I woke up to the shrill ringing of the landline, my heart racing and my breathing erratic. It took me a moment to register that it was the phone, not my mobile. My body ached as I forced myself to get up and answer it.
"Hello?" I croaked, my voice hoarse from crying.
"Avery?! Are you okay?! Why haven't you been answering your phone?" my sister's voice blasted through the receiver, making my head throb.
I winced, holding the phone away from my ear. "Can you please keep it down? My head is killing me..."
There was a pause, and then my sister launched into a tirade about how worried she and Mom had been. I tuned out, my mind still foggy from sleep and tears.
Before I could explain, she hung up on me. I groaned, re-dialing her number. "What? Say it quickly, it's almost our turn," she snapped.
I took a deep breath and tried to calm her down. "I'm alright, sis. I just forgot my phone at home and it died. I was tired and slept in. Don't worry, okay?"
The line went silent, and then Mom's voice came on. "Avery, baby, are you taking those supplements we gave you?"
I hesitated, feeling guilty. "Yeah, they're helpful," I lied.
Mom's concern was palpable, but I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. Why was she so insistent on those supplements? And why did I stop taking them?
As I charged my phone, I glanced at the bedside table. The supplement bottle was still there, untouched. A memory surfaced – Mom trying to convince me to take them, saying they would help me sleep better.
Suddenly, the supplements seemed sinister. I felt a chill run down my spine as I wondered if they were more than just a harmless aid.
I dialed Mom's number, my heart racing. "Mom, what's going on with those supplements? Where did you get them from?"
The conversation escalated into an argument, and I realized that I might have been onto something. The thought sent a shiver down my spine – what if my mom was hiding something from me?