Chapter 5: The Memory Beneath the House
Emma could not move.
The voice had come from directly behind her.
Her own voice.
Not similar.
Not close.
Hers.
The woman standing in the darkness whispered again.
"Don't let them make you remember.""
Emma spun around so violently that she nearly lost her balance.
Nothing.
Only blackness.
"Who's there?""
No answer.
Daniel reached for her.
"Emma.""
She shoved his hand away.
"Don't touch me.""
Her voice shook with fury and fear.
"You knew.""
Daniel froze.
"You knew this was going to happen.""
"No.""
"You knew about the room.""
"I knew there was a room.""
"You knew about Sophie.""
"I knew pieces.""
"You knew about me.""
Daniel looked at the floor.
"I knew you had memories.""
Ethan stepped closer.
"Not memories.""
Daniel looked at him sharply.
"Don't.""
Ethan ignored him.
"Fragments.""
Emma stared.
"What is the difference?""
Ethan's face was grim.
"A memory belongs to you. A fragment can be planted, removed, rearranged.""
Emma felt suddenly dizzy.
"So what do I remember?""
"That's the problem," Ethan said.
"We don't know.""
A soft creak sounded behind them.
All three turned.
Lily was standing near the wall.
She was staring at a small metal vent beside the floor.
Her face had gone pale.
"Dad.""
Daniel rushed toward her.
"What?""
"I hear someone.""
He crouched beside the vent.
At first there was nothing.
Then a faint scratching sound came from inside the wall.
Scratch.
Pause.
Scratch.
Lily whispered, "She's trapped.""
Emma's blood ran cold.
"Who?""
Lily looked at her.
"The woman.""
Ethan's expression changed.
"Where?""
Lily pointed to the vent.
"Behind there.""
Daniel immediately pulled the vent cover free.
Behind it was darkness.
He reached inside.
His fingers struck something metallic.
He pulled out a small key.
Emma stared.
"What does that open?""
Daniel turned it over in his hand.
A number was engraved on it.
17.
Ethan stepped closer.
"Room seventeen.""
Daniel's face tightened.
"That room doesn't exist.""
"It did.""
"Not here.""
Ethan shook his head.
"You're still thinking in terms of blueprints.""
He took the key.
"Room seventeen was never on the plans.""
Emma looked between them.
"Then where is it?""
Ethan pointed toward the basement floor.
"Below us.""
Daniel immediately shook his head.
"No.""
Emma's eyes narrowed.
"Why?""
"Because that's where they kept the equipment.""
Ethan nodded.
"And the children.""
Emma stared at him.
"What children?""
Neither man answered.
She grabbed Ethan by the jacket.
"What children?""
His eyes met hers.
"Four.""
Emma released him.
"What happened to them?""
"They were supposed to forget.""
"And did they?""
"Three of them did.""
"And the fourth?""
Ethan looked at Lily.
"She didn't.""
Lily began crying.
Emma rushed to her.
"It's okay.""
"No, it's not.""
Lily wiped her face.
"You keep saying everything is okay.""
Her voice cracked.
"But it isn't.""
Emma pulled her close.
"I'll get you out.""
Lily whispered against her shoulder.
"You said that before.""
Emma stiffened.
"What?""
Lily pulled away.
"Before the room.""
Emma looked at Daniel.
"What is she talking about?""
Daniel said nothing.
Emma's fear became anger.
"Daniel.""
His eyes closed.
"You were there that night.""
"What night?""
"The night they took Sophie.""
Emma's stomach dropped.
"I told you, I don't remember her.""
"You did.""
"You said that already.""
"You were there.""
Emma stepped toward him.
"Then tell me what happened.""
Daniel's voice was barely audible.
"They brought you into the room after Sophie disappeared.""
"Why?""
"Because you saw something.""
"What?""
"You saw who took her.""
Emma stared.
"Who?""
Daniel looked at Ethan.
Ethan answered.
"Me.""
Emma's face went blank.
"No.""
"I was there," Ethan said.
"You saw me.""
"Then why are you alive?""
He looked away.
"Because I was never the one they were afraid of.""
A pounding sound came from somewhere beneath the floor.
Once.
Twice.
Then a third time.
Lily grabbed Emma's hand.
"The room.""
Daniel turned toward the basement stairs.
"We have to leave.""
Emma stared at him.
"No.""
"What?""
"We go down.""
"Emma, no.""
"My daughter says someone is trapped.""
"And if she's wrong?""
"Then we'll know.""
Daniel looked at Lily.
She nodded.
He looked defeated.
"Stay behind me.""
They descended into the basement again.
This time the emergency light was off.
Daniel turned on his flashlight.
The beam cut through the corridor.
The concrete walls looked damp.
At the end stood the small room where they had found Lily.
Except the door was gone.
In its place was a blank concrete wall.
Emma stared.
"That's impossible.""
Ethan walked toward it.
"They changed it.""
"Who?""
"The people who came back.""
Daniel's voice tightened.
"They shouldn't know about this place.""
Ethan smiled bitterly.
"They built it.""
Daniel stopped.
"You said they were gone.""
"They were.""
"Then who came back?""
Ethan looked at Emma.
"Someone who has been watching your family for years.""
A low electronic hum began beneath the floor.
Daniel dropped to one knee.
He pressed his palm against the concrete.
"It's hollow.""
Emma looked down.
There was a barely visible seam.
Together, the two men pushed.
A section of the floor shifted.
A steel staircase appeared.
Below it, blue light glowed.
Emma stared.
"What is that?""
Ethan said,
"The original lab.""
Daniel shook his head.
"We buried this.""
"You buried the entrance.""
They descended.
At the bottom was a long underground chamber.
Banks of obsolete monitors lined the walls.
Metal cabinets stood in rows.
Old cables hung from the ceiling like dead vines.
At the center of the room was a glass observation booth.
Emma stopped.
Inside stood a chair.
A chair with restraints.
Her breathing became shallow.
"No.""
She recognized it.
She didn't know how.
But she did.
Daniel approached.
"Emma.""
"Don't.""
She touched the glass.
A memory flashed.
Bright fluorescent lights.
A woman in a white coat.
Sophie crying.
Lily's voice.
Not nine years old.
Much younger.
And a man saying:
"She remembers everything.""
Emma stumbled backward.
Ethan caught her.
"What did you see?""
She looked at him.
"Me.""
His expression changed.
"What else?""
"I was here.""
Daniel looked down.
"Yes.""
Emma's voice broke.
"I knew.""
"You knew what?""
"Everything.""
Another flash.
A little girl stood inside the observation room.
Sophie.
She was crying.
Behind the glass, Emma was shouting.
A man restrained her.
Daniel was standing nearby.
And Ethan was pounding against the door.
Then a woman entered.
She carried a syringe.
Emma gasped.
"Her.""
Daniel stared.
"Who?""
"The woman who spoke.""
He stepped closer.
"What did she look like?""
Emma closed her eyes.
"Blonde.""
Ethan went rigid.
"That's impossible.""
Emma opened her eyes.
"Why?""
"Because she died.""
Silence.
A monitor suddenly flickered to life.
Static filled the room.
Then an image appeared.
It was Lily.
Sitting in the underground room.
Alive.
Awake.
But the footage was dated three days earlier.
Emma stepped toward the screen.
"When was this recorded?""
Daniel looked at the timestamp.
His face changed.
"Three days ago.""
Lily stared at the screen.
"I wasn't here three days ago.""
Ethan shook his head.
"Maybe you were.""
Lily began crying.
"I would remember.""
The monitor changed.
Another video appeared.
Emma.
She was sitting in the same chair inside the booth.
Her eyes were open.
She was speaking directly to the camera.
"I know what they're doing.""
Current Emma covered her mouth.
Her recorded self continued.
"If you're watching this, then the procedure failed.""
Daniel whispered,
"What procedure?""
The recording Emma looked straight into the camera.
"They're going to make me forget again.""
She paused.
"If Daniel is with you, don't trust him.""
Daniel went still.
Emma stared at the screen.
Her recorded self continued.
"He will tell you he was protecting me.""
A tear rolled down her recorded cheek.
"He will tell you Ethan is dangerous.""
She shook her head.
"Neither one is the truth.""
The screen flickered.
Then the recorded Emma leaned closer.
"Listen carefully.""
The room became silent.
"You have to find Sophie before they find Lily.""
The recording ended.
Emma turned toward Daniel.
His face had gone white.
"Who is Sophie?""
Daniel opened his mouth.
Before he could answer, a hidden speaker crackled overhead.
A woman's voice filled the chamber.
"She is closer than you think.""
Emma froze.
The voice continued.
"And she has been living in your house for nine years.""
Lily screamed.
Daniel reached for his gun.
Ethan grabbed his wrist.
"You don't want to do that.""
The speaker hissed.
Then came one final sentence.
"Look at the birth certificate.""
The monitors all went black.
May you like
And above them, somewhere inside the house, a little girl began singing a song Emma hadn't heard since she was a child.
The same song Sophie used to sing.
