Closer

Chapter 37: Secret Room

Sam's POV

Well... all I can say is that the universe really loves to play. Having Aphrodite in my French class is fine but most of my subjects really got me questioning. For some unknown reasons, she even got more pissed at me.

I still don't know the reason why she's being hostile at me. If I could only know the reason, I would definitely fix it. Whenever I'm with her, I could really feel a deep sense of familiarity with her.

Mom really wants me off the work so right now, I'm in the library reading a book written in English and French. The girls and I got home earlier than usual because they needed to do their homework. I'm gonna do it after I finish this chapter.

"Now there's that, I think I should get ready for dinner," I said as I closed the book and brought it with me as I stood up from the couch.

The home library wasn't that big compared to the one back in London but it still gives me the cosy vibe that I always feel whenever I'm surrounded with books. Walking past the series of shelves, I found the place where I took the book that I read earlier. Slipping the book into the hole, a smile crept up in my face as I looked how neatly the books were stacked.

My eyes ran down on the books piled on the shelves when all of a sudden, I noticed three books that were glued to each other as if no space were left between them. Out of curiosity, I pulled out the book but somehow it tilted into an angle. Then, I heard a huge groan somewhere. I quickly looked around the case for the source of the sound. I noticed a portion was opened up on the wall to my right.

With quick and quiet steps, I got inside the space that opened up. As soon as I got inside, it closed up, locking me inside the dark secluded room. Then all of a sudden, lights lit up from the ceiling and my eyes went wide in surprise as what I have discovered.

Piles of folders neatly stacked inside the boxes. Cabinets filled one side of the room. The smell of old wood was enough to know that this room has been used for a long time. Walking around, I saw an old computer lying around in the corner. I wonder if it is still functional. When I checked the computer table, my eyes suddenly became cloudy as I saw a family picture.

That family picture consisted of my parents and a little version of myself. My fingers traced the image of my biological parents. Letting my tears fall, my heart constricted as I realized how I missed them. Their death as what they have told me was due to an accident but mom believed that it wasn't. For her, it was a foul play.

Wiping my tears off, I put the frame down and looked around for more. Then I saw another picture of miniature me but this time with another kid. My eyebrows frowned as I looked at the image. Yeah, it was old but the kid beside me was somehow familiar. Like she resembled someone I know.

I opened up the frame and noticed some child's handwritten scribbles.

"S loves D forever, " I muttered under my breath.

Then, I looked at the picture once again. It was me with boy-cut hair and a little girl with long raven hair. We were wearing our onesies by the way. Both of us were holding a book with a smile on our faces. I checked on the date and somehow it was dated 12 years ago.

A sharp pain shoots up in my head as I heard giggles. Series of images ran in my brain as if I was looking at a video. I saw the little girl up close but her face was still quite blurry. The two of us were holding a child's book with a smile on our faces. Then I saw a flash in front of us, a tall frame looming over us. From what I noticed, it was mom telling us to sleep.

I let out deep breathes as the flashback ended. I was sitting on a chair as I held my head in one hand and the picture with the other. Looking once again at the picture, I decided to keep it and keep track of the memories that I'm recalling. My eyes looked around once again for more information about my old self but my head couldn't keep up.