Chapter 12 - THE CHOICE
The next morning, Emily packed a single suitcase. She left everything else behind.
"We travel light," she said. "If we carry less, we leave fewer traces."
Before we left, she took the envelope I still kept tucked away—the one Thomas had given her—and placed it inside a waterproof bag, which she then strapped around my chest beneath my clothes.
"This stays with you," she said. "Day and night. Never take it off. If anything happens to me… you run. And you do not stop until you find someone you can trust."
"Who can I trust?" I asked.
Emily looked at me, her eyes filled with pain and doubt.
"I don’t know, Noah. That is the hardest part. We have to assume everyone is lying until they prove otherwise."
We drove to the nearest city and took a train. Then another. Then a bus. We changed routes three times, just in case we were being followed.
"Why so many?" I asked as we boarded the third bus.
"Because if someone is tracking us… they expect us to go in one direction. If we keep changing… we confuse them."
Hours later, as the sun began to set, we stood on a hill overlooking our hometown. The mansion stood far below, quiet and dark.
Emily stood perfectly still, staring down at it.
"Are you ready?" she asked quietly.
I looked at the mansion. I thought about being locked outside in the snow. I thought about Daniel standing there, watching. I thought about Evelyn’s voice. And the stranger’s voice. And the unknown third person.
Then I looked at Emily.
"With you? Yes."
She took a deep breath.
"There are two ways to do this," she said, as much to herself as to me. "We go in quietly, try to find what we need, and leave before anyone knows we are here. Or… we confront them. We tell them we know about the third person. And we see who breaks first."
She looked at the mansion, then back at me.
"If we choose the second way… there is no turning back. It could be dangerous."
I thought about all the secrets. All the lies. The danger we had already faced.
"Mommy?"
"Yes?"
"I want to know the truth. Even if it’s scary."
Emily looked at me, tears glistening in her eyes. She nodded slowly.
"Then we do both. We go in quietly. We find what we can. And if they find us first… we ask them about the voice."
May you like
She took my hand.
"Whatever happens… stay close to me. Do exactly as I say. And remember—we are not the ones hiding anymore. From now on… they are the ones who should be afraid."
