It Will Come Back

Unveiling the Past

“Quick, stop messing around!” Ravi hisses sharply in my ear. Levi stands on lookout, his eyes darting nervously as I kneel by the back door, fumbling with two rusty metal hairpins I found in Ravi’s car after thirty minutes of panicked searching.

“Well, unless you want to pick this lock yourself, tabby-talk-a-lot, I need you to be quiet!” I snap, my tone sharp as I struggle to jimmy the lock. Levi chuckles softly behind me, earning himself a withering glare from me. It’s the kind of glare that says, chuckle one more time, and you’re toast.

Leaning casually against the wall, Levi smirks. “Look, I just find your childish bickering with Ravi endlessly entertaining. I’m only human, mega-feel-nothing-robot.”

“That’s a great story, dude,” I retort without looking up, “but in what chapter do you shut up?”

“Jealousy is a disease,” Levi says with mock seriousness.

“Oh, really? And what exactly would I have to be jealous of? Your colossal ego?” I snap, rolling my eyes.

“Would you two just shut the hell up and focus?” Ravi demands, shoving my hand back toward the doorknob. I groan in exaggerated frustration but continue my work.

With a satisfying click, the door unlocks. “I did it!” I announce triumphantly, pumping my fist in the air.

Ravi slaps his hand over my mouth, his eyes wide with panic. “That’s great. Now, let’s try not to alert the whole neighborhood, yeah?”

The door creaks open, revealing a cozy but cluttered living space. My eyes scan the interior, careful not to trip over the scattered piles of children’s toys on the floor. The walls are adorned with photos: a blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman holding a ginger-haired child with green eyes. Next to it is a wedding photo of the same woman, smiling brightly beside a tall ginger-haired man.

“Adorable,” I mutter, stepping cautiously inside. “But I don’t see how this has anything to do with the lady who died.”

“Because,” Ravi replies curtly, “you might get a vision.” His tone is sharp, still annoyed by Levi’s and my earlier banter.

“A vision?” I repeat, wrinkling my nose. “Can we at least give it a cooler name? Like…my Mystic Meg Moments?”

Ravi sighs, clearly regretting bringing me along. “Fine. You might have one of your Mystic Meg Moments,” he concedes, his irritation palpable.

Levi bursts out laughing. “You really are enjoying this, aren’t you?” Ravi asks him, scowling.

“Annoying you? Absolutely,” I say, grinning. “Seeing creepy visions of people dying? Not so much.”

Before Ravi can respond, a faint whisper catches my attention. I freeze, straining to hear. “Wait. Do you hear that?”

“No,” Levi says, exchanging a confused glance with Ravi.

The whisper grows louder, urgent and haunting. I begin to ascend the stairs, the sound pulling me forward like an invisible thread.

“Lux, I’m sorry I have to leave you so soon, my baby,” the voice whispers, the words heavy with sorrow. “You’ll forgive me one day. Please don’t hate me.”

I follow the sound to a small bedroom, unmistakably a child’s. Sonic the Hedgehog posters cover the walls, and toys are strewn across the floor. The whisper intensifies as I approach the far wall. Kneeling down, I notice an air vent.

“Lux, what are you doing?” Ravi calls from the doorway.

“There’s something here,” I murmur, tugging at the vent cover. The voice grows fainter, fading into silence as I pry it open.

“Guys, I hope you’re ready to jump out a window,” Levi announces from downstairs, his voice urgent. “The family just pulled into the driveway. We need to go—now!”

“Almost got it!” I shout, my fingers closing around a thin object inside the vent.

“Keys in the lock!” Ravi warns, his voice rising in panic.

I shove the object into the pocket of my green jacket just as Levi yells, “The window’s our only exit!”

Ravi doesn’t hesitate, leaping out the second-story window with surprising grace. “Come on!” he hisses from below.

“After you,” Levi says smugly, gesturing for me to jump.

“Yeah, right,” I snap, shoving him out first. He lands with a thud far less elegant than Ravi’s.

“Quick!” Ravi calls, waving me on.

I glance down at the drop, my heart pounding. Squeezing my eyes shut, I leap. “I did it!” I yell, exhilarated as I hit the ground running to catch up with the others.

“Uh, no,” Levi says, brushing himself off. “We did it. We forced you to do it.”

“Same thing,” I retort, brushing off his comment.

Ravi’s tone turns serious as we catch our breath. “So, what did you get?” he asks, his gaze intense.

Wordlessly, I pull the object from my pocket—a photograph. It’s old and slightly yellowed, showing a woman holding a baby next to a wooden crib. The room is eerily familiar, though less modernized.

“I think…I think it’s me,” I whisper, staring at the photo in disbelief.

“Look, there’s something written on the back,” Levi says, flipping it over.

“What does it say?” Ravi asks.

I read aloud, my voice trembling. “Lux, my little wailing baby, we will meet again.”

Ravi exhales deeply, running a hand through his hair. “So…you’re adopted,” he says softly.

I look between the two of them, the weight of the revelation sinking in. “I’m adopted?” I echo, the words barely a whisper.