THE MESSAGE
THE MESSAGE
The first message arrived at 11:47 p.m.
Elena was sitting alone on the floor of her bedroom, surrounded by unopened birthday gifts, when her phone vibrated.
She glanced at the screen.
Unknown Number
She almost ignored it.
Almost.
Then another message appeared.
Don't go home tonight.
Elena frowned.
She typed quickly.
Who is this?
The reply came almost immediately.
You don't remember me.
Her stomach tightened.
She stared at the screen.
Remember what?
Three dots appeared.
Disappeared.
Appeared again.
Then:
What happened when you were six.
Elena stopped breathing.
For as long as she could remember, the year she turned six had been nothing but a blank space.
Her mother had always called it a childhood accident.
Whenever Elena asked about that period, her mother would become strangely quiet.
"You were sick for a while," she'd say.
That was all.
Elena had never questioned it.
Until tonight.
Her phone vibrated again.
Don't trust your mother.
Elena's fingers went cold.
She immediately stood.
"Who are you?" she whispered.
Another message arrived.
Look underneath your bed.
Elena stared at the space beneath her bed.
Nothing.
Just darkness.
She laughed nervously.
"This is stupid."
Then her phone vibrated one final time.
The box is there.
Her smile disappeared.
She slowly lowered herself onto the floor.
Reaching underneath the bed, her fingers brushed against something hard.
A box.
She pulled it out.
It was old. Wooden. Covered in dust.
And on the top was a name carved into the surface.
ELENA.
Her heart began pounding.
She didn't remember ever seeing it.
There was a small brass lock, but it wasn't closed.
Elena lifted the lid.
Inside was a photograph.
She picked it up.
Her hands immediately began shaking.
There were two little girls standing in front of a large white house.
They looked identical.
Same dark hair.
Same eyes.
Same small scar above the left eyebrow.
Elena stared at the girl on the right.
It was her.
She turned the photograph over.
There was handwriting on the back.
Elena and Eva — Summer, 2011.
Elena's breath caught.
She was six years old in 2011.
She looked at the other girl.
Eva.
Who was Eva?
She searched her memories.
Nothing.
Then she noticed something written underneath the names.
Only one of them survived.
Elena dropped the photograph.
Her phone vibrated.
She looked at the screen.
A new message.
Now you remember.
Elena's heart slammed against her chest.
She typed:
Who is Eva?
The reply came after several seconds.
Ask your mother.
A second message followed.
If she tells you Eva is dead, don't believe her.
Elena froze.
Footsteps sounded in the hallway.
Slow.
Heavy.
Getting closer.
Her bedroom door handle began to turn.
Elena quickly shoved the photograph into her pocket.
The door opened.
Her mother stood there.
She looked at Elena.
Then at the wooden box on the floor.
The color drained from her face.
"Where did you get that?"
Elena swallowed.
"Mom..."
Her mother stepped backward.
"Where did you get that box?"
"I found it under my bed."
Her mother's eyes filled with fear.
Not surprise.
Fear.
Elena had never seen her mother look at anything that way before.
She slowly pulled the photograph from her pocket.
"Who is Eva?"
Her mother went completely still.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then her mother whispered:
"Elena..."
"What happened when I was six?"
Her mother shook her head.
"You need to leave."
Elena stared at her.
"What?"
"Right now."
Her mother's voice cracked.
"Take your phone. Take nothing else."
Then, from somewhere downstairs, came the sound of the front door opening.
Her mother looked toward the hallway.
Someone had entered the house.
Elena heard a man's voice from below.
"Elena?"
Her mother's face turned pale.
She grabbed Elena's wrist.
"Don't answer."
The voice came again.
"Elena, I know you're upstairs."
Her mother pulled her toward the window.
"Mom, who is that?"
Her mother looked directly into her eyes.
And for the first time in Elena's life, her mother said something that made absolutely no sense.
"Because if he finds you..."
She glanced at the photograph.
"...he'll know which sister survived."
The bedroom door suddenly slammed shut behind them.
Elena turned.
The lock clicked.
Someone was standing outside.
And then the man whispered through the door:
"Eva?"
