CHAPTER 12: THE CHOICE
Daniel stared at the knife.
Evelyn held it against Emily's throat.
Not pressing hard.
Just enough.
Just enough to make Daniel understand that one wrong movement could change everything.
Sarah stood across the room.
Her hands were raised.
Her face was covered in tears.
“Daniel,” she whispered.
“Don't move.”
Evelyn smiled.
“You have ten seconds.”
Daniel's eyes never left Emily.
“Let her go.”
“No.”
“She has nothing to do with this.”
“She is everything to do with this.”
Evelyn's grip tightened.
Emily whimpered.
“Daddy.”
Daniel felt something inside him snap.
“Don't touch her.”
Evelyn smiled.
“Then choose.”
She pointed the knife toward Sarah.
“Your wife.”
Then toward Emily.
“Your daughter.”
Daniel shook his head.
“You've done this before.”
Evelyn's expression changed.
“Yes.”
“How many times?”
“Seven.”
Daniel stared.
“You made me choose between them.”
“No.”
She smiled.
“I made you choose between yourself and them.”
Daniel's heart pounded.
“What did I choose?”
“You chose yourself.”
Sarah closed her eyes.
Daniel looked at her.
“Is that true?”
She whispered:
“Every time.”
Daniel felt sick.
“Why?”
“Because you didn't remember who you were.”
Evelyn laughed softly.
“You thought you were an ordinary man.”
“I am.”
“No.”
She pointed at his head.
“You are the only man in this house who has survived every memory.”
Daniel stared.
“What happens if I refuse?”
Evelyn raised the knife.
“Then everyone dies.”
Daniel looked around.
The room was empty except for the people he loved.
Sarah.
Emily.
David.
And the seven duplicates.
The first Emily was nowhere to be seen.
Daniel suddenly noticed something.
Evelyn wasn't looking at him.
She was looking at his hands.
At the key.
The metal key was glowing red.
Daniel understood.
She wasn't afraid of him.
She was afraid of the key.
“What does this open?”
Evelyn's smile disappeared.
“Give it to me.”
Daniel closed his hand around it.
“No.”
“Daniel.”
“What does it open?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you afraid?”
Evelyn stepped forward.
“Give me the key.”
“No.”
Sarah suddenly shouted:
“Daniel, don't!”
He looked at her.
“What?”
Sarah shook her head.
“She wants you to use it.”
“For what?”
“To open the original memory.”
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
“Because once you open it, you won't be able to forget.”
Evelyn smiled again.
“Exactly.”
Daniel looked at the key.
“What happens when I remember everything?”
Evelyn whispered:
“You become me.”
Daniel stared.
“No.”
“You already have my memories.”
“No.”
“You already carry my identity.”
“No.”
“You already have my blood.”
Daniel froze.
“My blood?”
Evelyn smiled.
“Now you're getting there.”
Daniel suddenly remembered something.
The night Emily was born.
Sarah was unconscious.
A nurse had taken blood from him.
He had assumed it was routine.
But there had been another person in the room.
Claire.
And Evelyn.
Daniel's breathing became shallow.
“You used my blood.”
“Yes.”
“For Emily?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To create the bridge.”
“What bridge?”
Evelyn looked at Emily.
“Between you and her.”
Daniel's stomach turned.
“What did you put inside my daughter?”
Evelyn smiled.
“My memory.”
Daniel stared.
“No.”
“She carries a piece of me.”
Emily suddenly cried out.
Her body stiffened.
Daniel shouted:
“Emily!”
Evelyn released her.
Emily collapsed.
Daniel rushed forward.
He caught her before she hit the floor.
“Emily!”
Her eyes opened.
But they weren't frightened.
They were calm.
Too calm.
She looked directly at Daniel.
“Daddy.”
“I'm here.”
“I remember.”
Daniel froze.
“What?”
Emily touched his face.
“I remember everything.”
Her voice sounded different.
Older.
Evelyn stepped backward.
For the first time, fear crossed her face.
“No.”
Emily looked at her.
“You shouldn't have put your memory inside me.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“You can't control it.”
Emily smiled.
“I don't need to.”
Daniel stared at his daughter.
“Emily?”
She turned toward him.
“Daddy, she lied.”
“About what?”
“She said I was the second Emily.”
Daniel's blood ran cold.
Emily continued.
“I'm the first.”
Daniel stared.
“What?”
Evelyn whispered:
“Impossible.”
Emily smiled.
“You forgot.”
Daniel looked toward the empty corner.
The first Emily appeared.
But now something was different.
She looked frightened.
“Emily?”
The little girl stepped backward.
“No.”
The younger Emily looked at her.
“You're not me.”
The first Emily began crying.
“I was.”
“Not anymore.”
Daniel couldn't understand.
“What is happening?”
Sarah stared at the two girls.
Then she whispered:
“Oh my God.”
Daniel turned.
“What?”
Sarah's face was white.
“They switched.”
“Who switched?”
“The memories.”
Daniel looked at Emily.
The little girl smiled.
But her smile wasn't Emily's.
It was Evelyn's.
Daniel felt his blood run cold.
“You're Evelyn.”
Emily's eyes changed.
For a moment, she looked like a four-year-old child.
Then like Evelyn.
Then like Sarah.
Then like Daniel.
Then normal again.
The girl whispered:
“I am everyone.”
Daniel backed away.
Evelyn screamed:
“NO!”
She lunged toward Emily.
Daniel grabbed her.
Evelyn fought violently.
“You don't understand!”
“What did you do to my daughter?”
“I tried to save her!”
“You put yourself inside her!”
“Yes!”
Daniel shoved Evelyn away.
“You're sick.”
Evelyn stumbled.
“I didn't know she would absorb everything.”
“What everything?”
“Every memory.”
Daniel stared.
“The house.”
Evelyn nodded.
“The people.”
“The memories.”
“The deaths.”
“The entire family.”
Daniel looked at Emily.
His daughter was standing perfectly still.
Then she looked at him.
“Daddy.”
Daniel approached carefully.
“What?”
“I can hear them.”
“Who?”
“Everyone.”
She pointed toward the walls.
“The people inside.”
Daniel's stomach tightened.
“Can you hear David?”
She nodded.
“Where is he?”
“Sleeping.”
“Where?”
She pointed downward.
“Under the floor.”
Daniel looked at the cracked stone.
“Is he alive?”
“Yes.”
“What about Sarah?”
Emily looked at Sarah.
“She is alive too.”
Sarah rushed toward her.
“Where?”
Emily pointed toward the ceiling.
“Above us.”
Sarah frowned.
“How?”
Emily smiled.
“She is in the room where Mommy died.”
Daniel looked at Sarah.
“Mommy?”
Sarah's face changed.
“Emily, don't.”
But the little girl continued.
“Mommy died eight times.”
Daniel stared.
Sarah began crying.
“Stop.”
Emily looked at Daniel.
“She remembers every death.”
Daniel slowly turned toward Sarah.
“Is that true?”
Sarah couldn't answer.
Emily said:
“She was trying to find you.”
Daniel's eyes filled with tears.
“Why?”
“Because every time you came back, you forgot her.”
Sarah covered her face.
Daniel looked at Evelyn.
“You did this.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“I wasn't the one who started it.”
“Then who?”
Evelyn looked toward the floor.
“Thomas.”
Daniel froze.
“My father?”
“He discovered the original.”
“Who?”
Evelyn pointed toward Emily.
“Her.”
Daniel stared.
“The first Emily?”
“No.”
She looked at the little girl in front of him.
“Your daughter.”
Daniel shook his head.
“She's four.”
“She was four.”
“What does that mean?”
Evelyn whispered:
“She has lived for twenty-nine years.”
Daniel felt dizzy.
“How?”
“The house kept resetting her.”
Daniel looked at the two girls.
The first Emily was crying.
The younger Emily was smiling.
Evelyn continued:
“Every time Emily reached the age of seven, the house reset her memory.”
Daniel stared.
“Why seven?”
“Because that's when she becomes capable of remembering everything.”
Daniel looked at his daughter.
“She hasn't reached seven.”
“No.”
“So she can't remember.”
“She can now.”
Daniel's heart pounded.
“Because of your memory.”
Evelyn nodded.
“And mine.”
Daniel looked at the girl.
“How do I stop it?”
Evelyn laughed.
“You can't.”
“There's always a way.”
“No.”
She pointed at the key.
“There is only one.”
Daniel looked down.
“What?”
“Open the original room.”
Daniel stared.
“What happens?”
“You'll see who you really are.”
“And then?”
Evelyn's voice became quiet.
“You'll have to kill one of us.”
Daniel looked at Sarah.
Then Emily.
Then Evelyn.
“Who?”
Evelyn smiled.
“The original.”
Daniel frowned.
“Which one?”
Evelyn didn't answer.
The lights suddenly went out.
A voice came from the darkness.
Not Evelyn.
Not Sarah.
Not Emily.
A man's voice.
Daniel's own voice.
“You're asking the wrong question.”
Daniel froze.
The voice continued.
“The question isn't who is the original.”
A pause.
“The question is…”
The red door began opening behind them.
“…who survived the first death?”
Daniel slowly turned.
Inside the room stood a man.
He looked exactly like Daniel.
But older.
Scarred.
Blood covering his shirt.
He looked directly at Daniel.
And whispered:
“I did.”
Daniel stared.
The older man smiled.
“I remember everything.”
May you like
Then he raised a gun.
And pointed it at Emily.
