When my 16-year-old son, Ethan, left to spend the summer with his grandmother, I felt a mix of relief and anxiety. As a single mother, I juggled work, household responsibilities, and parenting, so a break seemed like a blessing. Ethan adored his grandmother, and she spoiled him in a way only grandmothers could. He would get to enjoy home-cooked meals, long days fishing at the lake, and evenings filled with stories about our family’s past. It seemed like the perfect summer getaway.
A few weeks passed, and everything seemed normal. Ethan texted occasionally, sending pictures of the fish he caught and talking about the delicious pies Grandma baked. My mother reassured me that he was happy and enjoying himself. I felt at ease, until one afternoon when my phone rang. It was my mother. Her voice trembled.
“You need to come here. Now.”
Panic surged through me. “Mom, what happened? Is Ethan okay?”
She hesitated before answering. “Just get here as soon as you can.”
The three-hour drive felt like an eternity. My mind raced with possibilities. Was he hurt? Had something terrible happened? When I finally pulled into my mother’s driveway, she was waiting for me on the porch, her face pale and her hands wringing together. Without a word, she led me inside.
Ethan sat at the kitchen table, his head down, refusing to meet my gaze. A man I didn’t recognize stood in the corner, his face grave.
“Mom, what’s going on? Who is this?” I demanded.
She took a deep breath. “This is Officer Reynolds. He’s here because of Ethan.”
My heart pounded. “Ethan? What did you do?”
The officer spoke. “Ma’am, your son was caught sneaking into an abandoned house on the edge of town. Some local kids dared each other to go inside, but it seems Ethan took it a step further. He broke a window to get in.”
I turned to Ethan, my voice sharp. “You broke into a house? Why?”
Tears welled in his eyes. “Mom, I— I didn’t mean to. I thought it was just an old, empty place. But then I found something…”
My mother exhaled shakily. “He found something disturbing. Something that’s now a police matter.”
The officer nodded. “Ethan discovered a hidden room in the basement. Inside, there were old newspapers, missing persons reports, and… photographs. Some of them date back decades. We believe they could be linked to an unsolved case.”
My breath hitched. “A crime scene?”
Ethan swallowed hard. “I didn’t know, Mom. I just— I was curious. And then I saw all the pictures… people who were never found.”
The weight of the situation settled on me. My son’s innocent summer at Grandma’s had turned into something out of a nightmare. I reached for Ethan’s hand, squeezing it tightly.
Officer Reynolds sighed. “We’re investigating now. But your son may have just uncovered a secret this town has been hiding for years.”
I stared at Ethan, my heart pounding. This summer was supposed to be peaceful. Instead, it had become the beginning of a mystery that could change everything.
