Chapter 10: The House Where Everything Began
The old Carter house stood at the end of a forgotten street.
For twelve years, Michael had avoided this place.
He had driven past it.
He had seen it in his dreams.
But he had never returned.
Now, under the pale light of the moon, he stood in front of the same wooden door where his childhood had once ended.
The paint was peeling.
The garden was overgrown.
The windows were dark.
But Michael could still remember.
The smell of his mother’s cooking.
The sound of Thomas laughing.
His father’s footsteps walking through the hallway.
A family that seemed ordinary from the outside.
A family that was anything but ordinary.
Victor stood beside him.
“You ready?”
Michael stared at the house.
“No.”
Victor looked surprised.
Michael continued:
“But I’m going in anyway.”
The two men walked toward the entrance.
The door was already unlocked.
Michael stopped.
“Someone was here.”
Victor nodded.
“They want you to enter.”
Michael pushed the door open.
The hinges made a long, painful sound.
Like the house itself was warning them.
Inside, everything looked frozen in time.
Old furniture.
Dust-covered photographs.
A broken clock on the wall.
The same clock that had stopped the night his mother disappeared.
Michael stepped inside.
Every step brought back another memory.
A birthday party.
His mother’s voice.
Thomas running down the stairs.
Then…
A scream.
Michael stopped.
Victor noticed.
“What?”
Michael looked toward the hallway.
“I remember something.”
“What?”
“My mother was standing there.”
He pointed.
“She told me to hide.”
Victor’s expression changed.
“Hide from who?”
Michael swallowed.
“My father.”
They walked deeper into the house.
The living room was empty.
The kitchen was untouched.
Then Michael saw something.
A small wooden box on the table.
His name was written on it.
MICHAEL
He approached slowly.
Victor immediately became alert.
“Don’t touch it yet.”
Michael looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because someone wanted you to find it.”
Michael stared at the box.
“Everything tonight is a trap.”
“Yes.”
“But every trap has a reason.”
Victor nodded.
“Exactly.”
Michael opened the box.
Inside was an old cassette tape.
A handwritten note was attached.
For my son. When you are ready to know the truth.
Michael froze.
His hands trembled.
“My mother.”
Victor looked at the tape.
“Do you have a player?”
Michael looked around.
Then noticed an old cabinet.
Inside was an old cassette player.
As impossible as it seemed…
It still worked.
Michael inserted the tape.
For a few seconds, only static filled the room.
Then…
A woman’s voice.
A voice Michael had not heard in decades.
His mother.
“Michael…”
His entire body froze.
“Mom?”
Victor looked away, giving him privacy.
The recording continued.
“If you are hearing this, it means Robert failed to erase everything.”
Michael closed his eyes.
Tears formed.
Her voice.
The voice he thought was gone forever.
“I don’t know how old you are when you hear this.”
A pause.
“But I hope you are old enough to understand.”
Static.
“Your father will tell you many things about me.”
Her voice became softer.
“Some of them will be lies.”
Michael sat down.
Listening.
“Robert believes he can control people by controlling their memories.”
A pause.
“But he forgot something.”
Michael looked at Victor.
“What?”
The recording continued.
“Love is not stored only in memory.”
Michael’s eyes filled.
“It lives somewhere deeper.”
A long silence.
Then:
“Michael, if you forgot your brother…”
Michael stopped breathing.
“Please forgive yourself.”
Victor looked at him.
“He knew.”
Michael stared.
“She knew I would forget.”
“Yes.”
The tape continued.
“Thomas was never your enemy.”
A pause.
“He was your brother.”
Michael lowered his head.
“I’m sorry.”
His voice cracked.
The recording continued.
“Robert separated you because he was afraid.”
Michael frowned.
“Afraid?”
His mother answered herself.
“Because together, you and Thomas were stronger than him.”
The tape suddenly became distorted.
Then a different voice appeared.
A man.
Robert.
Michael froze.
“Claire.”
His father’s voice.
“You should have listened.”
His mother responded:
“You will never own them.”
A loud noise.
Then static.
Michael stood.
“Dad was there.”
Victor nodded.
The tape continued.
Then his mother’s voice returned.
“Michael, there is something you need to know.”
A pause.
“Your father did not create Project Second Chance alone.”
Michael leaned closer.
“Someone helped him.”
The tape clicked.
A new voice appeared.
A woman.
Unknown.
“Robert, the boys are ready.”
Michael looked confused.
“Who is that?”
Victor’s face changed.
“No…”
Michael looked at him.
“You know her?”
Victor stepped closer to the cassette player.
The recording continued.
Robert said:
“Thomas will be the first successful subject.”
The woman replied:
“And Michael?”
Robert answered:
“He will become the one who finds everyone else.”
Michael felt a chill.
His entire life had been planned.
The tape continued.
Then his mother whispered:
“If something happens to me…”
A pause.
“Find Dr. Evelyn Shaw.”
Victor suddenly stepped back.
Michael noticed.
“Who is she?”
Victor looked disturbed.
“Someone who should never have been involved.”
The tape ended.
Silence returned.
Michael looked at Victor.
“You know her.”
Victor didn’t answer.
“Victor.”
Finally, he spoke.
“Dr. Evelyn Shaw was the person who designed the memory program.”
Michael felt anger rising.
“She experimented on children?”
Victor looked down.
“Yes.”
“On me?”
Victor didn’t answer.
That was enough.
Michael stepped away.
His whole life.
His memories.
His abilities.
Everything had been touched by people who saw him as a project.
Then a sound came from upstairs.
A floorboard creaked.
Both men froze.
Victor immediately reached for his weapon.
Someone was inside.
Michael looked toward the staircase.
“Who’s there?”
No answer.
Another sound.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Someone walked down.
Michael raised his guard.
Then the person appeared.
A woman.
Older.
Gray hair.
Calm eyes.
Michael recognized her from the photographs.
From the files.
From the recordings.
Victor whispered:
“Impossible.”
The woman looked at Michael.
“Hello, Michael.”
He stared.
“Dr. Evelyn Shaw.”
She smiled sadly.
“Yes.”
Michael stepped forward.
“You’re the one who helped my father.”
She nodded.
“Yes.”
His anger exploded.
“You destroyed my family.”
The woman looked at him.
“No.”
A pause.
“Your father did.”
Michael stared.
“Then why are you here?”
Dr. Shaw looked around the old house.
“Because I’m the only person left who knows the full truth.”
Victor stepped forward.
“You lied to all of us.”
Dr. Shaw looked at him.
“You believed what Robert wanted you to believe.”
Victor’s expression changed.
Michael noticed.
“What does that mean?”
Dr. Shaw looked directly at him.
“It means Victor Hale was never your enemy.”
Michael frowned.
“What?”
She continued:
“He was the first person who tried to save you.”
Victor went silent.
Michael looked between them.
“Then who has been controlling everything?”
Dr. Shaw’s face became serious.
Before she could answer…
The windows shattered.
Everyone dropped down.
A gunshot echoed through the house.
Michael pulled Dr. Shaw behind cover.
Victor moved toward the window.
Outside…
Several black vehicles surrounded the house.
A group of armed people stepped out.
Michael looked at Victor.
“Who are they?”
Victor’s face turned cold.
“Blackstone.”
Michael clenched his fists.
The organization that replaced Northbridge.
The organization connected to his father.
Dr. Shaw looked terrified.
“No.”
Michael looked at her.
“What?”
She whispered:
“They’re not here for you.”
A pause.
“They’re here because they know I told you the truth.”
Another gunshot hit the wall.
Michael looked at his family’s old home.
The place where the lies began.
The place where he lost his childhood.
And now…
The battlefield where everything would finally end.
Victor checked his weapon.
“Michael.”
He looked at him.
“We need to leave.”
Michael shook his head.
“No.”
Victor frowned.
“What?”
Michael looked toward the attackers outside.
“For twelve years, everyone has been deciding my story.”
A pause.
“My father.”
“The company.”
“The people who erased my memories.”
His eyes hardened.
“Not anymore.”
Michael walked toward the center of the room.
“Tonight, they learn something.”
Victor watched him.
“What?”
Michael looked toward the broken window.
“They should have buried the truth deeper.”
A pause.
“Because now I’m digging it back up.”
Outside, the doors began to shake.
The attackers were coming in.
And inside the house where everything began…
May you like
Michael Carter finally stopped running.
End of Chapter 10
