Episode ONE :The Name on the List
1104 Words
Nora Hale arrived at the house just before sunset.
The driver did not speak to her after they passed the last security gate. He only nodded once, as if conversation was unnecessary this far from the city. The road narrowed, curling through tall trees that blocked out the sky. By the time the car stopped, Nora felt like she had been driven out of the world she knew and into a place that did not expect visitors.
The house stood alone.
It was modern, sharp-edged, built of glass and stone, sitting high above the city lights below. Clean. Quiet. Too controlled. There were no signs of life beyond the soft glow of lights behind tinted windows.
“This is it,” the driver said.
Nora stepped out, adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder. The air was cool, carrying the faint smell of metal and rain. She looked around, suddenly aware of how far she was from anywhere familiar.
The driver was already getting back into the car.
“Wait,” she said. “Don’t I sign in or”
“You’ve already been cleared,” he replied, closing the door.
The car pulled away before she could ask anything else.
Nora stood alone at the gate.
It opened on its own.
She hesitated only a moment before stepping through.
Inside, the house was silent. No music. No voices. The floors were polished concrete, the walls bare except for a few abstract paintings that felt more like surveillance than decoration. Everything looked intentional. Measured. As if nothing had been placed without careful thought.
She had taken this job because it was simple.
That was what the email said.
Live-in administrative assistant needed. High confidentiality. Excellent pay. Immediate start.
No interviews. No long process. Just one brief call confirming her identity and availability.
That should have worried her.
But Nora needed the money. And more than that, she needed to disappear for a while. A quiet job in a quiet place felt like exactly what she needed.
Footsteps echoed from somewhere deeper in the house.
A man appeared at the top of the stairs.
He did not rush. He did not smile.
He simply watched her.
Nora straightened instinctively.
“You’re Nora Hale,” he said.
His voice was calm, low, precise.
“Yes,” she replied. “You must be Mr Cross.”
“Ethan,” he said. “You can call me Ethan.”
He came down the stairs slowly, his gaze never leaving her face. He was taller than she expected, dressed simply in dark clothes that blended into the house. There was nothing flashy about him. Nothing warm either.
When he stopped in front of her, his eyes flicked briefly to her bag. Then back to her face.
He froze.
It was only for a fraction of a second, but Nora saw it.
Something passed through his expression. Not surprise. Not confusion.
Recognition.
Then it was gone.
“Welcome,” Ethan said. “You’re earlier than expected.”
The way he said it made her uneasy, as if he had already known exactly when she would arrive.
“You said immediate start,” she replied.
“Yes,” he said. “I did.”
He turned and gestured for her to follow.
As they walked, he explained the job. Scheduling. Document handling. Encrypted emails. Basic organization. No questions about his work. No guests unless approved. No leaving the property without notice.
“You’ll have access to most of the house,” he said. “Some rooms are restricted.”
“Why?” she asked.
He glanced back at her. “Because they are.”
The answer was final.
They stopped outside a guest room on the second floor. It was large, clean, prepared. Too prepared.
“You can settle in,” Ethan said. “Dinner is at seven.”
He turned to leave.
“Mr Ethan,” Nora said quickly. “There’s something I should ask.”
He paused.
“Why me?”
He faced her again, studying her as if she were a puzzle he had already solved.
“You were qualified,” he said.
“That’s all?”
“Yes.”
He walked away.
Nora closed the door behind her and leaned against it, exhaling slowly. Her heart was beating too fast for no reason she could name.
She unpacked carefully, placing her clothes neatly in the wardrobe. The room had no personal touches. No mirror facing the bed. No unnecessary objects.
Her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number:
You arrived safely. Good.
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
She typed back.
Who is this?
The reply came almost instantly.
Someone who expects you to follow instructions.
A chill ran through her.
She slipped the phone into her pocket and went downstairs for dinner.
Ethan was already seated at the long dining table. The food was simple. Well prepared. Exactly enough for two people.
“You don’t eat much,” Nora said, trying to fill the silence.
“I eat enough,” he replied.
They ate quietly.
“You’ll start work tomorrow,” Ethan said. “I’ll give you access codes in the morning.”
“Alright.”
“You’ll find this place… different,” he added.
“Different how?”
He met her eyes. “Observant people tend to notice more than they should.”
Her chest tightened. “Is that a warning?”
“It’s information,” he said.
After dinner, she returned to her room. Sleep came slowly.
She dreamed of fire.
Of heat crawling up her skin. Of running without knowing what she was running from. Of a voice telling her to stay quiet.
She woke suddenly, gasping.
Her phone was vibrating again.
Unknown Number:
Has she settled in?
Another message followed.
Watch closely. Do not interfere yet.
Nora stared at the screen, her blood cold.
Downstairs, Ethan Cross sat alone in his study.
A file lay open on the desk in front of him.
The name at the top of the page read:
NORA HALE
Below it were photographs. Old ones. Documents stamped CLOSED. Notes written in someone else’s hand.
Subject survived.
Memory loss confirmed.
Reappearance expected.
Ethan closed the file slowly.
He had not been sent to kill her.
He had been sent to wait.
And now she was here.
In his house.
Unaware.
Above him, Nora stood in the dark hallway outside her room, listening.
She did not know why she had stepped out.
She only knew one thing.
Someone in this house knew her far better than they should.
And she had the terrible feeling that she had been here before.
- Writer
