Love, Betrayal, Murder

A haunting story of secrets buried for sixty years — where love turns to guilt, and guilt to madness.

She’s haunted by visions of the past…

but revealing the truth could be deadly.

After discovering sixty-year-old secrets buried in her aunt’s house, Lisa realizes she must face a terrifying legacy that has long cast its shadow over the family.

Love, Betrayal, Murder

by Faramarz Parsa

It had been only four months since Lisa began living in her paternal aunt’s house — a lonely place far from the city, near a restless river that never ceased to roar. Thick trees surrounded the area, their branches clawing toward the sky. Silence ruled there; not even the cry of a bird was heard — only the sound of water striking the rocks below.

Lisa was twenty-three. Since the accident that had taken her best friend’s life, she had become restless and short-tempered; she couldn’t bear anything for long. Tall, athletic, and graceful, her face carried the freshness of spring flowers.

Aunt Claire was a large, stern-faced woman who rarely smiled. Her eyes never softened with kindness. She had never married and hardly ever left her home. Every week, a traveling merchant named Edward delivered her groceries, and in return he was allowed to work a small patch of her land.

Nearby lived another family — George, his wife Margaret, and their five children: two sons and three daughters.

George left home early each morning, and no one knew what he did for a living. The family kept to themselves; their behavior always seemed strange to Lisa.

The eldest son, Danny, twenty-five, tall and striking, was never seen with any girl except his sisters.

The younger one, Robin, twenty, worked mostly around the house. Like his brother, he was strong and well-built.

Their sisters — Jessica, seventeen-year-old Jennifer, and fifteen-year-old Wendy — together with their parents made up a quiet, peculiar household.

The sun was setting when Lisa walked back from the river. Suddenly, a distant scream froze her in place. She hesitated, then followed the sound through the thick trees. Moments later, she stumbled upon the body of a young girl. Horrified, she screamed — and fainted.

When she opened her eyes, she was lying on her bed. Aunt Claire was standing over her.

“What happened, Lisa?”

“The body… that girl!”

“What body? What girl?”

Lisa clutched her head. “Her face was covered in blood… her dress torn apart…”

“You’re imagining things. Rest a little, you’ll be fine.”

“No! I saw her — she was real! She was just a girl, maybe fourteen!”

At that moment, the doorbell rang.

Aunt Claire opened the door. It was Robin, the neighbor’s son.

“Hi. Is she feeling better?”

“A little… yes.”

“That’s good. I’m glad. Good night.”

“Good night.”

When Claire turned back, she saw Lisa standing up.

“Why did you get out of bed?”

“I’m fine now. Who was that?”

“The neighbor’s boy — the one who brought you home last night.”

“Did you ask him about the girl’s body…?”

“I told you I don’t want to hear about that again!”

The next day, Lisa walked toward the neighbors’ house. Danny saw her coming and gave her a long look from head to toe.

“Lose something?” he asked.

“No. Were you the one who brought me home last night?”

“No, that was my brother Robin.”

“Is he home?”

“No. Why?”

“The body of that girl…”

Danny cut her off sharply. “You’d better go back home.”

From inside the house, Jessica was watching them quietly through the window, though Lisa didn’t notice.

When Lisa returned, Aunt Claire was watching her from behind the curtains.

“Where were you?”

“I went to ask about that girl’s body.”

“Stop chasing after it, you understand?”

“Why?”

“Because around here, no one interferes with anyone. And don’t forget to take your medicine.”

Claire said nothing more and went to the kitchen.

Lisa went up to her room and sat by the window.

An hour later, Robin entered their house.

“Was there really a body?” Danny asked.

Robin frowned. “A body? What body?”

“The girl — she came here today, looking for you.”

“Looking for me? Why?”

Danny sighed, took his cup of coffee, and walked out.

Robin turned to Jessica. “What was Danny talking about?”

“I wasn’t there,” she said. “I was just watching from a distance.”

Their father, George, came in at that moment.

“Boys,” he said, “get the shovel and the pickaxe. We need to go.”

Lisa watched from the window as the father and son — carrying a shovel, a pickaxe, and a lantern — made their way toward the river.

She rushed down the stairs, but just as she reached the door, Aunt Claire’s sharp voice stopped her.

“Go back to your room!”

“But they’re going toward the river!”

“I said go back to your room! And don’t forget your medicine.”

Frustrated, Lisa turned around and went back upstairs.

The next morning, as the pale sun rose behind the mist, a knock echoed through the quiet house.

Aunt Claire opened the door. Edward had arrived, carrying a wooden crate of groceries into the kitchen.

“Would you like some coffee?” she asked.

“No, not today. I have to check the fields. Lots of work to do. Maybe another time.”

When Edward left, Lisa stepped out of her room. Her aunt called her for breakfast and began to pour coffee.

Lisa’s eyes drifted under the table — there, half-hidden, were several old newspapers. She reached down and picked one up.

“Stephanie Never Found.”

She unfolded another:

“Search Continues for Fourteen-Year-Old Girl, Stephanie.”

At that very moment, Aunt Claire came back into the room, her voice tight and anxious.

“Don’t touch those! Leave them where they are.”

Startled, Lisa dropped one of the papers. Her eyes caught another headline before it hit the floor:

“Police Still Unable to Locate the Body of James Woodson.”

Aunt Claire quickly gathered the papers, her hands trembling, and shoved them back into their place.

Lisa said nothing. She took her coat and went out for a walk. From behind her, her aunt’s voice followed:

“Don’t go too far — and stay away from the neighbors!”

Lisa shrugged indifferently and kept walking, heading toward the hill facing the river.

Near the top of the slope, she saw Robin — standing still, watching her.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that? I’m talking to you!”

Robin flinched. “Oh… no, nothing. I just didn’t expect to see you here again.”

“Is that a problem?” Lisa replied coolly.

Robin bent down, picked up the bundle of sticks he had gathered, and slung them over his shoulder.

Lisa stepped closer. “That day… it was around here. This is where I saw the girl’s body. And that night, you and your father were—”

Suddenly, Danny’s voice rang out from the distance — sharp and angry.

“Robin! Get back here! That’s enough!”

Without a word, Robin turned and walked away.

Two days passed since that brief encounter, but Lisa couldn’t shake it from her mind. She was determined to see Robin again — to learn the truth.

Was there a secret behind the girl’s death? Were the brothers, or their father, somehow involved in the crime?

That evening, she stood by the kitchen window, staring toward the old barn across the yard. The sun was sinking, and the trees stretched long shadows over the ground. For a moment, she thought she saw someone slip quietly into the barn.

Aunt Claire’s voice broke her thoughts.

“Lisa, what are you staring at?”

Lisa straightened up quickly, picked up her cup, and said calmly, “Nothing, Aunt. I was just pouring some coffee.”

Neither of them spoke again. Silence filled the room.

The next day, near sunset, Lisa saw Robin walking by the riverbank once more. She hurried down the slope to catch up with him.

When he noticed her, he turned his head away and kept walking.

“Hey! I’m talking to you! Why are you avoiding me?”

Robin said nothing, only quickened his pace.

Lisa shouted after him, “I’m talking to you, Robin!”

He stopped, exhaled, and turned around.

“Your aunt says you’re sick,” he said quietly. “That you take medicine… that you can’t always control yourself.”

Lisa froze. She leaned against a tree, staring at him.

“I’m sorry,” Robin went on. “She told me that sometimes, at night, in your sleep—”

“Enough!” Lisa cut him off sharply. “I don’t want to hear it. I’m not crazy! I saw that girl’s body!”

“…But you were the only one there, Lisa. I didn’t see any body.”

At that moment, the laughter and quick footsteps of Jennifer and Wendy echoed from afar. Robin seized the excuse and quickly walked away, leaving Lisa standing alone by the river.

That night, she lay awake until dawn, turning Robin’s words — and her aunt’s — over in her mind.

“Do I really see things in my sleep? Or are they hiding something from me?”

She couldn’t know that what she had seen in her dreams was the shadow of something that had truly happened in this house… long ago.

Drawn by an unease she couldn’t explain, Lisa rose from bed and walked toward the barn.

She had barely taken a few steps when Edward suddenly appeared from behind the wall.

“What are you doing out here?”

He brushed the dust off his clothes before continuing calmly, “I leave my tools behind the barn when I’m done working in the field.”

“Why behind the barn?” she asked.

“Because that barn hasn’t been opened in over forty years.”

“Why not?”

Edward shrugged and walked off without another word.

Lisa stood staring at the old building, feeling as if something — or someone — inside it was calling to her.

She went back to the house and reached for the old newspapers again.

One read:

Summer 1960 — Search for Fourteen-Year-Old Stephanie Ends Without Results.

The next one said:

Winter 1980 — Police Find No Evidence in the Disappearance of James Woodson.

Suddenly, Aunt Claire’s furious voice shattered the silence.

“I told you not to touch those!”

“Aunt…”

“Put them back. Go to your room!”

Lisa sat on the bed, her mind spinning—

The next morning, Lisa was walking in the yard when she suddenly felt eyes watching her.

She turned quickly — and caught a shadow darting toward the neighbors’ house.

Heading toward the woodshed, she nearly collided with Danny.

He looked her up and down with cold disdain.

“What are you doing here? Can’t you ever mind your own business?”

From behind a tree, Jennifer stepped out and walked toward them.

“My brother doesn’t know how to talk to girls,” she said lightly.

Danny stayed silent.

“Where’s your sister?” Lisa asked.

“What do you want with her?”

“She was near our house… watching me from behind the trees. Why?”

Danny glanced at Jennifer and gave her a quick nod. She turned and walked away without a word.

His face hardened; his eyes were full of anger.

“I don’t want to see you hanging around us again. Got it?”

Lisa stared straight into his eyes — a cold, steady gaze that made him turn away first.

Hours later, Lisa sat in the kitchen, sipping coffee, when Aunt Claire entered.

“Would you like some coffee?” Lisa asked.

“Sit down. I’ll pour it myself.”

Lisa’s tone was calm but probing.

“Auntie, why don’t you want me to read those old newspapers?”

“They’re too old,” Claire replied curtly. “I don’t want them torn.”

Lisa pushed a box of cookies toward her.

“Did you know those people — the ones mentioned in the papers?”

Her aunt hesitated, eyes flickering with unease.

“What difference does it make to you?”

“Nothing… I was just curious. They’re from a long time ago.”

“Then we’re not talking about it anymore.”

“Alright… just one more thing,” Lisa said softly. “Why did you tell Robin about my accident and my medicine?

Tell me, Aunt — do I really talk in my sleep? What do I say?”

Aunt Claire stood abruptly, walked to the cupboard, and took down a small paper bag filled with pills.

“These pills aren’t right for your age,” Aunt Claire said firmly. “I told Edward to bring new ones next time. Stop taking these — I don’t want you mumbling those delusions in your sleep again.”

Lisa frowned. “What do you mean, Aunt? What delusions?”

“I’m tired,” Claire murmured, turning away. “I’m going to bed. Just remember — from tonight on, don’t take them anymore.”

The next morning, Lisa went for a walk — this time toward the forest.

Someone’s footsteps crunched softly behind her among the dry leaves. Whenever she stopped, the sound stopped too.

Cautiously, she continued down the path until she spotted Robin below, walking along the dirt road. She hurried to catch up.

Before she could speak, Robin called out, “Careful! It’s downhill there — don’t slip!”

But he warned her too late. Lisa’s foot slid on the loose soil, and she fell to the ground.

“See? I told you!” Robin laughed. “Be careful!”

Lisa smiled faintly. “You should’ve said it sooner.”

“Oh… so you do know how to smile,” he teased.

Lisa got up, brushed the dirt off her hands, and said, “I need to ask you something. Please, just answer me honestly.”

Robin hesitated. “Alright. Go ahead.”

“Do you know anything about Stephanie?”

“Not exactly… That story’s from sixty years ago. I only heard she was last seen around here. Where did you hear her name?”

“I found it in some old newspapers at my aunt’s house.” She paused. “Another question… Do you know a man named James Woodson?”

Robin scratched his head and looked puzzled. “Let me guess — you read that in the papers too?”

“Yes. Do you know who he was?”

“Yeah… He was my grandfather — or used to be. My dad wasn’t even married back then.”

Lisa’s eyes widened. “What else do you know about him?”

“Not much. My dad said he went out one evening and never came back. That was forty years ago.”

“What about Stephanie?”

“I heard she came here to see your aunt. But when she arrived, your aunt’s parents told her Claire wasn’t home. After that, no one ever saw her again… that’s all I know.”

Suddenly Jessica’s voice came from behind Lisa.

“Robin! Father’s waiting for you.”

Lisa turned and met Jessica’s eyes — a warm, almost tender look that sent a strange heat rising through her chest.

When she returned home, Aunt Claire frowned at the sight of her muddy clothes.

“Out playing in the mud again? Come here — you’re getting dirt everywhere. Wait!”

She spread a long cloth across the floor.

“Take off those clothes right here, and then go upstairs to bathe.”

Lisa said nothing, quietly did as she was told, and went up to her room.

It was near ten that night when flashes of red and blue light flickered across her bedroom walls.

She went to the window. Two police cars were parked in front of George’s house. Margaret and Jessica were standing by the door.

Lisa started to dress, ready to step outside, when Aunt Claire entered the room.

“Go to bed. You’re not going anywhere. It’s none of our business.”

She closed the door behind her.

The next morning, while waiting for the coffee to brew, Lisa glanced out the kitchen window and saw the barn. A strange feeling ran through her. She walked toward it.

For once, the lock on the door was open. She stepped inside.

Nothing seemed unusual — old tools, dust, silence. Then Edward’s voice startled her from behind.

“Ma’am, what are you doing here so early?”

Lisa, caught off guard, hesitated.

“What are you doing here? Didn’t you bring the groceries yesterday?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “I came to pick up some farm tools. The barn door was open… first time I’ve seen that in forty years.”

Just then Aunt Claire’s furious voice rang from behind them.

“Who gave you permission to go in there? Get out! Both of you!”

But at that same moment, another sound drifted out — a muffled, groaning voice from somewhere deep inside the barn.

Lisa turned sharply, but saw nothing. She spun her gaze around once more and then stepped outside.

Later that afternoon, she tried to find Robin. She walked to the hill near the river and waited for over an hour, but he never came.

Her mind was restless — what had the police been doing at George’s house the night before?

On her way back, a scream pierced the still air. A girl’s voice.

Lisa ran toward the sound with all her strength — and once again, she saw the same horrifying scene: the body of a young girl, clothes torn, face covered in blood.

Then everything went black.

When she opened her eyes, she was lying beside the same large stone — but the body was gone.

She struggled to her feet and walked home. Night had fallen; darkness swallowed everything. Near the barn, she heard a man’s voice, weak and trembling:

“No… no, please… don’t…”

Then silence.

When she reached the house, Aunt Claire was talking with Margaret.

As Lisa drew near, she caught her aunt’s angry words:

“Don’t you ever come to my door again, do you understand?”

Margaret turned, gave Lisa a cold look, and muttered something under her breath — something Lisa couldn’t hear.

When she entered the house, Aunt Claire’s eyes were hard and blazing.

“I’m here,” Lisa said quietly. “Go on, Aunt. I’m listening.”

Aunt Claire lifted her cup of coffee.

“Drink your coffee first, dear. It’ll help you relax.”

“Thanks, Aunt. I really needed something warm.”

Lisa took the cup and sat on the couch.

“Well, go ahead,” she said.

Claire’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“How far has your… relationship with Robin gone? You haven’t— I mean, I hope not!”

Lisa froze, startled. “Me and Robin?!” she thought.

“Aunt, you’re wrong… it’s nothing like that.”

Aunt Claire set her cup down sharply on the table.

“Margaret says her girls saw you alone with Robin — and Danny’s furious about it. Margaret even came here to warn you herself.”

Lisa frowned. “She saw me, yet said nothing? Why wouldn’t she talk to me directly?”

“I don’t know,” Claire replied coldly. “Just listen to me, Lisa — falling in love never ends well.”

Lisa smiled faintly. As she looked into her aunt’s weary face, for a brief moment she felt sure — this woman had once been in love too.

“I know nothing about her youth…” she thought quietly.

Two days later, Lisa fell ill. She lay weak and pale in bed, too exhausted to move. Aunt Claire checked on her from time to time, bringing tea or medicine, saying little.

After two days, near dusk, Lisa slowly pushed herself up and went downstairs.

“Why are you out of bed?” her aunt asked. “You’re not well yet.”

Lisa sank into the couch.

“I’m better… just need a glass of water.”

Aunt Claire went to the kitchen. Through the window she glanced toward the barn, pausing for a moment. From there she called out, “Lisa… what do you think of that old barn?”

No answer. She filled the glass and turned — Lisa had fallen asleep.

A week passed. Most of that time, Lisa remained in bed. Sometimes, through the window, she saw Robin and his father heading toward the river at night, carrying a shovel and a lantern.

At times, she heard a man’s voice — faint and broken: “No… no, don’t do it…”

And sometimes, in the flashes of her restless dreams, a young girl’s face would appear — for an instant — and vanish again.

Aunt Claire opened the door quietly one evening. She placed a tray on the bedside table — coffee, a small pastry, and a glass of water with pills — and left without a word.

That night, Lisa thought she heard a soft tapping on the window. She turned — and gasped. Jessica was there.

Lisa motioned for her to come in. Jessica climbed through the window and sat beside her.

“I’ve been worried about you,” Jessica whispered. “You haven’t been outside in a week.”

At that moment, the creak of footsteps came from the stairs. Jessica quickly slid under the bed.

Aunt Claire opened the door, glanced around, and closed it again.

Jessica crawled out and whispered, “You’re burning up. What’s wrong?”

Lisa’s voice was weak. “I don’t know… I just feel like I can’t move.

“I’m really worried about you.”

After a moment of silence, Lisa asked,

“Can I ask you something? Will you answer me honestly?”

Jessica nodded.

“Where do Robin and your father go at night?”

Jessica hesitated, then spoke softly.

“My father still believes — even after forty years — that the man who killed his father is somewhere around here. He’s sure the body was buried nearby. That’s why he keeps digging. During the day, he marks the suspicious spots, and at night… he digs.”

“Then why did the police come that night?”

“The neighbors don’t like what he’s doing. They filed a complaint. It’s not the first time.”

Lisa took a deep breath.

“Jessica… the body I saw — the girl with the torn dress and blood on her face — who was she?”

“There was no body, Lisa. You must have imagined it.”

“No, Jessica, I saw her with my own eyes.”

Jessica leaned closer. “Listen to me. I think your aunt’s been giving you something — something that makes you numb.”

“Why would she do that?”

“I don’t know. There’s something between you two that I don’t understand. Just… be careful, okay?”

Footsteps creaked on the stairs. Jessica whispered, “I have to go.”

She kissed Lisa’s cheek, climbed out the window, and vanished into the dark.

Moments later, Aunt Claire entered the room.

“You still haven’t taken your medicine?”

She lifted Lisa’s head and placed a pill in her mouth.

“In a day or two, you’ll feel fine,” she said softly. “No more nightmares, no more nonsense.”

“Why, Aunt? Why?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you trying to kill me?”

Claire fell silent for a moment. Then she gently laid Lisa’s head back on the pillow and sat beside her.

“I was a beautiful girl once,” she began quietly. “James loved me. He promised to marry me. But later, I found out he’d been with other girls behind my back.”

Lisa stared into her aunt’s eyes — eyes filled with tears and shadows.

“And then… you killed him?” she whispered.

“No,” Claire said. “He married someone else before I even knew. He said it was his father’s decision… but he kept seeing me. Said he still loved me.”

She stood up, her face pale under the dim light, and looked into Lisa’s eyes.

“You’re tired. Go to sleep.”

At the doorway, she paused, her voice low and trembling.

“I don’t know how… but it’s like you already know everything, Lisa.

This sixty-year-old secret must never be revealed. Never.”

Lisa lay motionless on the bed, her breath shallow, her vision fading. The sound of the river echoed faintly — like a heavy lullaby whispering through her ears.

Aunt Claire sat beside her once more. Her eyes trembled between tears and fear.

“You think I hate you, don’t you, Lisa? But I don’t… I’m just afraid.”

“Afraid of what, Aunt? Of me?”

Claire took a deep breath.

“No… of the past. Of what you were never meant to know. But somehow, fate wanted you to.”

She took Lisa’s hands — hot and trembling — and whispered,

“For sixty years I’ve buried this secret inside me. I can’t hold it any longer. Listen…”

Her voice came weak and broken, like someone speaking in a dream.

“I was young then. James was already married, but he swore that after his baby was born, he’d divorce his wife and stay with me.

I believed him… Love had blinded me.”

“But one day,” Claire continued, her voice trembling, “Stephanie came to see him. She said she was pregnant… with his child. James panicked — she was only fourteen. He said he had to do something, said I could help him. That monster tricked the poor girl and sent her to my house.”

Her eyes grew distant. “But that day, I wasn’t home.”

Lisa’s tears welled up. “What happened then?”

“James — that cruel man — took Stephanie down to the river, near the big stone… I was waiting for him on the hill above when I suddenly heard her scream. I ran out. When I got there, he was standing over her… her dress torn, blood all over her face…

She wasn’t breathing anymore.”

Claire’s voice broke. “I screamed, I cried… but there was nothing I could do. James said, ‘I did it for you — so nothing will stand between us.’

And Lisa… I still loved him. He begged me to help him, and I did. We buried her — right there, beneath that stone.”

She paused. Her breathing grew heavier.

“Twenty years passed. James was no longer the man I knew. Cold, deceitful, haunted by guilt. One night, in the barn, we argued. He said I was to blame for that girl’s death. I shouted back — said I’d go to the police and tell them everything.

He grabbed my arms — ‘No,’ he said, ‘don’t do this.’

I pushed him — just for a moment — and his head struck the edge of the table. He died instantly.

I didn’t mean to… God knows I didn’t.”

Tears streamed down her face.

“I was terrified no one would believe me. So I buried him too — there, in the barn. I loved him, he betrayed me, and because of his sin… I became a sinner too. The barn was the closest place to me — and to my guilt.”

Lisa, barely conscious, whispered, “So all the voices… the screams… they were real?”

“Yes, my dear,” Claire said softly. “Their souls never left me. They’ve been here all these years… watching me in the dark.”

She leaned down and kissed Lisa’s forehead.

“Now you can rest, my dear… and so can I.”

She walked out of the room.

A few minutes later, there was a heavy thud from the staircase — a short, stifled cry — and then silence.

Lisa lifted her weak head. The window was open; a cold wind swept through the room.

Moments later, Jessica burst in — pale and shaken.

“Lisa! Did you hear that noise?”

“How did you hear it?” Lisa asked faintly.

“I was just outside the door, about to come up.”

“Yeah… it was loud. Go see what happened.”

Jessica ran out. Minutes later, she returned, her face broken, eyes wide with horror.

“She’s gone… she’s not breathing.”

Lisa closed her eyes.

“It’s over,” she whispered. “Everything’s over.”

Outside, the wail of an ambulance and the flashing lights of police cars filled the night. Officers searched the property with shovels and lanterns.

Under the barn, they found the bones of James Woodson.

And by the river, beneath the great stone — the remains of a young girl: Stephanie.

The sixty-year-old secret of Claire’s house was finally revealed.

A few days later, Lisa remained there with Jessica — in quiet stillness.

No more screams, no more whispers from the past.

Only the sound of the river could be heard — soft and steady,

like the heartbeat of a soul that, after so many years, had finally found peace.

Jessica moved closer and took Lisa’s hand.

“It’s over now, Lisa.”

Lisa looked out the window, her voice calm.

“No… it’s only just begun.”

She smiled faintly.

Sunlight touched their faces,

and the shadow of that old house

finally — and forever — came to rest.