Chapter 2: The Locked Room
Emma didn't wait for Daniel.
She raced up the stairs two at a time, shouting Lily's name until her throat burned.
"Lily!""
Nothing.
She reached the bedroom and stopped so abruptly that Daniel nearly collided with her.
The room looked exactly as it had thirty seconds earlier.
The bed was neatly made except for the pillow Lily had thrown onto the floor. Her stuffed rabbit sat against the headboard. A glass of water stood untouched on the nightstand.
But the closet door was open.
Emma ran to it.
"Lily?""
She pulled clothes aside.
Nothing.
Behind her, Daniel appeared in the doorway.
"Emma.""
"Don't.""
"I need you to listen to me.""
"My daughter disappeared from a locked bedroom, and you want me to listen to you?""
"I know how this looks.""
"You don't know how anything looks right now.""
Emma turned toward him.
"Call the police.""
Daniel stared at her.
"What?""
"Call them.""
He didn't move.
Emma's voice rose.
"Call. Them.""
Daniel reached for his phone.
Then stopped.
His face had gone pale again.
"What?"" Emma demanded.
"There may be a reason we shouldn't.""
She stared at him as though he had suddenly become a stranger.
"Are you protecting someone?""
"No.""
"Are you protecting yourself?""
"Emma, that's not what this is.""
"Then tell me what it is.""
Daniel opened his mouth.
A sound came from downstairs.
A slow scrape.
Like metal dragging across wood.
Both of them turned toward the hallway.
Emma whispered, "What was that?""
Daniel didn't answer.
They went downstairs together.
The study door was still open.
The room beyond it was almost completely black.
Daniel reached for the wall switch.
Nothing.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
"Power's on everywhere else," Emma said.
Daniel looked at the ceiling.
"The breaker isn't the problem.""
"How do you know?""
"Because I installed the electrical system in this room myself.""
Emma stared at him.
"You what?""
Daniel stepped inside.
The wooden floor creaked beneath his shoes.
Emma followed.
The air smelled old—dust, cedar, and something faintly metallic.
Daniel crouched beside the chair and picked up Lily's helmet.
Emma watched his hands tremble.
"You've been in here.""
He didn't answer.
"Daniel.""
He finally looked at her.
"Yes.""
"When?""
"After Lily was born.""
"Why?""
He looked toward the back wall.
Because hidden there, behind a tall cabinet, was a small steel safe.
Emma had never seen it.
"What is that?""
Daniel crossed the room.
"Stay here.""
"No.""
"Emma—"
"No more secrets.""
She followed him.
He moved the cabinet six inches to the left.
A rectangular panel appeared.
He entered a six-digit code.
The safe clicked open.
Emma held her breath.
Inside were folders.
A dozen of them.
Some were yellowed with age.
One was labeled in thick black marker:
*MERCER, DANIEL — 2007*
Another:
*ELENA VALE — 2008*
And beneath them all, a newer file.
*LILY MERCER — CURRENT*
Emma's stomach dropped.
"What the hell is that?""
Daniel reached for it.
Emma grabbed his wrist.
"No.""
"Emma.""
"You've been keeping a file on our daughter?""
"It's not what you think.""
"Then show me.""
Daniel hesitated.
That hesitation was enough.
Emma snatched the folder.
Papers spilled onto the desk.
School records.
Photographs.
Medical reports.
And photographs of Lily sleeping.
Emma stopped breathing.
There were at least six.
One showed Lily asleep in this very house.
Another had been taken outside the elementary school.
One showed Lily at the neighborhood park.
Emma looked at the date.
Three weeks earlier.
Her daughter had been wearing the same yellow sweater she had worn that day.
Someone had been close enough to photograph her.
Someone had been following her.
"You said nobody knew," Emma whispered.
Daniel's voice was barely audible.
"I said nobody should know.""
"Who took these?""
"I don't know.""
"You expect me to believe that?""
"I've been trying to find out.""
Emma turned another page.
A handwritten note had been clipped to the back.
*She has his eyes.*
Emma looked up.
"Who is 'he'?""
Daniel said nothing.
"Who is he?""
"I was hoping you'd never have to ask.""
"Daniel, I'm done hoping.""
He sat down heavily in the chair.
For several seconds, he looked older than she had ever seen him.
"Before I met you," he said, "I knew someone named Elena.""
Emma waited.
"What happened to her?""
"I don't know.""
"You dated her?""
"No.""
"Then what was she?""
Daniel rubbed both hands over his face.
"Someone I should have protected.""
Emma's voice softened despite herself.
"From what?""
Daniel looked at the open safe.
"From me.""
A sharp crack sounded upstairs.
Emma flinched.
"That was Lily.""
She turned toward the door.
Daniel caught her arm.
"Wait.""
"What?""
"Listen.""
They stood perfectly still.
A faint sound drifted through the ceiling.
Footsteps.
Small footsteps.
Slowly moving across the hallway upstairs.
Emma's eyes widened.
"Lily?""
No answer.
The steps stopped.
Then came a soft knock.
Not from the upstairs bedroom.
From directly above them.
Emma looked at the ceiling.
"What is above this room?""
Daniel stared upward.
"Nothing.""
"Don't lie to me.""
"There is no second floor above the study.""
Another knock.
This time louder.
Emma whispered, "Then where did that come from?""
Daniel walked toward the far wall.
He pushed the tall cabinet aside.
Behind it was a narrow wooden door.
Emma stared.
"You have another door?""
"I didn't put it there.""
"Then who did?""
Daniel reached for the handle.
Locked.
He pulled a key from his pocket.
Emma's eyes immediately dropped to it.
"You had that the whole time.""
"It's been here for years.""
"Open it.""
"Emma—"
"Open it.""
He inserted the key.
The lock turned.
The door opened three inches.
A draft swept into the study.
Cold.
So cold Emma saw goosebumps rise along her arms.
There was a staircase beyond it.
A narrow staircase descending into darkness.
Emma stepped back.
"There's a basement?""
Daniel looked at her.
"Not on the plans.""
She stared at him.
"What does that mean?""
"It means whoever built this house lied.""
They descended.
Daniel went first, one hand on the wall.
Emma followed closely.
The staircase seemed impossibly long.
They counted twelve steps.
Then fifteen.
Then twenty.
The air became colder.
At the bottom was a concrete corridor.
A single emergency light flickered overhead.
At the end of the corridor was another door.
This one stood open.
Emma heard something inside.
A soft humming.
A child's voice.
Her blood froze.
"Lily.""
She ran.
Daniel grabbed her just before she crossed the threshold.
"Wait.""
Inside the room was a small table.
A portable lamp.
A stack of children's books.
A blanket.
And a chair.
Nothing else.
Emma's heart collapsed.
Then she saw the drawing on the table.
Crayon on white paper.
A picture of the Mercer house.
Three people stood in front of it.
Emma.
Daniel.
Lily.
But someone had drawn a fourth figure behind the house.
A tall man with a black face.
Underneath him, in childish handwriting, were three words.
*He is back.*
Emma slowly turned toward Daniel.
"What does that mean?""
"I don't know.""
"You know exactly what it means.""
"I don't.""
"You have pictures of Lily. You have a secret room. You have files from before we met.
Someone sends you photographs. And now our daughter draws some man hiding behind our house.""
Daniel looked at the picture.
His breathing changed.
"That's not a man.""
Emma frowned.
"What?""
"Look at the shoes.""
She did.
The figure was wearing red shoes.
Old-fashioned red shoes.
Daniel whispered, "Elena.""
Emma's confusion turned to disbelief.
"You said she disappeared.""
"She did.""
"Then how could Lily know her?""
Daniel looked toward the hallway.
"I don't think Lily does.""
A sound came from behind them.
Click.
The basement door slammed shut.
Emma spun around.
"Daniel!""
He ran back.
The handle wouldn't move.
He pulled harder.
Nothing.
Emma heard movement in the room behind her.
She turned.
The chair was no longer empty.
A little girl sat in it.
Her back was facing them.
Long blonde hair fell over her shoulders.
Emma's voice broke.
"Lily?""
The girl slowly turned.
It was Lily.
Her face was pale.
Her knees were scraped.
There was mud on the hem of her pajama pants.
Emma rushed toward her.
"Oh my God.""
She dropped to her knees.
"Lily, baby!""
Lily didn't respond.
Emma touched her cheek.
Cold.
Too cold.
"Where were you?""
Lily looked past her mother's shoulder.
At Daniel.
Then she whispered,
"You weren't supposed to open it.""
Daniel stopped breathing.
"Open what?""
Lily's eyes filled with tears.
"The room upstairs.""
Emma looked at Daniel.
"We never opened the room.""
Lily shook her head.
"You did.""
Her lower lip trembled.
"You opened it before I disappeared.""
Daniel stared at her.
"When?""
Lily pointed toward the ceiling.
"Before dinner.""
Emma felt a wave of confusion.
"Lily, honey, you were riding your bike.""
"I know.""
"Then how could you have seen Daddy upstairs?""
Lily's face twisted with fear.
She grabbed Emma's hand.
"I didn't see Daddy.""
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
"Then who did you see?""
Lily looked at him.
And whispered,
"The man who looks exactly like you.""
No one moved.
Then somewhere above them, behind layers of wood and concrete, a door slowly creaked open.
And from the darkness came Daniel's voice.
"Emma?""
Emma stared at the man standing beside her.
Daniel was right there.
His hand was still locked around the basement door handle.
May you like
But upstairs, unmistakably, his voice called her name again.
"Emma... help me.""
