The Third Child
375 Words
Chapter 19 —
Noah led them into the old library.
Rain had begun falling outside.
The sound of it against the windows filled the silence.
He opened his father's old box.
Inside were notebooks, letters, photographs, and several sealed envelopes.
Emily watched him carefully.
"You've had this the whole time?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you show me?"
"I didn't know what was inside."
He pulled out a black notebook.
"This belonged to my father."
He opened it.
Most of the pages contained names.
Emily recognized several.
Daniel Carter.
Evelyn Hart.
Madison Carter.
Emily Carter.
Then she saw it.
Alex Carter.
Beneath the name was a sentence.
DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO FIND HIM.
Emily's hands trembled.
"He's alive."
Noah looked at her.
"We don't know that."
"Then why would your father write this?"
"I don't know."
Madison took the notebook.
She turned the page.
A map had been drawn.
Three locations were marked.
The first was the lake.
The second was the old hospital.
The third was somewhere outside town.
Emily recognized the name.
"Blackwood."
Her mother stepped backward.
"No."
Emily looked at her.
"What?"
"You can't go there."
"Why?"
"Because that's where they took Alex."
"When?"
"November third."
Emily stared at her.
"Eleven years ago."
Her mother nodded.
"After Evelyn discovered what the organization was doing, she tried to get all three children out."
"What happened?"
"She succeeded with two."
Emily's eyes moved toward Madison.
"And the third?"
Her mother closed her eyes.
"Someone betrayed her."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
A loud crash came from outside.
Everyone froze.
Noah moved toward the window.
"Someone's outside."
Emily stepped beside him.
A figure stood across the street beneath an umbrella.
Watching the house.
Noah opened the door.
The figure ran.
Noah chased after them.
Emily followed.
They ran through the rain.
The figure disappeared between two buildings.
Noah stopped.
"Where did they go?"
Emily looked around.
Then she noticed something on the ground.
A black envelope.
She picked it up.
Inside was a key.
And a photograph.
Emily stared at the photograph.
It showed three children.
Madison.
Emily.
And a baby boy.
On the back was written:
BLACKWOOD CHILDREN'S HOME — ROOM 17
Emily looked at Noah.
"We're going there."
He nodded.
"But we're not going alone."
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