Lara’s Secret Past
1002 Words
The door stayed open rain crept back in but slower now like it was cautious, even the storm didn’t want to cross that threshold.
The silhouette didn’t move it didn’t need to.
It’s s presence alone bent the air.
Alex stepped forward his instinct positioning blocking the other side of place.
“Don’t come in,” Alex said. The figure smiled wider. “You already let me,” it replied.
Jamie’s chest tightened. That voice it wasn’t new it was layered and familiar in a way that made no sense. Bind them
The crack in the floor pulsed again. Answering, lara stood slowly carefully laying the twins down her hands lingered a second longer than necessary. Like she already knew what came next. “Alex,” she said quietly, the tone wasn't sarcastic no sharpness could be noticed it was Serious instead. Alex didn’t look back. “Not now.”
Lara’s jaw tightened.“Yeah,” she said.
“Now.” The word cut through everything even the presence at the door a pause followed along side. Then Alex exhaled.
Slow and heavy. “…Fine.”
The lights flickered again but didn’t go out the café itself was listening. Lara stepped forward not toward the door toward Jamie.
“You want to know what you are?” she said.
Jamie didn’t answer. Couldn’t say a work.
“Wrong question,” Lara continued.
“You should be asking what this place is.”
The floor creaked low unhappy. Lara glanced down at the crack then back up.
“Twenty years ago,” she said, “this wasn’t a café.”
The walls shuddered.
“It was a ritual site.”
Jamie’s breath caught.
Alex closed their eyes briefly.
Like hearing it out loud made it worse.
“They brought people here,” Lara continued.
“Runaways. Strays. Kids no one would look for.”
The twins stirred slightly.
Lara’s voice softened
Just for a second.
“They told them they were chosen.”
Jamie whispered
“…The twins.”
Lara nodded.
“They weren’t the only ones.”
The silhouette at the door leaned slightly closer.
Interested.
“They were trying to open something,” Lara said.
“Not summon it. Not control it.”
“To Become it.” silence dropped in once more.
Jamie shook their head.“That’s not possible.” Alex spoke finally.
“It is if you break the door instead of opening it.”
Lara glanced at Alex a shared memory passed between them heavy unspoken.
“They failed,” Lara said.“But not completely.”
The crack in the floor flared again.
“Something came through,” Alex added.
“Just… not all the way.”
The café groaned like it remembered.
Jamie’s voice trembled
“Then how is this place still standing?”
Lara laughed softly but bitter.
“It’s not.”
The words sank deep.
“This café?” she said, gesturing around.
“It’s a cover. A cage. A bandage over something that never stopped bleeding.”
Jamie looked around.
Really looked cracked the shadows.
The way the walls seemed just slightly… off.
“Then why stay?” Jamie asked.
Lara didn’t answer immediately. Instead she looked at Alex.
“You tell them,” she said.
Alex went still, the figure at the door tilted its head watching closely now.
Finally Alex spoke “Because we were here.”
Jamie frowned.
Lara’s voice dropped “During the ritual.”
Everything stopped.
Jamie stared at them.
“No… you said twenty years ago”
“We were kids,” Lara cut in.
The café seemed to flinch, “They took us,” she continued “Same as the others.”
The twins’ breathing hitched.
Alex’s voice was quieter now colder.
“We were supposed to be part of it.”
The silhouette at the door smiled wider.
“But something went wrong,” Lara said.
Alex’s jaw tightened.
“Or right,” they muttered.
Lara ignored that “They didn’t finish the ritual,” she said.
“Because someone stopped it.”
Jamie’s eyes flicked between them.
“…You?” Silence stepped in once more .
Then Lara shook her head “No.”
“Them.”
She pointed at the twins. The air dropped ten degrees. “They broke it,” Lara said.
“From the inside.”
The crack in the floor pulsed violently
As if reacting.
“They turned the ritual back on itself,” Alex added.
“Collapsed it before it could fully open.”
Jamie whispered
“But it still… started.”
Alex nodded “Yeah.”
The figure at the door finally stepped closer.
One foot inside now.
And the café didn’t stop it.
“That’s the problem,” Lara said softly.
“It never finished.” The lights dimmed again.
“So now it’s trying to,” Alex said.
Jamie’s voice barely held
“…Using me.” No one answered.
Because they didn’t have to.
From the floor a low, deep sound rose.
Not knocking anymore, breathing could be heard instead.
The twins sat up suddenly eyes wide terrified again. “It’s remembering!” Lia cried.
Leo grabbed her hand.
“It’s putting it back together”
The silhouette stepped fully inside.
Now visible and clearly.
Never clearly but enough.
A face that shifted when you looked at it too long.
A smile that didn’t belong to one person.
“You’ve kept it waiting,” it said softly.
Alex stepped forward blade ready in his hand again.“Not anymore.” The entity laughed “Oh, Alex…” it murmured.
Then It looked at Lara and for the first time her confidence cracked.
“You didn’t tell them everything,” it said.
Lara froze Alex’s head snapped toward her.
“…Lara?”
The entity’s smile widened “Tell them,” it whispered “Tell them what you are.”
Lara didn’t move she didn't speak. The café held its breath again waiting for what comes next.
- Writer
