Fear took control. I trembled, locking eyes with
him. “I am Jennifer Blackwood. You’ll regret
this!”
The man lost patience. He twisted my arm
behind my back. I heard a sickening pop.
I couldn’t die here. My parents had entrusted
me to others so I could be protected from this
place.
<
8:18
614
Now that I was back, I had to at least see them
face to face, and tell them that I wanted to
come home.
A cold sensation touched my neck.
I craned my neck to see a knife.
“Here, if you don’t shut your mouth, you only
suffer the consequences!”
Marcus tightened his grip around my throat.
I gulped, not knowing what to expect.
“Leave her,” someone said. “I have a new
experiment for her.”
One of the people in hazmat suits had spoken.
This caused Marcus to let go and push me
towards him.
“Just like before don’t make too much noise If
く
we’re discovered, we’re done.”
As the door slammed shut, my heart sank.
I was tied to a cold chair, a blinding light
shining in my face, making it hard to see.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Right when I was convinced they were going to
start removing body parts, the door began to
rattle with loud bangs.
A group of people rushed in, their faces twisted
with panic. “Everyone back to your rooms! Lock
this place up tight! The boss is coming!”
They froze, quickly tidying up the mess, before
sprinting out the door.
4
The “boss” they were talking about must be my
<
dad or my brother. I had to take advantage of
this last opportunity.
But they were gone. And I was tied to the chair.
I struggled against the ropes. Just as I was
about to give up, the rope around my wrist
loosened.
I must have moved it when they didn’t tie it
correctly.
I freed the ropes, fighting the nausea. I began
running.
This was a specially made door. It couldn’t be
opened from the inside.
The sound of footsteps drew closer.
I threw myself against the door. If I made a big enough noise, someone would notice the hidden
door.
<
“What was that?” I could hear my brother’s
voice. He sounded so clear.
“It’s probably the patients acting up, sir. You
know how it is.”
I could hear everything they were saying.
My exhaustion did not stop me. I threw myself
against the door again.
The door began to shake.
“Open this door!” Ethan’s voice was stern.
“There’s nothing here, sir.”
Quickly, I heard a man beg. “I’m opening it.”
The door flew open, and I fell.
I was in shock. My brother looked confused.
“Who is this?”
8:18
614
Marcus appeared. “A patient. Nothing to worry
about, sir.”
He tried to cover my mouth, but I shook my
head and bit his hand.
“Ethan, it’s me, Jennifer!”
A strike to the back of my head took me down.
I dragged myself towards my brother. “Ethan,
please, save me.”
“My sister is gone,” he said. “You’re an
imposter.”
He looked at me with rage in his eyes.
I desperately shook my head.
If I missed this opportunity, I didn’t know what
would happen.
<
8:18
With a shout, I bit the hand.
614
“Look!” I shouted. “The birthmark behind my
ear! My pendant you gave me! Amy destroyed
it, but you remember!
My brother was at a loss for words.
“This woman has a disorder. She’s not your
sister.”
Marcus tried to take me away.
“Don’t touch her,” Ethan snapped.
I pulled his face to my birthmark.
“Jennifer?” he asked.
Chapter 2
52
Ethan’s hands trembled as he cupped my face,
<
his eyes scanning every inch of me.
Finally, he pulled me into a hug.
Relief washed over me, the constant anxiety of
the past days finally starting to ease.
Marcus and the rest of his goons were frozen,
mouths agape, unsure of what to do.
“I’m so sorry, Ethan. We had no idea she was
your sister. If we had known, we would never…”
Ethan pushed me gently behind him, his
presence radiating an almost scary level of
coldness.
