The Voice in the Dark
338 Words
"Iris..."
The whisper echoed through the dark library.
Her heart nearly stopped.
That voice...
It sounded exactly like Ethan's.
"Ethan?" she called softly.
No answer.
Only silence.
The old wooden shelves stretched endlessly before her. Moonlight slipped through the dusty windows, casting long shadows across the floor.
Her phone's flashlight trembled in her hand as she walked deeper inside.
"I know you're here," she whispered.
Another voice answered.
"Iris..."
This time it came from behind her.
She spun around.
No one.
A sudden gust of cold wind blew through the room, making the pages of hundreds of old books flip on their own.
Thump!
A thick book fell from the highest shelf.
It landed at Iris's feet.
Its cover was worn with age, and there was no title.
Slowly, she picked it up.
As soon as she opened the first page, her breath caught.
There was a photograph.
A faded picture of a little boy and a little girl standing beneath a blue umbrella.
The same day Ethan made his promise.
But this time...
Ethan hadn't disappeared from the picture.
He was there.
Smiling.
Below the photograph were handwritten words.
**"Memory cannot be erased... only sealed."**
Iris's hands shook.
"What does that mean?"
Just then, footsteps echoed through the library.
Slow.
Heavy.
Getting closer.
She quickly looked up.
A tall figure stood at the end of the aisle, hidden by the darkness.
"Iris..."
the figure whispered.
Before she could move, someone grabbed her wrist.
She gasped.
It was Ethan.
"I found you," he said, breathing heavily.
"You have to leave."
His voice was filled with urgency.
"They're coming."
"They?" Iris asked.
Before Ethan could answer...
The lights suddenly turned on.
Everything became silent.
Iris blinked.
The mysterious figure had disappeared.
She turned back toward Ethan.
But...
He was gone too.
Only the old book remained in her hands.
A folded piece of paper slowly slipped from its pages.
With trembling fingers, Iris unfolded it.
Written in dark blue ink were six chilling words.
**"Don't let him remember everything."**
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