Chapter 13 - THE FAMILY THAT NEVER DIEDMy father was alive.
My mother was alive.
Daniel was alive.
And suddenly, every funeral I had attended began to feel like a carefully staged performance.
I stared at the phone.
“Dad?”
A deep laugh.
“Yes.”
“Where are you?”
“Somewhere your husband can't reach.”
Daniel looked horrified.
“Don't listen to him.”
My father's voice became cold.
“Daniel destroyed everything.”
“You started it.”
“I finished it.”
I stepped between them.
“What do you want?”
“You.”
“Why?”
“Because you're the original.”
“Original what?”
“You were the first successful subject.”
I couldn't breathe.
My father continued.
“Everything started with you.”
“My mother knew?”
“She helped create the program.”
“And Daniel?”
“He helped us hide it.”
I turned toward Daniel.
“Is that true?”
Daniel couldn't look at me.
“Yes.”
My entire marriage felt like a lie.
“You married me because of the project.”
“No.”
“You knew who my parents were.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about Sophie.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about Grace.”
“Yes.”
I slapped him.
He didn't stop me.
My father's voice came through the phone.
“Bring Grace to the old observatory.”
“Why?”
“Because you can end this.”
“How?”
“You'll see.”
The call ended.
Rebecca stared at me.
“Don't go.”
“I have to.”
“No.”
“They have Sophie.”
“They want you there.”
“I know.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“I'll come with you.”
I looked at him.
“Not this time.”
I walked away.
Then I heard him say,
“Karen.”
I turned.
He held out his wedding ring.
“Take it.”
“Why?”
“Because if I don't come back…”
He swallowed.
“…you'll know I finally stopped lying.”
I took the ring.
The observatory stood on the hill above Lake Harper.
It had been abandoned for decades.
Inside, I found Sophie.
She was tied to a chair.
Alive.
Her face was bruised.
I ran toward her.
“Mom.”
I untied her.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded.
“I knew you'd come.”
“Where's Grace?”
Sophie looked behind me.
“Not here.”
My father stepped out of the darkness.
He was older than I remembered.
But unmistakable.
I stared at him.
“You're dead.”
“So is Daniel.”
“No.”
He smiled.
“That's the first lesson you still haven't learned.”
He walked toward us.
My mother appeared behind him.
Alive.
I nearly collapsed.
“Mom?”
She stared at me.
“You were never supposed to remember.”
“What did you do to me?”
“We erased parts of your memory.”
“Why?”
“Because you discovered the truth.”
“What truth?”
My mother looked at Sophie.
Then at me.
“You were the first baby.”
I froze.
“What?”
“You weren't born naturally.”
“I was.”
“No.”
She stepped closer.
“You were created.”
My stomach turned.
“The program began with you.”
“Then how old am I really?”
She smiled sadly.
“Twenty-nine.”
I laughed.
“I am forty-three.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“We accelerated your growth.”
My entire identity cracked open.
My memories.
My childhood.
My marriage.
All of it.
Manufactured.
My mother reached toward me.
“We built you to heal.”
“And what did you build Sophie to do?”
“Remember.”
“And Grace?”
“Store.”
I stared at the baby carrier on the table.
Grace.
A tiny child carrying the secrets of an entire project.
Then my father said something terrifying.
“We don't need Grace anymore.”
I turned.
“Why?”
“Because Sophie remembered.”
Sophie looked at me.
Her eyes were filled with terror.
“Mom…”
She whispered,
“I remembered where the original research is.”
My father smiled.
“Exactly.”
May you like
He stepped toward Sophie.
“And she knows where you hid it.”
