Chapter Five: The Hidden Scrapbook
577 Words
Saturday afternoon brought a steady drizzle that kept most people indoors.
Maggie sat at the kitchen table helping her grandmother decorate sugar cookies with orange frosting.
"You've been awfully quiet today," Grandma said, placing candy sprinkles on a pumpkin-shaped cookie.
"I've just been thinking."
"About the new boy?"
Maggie nearly dropped the icing bag.
"How did you know?"
Grandma chuckled.
"Sweetheart, I was twelve once, too."
Maggie laughed, but the smile didn't last.
"I like him... but something feels strange."
Grandma nodded thoughtfully.
"Sometimes our hearts notice the good in people before our minds notice the warning signs. It's okay to listen to both."
Those words stayed with Maggie.
---
That evening, Noah called.
"I found another article."
"You've really made this your mission."
"I know, but listen."
He lowered his voice.
"The disappearances from years ago all happened within a few miles of the old Ashford property."
Maggie's heart skipped.
"Ashford? Like... Elias?"
"Same last name."
"That doesn't mean they're related."
"No," Noah admitted. "But it's a strange coincidence."
Maggie couldn't argue with that.
---
The next day, Maggie returned a library book she'd finished.
Mrs. Ellis smiled as she scanned it.
"Already done?"
"It was really good."
"I thought you'd like it."
As Maggie wandered through the history section, she noticed an old scrapbook sticking out from a shelf where it clearly didn't belong.
Curious, she pulled it free.
There was no title.
Only a faded leather cover.
She opened it.
Inside were newspaper clippings about the disappearances from years ago.
Some pages had maps.
Others had handwritten notes.
Someone had circled dates in red ink.
Then Maggie turned another page.
Her breath caught.
Tucked into the corner was a photograph.
It was her.
She was standing outside the school, laughing with Noah.
Written beneath the picture were the words:
Keeps noticing things.
Her hands began to shake.
"What on earth...?"
"Maggie?"
She slammed the scrapbook shut.
Mrs. Ellis hurried over.
"Are you all right? You look pale."
"I... I found this."
Mrs. Ellis looked surprised.
"I've never seen that scrapbook before."
"It has pictures of me."
Mrs. Ellis gently took it.
"We should call the police."
---
An hour later, Detective Rose Carter arrived at the library.
She listened carefully as Maggie explained everything.
"You've never seen this scrapbook before today?" the detective asked.
Maggie shook her head.
"No."
Detective Carter flipped through the pages.
"There aren't any names."
She frowned.
"But whoever made this has been watching the town for a long time."
"Do you think it's the person behind the disappearances?"
"It's possible."
The detective closed the scrapbook.
"For now, I want you to be careful. If anything unusual happens, tell an adult immediately."
Maggie nodded.
"I will."
---
That night, Maggie couldn't sleep.
The scrapbook kept replaying in her mind.
Someone had taken pictures of her.
Someone had been watching.
Her phone buzzed on the nightstand.
Elias: Hey. I heard the police were at the library today. Are you okay?
Maggie stared at the message.
She hadn't told him what had happened.
Noah hadn't either.
Very few people knew.
Slowly, she typed:
How did you know?
Three little dots appeared.
Then disappeared.
They appeared again.
Finally, his reply came.
People talk.
Maggie looked at the screen for a long time.
Maybe he was right.
Maybe word had spread around town.
But something deep inside her whispered the same question Noah had been asking all week.
How did he know so quickly?
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