Is That Mom

Part 7 of Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

Into the Shadows

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Part 7:

The Narrow Escape

Ethan’s lungs burned, his legs screamed with fatigue, but he didn’t stop running until the cabin came into view. He stumbled through the underbrush, desperate to put as much distance between himself and his pursuers as possible. The structure was barely standing, a crumbling relic lost in the wilderness, but it was his last hope for a safe haven. He threw himself through the door, slamming it shut behind him, and leaned against the rough wood, panting, his body trembling with exhaustion.

The cabin was dark, the air stale and thick with the smell of damp wood. Moonlight streamed through the cracks in the walls, casting slivers of silver across the dusty floor. It wasn’t much, but for the moment, it was enough. Ethan slid down to the floor, his back against the door, and tried to catch his breath. His head was spinning, a mix of adrenaline and exhaustion leaving him lightheaded. For a few precious seconds, he allowed himself to believe he was safe.

But the silence was unnerving. Every small creak, every distant rustle outside made his pulse quicken. He knew they were still out there, somewhere, searching for him. The thought sent a shiver down his spine, and he had to fight the urge to get up and keep running. He was tired of running, tired of feeling hunted, but there was no end in sight.

Ethan forced himself to focus, to think. His mind felt clouded, a blur of fear and confusion, but he couldn’t afford to lose control now. He had to stay sharp, to piece together everything he had learned, everything that had brought him to this moment. But the harder he tried to make sense of it all, the more tangled it seemed. Hale’s cryptic words, the letter from his mother, the files he had found in the facility—it was like trying to assemble a puzzle with missing pieces, and the picture that was slowly forming was dark and twisted.

He rubbed his hands over his face, trying to stave off the exhaustion threatening to drag him under. The cabin was cold, and his sweat-damp clothes clung to his skin, making him shiver. He glanced around, taking in his surroundings—a small, single-room space, with a rickety table, a few overturned chairs, and a rusted stove in the corner. It was clear no one had been here in a long time, and yet, it felt like the walls were closing in on him, the isolation amplifying the fear that gnawed at his insides.

He thought about the letter again, the way his mother’s words had sounded—so final, so resigned. She had known this was coming, known that he would end up in this mess if he kept digging. Please, stop searching, Ethan. The memory of her plea echoed in his mind, making his chest ache. It was the closest he’d felt to her in a long time, but it brought him no comfort. Instead, it felt like a warning—a desperate attempt to shield him from something she couldn’t control.

But even now, knowing how dangerous it was, he couldn’t turn back. He needed to know why. Why had she been involved in those experiments? What had driven her to do something so monstrous, and why had she disappeared? The questions swirled in his head, feeding his frustration, and he clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He was so close to the truth, but the closer he got, the more it felt like the ground was crumbling beneath his feet.

He thought about his encounter with Hale, how the man had warned him that there were people who would do anything to keep the past buried. Ethan’s stomach twisted at the memory, and he couldn’t help but wonder—had his mother been one of them? Had she been trying to protect him, or had she been protecting herself, hiding her role in something too terrible to face? The thought made him feel sick, but he couldn’t dismiss it. Not anymore.

Ethan’s eyes stung, and he realized he was on the verge of tears. He didn’t want to break down, not here, not now, but the pressure was building, threatening to spill over. Everything felt too heavy, too much to bear. He was scared, more scared than he’d ever been in his life, and the worst part was, he didn’t know who to trust, not even himself. Maybe he was wrong, chasing ghosts, digging up a past that was better left buried. Maybe he was just fooling himself, thinking he could handle this.

For a moment, he let his head fall back against the door, closing his eyes. The silence inside the cabin was almost suffocating, but he didn’t want to think, didn’t want to feel. He just wanted to breathe, to find a way to quiet the storm raging inside him. But the fear, the anger, the confusion—they all kept coming, crashing over him like waves, and he didn’t know how to stop them.

You don’t have to do this, a small voice inside him whispered. You can walk away, leave all of this behind. No one would blame you.

But another part of him, the part that had driven him this far, refused to listen. He had already sacrificed too much to stop now. He had to see this through, even if it broke him, even if it cost him everything. Because if he didn’t, if he turned back now, he would never forgive himself. And he would never know the truth.

Ethan opened his eyes, staring into the darkness of the cabin. He could hear the wind outside, rustling through the trees, and he wondered if his pursuers were still out there, circling, waiting for him to make a mistake. He didn’t know how much time he had, but he couldn’t afford to waste it. He needed a plan, some way to stay ahead, to keep digging without getting caught.

But as he sat there, alone and exhausted, it was hard to imagine a way out. The fear was still there, gnawing at him, but beneath it, something else stirred—a quiet, stubborn determination. He had to keep moving, had to keep fighting, because the truth was close. He could feel it, just out of reach, and no matter how much it hurt, no matter how dangerous it was, he wasn’t going to let it slip away.

He pushed himself to his feet, his legs shaky, and took a deep breath. The cabin felt like a cage, but he couldn’t stay here. He needed to find a way to get ahead of whoever was hunting him, to stay one step ahead until he could piece together the answers he needed.

Ethan ran a hand through his hair, trying to steady himself. He wasn’t sure what was waiting for him out there, but he couldn’t afford to be afraid. Not anymore. The truth was buried somewhere in the darkness, and he was going to find it, even if it meant stepping into the shadows himself.

As he moved toward the door, ready to face whatever came next, he glanced back at the cabin one last time. It was still, silent, a forgotten place lost in the woods, but to Ethan, it felt like a turning point. A place where he had to decide whether to give up or keep going. And despite everything, despite the fear that still gripped his heart, he knew there was only one choice he could make.

He would keep searching. No matter what it cost.