(Anastasha's POV, after the woods)
The house is still lit when I push the door open. The smell of cake and melted wax hangs in the air. All their faces snap toward me at once — Miriam's wide-eyed, Daniel's sharp, Naomi's arms folded, Caleb bouncing nervously in his seat.
Miriam:[rushing forward] "Anna! Thank God. Where were you? You had us—"
Daniel:[cutting in, voice like a blade] "Out. In the dark. Alone. What were you thinking?"
Me:[hesitating] "I wasn't— I mean, I was just—"
Naomi:[snapping] "Just what? Wandering around at night like some horror movie character?"
Caleb:[wide-eyed, blurting] "Did you see him? The one who called you?"
I flinch. Their stares weigh on me like iron. Miriam grips my arm, searching my face.
Miriam: "Sweetheart… did someone hurt you?"
Me:[quietly] "No. Nobody hurt me."
Daniel:[stern] "Then who was out there? Tell me."
Me:[swallowing hard] "His name was… Gabriel."
Naomi:[frowning] "Gabriel? Do you even know anyone by that name?"
Me:[shaking head] "No. Not here. Not in this life."
They exchange quick, uneasy glances. Daniel's jaw clenches. Miriam's hands tighten around mine.
Miriam: "Anna… what do you mean, not in this life?"
Me:[struggling] "I don't know. I just— when he looked at me, it felt like I'd known him forever. Like I'd already lived it."
Naomi:[rolling eyes, but her voice trembles] "This is insane. You sound like you've lost it."
Me:[snapping back] "I'm not insane!"
Caleb:[timidly] "Then who is he?"
Me:[voice shaking] "…He said he was the one who lost me."
The silence afterward is suffocating. Miriam's lips part, but no sound comes out. Naomi stares at me like she doesn't recognize her sister. Daniel's voice cuts through, sharp and final.
Daniel: "Enough. You're not seeing him again. Whoever he is, whatever game this is, it ends tonight."
Me:[pleading] "You don't understand. He knew me. He called me Iris—"
Naomi:[incredulous] "There it is again! Iris! You keep saying it like it's your name."
Me:[almost whispering] "Maybe it was."
The words slip out before I can stop them. Miriam gasps softly, covering her mouth. Caleb shifts uncomfortably, glancing between us. Daniel's eyes harden into stone.
Daniel:[low, dangerous] "Don't talk like that in this house. You are Anastasha. Nothing else."
Me:[whispering] "But what if I'm not?"
The silence is crushing. My chest heaves with unshed tears. Nobody moves. Nobody breathes. Then Naomi slams her hand on the table, breaking the stillness.
Naomi: "This is ridiculous! You disappear, you come back talking like some reincarnation freak, and we're all just supposed to nod along?"
Miriam:[snapping at her] "Naomi! Enough." [softer, to me] "Anna, please… whatever this is, we'll figure it out. Just… stay with us. Stay grounded."
Daniel:[flat, final] "You are not leaving this house again tonight."
The weight of his words presses down. I want to argue, to scream, to confess everything Gabriel said. Instead, I bite down on the truth until it tastes like blood. I sink into the chair, my hands trembling on my lap. The room feels smaller than it ever has before.
Caleb:[quietly, almost to himself] "…But what if she's right?"
Everyone turns to him. He shrinks, staring at the table, but the question lingers like smoke. Nobody has an answer. Not even me.
The door clicks shut behind me. My room is dim — the lamp casts long shadows on the walls. I sit on the edge of my bed, the silence pressing down like a weight. My hands won't stop shaking.
Me:[muttering to myself] "It's just a dream. That's all. A… a hallucination."
The words sound flimsy. I dig my nails into my palms, desperate for something solid.
Me: "You're Anastasha. You're Anastasha. You live here. With Miriam. With Daniel. With Naomi. With Caleb."
The names feel like anchors. I cling to them. Then another name slips out before I can stop it.
Me:[whispering] "…Gabriel."
The sound of it chills me. I cover my mouth, as if saying it aloud might summon him from the shadows.
Me: "No. No, stop. He's not real. He can't be real."
But memory doesn't listen. It cracks open like glass.
Me (Iris's voice, faint, overlapping mine): "Jason—"
Me:[snapping at myself] "No! Not Jason. Not Iris. I'm not her. I'm not."
I pace the room, whispering faster, like if I speak quickly enough the thoughts won't catch me.
Me: "School tomorrow. Homework. Exams. Friends. My life is here. It's mine."
Me (other voice, low and familiar, echoing Gabriel's tone in her head):"Borrowed. Temporary."
Me:[spinning around, panicked] "Stop it! Stop talking like him!"
I press my hands to my ears, but it doesn't silence the voice. It's not outside. It's inside.
Me:[pleading to myself] "Why me? Why do I remember? Why now?"
Me (Iris's echo, soft, aching): "Because we loved him."
My knees buckle. I sink to the floor, pressing my forehead to my arms. Tears sting my eyes. My own voice cracks into the silence.
Me: "I don't want to remember. I don't want any of this."
The lamp flickers once, twice, like even the electricity can't stand the weight of my words. I lie back on the bed, whispering one last time to the ceiling.
Me: "…If you're real… if you're really Gabriel… then don't come back. Please."
But even as I say it, a hollow part of me aches with the truth: I want him to. I want answers. And I am terrified of what they'll be.