BENEATH THE PERFECT SMILE

5 THE NAME SHE FORGOT

Amara stood completely still, staring at the message on her phone.

Because Jason isn't the only person who survived that night.

Her fingers tightened around the device.

For seven years, she had believed there was only one person who could connect her to that rainy night.

Jason.

And Jason was supposed to be dead.

Yet he had just walked into Daniel's family home.

Alive.

Scarred.

And carrying pieces of a past Amara had spent years trying to bury.

But now there was another person.

Someone else who had survived.

Someone who knew the truth.

Someone who seemed to know exactly what she was remembering.

Her eyes slowly moved toward the window.

The black car was still there.

Parked across the street.

The windows were tinted so darkly that she couldn't see the driver.

Amara's heart began racing.

She stepped closer to the glass.

The car didn't move.

"Who are you?" she whispered.

Then the phone vibrated again.

Amara nearly dropped it.

Don't look outside for too long.

Her breath caught.

She immediately stepped away from the window.

Another message appeared.

He can see you.

Amara's heart pounded.

She turned toward the window again despite herself.

The black car remained motionless.

Then—

The driver's window slowly lowered.

Amara froze.

For a brief second, she saw a man's silhouette behind the wheel.

She couldn't see his face.

Then the window went back up.

The car started.

Amara watched as it drove away.

She rushed to the front door.

But before she could open it, someone grabbed her shoulder.

She screamed.

"Amara!"

She spun around.

It was Daniel.

He immediately released her.

"Sorry."

Amara placed a hand over her chest.

"You scared me."

"I came back downstairs because I heard you."

Daniel studied her face.

"You were about to go outside."

"I..."

She looked toward the door.

"I saw a car."

"What car?"

"That black car."

Daniel frowned.

"What about it?"

"It was watching the house."

Daniel walked toward the window.

"It's gone."

"I know."

He looked back at her.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Amara hesitated.

"No."

Daniel's expression softened slightly.

"What happened?"

She stared at him.

For a moment, she considered telling him everything.

The messages.

The photograph.

Jason.

The blue car.

The voice she had suddenly remembered.

But fear stopped her.

She still didn't know what was real.

And what if telling Daniel made him a target too?

"I'm just tired," she said.

Daniel looked disappointed.

"You keep saying that."

"I'm sorry."

He sighed.

"Amara, I don't know what's happening. But I know you're afraid."

She looked away.

"You don't understand."

"Then help me understand."

Silence.

Daniel stepped closer.

"Who was Jason?"

Amara closed her eyes.

"He was my first love."

Daniel nodded slowly.

"And the man you planned to marry?"

"Yes."

"Then what happened?"

Amara's voice became barely audible.

"He disappeared."

"I know that part."

"Everyone thought he was dead."

"And you?"

Amara opened her eyes.

"I believed it."

Daniel stared at her.

"Do you still?"

She didn't answer.

Daniel understood.

"No."

He shook his head.

"You don't."

Amara looked down.

"I don't know what to believe anymore."

Daniel walked toward the staircase.

"Neither do I."

He stopped halfway.

"There's something else."

Amara looked up.

"My mother."

"What about her?"

"When Jason arrived, she knew him."

Amara's eyes widened.

"I noticed."

"She wasn't surprised to see him."

"No."

"She was terrified."

Amara's mind began racing.

Why would Daniel's mother know Jason?

And why had Jason called her by her surname so casually?

There was something connecting them.

Something Amara didn't understand.

"I need to speak to your mother."

Daniel shook his head.

"She won't talk to you."

"Why?"

"Because she locked herself in her room."

Amara frowned.

"She did what?"

"I've never seen her like that."

He continued upstairs.

Amara followed.

They reached the hallway.

Daniel knocked on his mother's door.

"Mom?"

No answer.

"Mom, it's me."

Still nothing.

He tried the handle.

Locked.

"Mom, please open the door."

After several seconds, a trembling voice answered.

"Daniel, go away."

"Mom, I need to talk to you."

"No."

"Who is Jason?"

Silence.

Daniel looked at Amara.

Then back at the door.

"Why did you recognize him?"

Still nothing.

Daniel's voice became firmer.

"Mom."

A long pause followed.

Then she whispered:

"Because I thought he was dead."

Amara's blood ran cold.

Daniel stared at the door.

"You knew?"

"I knew of him."

"That's not an answer."

His mother sighed.

"There are things you don't understand."

"Then explain them."

"Not here."

"Why not?"

"Because this house isn't safe."

Amara and Daniel exchanged a glance.

"What does that mean?" Daniel asked.

His mother didn't answer.

Instead, she said:

"Amara needs to leave."

Amara stepped forward.

"Why?"

Silence.

"Why do I need to leave?"

The door remained closed.

Then Daniel's mother said something that made Amara's heart stop.

"Because seven years ago, you weren't the only person in that car."

Amara's breathing stopped.

Daniel turned toward her.

"What car?"

Amara couldn't speak.

His mother continued.

"She knows."

Amara's eyes filled with tears.

"Knows what?"

"The blue car."

Amara stepped backward.

Her head began spinning.

Suddenly, fragments of memory flashed through her mind.

Rain against glass.

Jason sitting beside her.

A second voice.

A hand gripping the steering wheel.

Headlights coming toward them.

Jason shouting.

Then—

A loud crash.

Amara grabbed the wall.

Daniel caught her.

"Amara!"

"I'm okay."

"No, you're not."

She closed her eyes.

"I remember."

"What?"

"The car."

Daniel looked confused.

"What happened?"

Amara opened her eyes.

"We weren't alone."

The hallway fell silent.

Daniel stared at her.

"Who was with you?"

"I don't know."

"But you just said you remembered."

"I remembered someone was there."

"Who?"

"I can't see their face."

Daniel's mother suddenly shouted from behind the door.

"Don't try!"

Everyone froze.

Amara looked at the door.

"Don't try what?"

"Don't force yourself to remember."

"Why?"

No answer.

Amara's voice became stronger.

"Why are you afraid of what I'll remember?"

The silence was deafening.

Then the door opened slightly.

Daniel's mother stood there.

Her face was pale.

She looked directly at Amara.

"You really don't remember."

Amara shook her head.

"What happened that night?"

The older woman looked toward Daniel.

Then back at Amara.

"I can't tell you."

"Why?"

"Because I promised."

"Promised who?"

Her eyes filled with fear.

Before she could answer, a loud sound came from downstairs.

CRASH!

Everyone jumped.

Daniel immediately ran down the stairs.

"Stay here!"

Amara followed anyway.

When they reached the entrance hall, they found the front door wide open.

The wind pushed against it.

The photograph from the table was gone.

Daniel looked around.

"Where is it?"

Amara's heart sank.

Someone had entered the house.

Someone had taken the photograph.

Daniel rushed outside.

"Whoever did this can't be far!"

Amara followed him to the driveway.

But there was no one.

Only the empty street.

Then she noticed something lying near the gate.

A small black object.

She bent down and picked it up.

It was a key.

An old metal key attached to a faded blue tag.

Amara stared at it.

She recognized the tag.

Her fingers began trembling.

"No..."

Daniel looked at her.

"What is it?"

Amara turned the key over.

Engraved into the metal were two letters.

B.C.

Daniel frowned.

"What does that mean?"

Amara's face had gone pale.

"Blue Car."

Daniel stared at her.

"You're saying this belonged to the car?"

"I think so."

He looked toward the road.

"Then someone left it here deliberately."

Amara nodded.

"Why?"

Her phone vibrated.

Both of them looked at it.

Another unknown message.

You found the key.

Amara's blood ran cold.

Then another.

Now go where the key belongs.

Daniel looked at her.

"Don't."

Amara stared at the screen.

"Don't what?"

"Don't go anywhere alone."

She looked at him.

"I wasn't planning to."

Daniel held out his hand.

"Give me the phone."

She hesitated.

"Why?"

"Because whoever is doing this wants you scared."

He looked toward the road.

"And I'm starting to think they want you to remember something."

Amara slowly handed him the phone.

Daniel read the messages.

His expression changed.

"There's another one."

"What?"

He showed her the screen.

A new message had appeared.

You have until midnight.

Amara's heart raced.

"Until midnight for what?"

Another message arrived.

After that, Daniel gets the truth another way.

Daniel stared at the phone.

His face hardened.

"They're threatening me."

Amara looked at him.

"I'm sorry."

"No."

Daniel handed the phone back.

"Don't apologize."

He looked directly into her eyes.

"Tell me the truth."

Amara swallowed.

"I don't know the whole truth."

"Then tell me what you know."

She hesitated.

"I remember Jason."

Daniel nodded.

"I remember the rain."

She continued.

"I remember the blue car."

Her voice shook.

"And I remember someone else was there."

"Do you remember anything about them?"

Amara closed her eyes.

A voice echoed in her mind.

If you tell anyone, we'll both regret it.

She opened her eyes.

"I remember a voice."

"Whose?"

"I don't know."

"Male or female?"

"Male."

Daniel thought for a moment.

"Was it Jason?"

Amara shook her head.

"No."

"Then who?"

"I don't know."

Daniel looked toward the house.

"There's only one way to find out."

Amara looked at him.

"How?"

"We find that car."

Her eyes widened.

"What?"

"The blue car."

Daniel pointed toward the street.

"If it still exists, maybe it can tell us something."

Amara shook her head.

"Daniel, that car disappeared."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"How?"

Amara froze.

She didn't know.

She had never actually asked.

She had simply assumed it was gone.

Daniel noticed her expression.

"You don't know."

Amara slowly shook her head.

"No."

Daniel took a deep breath.

"Then that's where we start."

Before they could move, a car horn sounded from the street.

Both turned.

A taxi drove past.

Nothing unusual.

But as it disappeared around the corner, Amara noticed something written on the rear window.

A small sticker.

Blue letters.

B-17.

Her eyes widened.

"Daniel."

"What?"

"That number."

"What about it?"

"I've seen it before."

"Where?"

Amara searched her memory.

Then she remembered.

The blue car.

Its license plate.

She had seen the same number.

B-17.

Her heart began pounding.

"It wasn't just a car."

Daniel frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Amara looked at him.

"It was connected to a place."

"What place?"

She couldn't remember.

But somewhere deep inside her mind, a name was beginning to surface.

A place.

A building.

A room.

And a locked door.

Then suddenly—

Her phone rang.

Not an unknown number this time.

The caller ID displayed a name.

Jason.

Amara stared at the screen.

Daniel looked over her shoulder.

"Answer it."

She pressed the button.

"Hello?"

For several seconds, there was only silence.

Then Jason's voice came through.

Calm.

Low.

Serious.

"Amara."

"Jason..."

"You found the key."

Her eyes widened.

"How do you know?"

"I told you."

His voice became quieter.

"I know what happened that night."

Amara's heart raced.

"Then tell me."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because you're not ready."

Her frustration grew.

"Seven years, Jason! You've been alive for seven years and now you suddenly appear and expect me to—"

"Listen to me."

His tone changed.

"Do not go looking for the blue car."

Amara froze.

"Why?"

Jason paused.

Then he said:

"Because the last time you went looking for it..."

His voice dropped.

"...someone disappeared."

The call ended.

Amara slowly lowered the phone.

Daniel stared at her.

"What did he say?"

Amara looked at the key in her hand.

Her voice trembled.

"He told me not to find the car."

Daniel frowned.

"Why?"

Amara looked toward the dark road.

"I don't know."

Then she noticed something.

The key had a tiny inscription on the back.

She turned it toward the light.

Three numbers were engraved there.

214.

Amara's eyes widened.

Suddenly, she remembered the place.

A hotel.

A rainy night.

Room 214.

And someone knocking on the door.

Three times.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Amara's face went completely pale.

"Daniel..."

"What?"

She looked at him.

"I know where the key belongs."

"Where?"

Her lips trembled.

"Room 214."

Daniel stared at her.

"Which hotel?"

Amara swallowed.

"The hotel where Jason disappeared."

And somewhere across the city, inside a dark room, a man watched a photograph of Amara on a computer screen.

He smiled.

"Finally."

He picked up his phone.

"She's remembering."

A voice answered from the other end.

"Then it's time."

The man looked at the photograph.

"No."

He smiled.

"Not yet."

He placed the photograph face down.

"Let her remember a little more first."

To be continued...