THE SILENT WITNESS

When Jason, a seasoned crime scene cleaner, is called to an upscale apartment to clean up after what appears to be a tragic suicide, he finds something that shakes him to his core—a hidden message written in blood. As he delves deeper, he realizes the "suicide" may have been something far more sinister, and the real killer is watching his every move.--
Jason had seen it all. Fifteen years as a crime scene cleaner had numbed him to the sight of blood, the scent of death, and the whispers of those who once lived. His job was simple: erase the remnants of tragedy, make it as though nothing had ever happened. But this time, something was different.

The call came in at dawn. An upscale penthouse in the heart of the city. A woman in her late twenties, found in her bathtub with wrists slashed. The police had already ruled it a suicide. Routine cleanup, they said.

Jason arrived at the apartment, greeted by the hollow silence of a home that no longer had a heartbeat. He set to work, methodically scrubbing the crimson stains from the pristine white tiles, but as he wiped down the mirror, something caught his eye.

A message. Faint, nearly washed away by the steam and blood splatter.

“HE MADE ME.”

Jason’s breath hitched. His gloved hands trembled as he traced the letters, his mind racing. He had cleaned up after countless suicides before, but this… this was different. This was a cry for help.

He stepped back, assessing the scene with fresh eyes. The blood splatter pattern, the unnatural positioning of the body, the bruises on the wrists—things that might have been overlooked in a hasty investigation. The woman, whom he later learned was named Evelyn Hart, hadn’t taken her own life. Someone had made it look that way.

Jason wasn’t a detective, but he couldn’t ignore the truth screaming at him from the mirror. He took out his phone, hesitated for a moment, then snapped a picture. He knew reporting this to the police might put him in danger—if they missed this, was it incompetence or intentional? But walking away wasn’t an option.

As he packed up his supplies, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. A presence. A weight in the air. He turned toward the apartment’s floor-to-ceiling window. Across the street, behind the tinted glass of an office building, a figure stood watching him.

• A man. Dressed in black. Unmoving.

Jason’s stomach clenched. Whoever staged this had eyes on the scene—on him.

He hurried to his van, locking the doors as his pulse thundered. He needed to get that message to someone who would listen. He needed to find out who Evelyn Hart was. But more than anything, he needed to move fast.

Because now, he wasn’t just a cleaner.

• He was a witness.

Jason’s mind raced as he drove away. He replayed the crime scene in his head, every small detail taking on new meaning. Who was Evelyn Hart? And why had she been silenced? He glanced at his phone, at the photograph of the smeared message. His fingers hovered over the police department’s number, but he hesitated. If they had overlooked something so obvious, could he really trust them?

His stomach churned as he considered his options. Maybe he should go to a journalist. Someone who couldn’t be easily silenced. But before he could decide, his rearview mirror caught something that made his blood run cold.

• A black SUV. Following him.

Jason turned at the next intersection, his heart pounding. So did the SUV. He changed lanes, sped up slightly. The vehicle matched his every move.

• This wasn’t coincidence.

Jason’s grip tightened on the wheel. He wasn’t naive—he knew too much. And now, someone wanted to make sure he never spoke about it.

His pulse roared in his ears as he made a snap decision. He slammed his foot on the gas, swerving into a side street, then another, weaving through traffic in a desperate attempt to lose his pursuer. The SUV stayed on him, closing in.

Up ahead, Jason spotted an underground parking garage. Without hesitation, he yanked the wheel, tires screeching as he dove into the dimly lit structure. He killed the engine and ducked low, his breath ragged.

• The SUV speed past the entrance.

Jason exhaled, forcing himself to think clearly. He couldn’t go home. He couldn’t go to the police. He needed help—someone outside the system.

With shaking hands, he scrolled through his contacts until he found a name. An investigative journalist he had met once while working a high-profile case. Someone who had exposed police corruption before.

• He hit dial.

A voice answered on the third ring. "Jason? What’s going on?"

"I need to talk," Jason whispered. "I have proof of a murder. And they know I have it."

A long silence. Then, "Where are you?"

Jason glanced around the garage. "Nowhere safe."

"Get somewhere public. We’ll meet. Don’t trust anyone until then."

Jason swallowed hard and started his engine. The game had changed. He wasn’t just a cleaner anymore.

•He was a target.

🤔 Would You Report It or Stay Silent?

As Jason speeds toward an uncertain fate, the realization dawns—whoever killed Evelyn Hart isn’t done yet.

What happens next? 🤷 You decide.