The police swarmed the house, methodically combing through each room, looking for any signs of my son, Daniel. Questions buzzed through my mind like an angry hive—where was Daniel? Why was Matthew alone and in such a state? Who or what had done this to them? I held Matthew close, whispering words of comfort that felt hollow in the face of such uncertainty.
Paramedics arrived and carefully took Matthew from my arms. They began assessing his condition, speaking in low, urgent tones. It was then that I noticed something clutched in his tiny fist—a small, crumpled piece of paper. With gentle hands, a paramedic unfolded it and read aloud, “Help us.”
The words sent a shiver down my spine, echoing the desperate plea of a child. It was clear now that Matthew had been hiding, perhaps from something that terrified him beyond comprehension. Whatever had happened, whatever had driven him under that bed, was something I couldn’t yet fathom.As I watched the paramedics carry Matthew to the ambulance, a detective approached me, his expression grim. “We need to know everything you can tell us,” he said softly, as if afraid the truth might shatter me further.
I nodded, recounting the details of my last conversation with Daniel. He had seemed distant, his voice tinged with an edge of fear I hadn’t understood at the time. He had spoken about feeling watched, about strange things happening around the house—lights flickering, doors creaking open in the dead of night. I hadn’t thought much of it then, chalking it up to stress or paranoia. But now, I wasn’t so sure.
Back at the station, the investigation unfolded like a grim tapestry. The house, once warm and filled with laughter, was now a crime scene. Forensic teams meticulously collected evidence, piecing together fragments of a story I was desperate to comprehend. Each new discovery was a revelation, pulling us deeper into a mystery that seemed darker than night.
Over the following days, bits of information began to surface. Witnesses claimed to have seen a shadowy figure lurking near the house. Neighbors reported hearing strange noises at odd hours. The police found traces of an unknown substance in the shattered bottles littering the floor, suggesting the presence of an intruder.
But the biggest breakthrough came when the police recovered footage from a hidden security camera Daniel had installed outside the house. The grainy video showed a figure creeping around the perimeter, a shadow that seemed to melt into the night. It was clear now—someone had been stalking Daniel and Matthew, pushing them to the brink of terror.
