Chapter 4: The Room in the Dark
“Mommy! Someone’s in my room!””
I ran toward Lily’s voice.
My shin slammed into the corner of the hallway table, but I barely felt it.
“Lily!””
“Mommy!””
Zoe grabbed my arm.
“Wait!””
“I’m going to my daughter!””
The apartment was completely dark.
Not dim.
Dark.
The refrigerator had stopped humming. The hallway night-light was dead. Outside the windows, every building still glowed with electricity, which meant the outage was ours alone.
Then something crashed inside Lily’s bedroom.
I screamed her name.
“Lily!””
A shadow moved across the doorway.
I lunged forward.
Someone grabbed my shoulder.
I spun around and struck blindly.
“Chloe, it’s me!””
Mark.
I shoved him away.
“Get off me!””
“I’m trying to help!””
“Lily!””
Zoe had already pulled out her phone and switched on the flashlight.
The beam cut through the darkness.
Lily's bedroom door was open.
Her curtains were moving.
The window was open.
And the bed was empty.
“No,” I whispered.
Mark froze.
Zoe's flashlight swept across the room.
“Lily?””
Nothing.
I ran to the window.
The curtains had been pushed aside.
Cold air poured into the room.
The screen had been cut.
I looked down.
My apartment was on the second floor.
There was no balcony.
“No.””
My hands began shaking.
“Lily!””
Zoe checked beneath the bed.
“She's not here.””
Mark ran into the hallway.
“Chloe, stay here.””
“Where are you going?””
“To check the stairs.””
I followed him.
“Don't you dare leave me!””
We rushed toward the front door.
It was locked.
The deadbolt was still turned.
Mark stared at it.
“How did someone get in?””
I looked at him.
“You tell me.””
“I don't know.””
“You always seem to know less than everyone else.””
His jaw tightened.
“Chloe, this isn't the time.””
“My daughter is missing!””
“I know!””
“No, you don't!””
Zoe appeared behind us.
“Stop.””
We both turned.
She was staring at her phone.
“What?””
She held up the screen.
“I have a security alert.””
“From what?””
“The building camera.””
She tapped the notification.
A grainy video appeared.
A figure in a dark hood stood at the end of the hallway.
The timestamp read 11:47 p.m.
I stared.
“That’s our floor.””
Zoe nodded.
The figure walked toward our apartment.
Then the camera flickered.
The image went black.
The next frame showed the hallway empty.
Mark whispered, “How long ago?””
“Seven minutes.””
I looked at the clock.
11:54.
My blood ran cold.
“Lily has been gone for seven minutes.””
I grabbed my coat.
“I’m calling the police.””
Mark caught my wrist.
“Wait.””
I turned on him.
“Let go.””
“We need to think.””
“My daughter is missing.””
“If you call the police before we know what we're dealing with—”
“What we're dealing with?””
I yanked my wrist away.
“We're dealing with someone who took a five-year-old from her bedroom!””
Mark looked at Zoe.
“Does the camera show their face?””
“No.””
“Can you access the other cameras?””
Zoe nodded.
“I'll try.””
She ran toward the living room.
I stayed beside the front door.
Then I heard something.
A faint scratching sound.
I looked down.
There was a small piece of paper beneath the door.
My heart stopped.
I picked it up.
Three words were written across it.
*STOP ASKING QUESTIONS.*
I turned.
Mark saw it.
“Give me that.””
“No.””
“Chloe.””
“No.””
I folded it and put it into my pocket.
His expression hardened.
“I'm trying to protect you.””
“Then start by telling me the truth.””
“I've told you.””
“You haven't.””
Zoe called from the living room.
“Chloe!””
I ran to her.
She was standing beside the laptop.
“I found something.””
“What?””
She rewound the security footage.
“Look.””
The screen showed our hallway.
The hooded figure entered.
Then paused outside my apartment.
Instead of opening the door, they crouched.
They placed something on the floor.
Then they stood.
The figure looked directly into the camera.
I couldn't see the face.
But I could see one detail.
A silver watch.
Mark suddenly went still.
I noticed.
“What?””
He didn't answer.
“What is it?””
“Nothing.””
“Mark.””
He swallowed.
“I've seen that watch before.””
“Where?””
He looked at Zoe.
“At my father's house.””
Silence.
I stepped closer.
“Whose watch?””
“My father’s.””
Zoe shook her head.
“That can't be.””
“Why?””
“Because your father died two years ago.””
Mark stared at the screen.
The figure disappeared around the corner.
Then Lily's bedroom camera came online for exactly three seconds.
The image showed my daughter's bed.
Empty.
Then a small hand appeared from beneath it.
Lily crawled out.
She looked terrified.
She looked directly into the camera.
And mouthed something.
I leaned closer.
“What is she saying?””
Zoe increased the volume.
There was only static.
I watched Lily's lips.
Once.
Twice.
Then I understood.
She was saying:
*“Grandpa.””*
Mark stumbled backward.
“No.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
He shook his head.
“That's impossible.””
“Mark, what does she mean?””
“My father is dead.””
“I know.””
“He couldn't be here.””
“Then why did Lily say his name?””
He didn't answer.
I stared at the frozen image.
Then I noticed something else.
Behind Lily, beneath the bed, was a small metal box.
I recognized it.
It belonged to Mark.
I had seen it once in our bedroom closet.
Locked.
Always locked.
“What's in that box?””
Mark's face changed.
“Nothing.””
“Open it.””
“Chloe—”
“Open it.””
“I don't have the key.””
Zoe looked at him.
“You're lying.””
Mark's silence was answer enough.
I stepped toward him.
“Where is Lily?””
“I don't know.””
“Where did they take her?””
“I don't know.””
“Then what is in the box?””
Mark finally whispered:
“Everything I was trying to hide from you.””
The police arrived eight minutes later.
Two officers searched the apartment while another spoke with us in the hallway.
I gave them the note.
I showed them the camera footage.
I told them about the basement.
I told them about Megan.
I told them Lily had been taken.
Mark said very little.
Too little.
The officer looked at him.
“Mr. Hale, did you have any reason to believe your daughter was in danger?””
Mark's eyes flicked toward me.
“Yes.””
“Why didn't you report it?””
“I thought I could handle it.””
The officer's expression hardened.
“You thought you could handle a threat against a five-year-old?””
Mark lowered his head.
“No.””
I looked away.
I couldn't bear it.
Zoe was still examining the footage.
Then her phone rang.
She answered.
“Hello?””
Her expression changed.
“What?””
She walked toward the window.
“Say that again.””
I followed her.
“What happened?””
She covered the phone.
“The building manager says someone used a master key on our floor tonight.””
My heart sank.
“Who?””
“He doesn't know.””
The officer took the phone.
After a brief conversation, he handed it back.
“Ms. Carter, we're going to need access to that footage.””
Zoe nodded.
Then she looked at me.
“Chloe…”
“What?””
She pointed at the laptop.
The video had automatically advanced.
The hooded figure had returned.
This time, they were standing outside my daughter's bedroom.
The figure lifted one hand.
And slowly removed the silver watch.
Underneath it was a thin black tattoo.
Three letters.
*M.H.*
I looked at Mark.
He went pale.
“What does M.H. mean?”” I asked.
Mark didn't answer.
The officer turned toward him.
“Mr. Hale?””
Mark stared at the screen.
Then whispered:
“My initials.””
The room went silent.
And my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A child's voice whispered through the darkness.
“Mommy?””
My knees almost gave out.
“Lily?””
A tiny sob.
Then she whispered:
May you like
“Don't trust Daddy.””
The call ended.
