The Girl in the Photograph
726 Words
Amara stumbled backward, nearly knocking the ladder over.
The yearbook slipped from her hands and landed on the wooden floor with a loud thud.
Students nearby looked up for a second before returning to their books.
No one seemed alarmed.
Her breathing became shallow.
She looked back at the photograph.
Every student had returned to facing the camera normally.
Except one.
Emily.
She was still looking directly at Amara.
Smiling.
A smile that was too wide.
Too unnatural.
Amara blinked.
The smile was gone.
“It’s… impossible.”
She picked up the yearbook with trembling hands.
This time, Emily’s name was back beneath the picture.
Emily Moore
Class of 1998
As if it had never disappeared.
⸻
“Interesting choice.”
A voice startled her.
Standing at the end of the aisle was a tall young man with messy black hair and piercing gray eyes. He wore the Ashcroft University uniform, but unlike everyone else, his sleeves were rolled up, and his tie hung loosely around his neck.
“You shouldn’t read that book.”
Amara frowned.
“Why?”
“Because people who ask too many questions don’t stay at Ashcroft for long.”
He walked over and gently closed the yearbook.
“My name’s Damien Blackwell.”
“I’m Amara.”
“I know.”
His answer made her uneasy.
“You know me?”
“You were the only freshman staring at the empty chair during orientation.”
Amara’s heart skipped a beat.
“You saw it too?”
For the first time, Damien’s calm expression cracked.
“So… I’m not the only one.”
⸻
They left the library together and sat on a quiet stone bench overlooking the old courtyard.
For several moments, neither of them spoke.
Finally, Damien broke the silence.
“My roommate disappeared last year.”
Amara looked at him.
“The university said he transferred.”
“They even showed me transfer documents.”
He laughed bitterly.
“I signed his birthday card the day before.”
“They expected me to believe he left without saying goodbye.”
Amara slowly reached into her pocket and pulled out the folded map with the black crow symbol.
“I found this.”
Damien’s face turned pale.
“Where did you get it?”
“It was hidden inside my rulebook.”
He grabbed the paper, studying it carefully.
“The Crow Society…”
“The what?”
He looked around to make sure no one was listening.
“There are students at Ashcroft who secretly investigate the disappearances.”
“They leave that symbol for people who can still remember.”
“So… I’m not crazy?”
“No.”
Damien folded the paper and handed it back.
“But if they’re contacting you…”
“They’re already watching.”
“Who?”
Before he could answer, the bell tower rang.
One…
Two…
Three…
Students all over campus stopped walking at the exact same moment.
Every single one of them.
Silence fell.
For five long seconds.
Then, as if nothing had happened, everyone continued walking.
Amara stared in disbelief.
“Did you see that?”
Damien nodded.
“They do that sometimes.”
“They?”
He didn’t answer.
⸻
That evening, the sun disappeared behind thick gray clouds.
At exactly 8:45 p.m., Amara quietly left Dormitory 7.
She had made up her mind.
She was going to the old clock tower.
The place marked on the mysterious map.
The campus grew quieter with every step.
Streetlights flickered.
A cold fog rolled across the ground.
Soon, the towering silhouette of the old clock tower came into view.
It had been abandoned for decades.
The iron gate surrounding it hung open.
Someone was already waiting inside.
A hooded figure.
Their face hidden in darkness.
“You came,” the stranger said.
“I wasn’t sure you would.”
“Who are you?” Amara asked cautiously.
Instead of answering, the figure held out an old photograph.
It showed six students standing in front of Dormitory 13.
One of them was Emily Moore.
Another…
Looked exactly like Damien.
Amara stared at the photo.
“That’s impossible…”
“This picture was taken in 1998.”
The hooded figure slowly looked up.
“You have no idea who Damien Blackwell really is…”
Behind her…
A hand suddenly grabbed her shoulder.
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