The Picture that Changed My Best Friend

It’s 2015 in July. I can’t remember the exact date, but I don’t think it matters. I always had a best friend by my side constantly. This year I had a best friend named Faith (I’m using fake names to keep some privacy). So me and Faith were always by each other sides. We were inseparable, but not like most friends we loved adventure we were always looking for new places to explore. One of our favorites was the woods in the back of our neighborhood because it was close to our houses and if our parents wanted us home we could just walk.

One day we decided to explore these woods for a while. It was a cloudy day about 3:00 when we started exploring. It was like every other usual exploration except the fact that we weren’t alone.

Now before I continue I’m going to give a little back story about these woods.

There was an old broken down barn, and a broken down tree house. I don’t know how or when they got there, but they were just there.

OK back to the story.

So we were hanging out by the tree house when we saw 2 people walking around at first we were a little spooked, but soon just thought they were doing what we we’re doing, exploring, so we continued doing whatever we were doing. Faith wanted a few pictures of her in the tree before we left. At this point we didn’t see the people anymore. I quickly snapped the photos, and we ran out.

At home we were scrolling through the pictures when we saw it the two people were staring up at the camera in the corner they looked different… jet black eyes and a tread and needle in their hands. She freaked out started crying and everything I explained to her that they probably had accidentally photobombed the picture. But she claimed that they hadn’t been there when we took it, and that’s why she’s so freaked out.

I understood what she was saying, but I ignored it. That was a big mistake.

A couple of days later I didn’t hear from her I got a little confused, and walked over to her house one day. I knocked on her door and her mom answered

“Oh, hello Hannah.”

“Hi Mrs. Smith.”

“Faith is up in her room but she has been acting a little weird hopefully you can help her out.”

“Oh OK.”

I walked up to her room, and right when I was going to open the door I heard mumbling. It sounded like her, but in a deep scared voice. I quickly walked in, and found her on her bed with her shirt up. She looked up and quickly put her shirt down

“Oh, hi Hannah.”

“Hey, um why haven’t you texted me?”

“Oh, just busy.”

She wasn’t acting herself I was weirded out her personality usually was very sarcastic and not serious, but she was like in a daze didn’t pay attention to anything around her. It scared me.

One night we were fighting I was explaining to her that she wasn’t herself she was looking off into space saying nonsense like;

“I’m sorry she has changed me”

“See? This is what I mean!” I said crying.

She started yelling at me, “You don’t know me!”

I had enough I lifted up her shirt and saw it. Scratches on the side of her in the number 25.

I started screaming, “What is this! What is happening!” at this point I was balling. She ran out of the room and told me to leave, So I did. I couldn’t take it anymore I confronted her parents about what happened in the woods. They didn’t know what to say.

“I’m telling you that’s not Faith.”

I didn’t come back until 3 weeks later.

She was worse. Every time I looked away she was in a totally different room. She would also always scratch the side where I saw the number I didn’t dare look again.

After a week I left her I couldn’t take it she was driving me crazy. So I left and never came back.

About 3 years later right before I moved to California, I was home alone. I heard the doorbell. I was shocked to see Faith’s mom at the door. She looked horrible deep black under-eye bags and a depressing frown planted on her face. I gasped at her.

“Hannah. Faith she… she’s gone.”

“What?! Did she pass away?”

“No I woke up this morning and she was gone.” She broke out into tears.

She told me that faith gotten worse after I left. She would walk into her parents room yelling terrible things into their ears like “Help me! They want me! I see them 25 25 25!” repeating it over and over I realized that was the number I saw on her. Her mom said it was so unclear and sounded nothing like her.

She disappeared on the 25th… The cops found her 1 week later in the creek with her eyes sown shut. I hate talking about this because it terrifies me.

I was traumatized for so many years.

I’m 20 now, and warning anyone who encounters this to please seek for help because I didn’t and now it’s all my fault that she’s dead.

  • Daniel Di Benedetto

    The premise wasn’t explained very well. It was a unique idea, but with no explanation as to what happened or who those children were, the story becomes less eerie and more just… random. Confusing, and random. There are also many grammatical errors throughout. I stress that you proofread your work before submitting. Many of the errors were simple mistakes you could’ve changed had you read it over. Overall, interesting idea, but not written or elucidated effectively.

    • Jackii-Dakota Rae-Quinn

      My thoughts exactly, I agree with Daniel and Rose.
      I do hope you continue though!

  • Rose Morrison

    I totally agree with Daniel on all points. Especially regarding editing, to remove spelling and grammatical errors. I hope you will write some more.

  • Okuri Saitou

    So scary…
    She not really really ‘dead’ right…?😫

    • Okuri Saitou

      I got really really shocked and scared of that story…

  • jay

    Creeped me out when they were looking up at the vamera, it’s such a scary concept that your up there and they know you’re in there

  • Simon

    My favorite part was when the story literally paused so we could be told that the place it happens in exists.