Episode IV — The Old House

I didn't tell my mother about the message.

If Daniel was telling the truth, she had already hidden seven years of my life from me.

I waited until she fell asleep.

Then I left.

The address led me to a quiet street on the edge of town.

At the end stood an abandoned two-story house.

The moment I saw it, my heart began pounding.

I'd seen this place before.

Not in real life.

In my dreams.

I pushed the front door open.

“Hello?”

Nothing.

The house smelled old and damp.

I walked into the living room.

A child's toy car lay on the floor.

I picked it up.

Suddenly, a memory flashed through my mind.

A little boy laughing.

My voice calling his name.

“Noah, slow down!”

I dropped the toy.

“No…”

Another memory came.

Daniel and me arguing.

He was shouting.

I was holding Noah.

Then,

A loud crash.

Everything went black.

I stumbled backward, breathing heavily.

Someone was in the house.

I heard footsteps upstairs.

“Who's there?”

No answer.

I slowly climbed the stairs.

At the end of the hallway was a locked bedroom.

I reached for the door handle.

Before I could touch it, a child's voice came from inside.

“Mom?”

My entire body froze.

“Noah?”

The door slowly opened.

But there was no one inside.

Only a small wooden box sitting on the bed.

I opened it.

Inside was a photograph, a hospital bracelet...

and a newspaper clipping.

I picked up the clipping.

The headline read:

LOCAL WOMAN KILLED IN MYSTERIOUS CAR ACCIDENT.

I looked at the photograph beneath it.

The dead woman's face was mine.

Then I noticed the date.

Seven years ago.

My hands began to shake.

If that woman was me...

then who had been living my life for the past seven years?

Episode V coming soon, stay tuned...