CHAPTER 9: THE MEMORY HE COULDN’T ERASE
Daniel stared at the black screen.
The words were gone.
But they remained inside his head.
DANIEL MORGAN WAS THE ONE WHO KILLED SARAH.
“No.”
His voice was barely audible.
Sarah stood several feet away.
She was crying.
Daniel looked at her.
“Tell me it's fake.”
Sarah said nothing.
“Tell me.”
“I can't.”
Daniel felt his chest tighten.
“You know I didn't kill you.”
“I know.”
“Then why was I holding the syringe?”
Sarah closed her eyes.
“Because you were trying to save me.”
Daniel shook his head.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“It will.”
“When?”
“When you remember.”
Daniel looked toward the memory chamber.
The machine was still humming.
Evelyn stood beside it.
She looked almost pleased.
“She's showing you exactly what you need to see.”
Daniel turned toward her.
“You manipulated the recording.”
“No.”
“You erased the truth.”
“No.”
“Then why does it show me killing Sarah?”
Evelyn smiled.
“Because you did.”
Sarah stepped forward.
“Daniel.”
He turned.
“I killed you?”
“You stopped my heart.”
Daniel recoiled.
“Why?”
“Because I asked you to.”
Silence.
Daniel stared at her.
Sarah continued.
“I was dying.”
“From what?”
“Evelyn.”
Daniel looked at Evelyn.
“She was inside me.”
“What?”
Sarah nodded.
“Evelyn had begun transferring herself into my mind.”
Daniel's face went pale.
“She was taking over.”
“Yes.”
“And you couldn't stop her.”
“No.”
“So I killed you.”
“You stopped the transfer.”
Daniel looked at the screen.
“But you survived.”
Sarah shook her head.
“Not the way you think.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“What happened after?”
“I woke up three days later.”
“In another body?”
Sarah nodded.
Daniel's eyes widened.
“Whose?”
Sarah looked toward the seven Daniels.
“That's the part you don't remember.”
The oldest duplicate stepped forward.
“Tell him.”
Sarah looked at him.
“You tell him.”
The duplicate smiled.
“Sarah died.”
Daniel froze.
“But the woman standing here isn't Sarah.”
Daniel stared at his wife.
Sarah didn't deny it.
His voice cracked.
“Who are you?”
She whispered:
“I don't know anymore.”
Daniel felt something inside him shatter.
“You've been pretending?”
“No.”
“You look like her.”
“I have her memories.”
“But you're not her.”
Sarah's tears fell.
“I don't know.”
Daniel looked toward Evelyn.
“What did you do?”
Evelyn answered calmly.
“I preserved Sarah.”
“By putting her in another body?”
“Yes.”
“Whose?”
Evelyn looked toward the first Emily.
The little girl stepped backward.
“No.”
Daniel's blood went cold.
“You used the first Emily?”
Evelyn shook her head.
“Not her body.”
“Then what?”
“Her memory.”
Daniel stared.
“You took Sarah's memory and mixed it with Emily's?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Sarah knew too much.”
The first Emily began crying.
“She put her memories inside me.”
Daniel looked at her.
“That's why you remember Sarah.”
The girl nodded.
“I remember everything.”
Sarah whispered:
“I remember her too.”
Daniel suddenly understood.
Two women.
Two memories.
One identity.
Neither knew who they truly were.
The machine hummed louder.
A screen flickered.
A new image appeared.
Daniel saw himself standing beside the hospital bed.
Sarah was lying there.
Alive.
Evelyn stood behind him.
Thomas was holding a syringe.
Margaret stood in the corner.
Claire was crying.
Daniel watched himself take the syringe.
He injected it into Sarah.
Sarah's heartbeat slowed.
Daniel stepped back.
Then Sarah opened her eyes.
She smiled.
And whispered:
“Thank you.”
The memory ended.
Daniel stared.
“That wasn't murder.”
“No,” Sarah said.
“It was a sacrifice.”
Daniel turned toward her.
“Why did you ask me to do it?”
“Because Evelyn was inside me.”
Daniel looked at Evelyn.
“And she wanted to get into me.”
Evelyn smiled.
“Yes.”
“You needed me to kill you to stop her.”
Sarah nodded.
“And then?”
“I was transferred.”
“To where?”
Sarah pointed toward the memory chamber.
Daniel looked.
A small glass capsule sat beneath the machine.
Inside it was a thin layer of liquid.
And something floating inside.
A tiny strand of dark hair.
Daniel frowned.
“What is that?”
Evelyn said:
“Your wife's original memory.”
Daniel stared.
“You kept it?”
“For two years.”
“Why?”
“Because I needed you to come back.”
Daniel shook his head.
“You could have taken me anytime.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“You had to choose.”
“Choose what?”
“Your family.”
Daniel looked at the children.
Then at Sarah.
Then at Claire.
Then at the seven duplicates.
Evelyn stepped toward him.
“Every Daniel eventually chooses himself.”
Daniel frowned.
“What?”
“They become afraid.”
She pointed toward the duplicates.
“They hide.”
“They run.”
“They forget.”
“And eventually they become me.”
Daniel stared at her.
“I'll never become you.”
Evelyn smiled.
“You already did.”
Daniel froze.
“What?”
She pointed at his hand.
The key.
Daniel looked down.
The metal had changed.
A thin red light was glowing from its center.
Evelyn whispered:
“You opened the memory chamber.”
Daniel looked at the machine.
The screens began displaying images faster.
His childhood.
His wedding.
Sarah.
Emily.
David.
The basement.
The freezer.
Everything.
Then one image stopped him.
A baby.
A newborn.
Held by Evelyn.
Daniel stared.
The baby had a small scar beneath his left eye.
The same scar Daniel had.
He looked at Evelyn.
“That's me.”
“Yes.”
“Where's Anna?”
“Dead.”
“Thomas?”
“Dead.”
“Margaret?”
“Dead.”
“Then who raised me?”
Evelyn smiled.
“Claire.”
Daniel turned toward Claire.
She was crying.
“You raised me?”
Claire nodded.
“I tried to protect you.”
“You were my mother.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“I was your guardian.”
Daniel felt betrayed.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because you asked me not to.”
Daniel stared.
“I asked you?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Before your memories were erased.”
Daniel's mind suddenly filled with another memory.
He was twenty years old.
Standing in this basement.
Claire was beside him.
He was holding Sarah's hand.
Daniel was crying.
“Promise me.”
Claire nodded.
“Promise me you won't tell me.”
“Daniel...”
“If I ever come back here, don't tell me who I am.”
“Why?”
“Because if I remember everything, Evelyn will find me.”
Claire was crying.
“I don't understand.”
“You will.”
Then young Daniel turned toward the camera.
“If I forget, let me live.”
The memory vanished.
Daniel stumbled backward.
Claire rushed toward him.
“I kept my promise.”
Daniel stared at her.
“You let me believe my whole life was a lie.”
“I let you have a life.”
Daniel looked at Sarah.
“And you?”
Sarah whispered:
“I watched.”
“You watched me marry you.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me raise Emily.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me love you.”
Sarah began sobbing.
“Yes.”
Daniel's voice softened.
“Was any of it real?”
Sarah looked directly into his eyes.
“All of it.”
A loud alarm suddenly erupted.
The memory chamber began shaking.
Evelyn turned toward the machine.
“No.”
Daniel looked at her.
“What?”
She rushed toward the controls.
The screen displayed:
MEMORY COLLAPSE.
Then:
ORIGINAL SUBJECT DETECTED.
Then:
SUBJECT ONE AWAKENING.
Evelyn froze.
Anna stepped forward.
“It's happening.”
Daniel looked around.
“What's happening?”
Anna whispered:
“The original is coming back.”
Daniel frowned.
“I thought I was the original.”
“No.”
“Then who is?”
Anna looked at the first Emily.
The little girl was staring at Daniel.
Then she pointed toward the floor.
“Under us.”
The stone cracked.
A deep rumble came from beneath the chamber.
Daniel stepped backward.
The machine lights turned red.
One by one, the seven duplicates dropped to their knees.
They began screaming.
Daniel covered Emily's ears.
“What is happening to them?”
Anna whispered:
“They're losing the memories that aren't theirs.”
Evelyn ran toward the hidden door.
“Everyone out!”
Daniel grabbed her arm.
“You're not going anywhere.”
She looked at him.
For the first time, genuine panic filled her eyes.
“You don't understand.”
“Then explain.”
“The original is awake.”
“Who?”
Evelyn stared at the floor.
Then whispered:
“Thomas.”
Daniel froze.
“My father?”
“No.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“Something wearing his face.”
The floor exploded.
A hand burst through the stone.
Daniel grabbed Emily.
Sarah grabbed David.
Everyone stumbled backward.
Another hand appeared.
Then a head.
A man slowly pulled himself out of the darkness beneath the chamber.
Daniel stared.
The face was Thomas Morgan.
But the eyes were wrong.
Completely black.
The man looked at Daniel.
Then smiled.
“You finally remembered.”
Daniel couldn't speak.
The man turned toward Evelyn.
“You failed.”
Evelyn stepped backward.
“No.”
The man smiled.
“You've been running for thirty-two years.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Who are you?”
The man slowly raised his head.
And answered:
“I'm the first Morgan.”
Then he looked directly at Emily.
“And she's my daughter.”
Emily screamed.
The machine exploded into darkness.
And when the emergency lights returned...
Evelyn was gone.
So was Sarah.
So was David.
Daniel was left standing alone with Emily.
And from somewhere beneath the floor...
Evelyn screamed.
“DANIEL, DON'T LET HIM TAKE HER!”
Then silence.
Daniel looked down.
A second heartbeat was beating beneath the floor.
Slow.
May you like
Heavy.
Waiting.
