struggle. I just let Mom force my head down, bowing it to the ground, over and over.
Everyone in the room watched. No one stepped in to stop her.
I knelt at my sisters wake for an entire day and night.
The day after Sophs burial, Mom tossed a large, bundled sack at my feet.
Lucy, she pointed toward the door, Get out!
When you remember what happened that day, then you can come back.
If you never remember, never come home.
I dont have a daughter like you.
I froze, staring numbly at the sack, then looking up at Mom.
Mom
Dont call me Mom! she screamed,
I dont have a daughter like you!
Dad walked over, silently grabbed my arm, and dragged me toward the exit.
I finally registered what was happening and cried out, latching onto Moms leg:
Mom, Im sorry Ill try to remember
Please dont send me away Mom
Im scared
Dad pried my fingers off her leg, one by one.
He was so strong; my fingers ached with the force.
The front door opened.
I was shoved outside.
The sack landed at my feet.
Slam
The heavy door shut in my face.
I knelt on the ground, pounding hard on the wood:
Mom Dad
Im sorry Im really sorry
There was no response from inside.
After a very long time, exhausted from crying, I picked up the sack.
Dragging my bleeding forehead, I stumbled down the stairs, one step at a time.
As I walked out of the apartment building, I looked back at the fourth-floor window.
The curtains were tightly drawn.
The screen went dark.
The auditorium was utterly silent.
Suddenly, Dads furious voice exploded:
What is this?! This is not what we came here to see!!
Mom shrieked as well:
We need the truth about Sophs murder!! What happened in that alley?!
Continue! Keep going deeper!
A murmur of discussion arose in the audience.
Dean looked at the screen, then at me, lying pale and still on the stand, his lips moving wordlessly.
The doctor sighed, his voice echoing over the microphone:
First layer of memory extraction complete. As the memory deepens, the pain the patient experiences will continually escalate.
The nervous system is undergoing extreme stress, which may lead to extraction interruption or
His sentence was cut short by Dad:
Continue. Any price is acceptable as long as the killer is caught.
Mom covered her face, weeping:
We just want the truth!
3
The doctor looked at Dean.
Dean stood silent for a long time, his knuckles white where he gripped the railing.
Continue.
The doctor operated the control panel.
The silver probe, once again, began to drill slowly toward the deeper layers.
Agh!!!
I couldnt stop the scream that ripped from my throat.
My mind felt like a red-hot iron rod was being plunged in and twisted.
My whole body began to convulse violently.
Sweat instantly soaked my thin clothes; veins bulged on my forehead.
The screen lit up again.
This time, the image showed me cornered by a group of boys.
Look, its Lucy the slowpoke!
Hey, little dummy, playing in the dirt again?
As they spoke, they picked up small pebbles and trash from the ground and tossed them at me.
I looked up, staring at them blankly.
Look at her, she cant even cry! Definitely a dummy!
Lets bury her in the sand pit?
Yeah!
Amidst the jeering, a dirty hand suddenly grabbed my arm and yanked hard.
I lost my balance and tumbled into the deep sandbox.
Bury her!
Yeah! Bury the dummy!
Several pairs of hands held me down amidst the excited shouts.
Heavy sand began to pour onto my head and body.
It was heavy, pressing the air out of my lungs.
The sand rose past my waist, moving up toward my chest.
I was going to be buried alive.
I couldnt move, and I couldnt scream.
Just as the sand was about to cover my shoulders
What are you doing?! Get away from my sister!!
A clear voice rang out.
It was Soph!
Soph, with her high ponytail, stood by the edge of the pit, hands on her hips.
The sunlight hit her just right; she seemed to glow.
Youre bullying my sister? Sophs voice was fierce. Want me to tell the principal?
The boys hesitated for a moment and let go of me.
Sophia, your sister is a dummy anyway
Say that again? Soph took a step forward, her eyes wide and round.
My sister is not a dummy! She just she just processes things a little slower!
Shes kinder than all of you put together!
Intimidated by her presence, the boys mumbled excuses and ran away.
Soph rushed over, clawed the sand away, and pulled me up.
Her eyes were full of worry:
Luce, are you okay? Are you hurt?
I shook my head, but tears started to fall anyway.
Dont cry, dont cry. Soph pulled me into a hug, gently patting my back. Its okay, Luce, Soph is here.
If anyone bullies you again, you tell me right away.
Ill protect you, okay?
In the memory, I buried my head in Sophs shoulder, sobbing softly.
Soph smelled like clean soap.
Her hands were so warm.
Below the stage.
Mom was slumped in her chair, weeping.
Soph my Soph was always so good
She was kind to everyone especially her slow little sister
Dads eyes were also red, his voice choked with emotion:
Soph was responsible from a young age, always looking out for her sister
Dean stared at the screen, his eyes fixed, filled with a deep, aching remembrance of his fiance.
The next second, Mom suddenly turned, glaring at me on the platform, her voice cracking:
Lucy! Look! Look how good your sister was to you!
How could you how could you forget how she died?!
Dad pointed at me, his face ravaged with grief and anger:
Lucy, what happened that day? Your sister loved you so much, why wont you just say it?!
Did you really see something that youre refusing to tell us?
I lay on the Retrieval Stand, listening to their demands.
Tears slid down my temples.
I want to say it, too.
Mom and Dad.
I want to know what happened that day.
I want to know who killed Soph.
But I I really cant remember.
Deep inside my brain, a sharp, sudden pain erupted.
The silver probe began to release electrical currents.
Mmph
I arched violently, and a mouthful of blood sprayed from my throat.
4
Blood pressure plummeting! Massive neural shock!
The doctors alarmed cries were drowned out by my parents increasingly frantic screams:
Dont worry about that! The picture! We need the scene from the alley! Continue! Go on!
Dean suddenly lunged forward, slamming his fist onto the edge of the control console:
I want the truth just as much as you, but cant you see shes dying?!
I dont care! Moms eyes were scarlet.
She owes this to Soph! Her lifes only purpose now is this moment!
The red haze in my vision intensified, but the pain made my hearing unnaturally sharp.
Amidst the chaos, the probe in my brain twisted violently again.
Agh!
A new wave of agonizing pain exploded.
The screen flickered violently, then lit up with a blinding white flash.
This time, the scene was from the days after my parents threw me out.
I was cornered in an abandoned construction site by a few trashy young men.
There were broken bricks on the ground, and the air was thick with dust.
Hey, little dummy, heard your folks ditched you?
The leader, a skinny guy with yellow hair, poked my shoulder with a stick.
Guess if we rough you up, nobody cares, huh?
I pressed myself against the damp wall, shaking, but clutching a sharp piece of broken brick in my hand.
Got a nasty glare, dont you? Another one stepped up and slapped me across the face.
The sting was immediate and searing.
But clearer than the pain were the fragments of my parents whispered words echoing in my mind
She needs to suffer a little, then shell be afraid, then shell try harder to remember
Soph cant have died in vain this is to force her
The memory clips flashed back.
Mom secretly slipping cash to the thugs in the alley; Dad whispering into the phone, Give her a good scare, make her taste a little hardship.
So, the people who had stolen my food, slammed me to the ground, and even tried to tear my clothes off
They had all been arranged by Mom and Dad.
My heart shattered completely at that moment.
Agh!
I suddenly let out a scream, clutching the jagged brick, and lunged wildly at the men.
They seemed stunned by my unexpected resistance. They wrestled me to the ground and started smashing rocks onto my head.
The screen image shook violently, mixed with crude curses and the sounds of impacts.
Not until I was covered in blood, lying motionless on the ground, did the thugs curse and walk away.
My vision slowly blurred.
A pair of polished leather shoes stopped right in front of my sight line.
It was Dean.
He looked down at me, his eyes complex and hard to read.
Lucy, do you want revenge for your sister?
I opened my mouth, but only bloody foam came out.
I know a way to pull the images you saw that day out of your mind.
He paused.
But the process is incredibly painful. And, you will
Before Dean could finish, the screen image switched again.
Finally, it was the scene in the alley that day.
I had my backpack on. Soph was standing across the street, waving and smiling at me.
She was wearing a new dress today; she looked beautiful.
My eyes lit up, and I started to run across.
Just as I stepped onto the crosswalk and reached my sisters side
A tall figure, wearing a black mask and a baseball cap, lunged out of the side alley like a phantom.
He clapped a hand over Sophs mouth and brutally dragged her into the dark, narrow side street.
Sophs startled cry was muffled. Her eyes were wide with terror as she desperately kicked her legs.
I was stunned, instinctively rushing forward, trying to grab her hand.
The attacker didnt even look back. He just swung his leg and delivered a vicious kick to my stomach.
Thwack!
I flew backward, my head slamming hard against the sidewalk.
A blinding pain and vertigo instantly overwhelmed me, and warm liquid began to spread from the back of my skull.
My vision began to swim and blur. No sound could escape my throat.
But I fought to keep my eyes wide open, staring into the depths of the alley.
In the dim light, Soph was pinned to the ground.
She struggled wildly, her fingers grasping uselessly at the air.
The attacker seemed enraged by her resistance. He suddenly raised his hand
In that fraction of a second, Soph lunged upward and grabbed
Rrrrip
The black mask was ripped clean off his face!
The faint light from the alley streetlamp illuminated the face that was suddenly exposed.

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