Chapter 2 - The PhotographElliot stared at the message until the letters blurred through his tears.
He recognized the handwriting.
It was his mother's.
He had seen her write grocery lists, birthday cards, notes for the school, and reminders on the refrigerator.
This was her handwriting.
But the message made no sense.
His mother had disappeared.
And yet she had somehow written the warning before disappearing.
Elliot clutched the paper.
A floorboard creaked upstairs.
He froze.
“Elliot?”
His mother's voice.
Again.
The boy backed away from the staircase.
“No…”
“Elliot, sweetheart, it's okay.”
He shook his head.
The voice became softer.
“You're safe now.”
Elliot remembered the creature.
That's not your mother.
He ran into the kitchen and climbed onto a chair.
His mother's handbag sat on the counter.
He opened it with shaking hands.
Inside were keys, lipstick, a phone, several receipts, and a photograph.
Elliot picked it up.
It showed his mother standing in front of the house.
She was pregnant.
A man stood beside her.
Elliot didn't recognize him.
But the photograph had something strange about it.
The man's face had been scratched away.
Elliot turned the photograph over.
Written on the back were two names.
Claire Mercer.
Daniel Mercer.
His mother's name was Claire.
Daniel?
Elliot had never heard that name.
Another sound came from the hallway.
A soft dragging noise.
Elliot slid off the chair.
He took the photograph and ran toward his bedroom.
He slammed the door.
Then locked it.
Something touched the other side.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
“Elliot.”
He covered his mouth.
“It's Mommy.”
He said nothing.
The doorknob slowly turned.
Locked.
The thing on the other side stopped.
Then it whispered:
“You found the photograph.”
Elliot's heart nearly stopped.
The voice wasn't his mother's.
It was the creature's.
“You shouldn't have looked.”
The doorknob began to shake violently.
Elliot screamed and threw himself against the bed.
The shaking stopped.
Silence.
Then a man's voice came from inside the closet.
“Elliot.”
The boy slowly turned.
The closet door was open.
Darkness filled the space.
“Don't trust her.”
Elliot couldn't move.
“Who are you?”
A hand emerged from the darkness.
Pale fingers curled around the door.
Then a young man's face appeared.
He looked exhausted.
There was a deep scar across his cheek.
Elliot stared.
The stranger looked exactly like the man in the photograph.
“Dad?”
The man's eyes filled with tears.
“I've been trying to find you.”
Elliot stepped backward.
“But my dad is dead.”
The man's expression changed.
“Who told you that?”
“Mom.”
He closed his eyes.
“Of course she did.”
A crash came from downstairs.
The man suddenly looked afraid.
“She found us.”
“Who?”
“Your mother.”
Elliot shook his head.
“No. My mom wouldn't hurt me.”
The man leaned closer.
“That woman isn't Claire.”
A second later, the bedroom door flew open.
Elliot screamed.
But nobody stood there.
Only the hallway.
Empty.
The stranger vanished.
Elliot slowly looked down.
The photograph was still in his hand.
But the man's face was no longer scratched out.
His father was looking directly at him.
May you like
And underneath the photograph, another sentence had appeared.
SHE KILLED ME ONCE.
