Thomas and Sienna enjoyed the night to themselves. They were celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary and took the opportunity to reflect on all the lovely moments they had shared over the years, wishing each other many more to come.
They prepared to take a shot for the mantelpiece, as custom dictated, but as the camera’s timer counted down, Sienna believed she heard a gentle sound in the corridor behind her. Thomas held her, assuring her that it was nothing, and they smiled for another photo commemorating their year together.
Sienna shared the photo on social media, not realizing it would lead to something inconceivable.
The next morning, she was awakened by the sound of pinging. She grabbed her phone as notifications rolled in one after another. The majority of them were comments from people wishing them a happy anniversary, but some kept questioning whose face was in the background of the shot.
Sienna noticed a face in the image they had taken the night before. She informed Thomas about it, but he thought it was only a shadow that resembled a face.
However, Sienna was not at ease. She remembers hearing a sound when the shot was taken, so she requested Thomas to check the house just in case.
Thomas performed this, but there was no one present. “Relax, my dear. It’s me,” he answered, chuckling slightly. “Forget about the photo. We have lunch appointments, remember?
As the two approached the car and Sienna was about to get in, she noticed the same spooky face on the glass but was too afraid to say anything. She shouted and spun around, only to find no one behind her.
That night, she was startled by a weird noise. It was clear that someone was inside the residence. She awakened Thomas up, and he confirmed that noises were coming from downstairs.
He grabbed the phone in one hand and his gun in the other.
“We can’t call 911 for a ghost!” Sienna argued, but he still called 911
As they went to the kitchen, walking extremely slowly, they spotted a malnourished boy that burst into tears. His face was covered in snot and it was obvious he was scared and hungry.
But how did he end up in their home?
“Hey there, it’s okay. We won’t hurt you,” Thomas said with a gentle voice.
“You’re hungry, right?” Sienna asked, grinning tenderly.
“Hungry, yes,” the boy nodded.
“What’s your name?”
“Nikolai.”
He gradually stated that he and his mother had come from a horrible situation and continued asking whether they might help his mommy.
At that point, the police officers Thomas had already summoned arrived at their door. This frightened the youngster, and he escaped before they could capture him.
The next day, Sienna and Thomas started hunting for Nikolai. They realized he couldn’t have travelled far.
While roaming around the neighborhood, they came into an abandoned Victorian mansion.
Sienna continued her investigation and discovered a boarded window from which she could hear a woman pleading for aid. In a flash, she had her phone in hand, ready to call the cops. Other people soon began to gather.
The authorities broke into the building and discovered a woman in distress. In shaky English, she introduced herself as Asya and stated that she traveled to the United States to make a better life for herself and her son, but instead met a monster who held her captive.
They took her out, and soon after, Nikolai emerged from the basement.
“What about the man who did this?” Sienna asked.
“We’ve already sent officers to arrest him at his job. Nikolai and Asya will be taken to a safe place. It seems she came here from Russia as some kind of mail-order bride. The legality of her immigrant status is unknown at this point, but we’ll ensure they get the help they need,” the officers responded.
It was an incredible experience. A single photo led to a shocking discovery and helped two lives to be saved.
“I believe the latest photo for the mantle deserves a special place,” Thomas told his wife, holding up a framed print of the now-infamous photo the couple had posted on social media.
“It’s the best of the bunch,” Sienna quipped.