Footsteps slowly creak on every step of the stairs. The closet door handle turns slowly...  

I startle awake from a deep sleep as Toby is barking at me, he always has to pee but it’s always super early, like four every morning. He’s still a pup and he’s very demanding when he has to go pee.  I’ve been awake pretty late lately as I’m having these weird vivid dreams but it’s probably nothing. As I am walking down the stairs I have a sudden memory of a girl in a cottage. She looks just  like me but it’s weird because I grew up in New York City. Toby barks me back into reality, I have been having these flashbacks from things that never happened.

 I'm starting to get ready for school. I'm a sophomore in college at Columbia University. I am  currently doing a project about when we were younger so I head over to my parents house for some baby photos. My parents live about two hours away. It's a very long drive when the traffic is bad. I have a pretty good relationship with my parents but they’ve always been kinda reluctant when I start asking too many questions about my childhood, which I don't know why I always had a good childhood from what I can remember, which isn’t much. I don’t know why I cannot remember my childhood, and I have always wondered why, but when I ask my parents they just say that it’s normal not to remember being a kid. 

As I pull into my parents' drive way I have another sudden memory of a little girl swinging on a tire swing in front of the same cottage that I saw earlier, which is nowhere close to where I am from. As I come back into reality I see my mom bust out of the door, leaping towards me.  It’s been about one year since I’ve actually seen them in person. My mom and I are very close. We usually talk everyday on the phone. I love my parents but they just seem so strange after I haven’t seen them in a while, like strangers. As we walk inside it feels so unfamiliar, but it’s probably all in my head. As I bend down to pet my childhood dog Rover, I see a picture of a little girl on the floor. I picked the picture up and asked my mom if this was for my project. She snatched the picture out of my hand and rushed out of the room. I don’t understand why she did that. It felt very uncalled for. .

Ever since I moved to college my visits have been very awkward. They were very hesitant and unsupportive about my decision to go to college, which I never understood because I felt my parents should have been excited and supportive with my big decision.  I overheard a conversation a while ago between my mom and dad, something about me being seen by someone if I go to college. They actually debated if they should let me, but I was 18 so it wouldn’t have mattered. I just thought they actually cared. As to what I remember, they were pretty good parents. 

As I’m saying goodbye I get a flashback of a very beautiful lady with the same blonde hair I have, playing outside with a little girl. I’ve never once seen these people but it feels so familiar. I snap back into reality as my mom hugs me to say goodbye, I feel confused, none of these flashbacks were my childhood. I don’t even remember my childhood, my parents do not even have photos of me as a tiny baby. I always thought that was odd,which is why this project is going to be hard. I can’t ask them anything, because they won’t answer and,  the more they don't, the more curious I get. 

As I’m heading back to Columbia, I get a message from my friend, Taylor, on my new flip phone my parents got me. She found this picture of this lady and this little girl that I just have to see. I don’t know why it involves me but I guess I’ll stop at her dorm on the way back. As I’m pulling in I have an image of this little baby with blonde hair and blue eyes laying in a crib screaming as a beautiful woman picks her up and rocks her. This is the same lady I’ve seen in my other flashbacks. Taylor snaps me back into reality by screaming my name. What she shows me next is unbelievable, like unimaginable. 

It’s a missing paper from the police, of the same girl I’ve seen in my flashbacks and this little girl looks exactly like me.  I tell Taylor what is going on and she believes it’s me. This all just fills me with questions. Why am I having these flashbacks? Is this why my parents don’t like telling me about my childhood because they are hiding something about my childhood? I tell Taylor I have to go, I’m going straight to my apartment and looking farther into this. 

As I sit down, Toby crawls onto my lap as I start searching for this girl.  Her name is Emily Hunt and she went missing out of her bed at the age of 3. No one has any leads but this was almost 15 years ago. She would be 18 right now if she’s even alive. Or is she me? Has my whole life been a lie? I’m now saddened at the possibility that I, at 3 years old, could've been taken from an amazing mother who was giving this girl a beautiful life. There’s no way I could be making these flashbacks up. 

My name is Hannah though so there is no way this is even me, right? Tomorrow I’m going to go back to my parents! I'll tell the university I’m sick so I can skip class. I need to ask my parents in person to see their reactions and get the truth. I hope I’m not going crazy. As I lay down in bed I start having a vivid flashback. It is  the same lady telling this little girl of what I can assume is a three year old girl, that she loves her. The lady’s voice sounds so much like mine. I will figure this out even if they think I’m crazy.

As I drive back to my parents house my head swirls with questions. I don’t know why all of the sudden I would be having these flashbacks, I don’t know why anyone would even take me from my real family. I then become so angry, and confused on why this happened to me. I pull into the driveway as I’m being greeted by Rover. He’s an old black lab, but he still acts like a big baby and a puppy. He’s my childhood dog, even if my childhood was a lie I will always  love Rover the same. I might even take him with me. 

My parents were surprised to see me again. They ask me why I came back. I bluntly ask if they took me from my family, and of course they act like I’m crazy, but I keep asking questions. They refuse to give me any answers at all. At this point, I want to call the number on the missing paper the police sent out to maybe get answers from them. As I walk back to the car Rover is looking at me, I decide to take him because my parents don’t deserve him. As he climbs in my car my mom comes running out and she tries to grab me. She tells me that  I cannot tell anyone anything which doesn’t make sense because they claimed that I wasn’t the little girl that was taken. I just tell her I’m leaving and I get in my car and head straight to my apartment. 

I’m so confused I just feel alone at this point. I feel like my whole life has been a lie. I’ve been debating over the past three hours on what I should do. Life has just all been a blur today. I’m just ready to go to sleep. As I fall asleep I have a dream of the same woman that was with the little girl, just as in the other flashbacks. She says  “You’re right, follow your gut”. I shoot up out of bed. That can’t just be in my head can it? This is all crazy. I look at the clock and It's only three in the morning, so I try to go to bed for the night. I just need to disappear and think for a little bit or have I already disappeared from my family 15 years ago..

I wake up to Toby and Rover playing. It's 11 in the morning and I’ve never slept this long. I let the dogs out and when I open my door, there's something stuck in it. It’s an envelope. I sat at the kitchen table and opened it. There was no return address. There were only three words inside, “THEY CAN”T KNOW!” At this point, I’m terrified. Sending unmarked  letters to someone's house is creepy.  How do they even know where I live? Maybe it’s my parents' attempt to get me to stop searching for answers.

I’m paranoid now and I need to calm down. Do I get the police involved? Is the case even open anymore? I need someone I can confide in and I don’t feel like there is anyone that will believe me, not even Taylor. As I start to feed Rover and Toby lunch, I have a flashback to a little girl in a dark corner, terrified, she’s alone and sad. My heart breaks. Was that me? Was I that terrified three year old girl feeling alone? No three year old should ever ever feel alone like that. I need to sit down.

As I’m plotting out my next step, I hear a knock on the door. I look through the window to see, it’s Taylor. As she walks in, I notice a paper in her hand. It is another missing kid paper but, it’s one of those advanced future sketches of what they think this little girl would look like. I almost fall to the ground!  I can't believe this! She looks exactly like me! Where is she even finding these papers? I ask her and she claims she found these hanging up by the library. She said that they’ve been there a while and that she thinks the case went cold. Should I call the police?

I decided to wait to call the police.  I need to get to school for a few days and try and get my mind off of all of this madness. As I’m driving to class I have a sudden vivid memory of the same 3 year old girl swimming in a pool at that same cottage that were in my last few memories. I'm snapped back into reality by a honking car telling me the light is green. I don’t really want to say anything to anyone. I want to wait and see if I ever have a flashback of when this girl got taken, how and by who. As I pull into the parking lot at University, I see my mom. She never comes to my University. 

I’m getting out of my car when she starts running to my car. She asks me how do you know about this little girl and if I think I should say something to the police. The thing is I’ve never told her anything about this girl. I’ve done the research but haven’t told her about it. She is very flustered, like she thinks I know something I’m not supposed to. I ask her why I should because it’s been 15 years since this whole thing happened. Then she immediately calms down. She seems relieved that I apparently don’t know anything about this little girl that could be me. I tell her she is acting weird about this whole situation. She says “bye” and walks away. I’ve never seen her so distraught about anything. This is worse than when I told them I was going to college.

The next morning I decide to go to my parents house and figure out what is happening. On my way there I decided to call the number on the missing paper, but what if they think it’s a prank and I get myself into a position I can’t get out of ? Are my parents really dangerous people? Now I’m petrified to even go to my parents house. I’m about an hour away when I gain the courage to call the number. As the phone is ringing I have a flashback of that woman I’ve been seeing. She’s crying, and she’s hurt. Was that because of me? Then I hear a familiar voice. 

My shaky voice calls out to the person on the other side of the phone. We sound the exact same, you can tell she’s shocked as well. I have so many questions I don’t even know where to start. As I start to ask her a question she says one word, “Emily”? It completely stops me in my tracks. I answered the calmest way possible, claiming that I think It is me! I believe I was taken. I am going to confront my parents next! I tell her where I’m currently living and the address of my parents house in case my parents actually are crazy. 

As I’m on my way to my parents house, I start to become filled with worry. I now feel like I don’t know who they are anymore. I pull up and they are standing outside, staring straight at the sky. It’s so weird. My stomach is turning and I feel sick. It’s crazy how my life has been turned upside down. As I get out of my car, my parents start running after me, but not in a good way. They have ropes in their hands! I scream as I run towards the house. I yell at them to stop. They claim they can’t lose me, that it was an accident and they just adored me, They want to keep me. I make my way inside the house and shut the door. I need to buy some time so I can think. I sit down in a secret tunnel I found in my closet as a kid. I’m terrified I shouldn’t have done this, I want to go home and forget all about this. 

I slowly come back to reality realizing that I fell asleep. I hear footsteps slowly creaking on every step of the stairs. My closet door handle turns slowly. I just hold my breath, hoping and praying that it’ll all turn out okay. I don’t feel safe and I regret ever coming here. The door swings open and I close my eyes and scream. 

I soon realized I was being grabbed, none of this feels real. Am I having a crazy dream? As I come more to it, I realize that it’s my parents, at this point I let out what felt like a scream but I didn’t feel heard at all.  I feel so trapped. I feel so alone, is this how I felt as a little girl?  Is this my fate? I’m never going to meet the amazing mother I was supposed to have. I was just a pawn in their game. 

As I’m being dragged through the house into an unfamiliar room, I hear my parents talking, which are not even my parents. They are crazy. I’m dealing with psychopaths. I feel so played. I fell right into their trap. They knew I would find out eventually. As I’m being put into the room, It felt like this room was waiting for me, it feels as if my parents knew this day would come. They had this planned. It has everything  I need to survive. I can’t live here, I have a life with people who love me. As the door shuts the lady tells me, “ We are just doing this because we love you”. It gives me the chills, do they really think I love them after this? I will never forgive them.

As I’m sitting in this tiny room, I feel so suffocated, and so alone. I left my phone in the car I think or they took it, I’m not too sure. I don’t know whether to scream or give up. I feel lost. This was a stupid idea. Why did I even go through with this? The door starts to open, and it's my so called mom. I instantly deflate. I look away from her. Maybe she’ll get the hint that I don’t want to be around her at all. She starts to say something then she walks out. 

As I sit and ponder, I hear a big bang above me. I heard one word. One word that I will forever hold in my head “POLICE!” The woman, my apparently so-called mom, must have called them. I can’t believe it! She stayed faithful even knowing I may not be her daughter.  I do what anyone that is held captive would do and I start banging on the ceiling and walls.

A few minutes go by and I hear silence. Did they talk the police out of looking around? I’m going to be stuck down here forever! As I start to lose hope, I hear the door swing open. Not only do I see the police, I see a beautiful woman standing next to them. I know that’s my actual mom. Before I can say anything she scoops me up in a hug. She says “ You don’t need to say anything, you are  my daughter I lost many years ago.” I start crying. I hate being weak around people but, this time, I can’t help it.  I feel at peace, and I don’t even know her. 

As they escort me out of the house I see “my parents” getting put into a police car. I hope they get locked up forever. They don’t deserve to see the light of day again. They took me from what could have been an amazing childhood. I can’t wait to go home and meet my real family. They may feel like strangers but they loved me when I was little. They may feel like strangers now but with time we will be one big happy family.