THE APARTMENT
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Writing
THE BOY FROM PLATFORM SEVEN
Chapter Three: The Apartment
The rain had become heavier by the time Amelia and Noah reached the other side of the city.
They walked quickly beneath the streetlights, avoiding puddles and checking behind them every few minutes.
Amelia still couldn't believe what had happened.
That morning, she had been an ordinary seventeen-year-old girl worried about school assignments and getting home before dinner.
Now she was following a mysterious boy through the city because her name had appeared inside a secret notebook.
And apparently, someone was watching them.
Amelia glanced at Noah.
“Are we almost there?”
“Five minutes.”
“You said that ten minutes ago.”
“I was estimating.”
“You're terrible at estimating.”
Noah gave her a brief smile.
Despite everything, Amelia noticed that he seemed less tense than before.
Then they reached an old apartment building.
Noah stopped outside.
“This is it.”
Amelia looked up.
The building was several decades old. Some windows were covered by curtains, while others were completely dark.
“You're sure your brother lived here?”
“Yes.”
“Does anyone else know you're coming?”
“No.”
“Good.”
They entered.
The hallway smelled faintly of dust and old paint.
Noah climbed the stairs instead of using the elevator.
Amelia followed.
On the third floor, he stopped outside apartment 3B.
He took a key from his pocket.
Amelia stared.
“You still have the key?”
“My brother gave it to me.”
He unlocked the door.
It opened with a long creak.
Inside, the apartment was almost completely empty.
A sofa stood against one wall.
There was a small desk near the window.
Bookshelves covered another wall, but most of the shelves were empty.
Amelia stepped inside.
“This place hasn't been touched in months.”
“No.”
Noah walked toward the desk.
“My brother left suddenly.”
“Did the police search this place?”
“Yes.”
“Then why do you think there's something here?”
“Because my brother was careful.”
Noah began opening drawers.
Amelia looked around.
She noticed several photographs on the wall.
One showed Noah with an older boy who looked remarkably similar to him.
“That must be your brother.”
Noah stopped.
“Yes.”
“What was his name?”
“Ethan.”
Amelia studied the photograph.
“He looks kind.”
“He was.”
Noah's voice became quieter.
“He always looked after me.”
Amelia didn't ask any more questions.
After several minutes, Noah pulled open the final drawer.
Nothing.
He frowned.
“It's gone.”
“What?”
“Something was supposed to be here.”
“What was it?”
“A second notebook.”
Amelia stared at him.
“You had another one?”
“My brother told me he kept a backup.”
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
He looked frustrated.
Amelia walked toward the desk.
“Maybe we're looking in the wrong place.”
Noah turned.
“What do you mean?”
“Your brother knew people might search the obvious places.”
Noah thought about it.
Then he looked at the bookshelf.
He walked over and examined the books.
Amelia joined him.
“What are you looking for?”
“A book with a blue cover.”
“That's specific.”
“He mentioned it once.”
They searched the shelves.
Nothing.
Then Amelia noticed something strange.
One section of the bookshelf looked slightly different.
“Wait.”
She pointed.
“This shelf.”
Noah crouched beside it.
He touched the wooden panel.
“It moves.”
Together, they pushed it.
A small compartment opened behind the books.
Inside was a silver flash drive.
Noah stared.
“My brother.”
He carefully picked it up.
Amelia smiled.
“We found it.”
Noah looked at her.
“You found it.”
“No. We found it.”
Before Noah could respond, a loud sound came from downstairs.
A door slammed.
They froze.
Someone had entered the building.
Noah immediately put the flash drive into his pocket.
“Stay quiet.”
Amelia nodded.
Footsteps echoed through the hallway.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Someone was coming upstairs.
Amelia whispered, “What do we do?”
Noah looked toward the bedroom.
“There's another exit.”
They moved quietly.
The footsteps reached the second floor.
Noah opened the bedroom window.
It led to a narrow fire escape.
Amelia looked down.
“Absolutely not.”
“We have to.”
“That is extremely high.”
“We don't have time.”
The footsteps reached the third floor.
Amelia swallowed.
“Fine.”
She climbed through the window.
Noah followed.
They moved along the metal fire escape as quietly as possible.
Below them, the street was nearly empty.
The apartment door opened.
A man's voice came from inside.
“Search everything.”
Amelia's eyes widened.
Noah motioned for her to keep moving.
They reached the end of the fire escape and climbed down another ladder.
Once they reached the alley, they ran.
They didn't stop until they were several streets away.
Amelia leaned against a wall, breathing heavily.
“That,” she said between breaths, “was officially the worst evening of my life.”
Noah looked at her.
“You did well.”
“I climbed down a fire escape because of you.”
“I know.”
“You owe me an explanation.”
“I know.”
“And possibly dinner.”
Noah laughed.
“Dinner?”
“Yes. I nearly got caught because of you.”
“That seems fair.”
They walked toward a small café that was still open.
Inside, they found a quiet table near the back.
Noah ordered two sandwiches and drinks.
Amelia looked at him.
“So what's on the flash drive?”
“I don't know.”
“Can we find out?”
“Not here.”
“Why?”
“We don't know who we can trust.”
Amelia sighed.
“That's becoming your favorite sentence.”
“Because it's true.”
He placed the flash drive on the table.
“My brother disappeared because of whatever is on this.”
“And my mother might be connected to it.”
“Yes.”
Amelia stared at the drive.
“Then we need to find out.”
Noah nodded.
“We will.”
They sat silently for a moment.
Then Amelia remembered something.
“Wait.”
“What?”
“The notebook.”
Noah looked at her.
“What about it?”
“You said my name appeared in it.”
“Yes.”
“Did it say anything next to my name?”
Noah hesitated.
“I didn't tell you everything.”
Amelia frowned.
“What didn't you tell me?”
He reached into his backpack and pulled out the notebook.
He opened it carefully.
Then he turned to a particular page.
Amelia's name was written there.
Underneath it was a date.
And beneath the date was a short message.
When she turns eighteen, tell her the truth.
Amelia stared at the words.
Her heart began beating faster.
“I'm seventeen.”
“I know.”
“What happens when I turn eighteen?”
“I don't know.”
She looked at him.
“You said you knew more about me than I thought.”
“I do.”
“Then tell me.”
Noah looked down.
“I promised my brother I wouldn't reveal everything until the right time.”
Amelia stood.
“That is not good enough.”
“I understand.”
“No, you don't.”
She picked up her bag.
“My mother's name is in your notebook. My name is in your notebook. Someone is following us. Your brother disappeared. And now you're telling me that there's some secret I'm supposed to learn when I turn eighteen?”
Noah remained silent.
Amelia shook her head.
“I need answers.”
“You'll get them.”
“When?”
“Soon.”
She stared at him.
Then she sat down again.
“Fine.”
Noah looked surprised.
“Fine?”
“Yes. But from now on, no more secrets.”
He nodded.
“No more secrets.”
Outside the café, a black car slowly passed the window.
Neither of them noticed.
Inside the car, the same man from the station looked through the glass.
He watched Noah and Amelia sitting together.
Then he looked at the photograph in his hand.
It was an old photograph of Amelia's mother.
On the back were three words.
She knows everything.
The man folded the photograph and placed it inside his coat.
Then he made a phone call.
“They found the drive.”
A voice answered.
“Then don't let them open it.”
The man looked toward the café.
“What about the girl?”
There was a pause.
“Bring her to us.”
The call ended.
Inside, Amelia and Noah continued talking, completely unaware that someone had just made them the center of a much larger mystery.
And somewhere in the city, Amelia's mother received a message from an unknown number.
He found your daughter.
Her face went pale.
For the first time in seventeen years, she realized the secret she had buried might finally come to light.
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