Best Horrifying Debut
The Photo Album by Jaelynn Rombough
I just moved to a new house. It gives me chills like a light breeze. The floor tiles creaked every step I took. The house reeked of must and old wood. When I walked into the new house I was frightened, there were blood stains everywhere. I went and told my parents about it and they seemed oblivious that there’s weird things happening almost like it’s normal. I mean I tried to debate and articulate my feelings about moving with my parents, but they just wouldn’t give in.
When I walked into my new room it seemed eerie. There was only a book shelf there. I had a suspicion that there was a secret room, from all the murder and mystery shows and movies I watched. I felt the wood trying to see if there was a button, and analyzing the old little blood stains you could barely see . I tried pushing it and it only moved a little and after a couple minutes I finally got it out of the way. “OH MY GOSH”! There was a hatch, I gathered the nerve to open it. Inside there laid a photo album and a note. I picked up the note and read it. It said “If you are reading this, leave this house before it’s too late. My name is Carol May, I lived here from 1962-1975. My sister was killed in this house by my psycho step mom, and I just can’t stay here anymore. I’m running away before I’m next. I hear her coming . PLEASE GET OUT BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!” That was the end. At the end of the note there was a tear stain and a photo of a little girl signed in the name of Carol May. I felt deep sorrow for her, she was just an innocent girl. I opened the photo album and there were a ton of pictures of swollen and bruised arms and random body parts. Some of the photos even had blood. It looked like someone was documenting it.
I frantically looked for my phone then I called my mom. “Yes sweety?” “Mom, I think I’m going crazy.” “What do you mean, what’s going on?”Mom I think I’m seeing things“ “Mom?” “Are you there” ”Oh but sweetie im not you mom” “look behind you” My heart stopped beating, I started wailing for help as I gasped for air. There was blood everywhere. I fell to the ground, and there…. Just standing there was a woman mumbling to herself quietly. As the flavor of the air was pure panic. It was Carol May. I recognized her from the photo. She still had the same crystal blue eyes. I could hear her breathing in my ear, and she was holding a bloody knife. “You really think that I was that innocent.” “People just didn’t see I was going insane.” I realised her psycho mom didn’t kill her sister. The flavor of the air was pure panic. She did. I was just laying there on the floor dying as I took my last breath.
Carral May/ 1962