Chapter 3: The Truth About the Twins
The front door exploded inward.
The sound shook the entire house.
I screamed and instinctively wrapped both arms around my belly.
Margaret grabbed my shoulder.
“Move!”
The man who looked exactly like Travis stepped backward.
For the first time, I saw fear in his eyes.
Not fake fear.
Real fear.
Someone was coming.
Heavy footsteps thundered across the floor above us.
Then a voice shouted:
“SEARCH THE HOUSE!”
Margaret's face went white.
“They're here.”
“Who?”
She didn't answer.
The man behind us suddenly grabbed my arm.
“Where's the other exit?”
Margaret stared at him.
“You know there isn't one.”
“There has to be.”
“Not anymore.”
He cursed under his breath.
I pulled my arm free.
“Stop touching me!”
He looked at me.
For one strange second, the anger disappeared from his face.
Instead, I saw desperation.
“Claire, if they take you upstairs, you won't survive the night.”
“You're the one who locked me in this nightmare!”
“No.”
His voice cracked.
“I was trying to keep them from getting to you.”
“Then where is my husband?”
He looked toward the hidden room.
“He's alive.”
“Then get him!”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because he isn't alone.”
A loud crash came from upstairs.
Someone was tearing through cabinets.
Another voice shouted:
“Check the basement!”
Margaret grabbed my hand.
“We're out of time.”
The man pointed toward the hidden room.
“Get inside.”
I stared at him.
“You just told me not to trust anyone.”
“I said don't trust her.”
He pointed at Margaret.
She didn't defend herself.
That terrified me more than anything.
“Why shouldn't I trust her?”
“Because she was there.”
Margaret whispered:
“I didn't have a choice.”
The footsteps were getting closer.
I looked between them.
Then another contraction hit.
My entire body folded.
I cried out.
Margaret caught me.
“It's too soon.”
“No…”
I felt pressure building.
“I think they're coming.”
Her eyes widened.
“Claire, listen to me. We need to get you somewhere safe.”
The man rushed toward the hidden room and pulled the door wider.
“Inside.”
I stared into the darkness.
Then I heard something.
A faint tapping.
Three taps.
Pause.
Three taps.
My heart stopped.
“That's Travis.”
The man looked at me.
“How do you know?”
“He used to do that when he wanted my attention.”
I moved toward the hidden room.
Margaret tried to stop me.
“Claire…”
“I need my husband.”
I stepped inside.
The room was barely large enough for two people.
At the far end was another door.
Locked.
Behind it came another faint tap.
“Travis?”
Three taps.
Three taps.
I started crying.
“It's me.”
A weak voice answered.
“Claire…”
I ran toward the door.
“I'm here!”
“Don't open it.”
I froze.
“Why?”
“Because I'm not alone.”
The man behind me whispered:
“I told you.”
I turned.
“Who is with him?”
Silence.
Then Travis spoke again.
“My father.”
My blood turned cold.
“Your father is dead.”
“No.”
His voice was barely audible.
“He was never dead.”
Margaret lowered her eyes.
I stared at her.
“You knew.”
She nodded.
“I knew.”
“You knew my father-in-law was alive?”
“Yes.”
“And you let me marry into this family?”
Her lips trembled.
“I tried to stop it.”
“Then why didn't you?”
“Because by the time I understood what they were doing, it was too late.”
“What were they doing?”
She looked at my stomach.
“They weren't interested in Travis.”
My breathing became shallow.
“They were interested in you.”
“Why?”
Margaret opened her mouth.
Before she could answer, the locked door behind me rattled.
Travis shouted:
“Claire, get away from the door!”
Something struck it from the other side.
BANG!
I jumped.
Another strike.
BANG!
The hinges shook.
Margaret grabbed my arm.
“We have to leave.”
“But Travis is behind it!”
“And if that door opens, you're dead.”
The man who looked like Travis stepped forward.
“Margaret, tell her.”
She shook her head.
“Tell me what?”
He looked at me.
“Your twins were never supposed to survive.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
He continued.
“Your pregnancy wasn't an accident.”
I felt like the floor had disappeared beneath me.
“What are you talking about?”
“Someone planned it.”
“Who?”
He looked toward the locked door.
“My father.”
A third strike hit the door.
The wood cracked.
I backed away.
“Why would he care about my babies?”
The man swallowed.
“Because one of them carries something he needs.”
My hand went to my stomach.
“What?”
“Something genetic.”
Margaret suddenly interrupted.
“Enough.”
He turned toward her.
“You can't hide it anymore.”
She looked at me.
“Claire, there was a reason Travis married you.”
My chest tightened.
“No.”
“He didn't know at first.”
“No.”
“But his father did.”
I shook my head.
“You're lying.”
Margaret's voice broke.
“I wish I were.”
The hidden door cracked again.
A hand appeared through the broken wood.
I screamed.
Margaret pulled me backward.
The hand disappeared.
Then silence.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then a man's voice came through.
Old.
Calm.
Almost gentle.
“Claire.”
I froze.
I'd never heard that voice before.
Yet somehow it felt familiar.
“Come out, sweetheart.”
Margaret grabbed my hand.
“Don't answer.”
The old man's voice continued.
“You've been lied to for a very long time.”
I looked at Margaret.
“Who is he?”
She whispered:
“Your father-in-law.”
The voice came again.
“You deserve to know who your mother was.”
My entire body went cold.
“What?”
Margaret's face collapsed.
The old man laughed softly.
“Yes, Claire.”
“You were told your mother died when you were six.”
I stared at the door.
“She didn't.”
“No.”
His voice became colder.
“She was murdered.”
My knees weakened.
Margaret caught me.
“Why would he tell me that?”
“Because he wants you frightened.”
The old man chuckled.
“Not frightened.”
He paused.
“Awake.”
Then he said the words that shattered everything.
“Your mother discovered what our family had been doing for generations.”
I could barely breathe.
“What were they doing?”
Silence.
Then:
“Creating children.”
The room seemed to spin.
“What?”
“Children with specific bloodlines.”
Margaret closed her eyes.
The man continued.
“And your mother was one of the women they selected.”
I looked down at my twins.
“No…”
“She escaped.”
His voice became almost amused.
“She took you with her.”
“Then why didn't she tell me?”
“Because she knew I'd find you.”
A sob escaped my throat.
The old man continued.
“And now that you're carrying twins, you have finally given me what I have been waiting for.”
My hands began to shake.
“What do you want?”
He answered immediately.
“One of your babies.”
I stared at the door.
“Never.”
“Then both will die.”
The room went silent.
Margaret stepped forward.
“You're a monster.”
The old man laughed.
“You knew the rules, Margaret.”
She froze.
I looked at her.
“What rules?”
She didn't answer.
“Margaret.”
Still nothing.
“What rules?”
Finally, she whispered:
“The firstborn twin belongs to the family.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
She looked directly into my eyes.
“I was sent to protect your mother.”
I shook my head.
“But you failed.”
Tears rolled down her face.
“Yes.”
“Then why are you here?”
She reached into her coat.
Slowly, she pulled out an old photograph.
She turned it toward me.
My hands trembled as I took it.
It showed a young woman.
She looked exactly like me.
My mother.
Standing beside a teenage girl.
I stared at the girl.
Then at Margaret.
“Who is she?”
Margaret whispered:
“Your sister.”
I nearly dropped the photograph.
“I don't have a sister.”
“You did.”
“Where is she?”
Margaret looked toward the ceiling.
“She disappeared twenty-two years ago.”
“Why?”
Before she could answer, the locked door suddenly burst open.
A man stepped through.
Gray hair.
Cold eyes.
And the same face I'd seen in the photograph.
My father-in-law.
The man everyone told me had died seven years ago.
He looked at me.
Then at my belly.
And smiled.
“Finally.”
May you like
He raised a gun.
“It's time to bring my granddaughter home.”
