Page 1 of The Last Morgan

And just like that, she was the last Morgan.

No warning. No slow lead-up. Just… gone.

Lucy sat quietly, eyes locked on her reflection, as the weight of everything she'd lived through settled like dust around her. It felt surreal — not the kind of thing that happens to people like her, not really. But it had.

She glanced at the folder on her vanity — the case file Carter had given her. A bundle of truths she’d never asked for. He always told her she was important. That she mattered. But Lucy now understood that even Carter hadn’t fully realised what he was protecting.

The memories tugged at her, uninvited. One day in particular, her eighth birthday.

It had started with joy — the kind that only exists in the quiet comfort of family. Her parents had gone all out: banners, balloons, laughter filling the halls. Her brothers had teased her endlessly, wrapping her presents in five layers just to watch her struggle.

It was one of the best days of her life.

Until the phone rang.

Her father had answered in the hallway, just out of sight. But she saw the way his body stiffened, the way the colour drained from his face. He walked back in without a word and took her gently by the arm.

Within minutes, she and her brothers were tucked into the cupboard under the stairs. A place she’d once used as a hiding spot during games.

Only this time, it wasn’t a game.

The shouting started first. Then the crashes. The screams. Her brothers had tried to stay with her, but they knew their parents needed help. They told her to stay quiet, to stay put, no matter what. When she begged them not to go, they just looked at her — and shut the door.

Lucy waited.

She counted the seconds. Then minutes. Then hours.

The silence came slowly, like nightfall. But it was heavier than darkness.

She remembered curling into herself, arms wrapped around her knees, the air growing colder by the hour.

She didn’t cry. Not then. She was too afraid to make a sound.

By the third day, the air had turned putrid.

At first, she thought the smell was her.

But something about it felt… worse..

On the fifth day, she heard footsteps.

Someone had finally come. Martha — their housekeeper — screaming for help.

Lucy tried to speak, to call out, but her voice didn’t come. The world spun, and then it disappeared.