SWNOVELS Chapter 11
Chapter 11
After her evening shower, Karla sprawled out on her bed, her mind whirling with the day’s events. The meeting with Charles replayed in her head, his words echoing like a haunting refrain. The woman in the photograph was her – how could that be possible?
However, the bizarre events of the morning seemed to be screaming at her that it was true.
Karla glanced at the nightstand where an old photo album rested. It was Charles who had insisted she take it, suggesting it might help her unravel the mystery of why his cousin had disappeared years ago. Was it perhaps foul play?
Burdened with this unexpected quest, Karla felt a headache coming on. She just wanted to get to the bottom of things, but how did the situation escalate into such a bizarre scenario?
“Rowan, who are you, really?” she murmured to herself, hugging her pillow and rolling around in bed. If she could really travel back in time, how would she go about it?
She had taken the photograph out and tried countless ways to trigger another trip through time, but nothing worked. She even considered burning the picture at one point, but the thought that maybe it wasn’t meant to be set on fire stopped her.
Karla lifted her hand and looked at the watch on her wrist. This thing did exist, and it was the man named Rowan who had personally put it on her wrist. From this perspective, there was no doubt that she had indeed met him. And by the sound of his tone at the time, it seemed
she had met him more than once.
Feeling more and more unsettled by the minute, Karla couldn’t sleep. She decided to do something about it. She slid out of bed, slipped into her slippers, and padded downstairs.
Before leaving Charles‘ place, she’d asked for all the films Rowan had ever starred in. Charles, generous as ever, had packed them all in a box for her.
Now sitting in front of the TV, Karla started with his first film, watching them in chronological
order.
Rowan had been just fifteen when he started acting, playing a mute boy in a film with few scenes, barely a supporting role. His stunning looks and remarkable talent caught attention upon release, propelling him onto the path of stardom. After a few roles in French cinema,
of his later work was done back home.
the majority
Seeing him work with many famed directors of the past, Karla was secretly astounded. It was hard to imagine such a globally celebrated figure could just vanish from history without
a trace.
Even after three decades, there should have been some whisper of him unless someone had erased his existence/deliberately.
Without these films, Karla would have never known that some movies she had seen before had once featured Rowan. His parts had either been completely edited out or recast.
19:06
Chapter 11
She watched through the night, arriving at the police station the next day bleary–eyed and out of sorts, prompting her colleagues Una and Henry to express their concern.
Karla waved them off, not wanting to delve into the matter, but Karla did ask Una if she’d found out anything about the car’s owner from the license plate she’d asked her to check. Una shook her head regretfully.
“I have checked it. The car was rented, and the renter used a fake ID. The vehicle’s been returned, and now we’re trying to ID those two guys based on the sketches you provided,” Una reported truthfully.
Karla nodded, impatient to know who was after her but understanding that some things can’t be rushed. She had a hunch that the two men might be connected to the thirty–year–old case she was investigating, but why they were targeting her was still a puzzle.
These days, Karla’s sleep was anything but peaceful. She constantly felt a warm hand caressing her face and a soft voice whispering in her ear, “Karla…”