Chapter 2 - The Empty Bedroom
Marcus stared at his wife, the blood rushing in his ears as Sarah’s words echoed through the cramped hallway. The fluorescent light buzzed overhead, casting long, distorted shadows against the pale yellow walls. Maya and Chloe exchanged a quick, knowing glance that did not escape Marcus’s notice. He felt a sudden surge of adrenaline override his exhaustion, pushing past Sarah with a rough nudge of his shoulder. The gray henley shirt he wore felt suddenly too tight, trapping his surging heat. He strode past the laundry room and down the short corridor toward the bedrooms, his heavy work boots thudding against the hardwood floor.
"Marcus, stop! You don't know what you're doing!" Sarah called out behind him, her footsteps fast and frantic on the wood.
He ignored her, pushing open the door to Emma’s bedroom with a forceful shove. The room was dark, save for the pale moonlight filtering through the sheer white curtains. It was immaculately clean—too clean. The bed was made with hospital corners, the desk free of textbooks or stray papers, and the closet door firmly shut. But it was the cold, sterile stillness of the room that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. There was no familiar scent of lavender lotion or teenage body spray. The air felt stale, as if the room hadn’t genuinely been lived in for months. Marcus flicked the wall switch, but nothing happened. The bulb had been unscrewed.
"Where is she, Sarah?" Marcus turned sharply, his voice vibrating with restrained fury as his wife and daughters crowded into the doorway. "Her bed hasn't been slept in. Why is there a plate of food on the washing machine if she isn't even here?"
Maya stepped forward into the dim room, her expression remarkably hardened for a fifteen-year-old. She reached into her light gray sweater pocket and pulled out a small, tarnished silver key, holding it up between her thumb and forefinger.
"Because she only comes back when the house is locked from the outside," Maya said softly, her eyes gleaming strangely in the moonlight.
Marcus scoffed, running a hand over his short dark hair in sheer disbelief. "What kind of sick game are you three playing? Emma is at track practice, or she’s at the library. She’s fifteen years old!"
"Track practice ended in November, Dad," Chloe piped up quietly from the back, clutching her doll even tighter. "She didn't make the team."
Sarah stepped fully into the room, gently pushing Maya back. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of yellowed notebook paper, holding it out toward Marcus like a peace offering. Her hands were visibly shaking, a stark contrast to her earlier composure.
"She left this on the kitchen counter three weeks ago, Marcus. I hid it because I didn't want you to see the date," Sarah whispered, her voice cracking.
May you like
Marcus snatched the paper, unfolding it with rough, impatient fingers. He held it up to the sliver of moonlight, squinting at the familiar, elegant handwriting. But as he read the first line, the paper slipped from his fingers, fluttering silently to the floor. It was dated four years in the future.
---
