Family Stories

PART 4 We hurried downstairs. The basement smelled of concrete and old paint. Behind a shelf of Christmas decorations was a narrow wooden hatch. I shoved the shelf aside. It …

PART 5 I pressed my hand over Lily’s mouth as tears rolled silently down her cheeks. The flashlight trembled in her tiny fingers, sending shaky beams across the damp stone …

PART 6 An elderly woman was hanging laundry outside. The moment she saw Lily’s muddy face, she dropped the basket. “Oh Lord…” I didn’t even make it to the porch …

PART 7 It showed Derek… Standing beside a smiling blonde woman… Holding the hand of a little girl who looked almost exactly Lily’s age. The detective spoke quietly. “Emma… we …

PART 8 The room became silent. A video appeared. It showed Derek sitting in his truck outside our house two weeks before the explosion. He wasn’t speaking to Claire. He …

PART 4 There was writing on the back. Emily’s handwriting. My sister had written: Sarah, if Noah reaches you, don’t trust anyone who says I’m dead. I stopped breathing. “What?” …

PART 5 Beyond it was a small underground room. There was a flashlight on a table. Two bottles of water. Three blankets. A first-aid kit. And a wooden chair. Someone …

PART 6 “Then tell me what you do know.” He looked toward the tunnel. “Mark isn’t the person in control.” My skin prickled. “Who is?” “That’s what Emily was trying …