LILY COULDN’T BELIEVE WHAT SHE WAS SEEING. AT THE SUPERMARKET, SHE SPOTTED A MILK CARTON WITH HER PHOTO ON IT, AND BENEATH THE IMAGE WAS THE WORD “MISSING.” HER HEART POUNDED IN HER CHEST. WHO WAS SHE REALLY? AND COULD SHE SAVE HERSELF NOW THAT SHE KNEW SOMETHING WAS TERRIBLY WRONG?
When Lily, 14, finally opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a nurse with a gentle smile. “Hey there, sweetheart,” the nurse said softly. “How are you feeling? Can you tell me your name?”
Lily blinked, her mind foggy. “I’m Lily… I think,” she replied, confusion thick in her voice. “But that’s all I know.”
“That’s perfectly okay,” the nurse reassured her, her voice soothing. “You’ve been in a coma for a few days. Your brain is still waking up, trying to piece things together.” She checked Lily’s pulse and looked into her eyes. Everything seemed fine, but the nurse decided Lily should stay under observation for a few more days, just to be safe.
“You’ll be back on your feet in no time,” the nurse continued, her tone bright. “I’m going to let your parents know you’re awake. They’ve been so worried about you—they’ll be thrilled.”
As the nurse left the room, Lily’s mind raced, trying to grab onto any memory. Parents? Did she really have parents who were worried about her? Would she even recognize them?
Her thoughts were interrupted when the door suddenly flew open, and a woman rushed in. “Oh, my darling!” she cried, wrapping Lily in a tight embrace. “Thank God you’re alive!”
Lily stiffened in the woman’s arms, her heart sinking. She didn’t recognize this woman. “I’m sorry,” she said hesitantly as the woman pulled back, “but I don’t remember… anything. I just woke up from a coma.”
The woman’s eyes softened, and she nodded, as if she had expected this. “I know, sweetie,” she said gently. “The doctors told me. I’m Emma, your mother.”
Lily stared at her, searching for any flicker of recognition. Nothing. “What happened to me?” she asked, her voice trembling. “Why can’t I remember you?”
Emma smiled, but there was a sadness in her eyes. “You had an accident, honey. But let’s not worry about that right now. I’m just so glad you’re okay. I’m here to take you home. Maybe being in familiar surroundings will help your memory come back.”
“When can we leave?” Lily asked, a mix of hope and anxiety bubbling inside her.
“Right now,” Emma said, her voice a bit too eager. She quickly started packing Lily’s things.
Lily frowned. “But the nurse said I needed to stay a little longer—”
Emma waved it off. “The nurse said you’re better now, didn’t she?” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Hospitals like to keep patients longer than necessary. It’s all about the money, sweetie.”
Lily was still unsure, but she didn’t argue. Soon, Emma had packed everything, and they were ready to leave. But as they reached the door, Emma froze, staring at the bustling hallway outside.
“We need to move quickly, Lily. Follow me.” Emma veered left, away from the main exit, pulling Lily toward the fire escape. She moved with a nervous energy, glancing around as if trying to avoid being seen.
“Why are we going this way?” Lily asked, her unease growing.
Emma forced a smile. “Just a shortcut, honey. We need to get down one floor.” She led Lily to a staircase that seemed to spiral endlessly downward. When they finally reached a quiet landing, Emma let go of Lily’s hand. “Wait here for just a moment, I’ll be right back.”
True to her word, Emma returned shortly with some paperwork, and they headed to the parking lot. But Emma’s steps were hurried, and when she spotted a doctor nearby, she quickly pushed Lily behind a car.
“Why are we hiding?” Lily whispered, her heart thudding in her chest.
Emma’s voice trembled. “I’m sorry, honey,” she said, her eyes glistening with tears. “I know this seems strange, but… I just can’t afford another day here. The bills are too much.”
Lily still didn’t recognize Emma, but the pain in her voice was real. She offered a small smile. “It’s okay,” she whispered, trying to comfort her.
The drive home was quiet, and Lily watched the scenery change from city buildings to dense lines of trees. Eventually, they pulled up to a solitary house nestled among the greenery. Lily felt a pang of unease—none of this seemed familiar.
Inside, Emma led her to a room with pastel-colored walls and shelves lined with toys. Photos of a baby, who Emma claimed was her, adorned the walls. But something felt off. “Is this really my room?” Lily asked, picking up a doll from the bed. “These pictures… they’re all of a baby.”
Emma nodded with a sad smile. “Yes, honey. We lived here when you were little. We moved to the city later, but our house there caught fire recently. We lost everything, so we came back here to your old room.”
Lily tried to remember, but her mind was blank. Emma continued talking about her childhood, her favorite hobbies, and foods she supposedly loved. But nothing clicked. It wasn’t strange, given her condition, but it was frustrating.
A few days later, Emma announced she was heading to the store and Lily asked to come along. Emma hesitated but eventually agreed.
At the supermarket, as Emma browsed the aisles, Lily wandered around. That’s when she saw it—a milk carton with her photo and the word “MISSING” below it. Her heart skipped a beat. She grabbed the carton, staring at her own face in disbelief.
“Lily? Everything okay?” Emma’s voice startled her, and Lily quickly pressed the carton against her chest, hiding it.
“I… I was just looking,” she said, trying to sound casual.
Emma nodded and turned to continue shopping. Lily’s mind raced. She memorized the phone number on the carton. It was a lifeline, her first real clue.
Back at the house, during dinner, Lily couldn’t stop thinking about the carton. Emma seemed different, too—her smiles were strained, and something about her felt… off.
After dinner, Emma went to work in the garden. Lily seized the opportunity. She grabbed Emma’s phone and dialed the number she had memorized. The phone rang, and after a few moments, a woman’s voice answered, “Hello? Who is this?”
Lily’s voice shook as she replied, “Hi… I saw my picture on a milk carton. Can you tell me what’s going on?”
There was a stunned silence on the other end. Then the woman’s voice returned, urgent and panicked. “Lily? Is that really you?”
“Yes, but I don’t remember anything,” Lily admitted.
The woman’s voice broke. “Oh my God, Lily! We’ve been looking for you! Your father and I—we thought we lost you! You were kidnapped! Do you know where you are? Can you describe anything around you?”
Lily tried to explain what she could remember, but their conversation was cut short when the living room door flew open. Emma stood there, her eyes wild with suspicion.
“Who were you talking to?” she demanded.
Lily’s heart pounded. “No one… it was a wrong number,” she lied, but her voice wavered.
Emma’s expression darkened. “Don’t lie to me!” she hissed, her voice shaking with anger. “It’s not nice to lie to your mother!”
Before Lily could react, Emma lunged at her, dragging her down the stairs to the basement. “You’re my daughter,” Emma shouted, her voice cracking. “I won’t let them take you from me!”
Lily screamed and pounded on the door as Emma locked her inside. Panic set in as she realized the woman she had been living with wasn’t her mother—she was a disturbed stranger who believed Lily was her dead daughter.
As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, Lily noticed a stack of papers in the corner—the ones Emma had been carrying at the hospital. Curiosity and desperation drove her to investigate.
The papers were medical notes, each more chilling than the last. They detailed Emma’s struggles with delusional episodes, her belief that she kept seeing her deceased daughter, and her refusal to accept reality. The final note described how Emma had become agitated during a session, claiming her daughter was alive and accusing the doctor of lying.
Lily’s worst fears were confirmed. Emma wasn’t her mother. She was a mentally ill woman who believed Lily was a reincarnation of her dead daughter.
Despair filled her, but Lily knew she had to stay calm and find a way out. She waited, her mind racing with ideas. Then, she heard footsteps above.
“Please, let me out!” Lily shouted, but there was no reply.
Desperation turned into determination. “Mom!” Lily cried out, her voice trembling. “It’s scary down here!”
The footsteps paused. Lily’s heart leaped—her plan might be working.
“Mom, remember when we used to plant the garden together? I miss those times… I want them back. Please, Mom, I’m scared.”
The silence dragged on, every second feeling like an eternity. Then, slowly, the door creaked open. Emma’s tear-streaked face appeared.
“I knew it,” Emma whispered, her voice trembling. “You’re my baby. You’ve come back to me.”
Lily held her breath as Emma fumbled with the key to unlock the door. Her mind was screaming for her to run the moment it was open.
But before she could act, Emma froze, her eyes wide with fear. “They’re here,” she whispered. “They’re trying to take you away from me!”
Emma slammed the door shut just as the front door burst open. Lily heard the sound of hurried footsteps, voices shouting her name.
Then, the basement door flew open. Several people rushed in, including the woman Lily had spoken to on the phone. The woman’s face was a mix of relief and anguish as she spotted Lily.
“Lily!” she cried, running toward her.
Lily stared at her, her heart pounding. The woman’s scent, her touch—it all felt so familiar. “Mom?” Lily whispered, tears welling in her eyes.
The woman nodded, her own tears streaming down her face. “Yes, baby, it’s me. I’m here now. You’re safe.”
She pulled Lily into a tight embrace, kissing her forehead as they both cried. “I thought I lost you forever,” she sobbed. “We’ve been searching for you everywhere.”
Hours later, as the police took Emma into custody, Lily’s memories started to return, piece by piece. She began to recognize her real mother, her father, and fragments of her past life. She had indeed been kidnapped—Emma had taken her from the streets, deluded by her grief. But with time and love, Lily knew she would heal and find her way back to herself.