PART 4 — THE MAN WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD

For several seconds, nobody moved.
Michael stared at Lena.
Lena stared toward the basement.
Derek held Noah tightly against his chest.
And somewhere beneath them, Travis was still screaming.
“GET HIM OUT!”
An officer shouted from the bottom of the stairs.
“WHO?”
Travis’s voice cracked.
“THE MAN!”
“What man?”
“He’s here!”
The officer looked at the other officers.
Then back toward Travis.
“There’s nobody else down here.”
Travis shook his head violently.
“You don’t understand!”
“Then explain it.”
“I CAN’T!”
“Why not?”
“Because he doesn’t let me!”
The basement fell silent.
Michael looked at Derek.
Derek looked at Lena.
Then Michael asked the question that had been burning inside him since the moment she walked through the door.
“Who is he?”

Lena didn’t answer.

Michael stepped closer.

“You said he’s the reason this happened.”

Lena looked at Noah.

The little boy was hiding his face against Derek.

Then Lena whispered:

“His name was Daniel.”

Michael stopped breathing.

Derek’s expression changed instantly.

“No.”

Lena nodded.

“Yes.”

“No,” Derek repeated. “Daniel is dead.”

“I know.”

“Then what are you saying?”

Lena looked directly at Michael.

“I’m saying that’s what everyone was supposed to believe.”

Michael shook his head.

“That isn’t possible.”

Lena’s eyes filled with tears.

“I wish it wasn’t.”

Derek stepped forward.

“Who is Daniel?”

Michael didn’t answer.

Derek looked at his brother.

“Michael.”

Michael finally spoke.

“My best friend.”

Derek stared at him.

“Your best friend?”

Michael nodded slowly.

“We grew up together.”

“What happened to him?”

Michael’s eyes drifted toward the floor.

“He died three years ago.”

“How?”

“Car accident.”

Derek looked at Lena.

“Are you telling us Daniel survived?”

“No.”

She wiped a tear from her cheek.

“I’m telling you someone has been pretending to be dead.”

Nobody spoke.

Then a police officer came upstairs.

“Sir.”

Michael turned.

“We found something in the basement.”

“What?”

The officer held up a small black box.

“This was hidden behind a panel.”

Michael stared at it.

“What is it?”

“We don’t know yet.”

Lena suddenly stepped forward.

“Don’t open it.”

The officer looked at her.

“Why?”

“Because that’s what he wants.”

Michael turned toward her.

“What does that mean?”

Lena shook her head.

“You don’t understand.”

“Then explain it!”

“I’ve been trying to protect you.”

Michael laughed bitterly.

“Protect me?”

He pointed toward Noah.

“My son was hit with a baseball bat!”

Lena flinched.

“I know.”

“You knew?”

Her silence answered him.

Michael’s face hardened.

“You knew this was coming.”

“No.”

“You knew something was going to happen.”

“I knew someone was watching us.”

“Who?”

“Daniel.”

Derek stepped forward.

“How long?”

Lena looked at him.

“Months.”

Michael’s eyes widened.

“Months?”

“I started receiving messages.”

“From him?”

“I didn’t know at first.”

“What did they say?”

Lena looked down.

“Things only Daniel would know.”

Michael’s voice became quieter.

“Like what?”

She swallowed.

“The name of the tree we used to climb behind his parents’ house.”

Michael went still.

“The scar on his left hand.”

Derek looked at him.

“You told me about that.”

Lena continued.

“The nickname he gave Michael when they were sixteen.”

Michael whispered:

“Red.”

Lena nodded.

“He called you Red.”

Michael’s stomach twisted.

Nobody had called him that in years.

Not since Daniel.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I tried.”

“When?”

“Every time I started to.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

“Because he told me what would happen if I did.”

Michael stepped closer.

“What?”

Lena looked at Noah.

“He said he’d take our son.”

Derek’s arms tightened around the boy.

Michael stared at Lena.

“You should have called the police.”

“I did.”

“When?”

“Two months ago.”

“And?”

“They didn’t believe me.”

“Why?”

“Because the messages stopped.”

Michael looked toward the officers.

One of them was listening carefully.

“Can we see the messages?”

Lena hesitated.

“I deleted them.”

Derek shook his head.

“Why?”

“Because Daniel told me to.”

Michael’s voice became almost a whisper.

“Lena…”

“I was scared.”

“You should have told me.”

“I thought you were next.”

Michael frowned.

“What does that mean?”

Lena looked at him.

“He knew everything about you.”

“What everything?”

“Your work.”

“Okay.”

“Your schedule.”

Michael’s face tightened.

“Your bank account.”

He stared.

“Your passwords.”

Derek stepped forward.

“Wait.”

Lena continued.

“He knew where Noah went to school.”

Michael looked at Noah.

“He knew which park you took him to.”

Derek’s expression hardened.

“He knew when you weren’t home.”

Michael looked toward the front door.

“That’s how he knew.”

Lena nodded.

“He’s been watching us.”

Then a voice came from downstairs.

A voice that was barely audible.

But everyone heard it.

“Not watching.”

Everyone froze.

Travis.

His voice echoed up the staircase.

“Waiting.”

The officer immediately turned.

“Stay where you are!”

Travis laughed.

“You’re too late.”

The officer moved toward him.

“What did you say?”

Travis looked up the stairs.

“He’s already inside.”

The officer’s hand moved toward his radio.

“Everyone stay together.”

Michael looked around the room.

“Inside where?”

Travis smiled.

“In your family.”

Then the basement lights went out.

Darkness swallowed the house.

Noah screamed.

“DADDY!”

Michael reached for him.

“I’ve got you!”

Derek moved closer.

“Stay together!”

Flashlights appeared.

Officers drew their weapons.

The house became a maze of shadows.

“Check the basement!”

“Check the upstairs hallway!”

“Secure the doors!”

Michael held Noah.

“It’s okay.”

But his own voice didn’t sound convincing.

Then something crashed downstairs.

Everyone turned.

A second crash.

Then silence.

One officer moved down the stairs.

Another followed.

Michael watched.

Five seconds.

Ten.

Then a shout.

“CLEAR!”

The basement lights came back on.

The officer appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

“Travis is still here.”

“Where?”

“In the corner.”

“Is he hurt?”

“No.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

The officer looked confused.

“He keeps pointing at the wall.”

Michael frowned.

“What wall?”

The officer pointed.

Michael followed his finger.

There was a large framed photograph hanging on the basement wall.

Michael’s heart stopped.

He knew that photograph.

It was from ten years earlier.

Michael.

Derek.

Lena.

Daniel.

Four friends standing together at a lake.

Daniel was in the middle.

Smiling.

Alive.

Michael stepped closer.

“Why is that here?”

Lena shook her head.

“I didn’t put it there.”

Derek stared at the photograph.

“Neither did I.”

Michael looked at the frame.

Something was different.

A small piece of paper had been taped to the glass.

He walked toward it.

An officer stopped him.

“Don’t touch it.”

Michael stopped.

The officer carefully removed the paper.

Then handed it to him after photographing it.

Michael unfolded it.

There were four words.

ONE OF YOU LIED.

Derek stared.

“About what?”

Nobody answered.

Then the officer examined the photograph.

“Sir.”

Michael looked at him.

“What?”

“There are four people in this picture.”

“Yes.”

“But there are five shadows.”

Michael’s blood ran cold.

“What?”

The officer pointed.

The photograph showed four people.

But on the ground behind them were five shadows.

One belonged to someone who wasn’t in the picture.

Derek stepped closer.

“That’s impossible.”

Lena whispered:

“No.”

Michael looked at her.

“What?”

She was staring at the photograph.

Her face had gone white.

“I’ve seen this before.”

“Where?”

“In Daniel’s messages.”

Michael’s eyes widened.

“What did he say?”

Lena whispered:

“He said the fifth shadow belonged to the person who betrayed him.”

Derek looked at Michael.

“Who betrayed him?”

Lena shook her head.

“I don’t know.”

Michael stared at the photograph.

Then he noticed something.

The fifth shadow wasn’t standing behind all four of them.

It was standing behind Daniel.

And its hand was resting on Daniel’s shoulder.

Michael leaned closer.

There was another detail.

Something written on the back of the photograph.

The officer turned it over.

Everyone waited.

A date.

Three years ago.

The exact date Daniel supposedly died.

Michael whispered:

“He took this after the accident.”

Derek looked at him.

“How do you know?”

“Because that’s the date.”

Lena stepped backward.

“No.”

Michael turned.

“What?”

She shook her head.

“No, no, no.”

“What?”

“That wasn’t the day Daniel died.”

Michael stared.

“What are you talking about?”

Lena’s voice trembled.

“That was the day Daniel disappeared.”

Silence.

Michael couldn’t move.

Derek looked at Lena.

“What’s the difference?”

Lena looked at him.

“Because Daniel’s body was never found.”

Derek’s eyes widened.

“You told us there was a body.”

“No.”

Michael looked at Lena.

“You told me his body was recovered.”

“I never said that.”

Michael’s face went pale.

“Yes, you did.”

“No.”

“You were at the funeral.”

“I was at the funeral.”

“So was I.”

“So was Derek.”

Derek nodded slowly.

“But there was no body.”

Michael stared at him.

The memory came back.

The closed casket.

The flowers.

The priest.

The photographs.

But no body.

Michael suddenly felt sick.

“Why didn’t I remember that?”

Lena whispered:

“Because someone wanted you to forget.”

The room became silent again.

Then Noah spoke.

“Daddy?”

Michael looked down.

“Yeah, buddy?”

Noah pointed toward the photograph.

“That’s him.”

Michael’s heart stopped.

“Who?”

Noah pointed at the fifth shadow.

“The man who came to our house.”

Derek’s face changed.

“You’ve seen him?”

Noah nodded.

“Where?”

“In Mommy’s car.”

Lena froze.

“What?”

Noah looked at her.

“He was sitting in the back.”

“When?”

“Yesterday.”

Lena’s face drained of color.

“Yesterday?”

Noah nodded.

“He told me not to tell Daddy.”

Michael stared at Lena.

“You let him ride in your car?”

“I didn’t know he was there.”

Noah shook his head.

“He wasn’t there when Mommy got in.”

Everyone stared at him.

Michael crouched.

“Then when did he appear?”

Noah thought for a moment.

“After Mommy stopped the car.”

“Where?”

“Near the old gas station.”

Michael exchanged a look with Derek.

“Why did she stop?”

Noah looked confused.

“She got a phone call.”

“From who?”

Noah shook his head.

“She said it was Daniel.”

Michael’s face hardened.

“Did you hear what they said?”

“No.”

“Then what happened?”

“He got in.”

“Who?”

“The man.”

Michael’s stomach turned.

“What did he look like?”

Noah closed his eyes.

Then he whispered:

“Like Daddy.”

Nobody moved.

Michael stared at his son.

“What?”

Noah opened his eyes.

“He looked like Daddy.”

Derek slowly looked at Michael.

Lena covered her mouth.

The officer stepped forward.

“Are you saying the man looked exactly like Michael?”

Noah nodded.

“He had Daddy’s face.”

Michael stood.

“That isn’t possible.”

But Noah began crying.

“He said he was Daddy.”

Michael’s voice disappeared.

“What?”

“He said, ‘Noah, it’s me.’”

Derek looked toward the basement.

Travis suddenly started laughing.

Everyone turned.

The officer shouted:

“TRAVIS! STOP!”

Travis kept laughing.

“You still don’t get it.”

Michael walked toward the stairs.

“What?”

Travis looked at him.

“You’re asking the wrong question.”

Michael stopped.

“What question?”

Travis smiled.

“You keep asking who he is.”

The smile disappeared.

“You should be asking…”

He pointed directly at Michael.

“…which one of you is real.”

The basement went silent.

Derek looked at his brother.

Michael looked at Derek.

Lena looked between them.

Then Noah whispered:

“Daddy…”

Michael turned.

Noah was staring behind him.

“What?”

The little boy’s eyes widened.

“There are two.”

Michael slowly turned around.

Everyone else turned too.

At the end of the hallway stood a man.

Same height.

Same build.

Same face.

Same clothes.

He looked exactly like Michael.

For one horrifying second, nobody spoke.

Then the stranger smiled.

And said:

“Hi, Noah.”

Noah screamed.

“THAT’S HIM!”

The officers raised their weapons.

“DON’T MOVE!”

The stranger raised both hands.

“I’m not here to hurt anyone.”

Michael stared at him.

“Who are you?”

The stranger smiled.

Then he looked at Lena.

“You really didn’t tell him?”

Lena was crying now.

“Tell me what?”

The stranger’s eyes moved back to Michael.

“The truth.”

Michael shook his head.

“What truth?”

The stranger took one slow step forward.

“The truth about Daniel.”

Michael’s heart hammered.

“What about him?”

The stranger’s smile vanished.

“He isn’t dead.”

Michael stared.

“Then where is he?”

The stranger looked toward Derek.

And said:

“Ask your brother.”

Derek went completely still.

Michael slowly turned toward him.

“Derek?”

Derek’s face had gone pale.

“Michael…”

“What does he mean?”

“I don’t know.”

The stranger laughed.

“You still can’t do it.”

“Do what?”

“Tell him.”

Michael stepped toward Derek.

“Tell me what?”

Derek looked at his brother.

For a moment, he looked like he was about to speak.

Then Travis screamed from the basement:

“DEREK, DON’T!”

Everyone froze.

Michael slowly turned toward the stairs.

Travis was staring directly at Derek.

“DON’T TELL HIM!”

Derek closed his eyes.

Michael whispered:

“What did you do?”

Derek opened his eyes.

And finally said:

“I was there.”

Michael stared.

“Where?”

“The night Daniel disappeared.”

Lena began crying harder.

Michael’s voice shook.

“You told me you weren’t.”

“I lied.”

“Why?”

Derek looked at Noah.

“Because I was trying to protect you.”

Michael shook his head.

“From what?”

Derek didn’t answer.

The stranger did.

“From the fact that Daniel wasn’t the only person in that car.”

Michael’s face went numb.

Derek looked at him.

“There were three of us.”

“Who?”

Derek swallowed.

“Me.”

“Daniel.”

“And…”

Michael waited.

Derek couldn’t say it.

The stranger finished for him.

“Your father.”

Michael’s eyes widened.

“My father died fifteen years ago.”

The stranger smiled.

“That’s what you were told.”

Then the house went dark again.

And when the lights came back on…

The stranger was gone.

So was Lena.

And on the floor where he had been standing was a single photograph.

Michael picked it up.

His hands were shaking.

It showed three men standing beside a car.

Derek.

Daniel.

And Michael’s father.

On the back was one sentence:

THE ACCIDENT WASN’T AN ACCIDENT.

Michael looked at his brother.

“Derek…”

Derek didn’t answer.

Michael’s voice cracked.

“Tell me you didn’t know.”

Derek’s eyes filled with tears.

“I knew.”

Michael stepped backward.

“How long?”

Derek looked at Noah.

Then at Michael.

“Three years.”

Michael’s face collapsed.

“Three years?”

Derek nodded.

“And there’s something else.”

Michael stared at him.

“What?”

Derek whispered:

“Daniel didn’t disappear three years ago.”

Michael waited.

“He disappeared yesterday.”

The house fell silent.

Then Michael’s phone buzzed.

One new message.

From an unknown number.

Michael opened it.

There was only one sentence.

NOW YOU KNOW WHY NOAH HAD TO CALL YOU.

Michael stared at the screen.

Then another message arrived.

PART 5 WILL TELL YOU WHO WAS IN THE CAR.

And beneath it was a photograph.

A photograph taken only minutes earlier.

Michael.

Derek.

Lena.

Noah.

And someone standing behind them.

Someone who shouldn’t have been there.

Someone who looked exactly like Michael.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Click Here to continuous Read​​​​ Full Ending Story👉PART(5): Father Races Home After Son Reveals Terrifying Secret Over Phone.