Chapter 1: The Red Light
“Eat your noodles, Ethan.””
Amanda didn’t even look at me when she said it.
I was seven years old, but I had already learned that some questions made adults angry.
So I didn’t ask why my bowl held cheap instant noodles while the table smelled like every food I loved.
Crispy chicken.
Mashed potatoes with butter.
Corn on the cob.
Even the little honey-glazed carrots Dad always made because he knew I liked them.
Across from me, six-year-old Lily swung her feet beneath her chair.
She was Amanda’s daughter from her first marriage.
Technically, she was my stepsister.
But Lily never called me that.
She called me her brother.
Her plate was piled so high she could barely see over it.
I twisted noodles around my fork.
My stomach growled.
Lily heard it.
She stared at my bowl.
Then at her plate.
“Mom?””
Amanda took a slow sip of iced tea.
“What?””
“Why doesn’t Ethan get chicken?””
My fork stopped halfway to my mouth.
Amanda’s eyes moved toward Lily.
“He has food.””
“But we have lots.””
“Lily.””
Her voice changed.
Even Lily understood that tone.
“Eat your lunch.””
I lowered my head.
“It’s okay,” I whispered.
But it wasn’t.
Dad had been gone for four days.
He worked as an electrical engineer and sometimes traveled to inspect power facilities in other states. Before leaving, he had filled the refrigerator.
He’d even taped a yellow note to the door.
ETHAN LOVES THE CHICKEN. SAVE HIM SOME.
Amanda had laughed when she saw it.
“Your father worries too much.””
The first night, we all ate together.
The second night, my portion got smaller.
By the third day, Amanda told me I should learn not to be “spoiled.””
That morning, breakfast had been half a piece of toast.
Now I had noodles.
I took another bite.
Then Lily pushed back her chair.
She picked up a crispy piece of chicken with both hands and walked around the table.
“Here, Ethan.””
She placed it beside my noodles.
I looked at her.
Her tiny face was completely serious.
“Thank you.””
Amanda’s fork slammed against her plate.
“Lily!””
Lily jumped.
I did too.
“I told you not to give him your food.””
“But he’s hungry.””
“He has noodles.””
Lily’s bottom lip trembled.
“Daddy always gives us the same food.””
Silence.
Amanda stood.
Her chair scraped violently across the kitchen tile.
“Your father isn’t here.””
She snatched the chicken from my bowl and dropped it back onto Lily’s plate.
Then she pointed at me.
“You need to understand something. He is not your real brother.””
Lily burst into tears.
“Yes, he is!””
“Go to your room.””
“No!””
Amanda reached for her arm.
Lily twisted away and ran toward the hallway.
“Lily!””
She stopped.
For one second, I thought she was going upstairs.
Instead, she turned around.
Her cheeks were wet.
“Ethan,” she said, “show Mom what Daddy gave you before he left.””
Everything inside me went cold.
Amanda slowly looked at me.
“What did she say?””
I stared at Lily.
Dad’s voice came back to me.
It was from the morning he left.
He had knelt beside my bed while Amanda was downstairs.
He put a tiny black device in my hand.
It was smaller than Dad’s car key.
One red light blinked on its side.
“If anything happens while I’m gone,” Dad had whispered, “keep this with you.””
“What does it do?””
“It helps Daddy know you’re okay.””
“Should I tell Amanda?””
His expression changed.
“No.””
That was the strange part.
Dad never asked me to keep secrets from adults.
Especially not Amanda.
But that morning he had closed my fingers around the device.
“Don’t turn it off. Don’t lose it. And don’t mention it unless you absolutely have to.””
Now Amanda was staring directly at my pocket.
“Ethan.””
I swallowed.
“What did your father give you?””
“Nothing.””
Her face tightened.
“Don’t lie to me.””
Lily ran back toward me.
“He’s not lying!””
“Stay out of this!””
Amanda stepped closer.
I backed against the table.
“Give it to me.””
My hand went into my pocket.
I pulled out the small black device.
The red light blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Amanda froze.
The anger vanished from her face.
Not faded.
Vanished.
Her skin went pale.
“Where did you get that?””
“Dad.””
“When?””
“Before he left.””
Amanda snatched it from my hand.
“Hey!””
She turned it over.
There were no buttons except one tiny switch protected by a plastic cover.
Amanda stared at the blinking light.
Then she whispered something I wasn’t supposed to hear.
“Oh, God.””
Lily stopped crying.
“Mom?””
Amanda rushed to the kitchen drawer and grabbed a pair of scissors.
I stood up.
“What are you doing?””
She ignored me.
She jammed the scissor tip against the side of the device.
“Stop!””
I grabbed her wrist.
Amanda shoved my hand away.
“Sit down, Ethan!””
“Dad said I have to keep it!””
Her eyes snapped toward me.
“What exactly did your father tell you this thing does?””
I hesitated.
Amanda crouched until her face was level with mine.
“What did he tell you?””
“That it lets him know I’m okay.””
Her breathing changed.
She looked at the device again.
Then toward the ceiling.
Toward the hallway.
Toward the kitchen.
Like she suddenly believed the house itself was watching her.
The device vibrated.
Amanda nearly dropped it.
A tiny blue light appeared beside the red one.
Then came a soft beep.
Amanda stared at me.
“Did your father say he could hear us?””
I didn’t answer.
Because Dad had never told me that.
But judging by Amanda’s face, she thought he could.
And that scared her more than anything I had ever seen.
Then someone knocked on the front door.
Three slow knocks.
Amanda didn’t move.
Neither did I.
A man’s voice came from outside.
“Mrs. Carter?””
Amanda’s fingers tightened around the black device.
May you like
The man knocked again.
“Mrs. Carter, I need to speak with you about your husband.””
