Entangled

The memory they buried

Chapter Five



The Truth They Buried



By the time I got home, I couldn't stop thinking about the photograph.



I had looked at it so many times that I knew every detail.



The dark hallway.



My bedroom door.



My own figure standing outside it.



And that shadow in the background.



Someone had been there.



Someone who knew exactly what happened that night.



But the more I stared at the photograph, the more one question kept bothering me.



Why didn't I remember any of it?



I pushed open the front door.



"Mom?"



No answer.



I stepped inside.



The house was strangely quiet.



Usually, Mom would be in the kitchen, and Dad would be watching television in the living room.



But today, there was nothing.



Not even the sound of the clock seemed normal.



I dropped my bag onto the couch.



Then I took a few steps forward.



And stopped.



My father was sitting in the living room.



He wasn't watching television.



He wasn't reading the newspaper.



He was just sitting there.



Waiting.



"Dad?"



He looked up.



His expression immediately made my stomach tighten.



"Where have you been?"



"School."



"I know."



I frowned.



"What do you mean?"



He stood up slowly.



"Come here, Elena."



Something about his voice made me nervous.



I walked closer.



He studied my face like he was trying to figure out what I knew.



Then he asked,



"Did anyone contact you today?"



I froze.



"Why?"



"Just answer me."



My fingers tightened around my phone.



"Yes."



His face changed.



"Who?"



I hesitated.



"Someone sent me a photograph."



My father's eyes widened.



For the first time in my life, I saw something in his expression that scared me more than anger.



Fear.



Real fear.



"What photograph?"



Before I could answer, my mother rushed into the room.



"Elena!"



She stopped when she saw my father.



Then she looked at me.



"What happened?"



Dad turned toward her.



"She got a photograph."



My mother went completely silent.



I stared at both of them.



"Why are you acting like you know what I'm talking about?"



Neither answered.



I held up my phone.



"This is the picture."



Dad looked at the screen.



The moment he saw it, he stepped backward.



Mom covered her mouth.



I looked between them.



"You've seen this before."



It wasn't a question.



Dad didn't respond.



"Have you?"



Still nothing.



My heart started beating faster.



"What happened three years ago?"



Mom's eyes filled with tears.



"Elena..."



"No."



I stepped back.



"Don't say my name like that. Just tell me the truth."



Dad looked toward the window.



For several seconds, he said nothing.



Then he finally spoke.



"Three years ago, something happened."



My stomach tightened.



"What happened?"



Dad opened his mouth.



But no words came out.



I waited.



"What happened that night?"



His eyes met mine.



"You weren't supposed to remember."



My blood ran cold.



"What?"



Mom quickly interrupted.



"That's enough."



I turned toward her.



"Enough?"



I couldn't believe what I was hearing.



"You're talking about me like I'm not even here!"



Mom wiped her eyes.



"We were trying to protect you."



"From what?"



She looked at Dad.



Neither of them answered.



Then—



Knock. Knock. Knock.



Everyone froze.



Dad immediately turned toward the door.



Mom whispered,



"Don't open it."



I stared at her.



"Why?"



She didn't answer.



The knocking came again.



Three slow knocks.



Dad walked toward the door.



"Who is it?" Mom asked.



He didn't respond.



He looked through the peephole.



His expression changed.



"Who?" I whispered.



Dad slowly opened the door.



A girl stood outside.



She looked about my age.



Dark hair.



A school uniform.



And a nervous expression.



She looked directly at me.



"You're Elena, right?"



I nodded slowly.



"Who are you?"



She glanced at my father.



Then back at me.



"My name is Mia."



My father's expression hardened.



"You shouldn't be here."



Mia ignored him.



"I need to talk to Elena."



"Now isn't a good time," Dad said.



Mia shook her head.



"It has to be now."



She reached into her bag.



My father immediately stepped forward.



"What are you doing?"



Mia pulled out a small envelope.



Then she handed it to me.



"I found this in my brother's room."



I stared at the envelope.



"Your brother?"



She nodded.



"His name is Daniel."



The name hit me strangely.



Daniel.



I had heard that name before.



But where?



Mia continued.



"He disappeared three years ago."



My stomach dropped.



I looked at my father.



He had gone completely pale.



"You know him," I whispered.



Dad said nothing.



Mia looked between us.



"You all know what happened to my brother."



Silence filled the room.



Then my mother whispered,



"Daniel wasn't supposed to come back."



I stared at her.



"Come back from where?"



She looked away.



That was when I noticed something.



Her hands were shaking.



"Mom?"



She didn't answer.



I looked at Dad.



"What did Daniel do?"



Dad's jaw tightened.



"Elena, don't ask questions you aren't ready to hear the answers to."



"Then make me ready."



Mia suddenly spoke.



"Your parents aren't telling you everything."



Dad glared at her.



"You need to leave."



"No."



Mia's voice trembled, but she didn't move.



"My brother left something behind."



She looked at me.



"And I think it was meant for you."



My heart pounded.



"What is it?"



Mia pointed toward the envelope.



"Open it."



I slowly opened the envelope.



Inside was a single photograph.



My breath caught.



It was the same night.



The same house.



The same bedroom.



But this photograph had been taken from inside my room.



And in the corner of the picture stood someone I recognized.



Adrian.



I stared at the photograph.



My hands began to shake.



"Why was Adrian in my room?"



No one answered.



I looked at Mia.



She looked frightened.



Then I looked at my parents.



Dad closed his eyes.



Finally, he whispered,



"Because Adrian wasn't the person we were supposed to be afraid of."



My heart seemed to stop.



"Then who were you afraid of?"



Dad opened his eyes.



He looked directly at me.



"Elena..."



His voice was barely a whisper.



"The person we were afraid of was you."



The room went silent.



I stared at him.



"What does that mean?"



Mom began crying.



I looked at her.



"Mom?"



She shook her head.



"I can't."



"Can't what?"



"Tell you."



"Why?"



She looked at me with an expression I'd never seen before.



"Because the truth might change everything you believe about yourself."



I felt a chill run through me.



I looked down at the photograph again.



There was something I hadn't noticed before.



Behind Adrian...



There was another person.



A blurred figure standing near my bedroom door.



I moved the photograph closer to my face.



"Wait."



Everyone looked at me.



"There's someone else."



Dad's face suddenly lost all color.



Mia stepped closer.



"Who?"



I stared at the photograph.



"I don't know."



Then I noticed something.



The figure was wearing a bracelet.



A small silver bracelet.



My eyes widened.



I slowly looked down at my own wrist.



I was wearing the exact same bracelet.



My heart pounded.



"Where did I get this?"



Mom stopped crying.



Dad stared at my wrist.



And Mia whispered,



"That's my brother's bracelet."



I looked at her.



"What?"



She nodded.



"Daniel never took it off."



The room seemed to spin.



If the bracelet belonged to Daniel...



Then why was I wearing it?



And if Daniel disappeared three years ago...



Why did I have something that belonged to him?



I looked at my father.



"Tell me the truth."



He didn't answer.



So I asked the question that had been haunting me since I first saw the photograph.



"What happened in my house three years ago?"



Dad looked at Mom.



Mom looked at Mia.



And then the lights suddenly went out.



Darkness swallowed the room.



Mia gasped.



Something moved upstairs.



A door slammed.



Everyone froze.



Then my phone vibrated.



Once.



Twice.



Three times.



I looked at the screen.



A new message had appeared.



YOU'RE ASKING THE WRONG QUESTIONS.



Another message appeared.



ASK YOUR MOTHER WHAT SHE DID THAT NIGHT.



I slowly looked up.



Mom was staring at my phone.



And from the look on her face...



She already knew who had sent it.



But before I could speak, one final message appeared.



AND ASK YOUR FATHER WHChapter Five



The Truth They Buried



By the time I got home, I couldn't stop thinking about the photograph.



I had looked at it so many times that I knew every detail.



The dark hallway.



My bedroom door.



My own figure standing outside it.



And that shadow in the background.



Someone had been there.



Someone who knew exactly what happened that night.



But the more I stared at the photograph, the more one question kept bothering me.



Why didn't I remember any of it?



I pushed open the front door.



"Mom?"



No answer.



I stepped inside.



The house was strangely quiet.



Usually, Mom would be in the kitchen, and Dad would be watching television in the living room.



But today, there was nothing.



Not even the sound of the clock seemed normal.



I dropped my bag onto the couch.



Then I took a few steps forward.



And stopped.



My father was sitting in the living room.



He wasn't watching television.



He wasn't reading the newspaper.



He was just sitting there.



Waiting.



"Dad?"



He looked up.



His expression immediately made my stomach tighten.



"Where have you been?"



"School."



"I know."



I frowned.



"What do you mean?"



He stood up slowly.



"Come here, Elena."



Something about his voice made me nervous.



I walked closer.



He studied my face like he was trying to figure out what I knew.



Then he asked,



"Did anyone contact you today?"



I froze.



"Why?"



"Just answer me."



My fingers tightened around my phone.



"Yes."



His face changed.



"Who?"



I hesitated.



"Someone sent me a photograph."



My father's eyes widened.



For the first time in my life, I saw something in his expression that scared me more than anger.



Fear.



Real fear.



"What photograph?"



Before I could answer, my mother rushed into the room.



"Elena!"



She stopped when she saw my father.



Then she looked at me.



"What happened?"



Dad turned toward her.



"She got a photograph."



My mother went completely silent.



I stared at both of them.



"Why are you acting like you know what I'm talking about?"



Neither answered.



I held up my phone.



"This is the picture."



Dad looked at the screen.



The moment he saw it, he stepped backward.



Mom covered her mouth.



I looked between them.



"You've seen this before."



It wasn't a question.



Dad didn't respond.



"Have you?"



Still nothing.



My heart started beating faster.



"What happened three years ago?"



Mom's eyes filled with tears.



"Elena..."



"No."



I stepped back.



"Don't say my name like that. Just tell me the truth."



Dad looked toward the window.



For several seconds, he said nothing.



Then he finally spoke.



"Three years ago, something happened."



My stomach tightened.



"What happened?"



Dad opened his mouth.



But no words came out.



I waited.



"What happened that night?"



His eyes met mine.



"You weren't supposed to remember."



My blood ran cold.



"What?"



Mom quickly interrupted.



"That's enough."



I turned toward her.



"Enough?"



I couldn't believe what I was hearing.



"You're talking about me like I'm not even here!"



Mom wiped her eyes.



"We were trying to protect you."



"From what?"



She looked at Dad.



Neither of them answered.



Then—



Knock. Knock. Knock.



Everyone froze.



Dad immediately turned toward the door.



Mom whispered,



"Don't open it."



I stared at her.



"Why?"



She didn't answer.



The knocking came again.



Three slow knocks.



Dad walked toward the door.



"Who is it?" Mom asked.



He didn't respond.



He looked through the peephole.



His expression changed.



"Who?" I whispered.



Dad slowly opened the door.



A girl stood outside.



She looked about my age.



Dark hair.



A school uniform.



And a nervous expression.



She looked directly at me.



"You're Elena, right?"



I nodded slowly.



"Who are you?"



She glanced at my father.



Then back at me.



"My name is Mia."



My father's expression hardened.



"You shouldn't be here."



Mia ignored him.



"I need to talk to Elena."



"Now isn't a good time," Dad said.



Mia shook her head.



"It has to be now."



She reached into her bag.



My father immediately stepped forward.



"What are you doing?"



Mia pulled out a small envelope.



Then she handed it to me.



"I found this in my brother's room."



I stared at the envelope.



"Your brother?"



She nodded.



"His name is Daniel."



The name hit me strangely.



Daniel.



I had heard that name before.



But where?



Mia continued.



"He disappeared three years ago."



My stomach dropped.



I looked at my father.



He had gone completely pale.



"You know him," I whispered.



Dad said nothing.



Mia looked between us.



"You all know what happened to my brother."



Silence filled the room.



Then my mother whispered,



"Daniel wasn't supposed to come back."



I stared at her.



"Come back from where?"



She looked away.



That was when I noticed something.



Her hands were shaking.



"Mom?"



She didn't answer.



I looked at Dad.



"What did Daniel do?"



Dad's jaw tightened.



"Elena, don't ask questions you aren't ready to hear the answers to."



"Then make me ready."



Mia suddenly spoke.



"Your parents aren't telling you everything."



Dad glared at her.



"You need to leave."



"No."



Mia's voice trembled, but she didn't move.



"My brother left something behind."



She looked at me.



"And I think it was meant for you."



My heart pounded.



"What is it?"



Mia pointed toward the envelope.



"Open it."



I slowly opened the envelope.



Inside was a single photograph.



My breath caught.



It was the same night.



The same house.



The same bedroom.



But this photograph had been taken from inside my room.



And in the corner of the picture stood someone I recognized.



Adrian.



I stared at the photograph.



My hands began to shake.



"Why was Adrian in my room?"



No one answered.



I looked at Mia.



She looked frightened.



Then I looked at my parents.



Dad closed his eyes.



Finally, he whispered,



"Because Adrian wasn't the person we were supposed to be afraid of."



My heart seemed to stop.



"Then who were you afraid of?"



Dad opened his eyes.



He looked directly at me.



"Elena..."



His voice was barely a whisper.



"The person we were afraid of was you."



The room went silent.



I stared at him.



"What does that mean?"



Mom began crying.



I looked at her.



"Mom?"



She shook her head.



"I can't."



"Can't what?"



"Tell you."



"Why?"



She looked at me with an expression I'd never seen before.



"Because the truth might change everything you believe about yourself."



I felt a chill run through me.



I looked down at the photograph again.



There was something I hadn't noticed before.



Behind Adrian...



There was another person.



A blurred figure standing near my bedroom door.



I moved the photograph closer to my face.



"Wait."



Everyone looked at me.



"There's someone else."



Dad's face suddenly lost all color.



Mia stepped closer.



"Who?"



I stared at the photograph.



"I don't know."



Then I noticed something.



The figure was wearing a bracelet.



A small silver bracelet.



My eyes widened.



I slowly looked down at my own wrist.



I was wearing the exact same bracelet.



My heart pounded.



"Where did I get this?"



Mom stopped crying.



Dad stared at my wrist.



And Mia whispered,



"That's my brother's bracelet."



I looked at her.



"What?"



She nodded.



"Daniel never took it off."



The room seemed to spin.



If the bracelet belonged to Daniel...



Then why was I wearing it?



And if Daniel disappeared three years ago...



Why did I have something that belonged to him?



I looked at my father.



"Tell me the truth."



He didn't answer.



So I asked the question that had been haunting me since I first saw the photograph.



"What happened in my house three years ago?"



Dad looked at Mom.



Mom looked at Mia.



And then the lights suddenly went out.



Darkness swallowed the room.



Mia gasped.



Something moved upstairs.



A door slammed.



Everyone froze.



Then my phone vibrated.



Once.



Twice.



Three times.



I looked at the screen.



A new message had appeared.



YOU'RE ASKING THE WRONG QUESTIONS.



Another message appeared.



ASK YOUR MOTHER WHAT SHE DID THAT NIGHT.



I slowly looked up.



Mom was staring at my phone.



And from the look on her face...



She already knew who had sent it.



But before I could speak, one final message appeared.



AND ASK YOUR FATHER WHY ADRIAN WAS THERE.



I looked at Dad.



His face was completely pale.



For the first time, I realized something terrifying.



Maybe Adrian hadn't been hiding the truth from me.



Maybe my parents had.



And maybe the photograph wasn't warning me about what happened three years ago.



Maybe it was warning me about what was about to happen next.



Who took the photographs?



Who sent the messages?



What really happened to Daniel?



Why did Elena have his bracelet?



Why couldn't Elena remember that night?



And the biggest question of all...



What was Elena capable of that her own parents were so afraid of?Y ADRIAN WAS THERE.



I looked at Dad.



His face was completely pale.



For the first time, I realized something terrifying.



Maybe Adrian hadn't been hiding the truth from me.



Maybe my parents had.



And maybe the photograph wasn't warning me about what happened three years ago.



Maybe it was warning me about what was about to happen next.



Who took the photographs?



Who sent the messages?



What really happened to Daniel?



Why did Elena have his bracelet?



Why couldn't Elena remember that night?



And the biggest question of all...



What was Elena capable of that her own parents were so afraid of?