In Chains And In Love

The first thing Kelly B noticed was the silence, 

 wasn't really the kind of peaceful quiet that came with the dawn, but unnatural, like the air itself had stopped moving like something unseen was watching.

Her head began to pound as a dull, restless ache sat behind her eyes, and when she blinked, the world around her shifted in a way that made her stomach rumble. Everywhere in the room seemed familiar, like a place she had lived in before but never truly stayed

She sat up, sheets tangled around her legs. The morning sunlight passed through pores in the thick curtains, the place was a small but cluttered apartment. Papers were scattered across the desk. A notebook lay open beside a black recording device, its red light blinking as if it had something important to say.

Then, she saw the mirror.

It was right across the room, covered with dust and cracked along one edge by the side

And written across it, in bold thick black ink, were four words that sent a chill down her spine:

"Trust no one. Not even yourself."

Her breath caught.

Her hand covered her mouth, her own pulse pounding in her ears.

"What the hell...?" she whispered.

With her trembling legs, Kelly stood and struggled to move. As she got closer to the mirror, she felt odd like something was missing. Something was wrong. She stared back, wide-eyed, confused, and then-her heart stopped.

Because she didn't remember writing those words.

She didn't remember anything.

A knock on the door made her whirl around.

She wasn't alone.

And whoever was outside... knew exactly what she had forgotten.

 The Stranger at the Door

The sharp knock came again. Not the hesitant tap of a neighbor or a delivery person. Someone knew she was inside.

Kelly's pulse quickened. She glanced at the mirror again, at the warning scrawled across it. Trust no one.

Another knock on the day but, Louder this time.

She took a step back, her bare feet brushing against something cold. Her eyes darted down a silver key, lying on the floor as if it had been placed there. Has it been there before?

The door handle turned slightly. Whoever was on the other side wasn't waiting for an invitation.

Kelly's breath fastened. Panic bloated her chest. Her instincts screamed at her to run, to hide, to do something... anything... but her body felt frozen. Then, a deep, steady voice cut through the silence.

"Kelly... open the door."

The voice sent a jolt through her. It wasn't unfamiliar, but she couldn't place it. It carried an edge, something between urgency and frustration.

She moved closer, pressing her hand flat against the wooden surface. "Who are you?"

A pause. Then-

"Rowel Don."

The name sent a shiver down her spine.

She didn't know him. She was sure because she couldn't recall

But somehow... it felt like she should.

Her fingers tightened around the silver key. Something told her that if she opened this door, everything would change.

And yet, standing in the dim light of her apartment, with a blank memory and a stranger calling her name, Kelly realized something terrifying.

It already has.

The knock came again. Slow. Measured. Like the person on the other side already knew she was listening.

Kelly's pulse pounded in her ears.

The room felt colder now, the air thick with something unseen. She swallowed hard and took a step back, her gaze darting around the apartment-looking for answers, for familiarity, for anything that made sense.

But nothing did.

The cracked mirror, the warning scribbled across it, the silver key on the floor it was like walking into someone else's life. And then, there was the voice.

Deep. Steady. Dangerous.

"Kelly... open the door."

She flinched. He knew her name. But how? Who was he?

Her hands desired to take the key, unlock the door and see who was waiting on the other side, but on the other hand..a part of her knew that whatever she does now, she won't be able to take it back

Her voice quietly said "Who are you?" she demanded. 

Silence. Then-

"Rowel Don."

The name sent an unnatural chill through her veins. It was familiar in the way a forgotten dream lingers on the edges of waking just out of reach, but refusing to disappear.

She clenched her fists. Think, Kelly. Think.

But no matter how hard she tried, her mind was a void. There was nothing.

And then --

The sound came from beneath the door. Not a knock. Not a shuffle. But the unmistakable drag of nails against wood.

Kelly's breath caught in her throat.

Something was wrong. 

A shadow passed under the doorframe. She saw the shape of boots, unmoving, and the faintest sigh, like someone exhaling in frustration.

Then, Rowel spoke again. But this time, his voice was lower, almost... amused.

"You don't remember, do you?"

Her grip on the key tightened.

No, she didn't. But she was starting to think that remembering might be worse.

Kelly took a slow, measured step back from the door. Something was off.

The way Rowel said her name.

The way his voice felt familiar, yet distant-but she couldn't recall.

And most of all, the way her instincts screamed at her to wait.

You don't remember, do you?

No, she didn't. But she wasn't about to open the door to a stranger just because he said her name.

Her eyes scanned the room. There had to be something here... something that explained why she felt like a ghost in her own life.

She quickly turned and moved to the desk. A pile of papers lay scattered across it, some blank, others filled with messy, almost fainting handwriting. Her own handwriting. She grabbed one.

"If you're reading this, it means it happened again. Keep calm. Look for the key. Look for the tape."

Her stomach dropped.

The tape.

Her gaze went directly to the voice recorder sitting beside the papers, the small red light blinking like it had been waiting for her. Her own voice... telling her details of what she's supposed to know 

As she sat quietly, she grabbed and then pressed play.

She heard her voice, weak and shaken

"Kelly. If you're hearing this... it's already too late."

A cold chill filled her skin

"You won't remember what happened yesterday. You won't remember anything. But listen carefully-do not open the door until you know the truth."

Confused at the moment because Rowel was still there standing and waiting.

Kelly held the recorder tighter, her heart palpitating as she listened.

"Rowel Don is the key. But he's also the reason you're trapped."

She sucked in a breath.

"And whatever you do, don't let him touch you."

A sudden, sharp knock rattled the door once more

"Kelly." Rowel's voice was calmer now, but there was something cold beneath it. 

Her mind spins "He's the key. But he's also the reason I'm trapped" 

The silver key is on the floor.

The warning on the mirror.

Her own voice telling her not to let him touch her.

Kelly's fingers curled into a fist. Whatever this was, she wasn't playing blind anymore.

She reached for the papers, flipping through them faster, desperate for more answers when suddenly, something on the last page made her freeze.

A single sentence, written in hurried, rough script: