CHAPTER 10: The Photograph
I picked up the photograph with trembling hands, hoping there was some explanation hidden in it that my eyes had missed. The paper was old around the edges, stained with drops of water that had already dried. Ezel stood in the middle with the same careless smile he wore at every party. Helen stood beside him, smiling too, but her smile looked forced, like someone had told her to pretend everything was normal. Behind them, almost hidden between the trees, stood the boy in the black hoodie. His face was blurred, but his eyes seemed fixed on the camera. It didn't look like a picture taken by accident. It looked planned.
"When was this taken?" I asked without taking my eyes off the photograph.
Helen remained silent.
"Helen."
"I don't know," she whispered.
I looked at her. "Stop lying to me."
She closed her eyes for a moment before speaking again. "I wish I was."
The room fell into silence. Rain tapped against the roof while the wind pushed weakly against the windows. It felt like the whole town was listening to our conversation. I placed the photograph back on the desk and noticed something written on the back. My heart started beating faster as I turned it over.
November 12. The truth begins here.
The date made my stomach twist. That was the night everything changed. The party. The woods. Ezel. Every answer I was looking for seemed tied to that one night, but every person who knew the truth was hiding part of it.
Before I could think any further, my phone buzzed again.
Unknown Number.
I opened the message.
Look under the floor.
Nothing else.
I frowned. "Under the floor?"
Helen looked at me immediately. "What does it say?"
I hesitated before showing her the message. As soon as she read it, the color disappeared from her face.
"No..." she whispered. "He found it."
"Found what?"
Instead of answering, she slowly walked toward the corner of my bedroom. She knelt beside one of the old wooden floorboards and rested her hand on it. Her fingers trembled.
"Help me," she said quietly.
I stared at her in confusion. "Helen, what is under there?"
She looked up at me, tears filling her eyes.
"Please."
Against my better judgment, I knelt beside her. Together we pried the loose board from the floor. Dust filled the air as the wood lifted, revealing a small metal box hidden beneath it. It looked old, covered in rust, like it had been waiting there for years.
My hands shook as I opened it.
Inside was a diary wrapped in plastic, a silver necklace stained with dried blood, and a folded piece of paper.
I unfolded the paper slowly.
Only one sentence was written on it.
If you're reading this, don't trust Helen.
The words hit me like ice water.
I looked up at her.
She was crying.
Not because of the note.
Because she already knew it was there.
Before either of us could speak, the front door downstairs slammed shut so hard the whole house shook. Heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway below.
Someone had entered the house.
And this time...
They hadn't knocked first.