— The Missing Year
Lily couldn’t sleep.
Her mother’s words kept replaying in her mind.
“We have to leave.”
She had never seen her mother so frightened.
But what frightened Lily even more was the photograph.
The little girl standing beside Emily was her.
And the mysterious man behind them seemed to know exactly who she was.
At midnight, Lily quietly got out of bed.
She opened the drawer beside her desk and took out the old photograph.
On the back, there was a date.
August 14 — Eleven years ago.
Lily stared at it.
She was only six years old then.
She tried to remember that time.
Nothing.
There was a strange emptiness in her memory.
She remembered birthdays.
School.
Her first bicycle.
Her mother’s kitchen.
But that particular year felt completely blank.
Lily grabbed her phone and searched through her old photos.
There were pictures from before that year.
And pictures from after it.
But almost nothing from that year.
Why?
She heard footsteps.
Her mother entered the room.
“Lily?”
Lily quickly put the photograph down.
“You’re awake.”
Her mother sighed.
“I couldn’t sleep either.”
Lily looked at her.
“Mom, what happened eleven years ago?”
Her mother went silent.
“That year,” Lily continued, “why don’t I remember anything?”
Her mother sat beside her.
“Because you were young.”
“I remember other things.”
Her mother looked away.
“There are memories that your mind protects you from.”
Lily’s heart sank.
“From what?”
Her mother didn’t answer.
Lily stood up.
“I need the truth.”
Her mother finally looked at her.
“The year you disappeared from St. Mary’s was the year everything changed.”
Lily froze.
“I disappeared?”
“You were missing for three days.”
“What?”
Her mother nodded slowly.
“You and Emily disappeared together.”
Lily stared at her.
“Three days?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
Her mother’s voice broke.
“I searched everywhere for you.”
“Then how did I come back?”
Her mother wiped her eyes.
“Someone brought you home.”
“Who?”
Her mother shook her head.
“I never saw his face.”
Lily remembered the photograph.
The mysterious man.
“Was it him?”
Her mother looked at the picture.
Her face went pale.
“Yes.”
Lily’s heart raced.
“Who is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re lying.”
Her mother stood.
“I’ve told you enough.”
“No!”
Lily’s voice cracked.
“You’ve been hiding things from me my entire life.”
Her mother turned away.
“I was trying to protect you.”
“From him?”
“From everyone.”
The room fell silent.
Then Lily noticed something.
A small scar on her mother’s wrist.
She had seen it many times before.
But tonight, she noticed the shape.
It looked like a tiny letter.
E.
“Mom…”
Her mother covered her wrist.
“Go to sleep.”
Lily didn’t move.
“Is that Emily’s initial?”
Her mother said nothing.
That silence was enough.
—
The next morning, Lily went to the library.
She needed answers her mother wouldn’t give her.
Amara was already waiting.
“I found something,” Amara said.
Lily sat beside her.
“What?”
Amara placed an old newspaper on the table.
The headline read:
CHILDREN MISSING FROM ST. MARY’S HOME
Lily’s hands became cold.
She read the article.
Two children had disappeared.
Emily Cole, age 16.
And another child whose name had been removed from the newspaper.
Lily stared at the blank space.
“That’s me.”
Amara nodded.
“I think so.”
“But why would they remove my name?”
“I don’t know.”
Lily continued reading.
The article mentioned a witness.
A man who had been seen near the building that night.
His name was never published.
But there was a small description.
A tall man wearing a dark coat.
Lily remembered the photograph.
The same man.
Amara suddenly pointed at the bottom of the article.
“Look.”
There was a handwritten note.
The truth was never reported.
Lily looked around.
“Who wrote that?”
“I don’t know.”
Then a library book fell from the shelf behind them.
Both girls jumped.
Amara stood up.
“Did you see that?”
Lily nodded.
She walked toward the shelf.
The book that had fallen was old.
She picked it up.
A piece of paper slipped from between the pages.
She unfolded it.
There were only four words.
He remembers everything, Lily.
Her heart stopped.
Someone knew she was investigating.
Someone knew her name.
And someone was watching.
Lily looked toward the library entrance.
A man stood there.
Tall.
Wearing a dark coat.
Their eyes met.
For one terrifying second, neither moved.
Then the man turned and walked away.
Lily ran after him.
“Wait!”
She reached the entrance.
He was gone.
Only a black envelope remained on the floor.
Lily picked it up.
Her name was written on the front.
Inside was a single photograph.
It showed St. Mary’s Home on the night she disappeared.
And standing outside the building was the same man.
On the back were five words:
You were never supposed to remember.
Lily’s hands trembled.
She looked at Amara.
“This isn’t just a family secret anymore.”
Amara nodded.
“Then what is it?”
Lily stared at the photograph.
“A warning.”
END OF EPISODE 6
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