Chapter 7: The Woman Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
The voice behind the metal door said my name again.
“Marcus.””
I couldn't move.
Neither could Lily.
Tara had one hand over her mouth.
Daniel was the only person who seemed capable of thinking.
“Keep going,” he whispered.
I looked at him.
“My mother is outside.””
“No.””
“I heard her.””
“You heard a voice.””
“That sounded exactly like her.””
“That doesn't make it her.””
Tara shook her head.
“It is.””
Daniel turned toward her.
“How can you know that?””
“Because nobody can imitate her breathing.””
I stared at Tara.
That sentence made no sense.
“You're telling me you know how my dead mother breathes?””
She looked at me.
“Yes.””
“How?””
“Because I spoke to her six months ago.””
The passage suddenly felt too small.
“You spoke to my mother six months ago?””
“Yes.””
“While everyone told me she was dead?””
“Yes.””
“And you never told me?””
“I was afraid.””
“Of her?””
“Of what she knew.””
A hard metallic bang came from behind the storage door.
Then another.
Someone was trying to break through.
Daniel grabbed my shoulder.
“We have about thirty seconds.””
“Thirty seconds for what?””
“Before that door opens.””
Lily was staring at Tara.
“Did my grandmother know me?””
Tara swallowed.
“Yes.””
“Did she know where I was?””
“Yes.””
“Did she ever try to see me?””
Tara looked away.
“Once.””
“When?””
“The summer before you came to us.””
Lily frowned.
“What happened?””
“She came to the house.””
“My old house?””
“Yes.””
“Did I see her?””
“Yes.””
Lily's face changed.
“I remember a woman.””
Tara went pale.
“What woman?””
“She gave me something.””
“What?””
“A red ribbon.””
Tara shut her eyes.
“She told me not to tell Mom.””
“And you didn't.””
“No.””
Lily looked at me.
“I thought it was a dream.””
I had a thousand questions.
But the metal door shook again.
Daniel pointed toward the end of the passage.
“Move.””
We ran.
The passage narrowed as we went.
Concrete walls on either side.
Pipes overhead.
Dust under our shoes.
Lily held my hand.
Tara followed.
Daniel led the way.
At the end of the tunnel was a steel door.
He pushed it open.
We emerged behind an abandoned warehouse.
Cold air hit my face.
I looked back.
Nothing moved.
Then Daniel slammed the door shut.
“Where does this go?””
“Three blocks from the main road.””
“And the cars?””
“Leave them.””
“What?””
“They'll be watching the lot.””
Tara shook her head.
“We need to get to the lake house.””
I turned toward her.
“You said the property was abandoned.””
“It is.””
“You said my mother was dead.””
“I believed she was.””
“You said you hadn't spoken to her.””
“I didn't say that.””
“You said nothing.””
“Because I didn't know how to tell you.””
I stared at her.
“You keep choosing what I get to know.””
She looked at me.
“I know.””
“And every time you do, someone gets hurt.””
Her eyes filled.
“I know that too.””
Lily stepped between us.
“Can we save this argument until we're somewhere safe?””
I looked at her.
She was frightened.
But she was also strangely composed.
More composed than any fifteen-year-old should have been after everything she'd learned that night.
“She's right.””
Daniel nodded.
“Follow me.””
We moved through the alley.
No cars.
No people.
Just the distant hum of traffic.
When we reached the main road, Daniel stopped beside an old pickup truck.
“This is mine.””
I looked at it.
“Where did you get it?””
“Borrowed.””
“From whom?””
He ignored the question.
We climbed in.
Daniel drove.
Tara sat beside him.
Lily and I sat in the back.
For several minutes, nobody spoke.
Then Lily leaned toward me.
“Dad.””
“Yeah?””
“Do you hate me?””
The question nearly broke me.
“No.””
“Because I'm Evan's daughter.””
“No.””
“Because your mom knew my mom.””
“No.””
“Because everyone has been lying?””
I looked at her.
“No.””
She nodded.
“Okay.””
“Why did you ask?””
She stared out the window.
“Because everybody who learns something about me eventually looks at me differently.””
I understood.
Every secret attached to her had become another reason to believe she was dangerous, difficult, complicated, broken, or temporary.
I reached forward and squeezed her shoulder.
“I looked at you differently when you were thirteen.””
She smiled faintly.
“How?””
“I thought you were way too serious.””
That earned the smallest laugh.
“And?””
“I still think that.””
She leaned against the seat.
For the first time all night, her shoulders loosened.
Then Tara turned around.
“Marcus.””
I looked at her.
“There is one thing you need to know before we get to the lake house.””
“What's that?””
“Your mother wasn't the only person who lied about Evan.””
“Who else?””
“I did.””
I waited.
“When I told you your father died…”
Her voice shook.
“I knew he was alive.””
I stared at her.
“Why?””
“Because he contacted me.””
“When?””
“Three years after Lily came to us.””
“Why?””
“He wanted to know if she was safe.””
“Did you tell him?””
“No.””
“Why not?””
“Because I was afraid he'd come for her.””
“And you didn't tell Lily's mother?””
“She was already gone.””
“Then who did he think you were?””
“Someone who could reach you.””
I felt a chill.
“Me?””
“Yes.””
“He knew about me?””
“He knew you were raising Lily.””
“What else?””
“He knew you loved her.””
My stomach tightened.
“That means he knew my entire life.””
“Yes.””
“What did he want?””
Tara looked down.
“He wanted you to take Lily to the lake house.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
“He said the archive was there.””
“But you said it wasn't.””
“I said I had never found it.””
“Why didn't you take us?””
“Because I thought it was a trap.””
“And now?””
“Now I think it may have been the only safe place.””
Daniel finally spoke.
“It wasn't the safest place.””
I looked at him.
“Then why are we going?””
“Because the people chasing Lily don't know something.””
“What?””
Daniel glanced at Lily in the rearview mirror.
“They don't know she remembers.””
Lily frowned.
“I remember very little.””
“That may be enough.””
“For what?””
“To find the archive.””
I stared out the window.
Trees replaced buildings.
The road became darker.
The lake was getting closer.
I didn't know exactly where we were going.
But something inside me recognized the route.
A memory.
A house near the water.
A summer afternoon.
My mother standing on the porch.
Me as a child.
I'd forgotten it completely.
Until now.
“Daniel.””
“Yes?””
“I've been here before.””
He nodded.
“You were.””
“When?””
“When you were twelve.””
“My mother brought me.””
“Yes.””
“Why don't I remember?””
“She didn't want you to.””
Tara turned around.
“That isn't what happened.””
“What happened?””
“She wanted you to forget the lake house because she knew what was buried there.””
“Buried?””
Tara looked at Daniel.
He said nothing.
I felt my pulse accelerate.
“What is buried?””
“Not a body,” Tara said.
I didn't realize I'd been holding my breath.
“Then what?””
“Evidence.””
The lake appeared through the trees.
Dark water.
Still as glass.
The house sat farther down a gravel road, hidden behind pine trees.
It looked exactly like something I had seen in a dream.
Old white siding.
Wide porch.
Broken wind chime.
One upstairs window cracked.
I stared at it.
“My mother brought me here.””
“Yes.””
“What happened?””
Tara answered.
“You found something.””
“What?””
“A box.””
I looked at Lily.
She was staring at the house too.
Then she whispered:
“The red ribbon.””
I turned.
“What?””
“The ribbon my grandmother gave me.””
She reached into her pocket.
I hadn't noticed she still had it.
It was old.
Faded red.
Tied around a tiny brass key.
My heart hammered.
“Where did you get that?””
“She gave it to me.””
“Your grandmother?””
Lily nodded.
“I think.””
“When?””
“I don't know.””
She touched the ribbon.
Then closed her eyes.
“I remember now.””
Everyone went silent.
“What do you remember?””
“Grandma.””
Her voice trembled.
“She was crying.””
“What did she say?””
“She said I had to hide the key.””
“Where?””
Lily opened her eyes.
“In my room.””
I stared at her.
“Your room in the old house?””
She nodded.
“Under the floor.””
Tara whispered, “That's impossible.””
“Why?””
“Because there wasn't a hiding place.””
Lily looked at the house.
“There was.””
Daniel parked.
“Then let's find it.””
We entered through the front door.
It was unlocked.
The smell of old wood and dust filled the house.
Furniture stood exactly where it must have been left years ago.
A faded family photograph hung crookedly in the hallway.
I stepped closer.
It was a photograph of my mother.
Beside her was Evan.
And between them was a little girl.
Lily.
I stared.
The photograph had been taken before I was born.
I turned toward Tara.
“How is that possible?””
She didn't answer.
Lily moved closer.
“That isn't me.””
I frowned.
“What?””
She pointed.
“Look at the girl.””
The girl in the photograph was about six years old.
Same face.
Same eyes.
But Lily was not six in the year written on the back.
I took the photograph off the wall.
There was another date.
Twenty-one years earlier.
“That can't be you,” I said.
Lily shook her head.
“It isn't.””
Daniel came closer.
“No.””
Tara's voice was barely audible.
“Then who is she?””
A cold silence settled over us.
Lily looked at the photograph.
Then toward the staircase.
“She was there.””
“Who?””
“The other girl.””
I looked at her.
“What other girl?””
“She had the same key.””
Daniel's face went rigid.
“What did she look like?””
“Like me.””
Tara backed against the wall.
“No.””
Lily stared at her.
“She had my eyes.””
I looked at Daniel.
“You knew.””
He shook his head.
“Not this.””
“Then what is this?””
He took the photograph.
He turned it over.
Written on the back were four letters.
*L-341.*
Below that:
*PRIMARY / SECONDARY*
Tara whispered, “Oh God.””
“What does it mean?””
She looked at Lily.
“It means she wasn't the first.””
“The first what?””
“Child.””
The house seemed to shift beneath my feet.
“How many?””
Tara shook her head.
“I don't know.””
Daniel said quietly, “At least two.””
“Two girls who looked like Lily?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“I don't know.””
“Don't say that.””
“I truly don't.””
Lily suddenly walked toward the stairs.
“Wait.””
She didn't stop.
“I know where the room is.””
I followed.
We climbed to the second floor.
Three bedrooms.
One bathroom.
A small storage closet.
Lily went to the last door.
She stopped.
“This one.””
She opened it.
The room was empty.
A single bed frame.
A desk.
Dust.
Nothing else.
She walked to the window.
“Here.””
She knelt.
I crouched beside her.
“What?””
She ran her fingers along the floorboards.
“This one moves.””
I looked at Tara.
She was crying.
Daniel pulled a screwdriver from his pocket.
He worked the board loose.
Underneath was a cavity.
Inside sat a small metal box.
Lily stared at it.
“That's it.””
I lifted it carefully.
The box had no lock.
Inside was a red ribbon.
Another silver key.
And a folded letter.
This time, it was addressed to me.
I opened it.
The first line was written in my mother's handwriting.
*Marcus,*
*When you finally find this, Lily will already know enough to ask questions.*
My hands shook.
*You will be angry with me. You should be.*
I kept reading.
*But there is something I need you to understand. I did not choose Lily because she was Evan's daughter. I chose you because you were the only person Evan trusted.*
I stopped.
Tara whispered, “Keep reading.””
*You were never meant to know that Lily was his child. You were only meant to love her.*
My chest tightened.
*But there is another truth.*
I turned the page.
*Lily is not the only child with his blood.*
I looked at Lily.
She was staring at me.
The letter continued.
*The girl in the photograph is her sister.*
I felt the world disappear for a second.
Her sister.
Lily's sister.
A child who looked like her.
A child connected to Room 341.
A child who had vanished before Lily ever came to us.
Then I read the final paragraph.
*They believe the sisters were separated forever. They are wrong.*
My eyes moved to the last sentence.
*Her sister is alive.*
A floorboard creaked behind us.
We all turned.
The bedroom doorway was empty.
Then a girl's voice came from the hallway.
Soft.
Almost familiar.
“Lily?””
Lily stood.
The voice came again.
“It's me.””
Tara screamed.
Because she recognized the voice.
And when the girl stepped into the doorway, I understood why.
She looked exactly like Lily.
Same eyes.
Same dark hair.
Same face.
Only older.
Maybe seventeen.
Maybe eighteen.
She stared at Lily.
May you like
And whispered:
“You finally found me.””
