Episode III — The Accident

I stared at the photograph.

The woman in it was me.

Same face. Same eyes.

But I couldn't remember taking that picture.

I looked at the man standing across the room.

“Who are you?”

He smiled faintly.

“Daniel Blackwood.”

“Noah's father?”

He nodded.

My mother stood between us.

“Daniel, you need to leave.”

Daniel ignored her.

“Amara, seven years ago, you were married to me.”

My stomach dropped.

“What?”

My mother closed her eyes.

Daniel continued.

“You were Noah's mother. You disappeared after a car accident. We were told you died.”

I shook my head.

“That isn't possible. I've never been married.”

Daniel reached into his jacket and pulled out a small silver ring.

He placed it on the table.

My initials were engraved inside.

A.C.

I couldn't breathe.

Then Daniel said something that terrified me even more.

“The accident wasn't an accident.”

I looked at him.

“Who caused it?”

Daniel's eyes moved toward my mother.

“She knows.”

I turned slowly.

My mother was crying.

“Mom?”

She said nothing.

Daniel walked toward the door.

Before leaving, he turned around.

“Ask her why she changed your name.”

The door closed.

I looked at my mother.

“What did he mean?”

She remained silent.

Then my phone buzzed.

A message from an unknown number.

There was only one sentence:

“If you want to remember Noah, come to the old house tonight. Come alone.”

And beneath it was an address.

I recognized it immediately.

It was the house from my dreams.

The house I had been seeing every night for years.

And suddenly...

I remembered a little boy crying.

Calling my name.

“Mom, please don't leave me.”

Episode IV coming soon...