The basement went completely dark.
\nNot dim.
\nNot shadowy.
\nCompletely dark.
\nI couldn’t see Lorraine.
\nI couldn’t see the stairs.
\nI couldn’t even see my own hands.
\nFor several seconds, neither of us moved.
\nThen I heard Lorraine whisper my name.
\n\u201cEmma\u2026\u201d
\nI reached toward her voice.
\n\u201cLorraine?\u201d
\n\u201cDon\u2019t move.\u201d
\nHer voice was different.
\nNot frightened.
\nNot confused.
\nCertain.
\n\u201cWhy?\u201d I whispered.
\n\u201cBecause whoever locked that door doesn\u2019t want us leaving yet.\u201d
\nMy heart began pounding.
\nI turned toward the basement door.
\n\u201cWho is up there?\u201d
\nLorraine didn’t answer.
\nInstead, I heard something above us.
\nA slow step.
\nThen another.
\nSomeone was walking across the floor.
\nI held my breath.
\nThe footsteps stopped directly above us.
\nThen came three soft knocks.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Knock.<\/p>\n
Knock.<\/p>\n
Knock.<\/p>\n
Lorraine grabbed my arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
My throat tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Lorraine shook her head.<\/p>\n
Then the voice came from the other side of the basement door.<\/p>\n
A woman’s voice.<\/p>\n
Soft.<\/p>\n
Almost gentle.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmma?\u201d<\/p>\n
I froze.<\/p>\n
It was my mother’s voice.<\/p>\n
The voice from the recording.<\/p>\n
The same voice I had heard coming from the old tape recorder minutes earlier.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmma, sweetheart\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Lorraine’s fingers tightened around my arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn’t your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n
The voice continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cOpen the door.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared into the darkness.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
Lorraine whispered,<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause your mother never called you sweetheart.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt cold all over.<\/p>\n
The voice outside laughed quietly.<\/p>\n
Then everything became silent.<\/p>\n
I waited.<\/p>\n
Ten seconds.<\/p>\n
Twenty.<\/p>\n
Thirty.<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
Then suddenly\u2014<\/p>\n
BANG!<\/p>\n
The basement door shook.<\/p>\n
I jumped.<\/p>\n
Another BANG!<\/p>\n
The old wooden frame rattled.<\/p>\n
Lorraine pulled me toward the back wall.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay away from the door.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is doing this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said you knew who was behind all of this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew who started it.\u201d<\/p>\n
She paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never said I knew who finished it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another violent impact struck the door.<\/p>\n
The lock held.<\/p>\n
For now.<\/p>\n
I looked toward the hidden room.<\/p>\n
The little red light on the tape recorder was still glowing.<\/p>\n
I suddenly remembered the message on the tape.<\/p>\n
My mother’s voice had said there was something they were after.<\/p>\n
Something hidden.<\/p>\n
Something my father had protected.<\/p>\n
Something my aunt Evelyn had spent decades keeping away from the people who wanted it.<\/p>\n
And now someone was trapped in the basement with me.<\/p>\n
Someone who knew exactly where we were.<\/p>\n
\u201cLorraine,\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was my father hiding?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n
For the first time since I had met her, I saw genuine fear in her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot what.\u201d<\/p>\n
She swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho.\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn’t understand.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
Before she could answer, the basement lights suddenly flickered back on.<\/p>\n
Once.<\/p>\n
Twice.<\/p>\n
Then stayed on.<\/p>\n
The room was empty.<\/p>\n
I stared at the basement door.<\/p>\n
The lock was still engaged.<\/p>\n
No one could have left.<\/p>\n
Yet the hallway beyond the small basement window was empty.<\/p>\n
Lorraine slowly approached the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cWait.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stopped.<\/p>\n
I pointed toward the floor.<\/p>\n
There were footprints.<\/p>\n
Fresh footprints.<\/p>\n
They began near the basement stairs.<\/p>\n
They crossed the concrete floor.<\/p>\n
They stopped directly in front of us.<\/p>\n
But there was something strange about them.<\/p>\n
They were wet.<\/p>\n
Not muddy.<\/p>\n
Wet.<\/p>\n
As though someone had just walked through water.<\/p>\n
Lorraine crouched beside them.<\/p>\n
Her face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
She touched one of the prints.<\/p>\n
Then pulled her hand away.<\/p>\n
\u201cSalt water.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re nowhere near the ocean.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked toward the hidden room.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnless someone came from somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n
My phone vibrated.<\/p>\n
I nearly dropped it.<\/p>\n
One new message.<\/p>\n
Unknown number.<\/p>\n
I opened it.<\/p>\n
There was only one sentence.<\/p>\n
YOU FOUND THE ROOM TOO SOON.<\/strong><\/p>\n Then another message appeared.<\/p>\n NOW YOU HAVE TO FIND THE GIRL.<\/strong><\/p>\n I stared at the screen.<\/p>\n \u201cThe girl?\u201d<\/p>\n Lorraine saw the message.<\/p>\n Her face went completely pale.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat girl?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n She took the phone from my hand.<\/p>\n Her eyes moved across the screen.<\/p>\n Then she whispered something I could barely hear.<\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cEmma, I think I know who they’re talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n Lorraine didn’t answer.<\/p>\n Instead, she walked toward the old metal box.<\/p>\n She lifted the lid.<\/p>\n The photographs inside were scattered everywhere.<\/p>\n She began searching through them.<\/p>\n One after another.<\/p>\n Her hands shook.<\/p>\n Finally, she pulled out a photograph.<\/p>\n She stared at it.<\/p>\n Then handed it to me.<\/p>\n I looked down.<\/p>\n It was a photograph of a little girl.<\/p>\n Maybe five or six years old.<\/p>\n Dark hair.<\/p>\n A small silver necklace around her neck.<\/p>\n A red stone in the center.<\/p>\n My necklace.<\/p>\n The same necklace I had inherited from Aunt Evelyn.<\/p>\n I looked at Lorraine.<\/p>\n \u201cWho is she?\u201d<\/p>\n Lorraine didn’t speak.<\/p>\n \u201cWho is this girl?\u201d<\/p>\n She finally whispered,<\/p>\n \u201cYou.\u201d<\/p>\n My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat can’t be me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked closer at the photograph.<\/p>\n The little girl was standing beside a woman.<\/p>\n The woman was Evelyn.<\/p>\n My aunt.<\/p>\n But there was another person in the picture.<\/p>\n A man standing partially in the shadows.<\/p>\n I recognized him immediately.<\/p>\n Daniel’s father.<\/p>\n Richard Hale.<\/p>\n My father’s name.<\/p>\n The same man whose photograph had appeared in the red folder.<\/p>\n The same man connected to the strange records from 1998.<\/p>\n But there was something written on the back.<\/p>\n I turned the photograph over.<\/p>\n Three words.<\/p>\n SECOND CHILD \u2014 1998.<\/strong><\/p>\n My hands started shaking.<\/p>\n \u201cSecond child?\u201d<\/p>\n Lorraine closed her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cEmma\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n She didn’t answer.<\/p>\n I stood up.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n She finally looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cYour parents had another child.\u201d<\/p>\n I couldn’t breathe.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour mother was pregnant before you were born.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat makes no sense.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt does if the records were changed.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared at her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat records?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe birth records.\u201d<\/p>\n My mind raced.<\/p>\n The baby photograph had said Baby Harper<\/strong>.<\/p>\n My parents supposedly died before I was born.<\/p>\n Yet there were photographs of me as a child.<\/p>\n There were records showing different names.<\/p>\n Different dates.<\/p>\n Different stories.<\/p>\n And now Lorraine was telling me there had been another child.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere is she?\u201d<\/p>\n Lorraine’s expression broke.<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou said you knew who they were talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI said I knew who they were talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at the photograph.<\/p>\n \u201cThe girl disappeared.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c1998.\u201d<\/p>\n My blood ran cold.<\/p>\n \u201cThe same year my parents died?\u201d<\/p>\n Lorraine nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the same year you were supposedly born.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared at the photograph again.<\/p>\n The little girl looked directly into the camera.<\/p>\n Something about her face bothered me.<\/p>\n Not because she looked familiar.<\/p>\n Because she looked exactly like me.<\/p>\n Not similar.<\/p>\n Exactly.<\/p>\n I moved closer to the photograph.<\/p>\n There was a tiny mark beneath her left eye.<\/p>\n A small crescent-shaped birthmark.<\/p>\n I touched my own face.<\/p>\n I had the same mark.<\/p>\n I looked at Lorraine.<\/p>\n \u201cWho is she?\u201d<\/p>\n Lorraine’s lips trembled.<\/p>\n \u201cYour sister.\u201d<\/p>\n The word echoed through the basement.<\/p>\n My sister.<\/p>\n A sister I had never known existed.<\/p>\n A sister everyone had apparently erased.<\/p>\n A sister who had disappeared twenty-eight years ago.<\/p>\n Then my phone vibrated again.<\/p>\n Another message.<\/p>\n SHE IS ALIVE.<\/strong><\/p>\n I stared at it.<\/p>\n Lorraine read it over my shoulder.<\/p>\n Neither of us spoke.<\/p>\n Then a second message appeared.<\/p>\n AND SHE KNOWS WHAT YOUR FATHER DID.<\/strong><\/p>\n I felt my entire body go cold.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did my father do?\u201d<\/p>\n Lorraine shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know something.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cI know your father was afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf someone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n Lorraine slowly turned toward the old tape recorder.<\/p>\n \u201cYour mother.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared at her.<\/p>\n \u201cMy mother?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe wasn’t afraid of dying.\u201d<\/p>\n Lorraine’s voice dropped.<\/p>\n \u201cShe was afraid of what would happen if the truth came out.\u201d<\/p>\n I walked toward the recorder.<\/p>\n The tape was still inside.<\/p>\n I pressed play.<\/p>\n Static filled the room.<\/p>\n Then my mother’s voice returned.<\/p>\n But this time, there was no hesitation.<\/p>\n No whisper.<\/p>\n No fear.<\/p>\n Just urgency.<\/p>\n \u201cIf Emma finds this recording, it means Evelyn failed to keep the records hidden.\u201d<\/p>\n I stopped breathing.<\/p>\n Lorraine stared at the machine.<\/p>\n My mother’s voice continued.<\/p>\n \u201cEmma, if you’re hearing this, there is something you need to understand.\u201d<\/p>\n A pause.<\/p>\n \u201cYou were not the child they were looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at Lorraine.<\/p>\n She covered her mouth.<\/p>\n The recording continued.<\/p>\n \u201cThey wanted your sister.\u201d<\/p>\n My knees nearly gave out.<\/p>\n \u201cHer name was never Harper.\u201d<\/p>\n Static.<\/p>\n Then my mother’s voice returned.<\/p>\n \u201cHer name was Elizabeth.\u201d<\/p>\n The tape clicked.<\/p>\n Silence.<\/p>\n I stared at the recorder.<\/p>\n \u201cElizabeth\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Lorraine whispered,<\/p>\n \u201cThat was her name.\u201d<\/p>\n I turned toward her.<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I saw her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAfter your parents died.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n Lorraine looked toward the ceiling.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the same house.\u201d<\/p>\n I couldn’t speak.<\/p>\n \u201cYou’re saying my sister was here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe night your parents died.\u201d<\/p>\n I felt sick.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n Lorraine looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw your father carry a baby out of the house.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA baby?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere did he take her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou must know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI followed him.\u201d<\/p>\n My heart pounded.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe went into the woods behind the property.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe wasn’t alone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith who?\u201d<\/p>\n Lorraine hesitated.<\/p>\n \u201cDaniel.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared at her.<\/p>\n \u201cDaniel was a baby.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was older than you think.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked away.<\/p>\n \u201cI never understood the family.\u201d<\/p>\n I stepped closer.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me everything.\u201d<\/p>\n She remained silent.<\/p>\n \u201cLorraine.\u201d<\/p>\n Finally, she said,<\/p>\n \u201cYour father didn’t kill your sister.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen who did?\u201d<\/p>\n Lorraine looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one.\u201d<\/p>\n I didn’t understand.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe wasn’t killed.\u201d<\/p>\n My heart stopped.<\/p>\n \u201cShe was taken.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBy whom?\u201d<\/p>\n Lorraine’s eyes moved toward the basement door.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people who are looking for you now.\u201d<\/p>\n Suddenly\u2014<\/p>\n The door upstairs slammed.<\/p>\n Then another.<\/p>\n Then another.<\/p>\n Someone was moving through the house.<\/p>\n Fast.<\/p>\n I grabbed Lorraine’s arm.<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone is inside.\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n My phone rang.<\/p>\n Daniel.<\/p>\n I answered.<\/p>\n \u201cDaniel?\u201d<\/p>\n His voice was barely a whisper.<\/p>\n \u201cEmma, listen to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon’t worry about where I am.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you find the basement room?\u201d<\/p>\n I froze.<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you know about it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I built it.\u201d<\/p>\n The words hit me like a wall.<\/p>\n \u201cYou built this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot exactly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen who did?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy father.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at Lorraine.<\/p>\n She looked terrified.<\/p>\n Daniel continued.<\/p>\n \u201cEmma, you have to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause they know you’re there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou’re lying.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen tell me the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n He went silent.<\/p>\n I heard breathing on the other end.<\/p>\n Then he whispered,<\/p>\n \u201cI found something six years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA record.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat record?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe original birth certificate.\u201d<\/p>\n My heart stopped.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor my sister?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n I gripped the phone tighter.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere is it?\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel hesitated.<\/p>\n \u201cUnder the house.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked around the basement.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere is another room.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared at the walls.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou won’t find it by looking.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen how?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to listen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe pipes.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked toward the old pipes running along the basement wall.<\/p>\n Daniel whispered,<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the water starts, count seven seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happens after seven seconds?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe wall opens.\u201d<\/p>\n Then the call ended.<\/p>\n I stared at the phone.<\/p>\n Lorraine slowly walked toward the pipes.<\/p>\n \u201cDid he tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n I repeated his words.<\/p>\n She stared at the wall.<\/p>\n \u201cThen we have to move.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause if Daniel knows about that room\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She looked toward the basement door.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026so does everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n Before I could respond, water suddenly began rushing through the pipes.<\/p>\n The sound filled the basement.<\/p>\n I counted.<\/p>\n One.<\/p>\n Two.<\/p>\n Three.<\/p>\n Four.<\/p>\n Five.<\/p>\n Six.<\/p>\n Seven.<\/p>\n Nothing happened.<\/p>\n I looked at Lorraine.<\/p>\n Then\u2014<\/p>\n CLICK.<\/p>\n A section of the wall moved.<\/p>\n A narrow opening appeared behind the pipes.<\/p>\n Cold air rushed through it.<\/p>\n Inside was a small hidden chamber.<\/p>\n And sitting in the center of that chamber was a wooden chair.<\/p>\n On the chair was a box.<\/p>\n On the box was a handwritten note.<\/p>\n My name was written across it.<\/p>\n EMMA.<\/strong><\/p>\n I reached for it.<\/p>\n Lorraine grabbed my wrist.<\/p>\n \u201cDon’t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause your aunt wrote that.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at the handwriting.<\/p>\n She was right.<\/p>\n It was Evelyn’s handwriting.<\/p>\n I opened the box.<\/p>\n Inside was a birth certificate.<\/p>\n A photograph.<\/p>\n A key.<\/p>\n And a second note.<\/p>\n I picked up the birth certificate first.<\/p>\n My hands trembled as I read the name.<\/p>\n ELIZABETH HALE.<\/strong><\/p>\n Date of birth:<\/p>\n October 14, 1998.<\/strong><\/p>\n Mother:<\/p>\n Evelyn Lorraine Reynolds.<\/strong><\/p>\n Father:<\/p>\n Richard Hale.<\/strong><\/p>\n I couldn’t breathe.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n Lorraine stared at the paper.<\/p>\n Then she whispered,<\/p>\n \u201cNot impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cJust hidden.\u201d<\/p>\n I picked up the photograph.<\/p>\n It showed Evelyn holding two babies.<\/p>\n One was me.<\/p>\n The other was Elizabeth.<\/p>\n On the back, Evelyn had written:<\/p>\n ONE OF THEM WILL BE HUNTED.<\/strong><\/p>\n I turned the photograph over.<\/p>\n There was more.<\/p>\n ONE OF THEM WILL BE THE KEY.<\/strong><\/p>\n I stared at the words.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n Lorraine didn’t answer.<\/p>\n The basement door suddenly opened.<\/p>\n We both turned.<\/p>\n No one was standing there.<\/p>\n Just darkness.<\/p>\n Then something slid down the stairs.<\/p>\n A small envelope.<\/p>\n It stopped at my feet.<\/p>\n I slowly picked it up.<\/p>\n There was no name on the outside.<\/p>\n Only one sentence:<\/p>\n ASK DANIEL WHY HE REMEMBERS ELIZABETH.<\/strong><\/p>\n I looked at Lorraine.<\/p>\n Then my phone rang again.<\/p>\n Daniel.<\/p>\n I answered.<\/p>\n \u201cDaniel\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n His voice came through immediately.<\/p>\n \u201cEmma.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did you do to Elizabeth?\u201d<\/p>\n Silence.<\/p>\n Then Daniel whispered,<\/p>\n \u201cI didn’t take her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen who did?\u201d<\/p>\n Another silence.<\/p>\n And then he said something that made my blood run cold.<\/p>\n \u201cI did not know she was your sister.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen how do you remember her?\u201d<\/p>\n His breathing became uneven.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I was there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe night she disappeared.\u201d<\/p>\n I couldn’t speak.<\/p>\n Daniel continued.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Emma\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to understand something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn’t the only child in that house that night.\u201d<\/p>\n A loud crash came from somewhere upstairs.<\/p>\n Daniel’s voice dropped to a whisper.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were three children.\u201d<\/p>\n The call ended.<\/p>\n I stared at the phone.<\/p>\n Three children.<\/p>\n Not two.<\/p>\n Three.<\/p>\n I slowly looked at Lorraine.<\/p>\n She was staring at the photograph.<\/p>\n Her face had gone completely white.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n She whispered,<\/p>\n \u201cEmma\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n She pointed to the photograph.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are three babies.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked down.<\/p>\n She was right.<\/p>\n Behind Evelyn, barely visible in the corner of the photograph, was a third crib.<\/p>\n And inside it\u2014<\/p>\n was another baby.<\/p>\n I leaned closer.<\/p>\n Someone had written a name beneath the crib.<\/p>\n I wiped the dust from the photograph.<\/p>\n The name became visible.<\/p>\n DANIEL.<\/strong><\/p>\n My heart stopped.<\/p>\n I looked at Lorraine.<\/p>\n \u201cYou said Daniel was your son.\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cYou said he was born years before me.\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded again.<\/p>\n \u201cThen why was he in this photograph?\u201d<\/p>\n Lorraine’s eyes filled with fear.<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n A sound came from the hidden chamber.<\/p>\n A faint metallic click.<\/p>\n I turned.<\/p>\n The wooden box had moved.<\/p>\n Behind it was another compartment.<\/p>\n Inside was a final photograph.<\/p>\n This one was newer.<\/p>\n Much newer.<\/p>\n The photograph showed three adults standing together.<\/p>\n Daniel.<\/p>\n Elizabeth.<\/p>\n And\u2014<\/p>\n me.<\/p>\n The date stamped in the corner was only six months old.<\/p>\n I stared at the photograph.<\/p>\n My hands went numb.<\/p>\n I had never met Elizabeth.<\/p>\n At least, I thought I hadn’t.<\/p>\n But there I was.<\/p>\n Standing beside her.<\/p>\n And standing beside us was Daniel.<\/p>\n On the back of the photograph was one final sentence.<\/p>\n YOU HAVE ALREADY MET YOUR SISTER.<\/strong><\/p>\n I looked at Lorraine.<\/p>\n She whispered,<\/p>\n \u201cEmma\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n Her eyes were fixed on the photograph.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I know who Elizabeth is.\u201d<\/p>\n Before she could say the name\u2014<\/p>\n the basement lights went out again.<\/p>\n And this time, a woman’s voice whispered from directly behind me.<\/p>\n \u201cFinally.\u201d<\/p>\n I turned.<\/p>\n A figure was standing in the darkness.<\/p>\n And she was wearing my mother’s necklace…..<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" PART 4 \u2014 THE WOMAN WHO KNEW MY NAME The basement went completely dark. Not dim. Not shadowy. Completely dark. I couldn’t see Lorraine. I couldn’t see the stairs. I … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4139,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5884"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5887,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5884\/revisions\/5887"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Click Here to continuous Read\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b Full Ending Story\ud83d\udc49<\/span>PART(5): – “My husband brought his mother unannounced and forced me to wake”<\/a><\/h3>\n