Chapter 3: The Night the Lights Went Out
The car door slammed somewhere beyond the front porch.
Lily grabbed the back of my shirt.
“Dad.””
“I've got you.””
I didn't know whether that was true.
The house had gone completely dark. No porch light. No streetlights. No glow from the neighboring houses.
For one strange second, there was absolute silence.
Then I heard an engine.
Low.
Slow.
Moving past the house.
I stepped toward the window.
“Marcus,” Tara whispered.
I stopped.
“Don't go near it.””
I turned.
She was holding the curtains shut with one hand.
“What happened to the power?””
“I don't know.””
“You said he found us.””
“I said I think he did.””
“You sounded pretty sure.””
“I was.””
Lily stood behind me, trembling.
“Who is he?””
Tara looked at her.
“I don't know his name.””
“You said he found us.””
“I said I think he found us.””
“That doesn't help.””
Lily's voice was different now.
Still scared.
But there was anger underneath it.
The kind of anger that comes when fear has nowhere else to go.
She stepped around me.
“You knew something like this could happen.””
Tara didn't answer.
“You knew.””
“Lily—”
“You knew somebody might come.””
“Stop.””
“Why?””
“Because you don't understand.””
“Then explain it!””
Her voice cracked through the dark room.
Tara flinched.
I looked toward the windows again.
The curtains were barely moving.
No wind.
That meant whoever had been outside hadn't gone far enough to leave the property.
I reached for my phone.
No service.
Of course.
The battery was at nineteen percent.
I turned on the flashlight.
The beam cut through the darkness.
“Everyone stays together.””
Tara nodded.
Lily didn't.
“Dad, we should call the police.””
“Yes.””
“I can't get a signal.””
“Go to the landline.””
“We don't have one.””
I had forgotten that.
Everything in our lives had become dependent on a little rectangle of glass.
One tower failure and suddenly we were back in another century.
Then something scraped across the front porch.
All three of us froze.
A long, slow dragging sound.
Wood against wood.
Lily's fingers closed around my arm.
“Was that the door?””
“No,” I whispered.
Another scrape.
Then three knocks.
Not loud.
Not hurried.
Three deliberate taps.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Tara covered her mouth.
I looked at her.
“You know that sound?””
She shook her head.
But her face said yes.
Someone knocked again.
Three times.
Lily whispered, “Should we answer?””
“No.””
“Maybe it's a neighbor.””
“At this hour?””
“Maybe they're checking on us.””
“In a blackout?””
She didn't argue.
I motioned for them to stay behind me.
Then I moved toward the front door.
Tara grabbed my wrist.
“Don't.””
“What am I supposed to do?””
“Wait.””
“For what?””
Her eyes were fixed on the door.
“For him to leave.””
“You really think he'll just leave?””
“I don't know.””
“You're the one who knows him.””
“I don't!””
Her whisper came out almost like a cry.
“I've spent six years hoping I would never see him again.””
“Who is he?””
“I told you. I don't know.””
“You're still lying.””
She shut her eyes.
“I don't know his name.””
“Then what do you know?””
There was a pause.
“He worked for someone.””
“Who?””
“I never knew.””
“What did he want?””
Tara looked at Lily.
“She wasn't supposed to remember.””
Lily went rigid.
“Remember what?””
“Lily—”
“Remember what?””
Tara looked away.
The knocking came again.
Three times.
Only this time, there was a voice afterward.
A man's voice.
Calm.
Almost polite.
“Tara.””
My blood turned cold.
Lily moved closer to me.
The man spoke again.
“You've had six years.””
Tara's knees almost buckled.
I caught her elbow.
“What does he mean?””
She shook her head.
“Don't answer him.””
“I wasn't planning to.””
“You need to understand something.””
“What?””
“He won't hurt you unless he thinks you're standing between him and Lily.””
I looked at her.
“That's supposed to make me feel better?””
“No.””
The voice outside came again.
“Tara, I know she's there.””
Lily's breath caught.
He knew.
He knew exactly who was in the house.
I raised my hand to signal silence.
Then my phone vibrated.
One message.
I looked down.
*LET HER COME OUT AND THIS ENDS.*
A second message.
*MAKE ME COME IN, AND IT WON'T.*
I felt every muscle in my body tighten.
Tara saw the screen.
“No.””
I nodded.
“No.””
Lily whispered, “What did he say?””
I didn't answer immediately.
Then I realized something.
“He doesn't want me.””
Tara stared at me.
“What?””
“He wants Lily.””
Her face went white.
I turned toward the kitchen.
“We need a back exit.””
“There isn't one.””
“Yes, there is.””
“The patio door?””
“Exactly.””
“We can't leave through there.””
“Why?””
Tara shook her head.
“Because he might be watching the yard.””
“He's already watching the house.””
I moved toward the hallway.
“Stay close.””
We made it three steps before the electricity came back.
Every light flickered on at once.
Lily gasped.
The sudden brightness felt unnatural.
Too clean.
Too normal.
I looked through the side window.
The streetlights were back.
The neighboring houses were lit.
No car.
No man.
Nothing.
I unlocked my phone.
Full signal.
“Call 911,” I told Tara.
She took the phone.
Then her expression changed.
“What?””
“It's dead.””
“How?””
“The battery.””
“It was at nineteen percent.””
“It shut off.””
I pulled out mine.
It had gone from nineteen percent to two.
Then the screen blacked out.
I stared at it.
“What did you do?”” Tara whispered.
“I didn't do anything.””
“Neither did I.””
Lily looked toward the front window.
“Dad.””
I followed her gaze.
A shadow moved behind the curtains.
Someone had entered through the front door.
I knew because the lock was still engaged.
The deadbolt hadn't moved.
But the shadow was there.
Inside.
My hand instinctively found the nearest object.
A heavy wooden lamp.
I pushed Lily behind me.
“Tara, go upstairs.””
“No.””
“Go.””
“I said no.””
“Then stay behind me.””
The shadow stopped.
We waited.
A shape appeared in the doorway.
I raised the lamp.
Then stopped.
It was the neighbor from next door.
Mrs. Ellis.
She was standing there holding a flashlight.
“Marcus?””
I nearly dropped the lamp.
“Mrs. Ellis?””
Her face was pale.
“What are you doing?””
“I saw your lights go out.””
She looked behind me.
“Is everyone okay?””
Tara stared at her.
“You came through our front door?””
Mrs. Ellis blinked.
“It was unlocked.””
“No, it wasn't.””
“Yes, it was.””
I looked at the lock.
The deadbolt was locked now.
I hadn't touched it.
Mrs. Ellis looked confused.
“I heard someone outside,” she said.
“I thought maybe you needed help.””
“Did you see anyone?””
“A man.””
My heart stopped.
“Where?””
“Across the street.””
“What did he look like?””
“I couldn't see his face.””
“What kind of car?””
She hesitated.
“Black.””
Tara shut her eyes.
Mrs. Ellis looked at her.
“Tara?””
My wife whispered, “How long has he been watching the house?””
The question came out so quietly that I almost missed it.
Mrs. Ellis looked at me.
“Watching the house?””
I nodded.
“She thinks someone is stalking us.””
Mrs. Ellis lowered her flashlight.
“I've seen a black truck parked down the street three nights this week.””
Three nights.
I looked at Tara.
She looked sick.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“I thought it was someone visiting another house.””
“Did you see the driver?””
“Once.””
“What did he look like?””
She closed her eyes, trying to remember.
“Tall.””
“Anything else?””
“Dark jacket.””
“Hair?””
“Gray.””
Tara suddenly grabbed the edge of the table.
I looked at her.
“You know him.””
She didn't answer.
“You know him.””
Finally she whispered, “He's older now.””
“Who is he?””
“I don't know.””
“You keep saying that.””
“Because it's true.””
“Then why do you look like you've seen a ghost?””
She looked at Lily.
“Because I have.””
The house fell silent again.
Mrs. Ellis stared between us.
“What is going on?””
I didn't know how much to tell her.
I didn't trust anyone enough anymore.
Not even people who had known us for years.
“Mrs. Ellis, thank you for checking on us. Could you go inside and lock your doors?””
She nodded.
Then she looked at Lily.
“Sweetheart.””
Lily lifted her eyes.
“You okay?””
Lily nodded.
Mrs. Ellis squeezed her shoulder.
“Stay inside tonight.””
Then she left.
I locked the door behind her.
The instant the lock clicked, Tara spoke.
“We need to leave.””
I turned.
“You just said we couldn't go.””
“I changed my mind.””
“Where?””
“Somewhere he won't expect.””
“Do you have a place?””
“No.””
“Then where are we going?””
She looked at me.
“My sister's.””
“You haven't spoken to your sister in years.””
“I know.””
“Why would she help us?””
“She won't.””
“Then what's the point?””
Tara reached into the pocket of her robe.
She pulled out a small key.
“This.””
I stared at it.
“What is that?””
“Storage unit.””
“When did you get a storage unit?””
“Five years ago.””
“Why?””
She looked at Lily.
“Because I knew someday I'd have to leave.””
My chest tightened.
“You've been planning for this?””
“Yes.””
“For five years?””
“I was hoping I'd never need it.””
“What's inside?””
“Things your wife should have told you.””
I took the key from her.
“Where is it?””
She gave me an address.
It was on the edge of town.
Twenty-five minutes away.
“Why didn't you ever tell me?””
“Because the fewer people who knew, the safer Lily was.””
“That doesn't answer the question.””
“I was protecting you too.””
“From what?””
“The truth.””
Lily stood near the staircase.
“What truth?””
Tara looked at her.
“About your mother.””
Lily's voice became tiny.
“What about her?””
“She's not the person you think she was.””
“What do you mean?””
Tara took a breath.
“She wasn't just running from someone.””
“Then what was she doing?””
“She was trying to disappear.””
“For me?””
“For herself.””
Lily's eyes filled.
“But why?””
“Because she had been involved in something she couldn't get out of.””
“What?””
Tara hesitated.
“Money.””
I frowned.
“What kind of money?””
“I don't know.””
“You keep saying you don't know.””
“Because I never knew the whole story.””
“Then how do you know any of this?””
“Because Claire told me.””
Lily stared at her.
“When?””
“The night at the lake.””
“Claire was there?””
“Yes.””
“What did she say?””
Tara's lips trembled.
“She said your mother had stolen something.””
“What?””
“I don't know.””
“Then why would someone still care after six years?””
Tara looked toward the dark window.
“Because whatever she stole was never found.””
I felt the air leave the room.
“Where is it?””
Tara stared at Lily.
“I think she gave it to you.””
Lily's face went blank.
“Me?””
“Yes.””
“But I don't have anything.””
Tara shook her head.
“You don't remember.””
I stepped closer.
“What would she have given a ten-year-old?””
“I don't know.””
“Then this whole thing is based on a guess?””
“No.””
Tara's eyes were fixed on Lily.
“It's based on something she said.””
“What?””
“She told Claire that Lily would protect it.””
Lily whispered, “Protect what?””
Tara didn't answer.
Instead, she walked toward the stairs.
“Get your things.””
“Where are you going?””
“Upstairs.””
“To pack?””
“Yes.””
I watched her disappear.
Then I turned to Lily.
“What do you have?””
She looked confused.
“In my room?””
“Anything your mother gave you.””
She thought.
“I don't think so.””
“Think carefully.””
“I have my old books.””
“What else?””
“A jewelry box.””
“What’s in it?””
“Nothing important.””
“Open it.””
She nodded.
We went upstairs.
Tara's bedroom door was closed.
I could hear drawers opening inside.
Lily went into her room.
I followed.
She knelt beside her bed and pulled out a small wooden box.
I had seen it before.
It had always seemed ordinary.
She opened it.
Inside were little things.
A broken bracelet.
A faded movie ticket.
A coin.
Two hair clips.
A photo of Lily at twelve.
Nothing unusual.
Then Lily reached beneath the lining.
“I forgot about this.””
She pulled out a tiny silver key.
I stared at it.
“Where did you get that?””
“I don't know.””
She turned it over.
There was a number engraved on it.
*341.*
My skin prickled.
“Lily.””
She looked up.
“What?””
I heard footsteps behind us.
Tara stood in the doorway.
The moment she saw the key, every bit of color vanished from her face.
“No.””
“What?””
She backed away.
“Where did you find that?””
“In the box.””
She shook her head.
“That's impossible.””
I held up the key.
“What is 341?””
Tara stared at it.
Then she whispered:
“The storage unit.””
A sound came from downstairs.
The front door opened.
None of us moved.
A man's voice drifted up from below.
Calm.
Patient.
Almost amused.
“You found the key.””
Tara's eyes filled with terror.
Lily looked at me.
And this time, I didn't need her to ask whether I was going to protect her.
I already knew the answer.
I took her hand.
May you like
Then I looked at Tara.
“Run.””
