Chapter 6 - The Ghost of Sarah's Past
They abandoned the snowmobile three miles down the mountain, hiding it in a dense thicket of brush near a rural highway. Ethan had called an old friend from the fire department—a retired engineer named Tommy who owed Ethan his life after a roof collapse years ago.
Tommy didn't ask questions. He picked them up in an unmarked, rusted delivery van and drove them back to Briar Glen under the cover of dusk.
"I don't know what kind of trouble you're in, Ethan," Tommy said, looking at him through the rearview mirror as they entered the town limits. "But the police have been at your house. There was a detective there earlier, and some guys in dark suits."
"Vanguard Biologics," Ethan muttered. "They're trying to frame this as a kidnapping. They'll claim Grace is unstable and that I'm helping her."
"Well, you've got a friend in me," Tommy said, pulling the van into an alleyway two blocks from Ethan's suburban home. "I'll keep the engine running. Don't take too long."
"Thanks, Tommy," Ethan said.
Leaving Grace and Lily in the safety of the van, Ethan slipped through the shadows of his childhood neighborhood. The snow was falling again, dusting the manicured lawns.
He approached his house from the backyard, navigating the familiar path through the wooden fence. He climbed the back porch, using a spare key hidden inside a hollow plastic rock near the dryer vent.
The house was dark and quiet, smelling of dust and the faint, lingering scent of Sarah’s lavender soap. It felt like stepping into a tomb.
Ethan hurried up the stairs to the attic. He pulled down the folding ladder and climbed into the cramped, dusty space.
Searching through the stacks of cardboard boxes, his hands finally found the one labeled SARAH - PERSONAL.
He ripped off the tape. Inside were photo albums, her wedding veil, and at the bottom, three leather-bound journals.
Ethan grabbed the journals, but as he did, a small, white envelope fell out from between the pages.
On the front, in Sarah’s elegant cursive, was written: For Ethan, when the time is right.
Ethan’s hands shook as he tore open the envelope.
My dearest Ethan,
If you are reading this, it means I am gone, and the secret I've kept has finally found you. I am so sorry, my love. I was so afraid.
When Genesis told us our treatments failed, a woman named Grace approached me in the parking lot. She told me she was my sister. I didn't believe her at first, but she showed me the DNA results. She told me Genesis was keeping our embryos—not for us, but for a project called 'Elysium.'
They are trying to create children with enhanced genetic structures. Our baby, Ethan. They used my eggs and your genetic profile to create a child. I tried to stop them, but they threatened you. They said if I went to the police, they would make sure you had a 'fatal accident' on duty.
I couldn't risk your life. So I let them think I believed their lies. But Grace promised me she would find a way to save our baby. If she succeeds, she will bring her to you. Her name is Lily.
Protect her, Ethan. She is our miracle. She is the best of both of us.
With all my love, forever, Sarah.
May you like
A tear slipped down Ethan’s cheek, splashing onto the faded ink. The grief that had weighed him down for five years suddenly transformed into a brilliant, burning purpose.
Sarah hadn't just died of cancer. She had died protecting him. And now, it was his turn to protect their daughter.
