Chapter 9: The House That Remembered
The old house looked exactly the same.
That was the worst part.
The paint was faded.
The grass was overgrown.
The windows were dirty.
But it was still there.
Waiting.
I parked across the street and stared at it.
Every part of me wanted to leave.
But every part of me knew I couldn’t.
Vanessa sat beside me.
“I should have brought you here years ago.””
I looked at her.
“Why didn’t you?””
She stared at the house.
“Because I was afraid you would remember.””
I opened the car door.
“Then let me.””
Inside, the air smelled like dust and old wood.
Every step made the floor creak.
I walked through the hallway.
Nothing.
Then I saw it.
The basement door.
Red.
My breathing changed.
I reached for the handle.
Vanessa grabbed my arm.
“Daniel.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
“I’m sorry.””
Then I opened the door.
The basement stairs were dark.
I turned on my flashlight.
One step.
Two.
Three.
And then I remembered.
Not everything.
Pieces.
Emily crying.
A hand covering my mouth.
Ethan saying:
“You always were too weak to protect anyone.””
I reached the bottom.
The room was empty.
Almost.
In the corner was a wooden box.
Inside were papers.
Photos.
Documents.
I picked up the first picture.
It was Ethan.
Holding Emily.
My daughter looked terrified.
The next photo showed something worse.
Vanessa.
Standing beside Ethan.
My heart stopped.
I turned around.
“Vanessa.””
She looked at the photo.
Then closed her eyes.
“I can explain.””
“No.””
My voice shook.
“Explain why you were here.””
She didn’t answer.
“You knew him.””
“Yes.””
“You worked with him.””
“Yes.””
The word crushed me.
I stepped back.
“How long?””
“Before you knew me.””
I stared at her.
“Why?””
She cried.
“Because I was trying to stop him.””
“Then why are you in the pictures?””
“Because I was pretending.””
“Pretending?””
“To gain his trust.””
I looked at the photos again.
Nothing made sense.
Then I found one more document.
A birth certificate.
Not Emily’s.
Another child’s.
I looked at the name.
My entire body went cold.
Because the child listed there…
Was mine.
And the mother’s name wasn’t Vanessa.
It was someone else.
Someone I had never heard of.
Vanessa whispered behind me:
“Daniel…”
I turned.
She was holding another photo.
A photo of a woman.
“This is the person you need to remember.””
I looked at the picture.
And immediately knew her.
Because I had seen her before.
In my dreams.
In the memories I couldn’t explain.
Vanessa’s voice trembled.
“She was Emily’s biological mother.””
I stared at the photo.
“Then who am I looking at?””
Vanessa swallowed.
“The woman who died because of Ethan.””
A sound came from upstairs.
A floorboard creaked.
We both froze.
Someone was in the house.
Then a man’s voice echoed down the basement stairs.
“You finally came home, Daniel.””
I looked up.
And saw a shadow.
A man standing above us.
A man I recognized.
May you like
Ethan.
Alive.
