The photographs

My eyebrows frowned as I watched my little sister, Lily, stare the photograph in her hands down.

“Lily you’ve been staring at the picture for ages.” I said irritation clear in my voice. “Can you at least go to your own room and act like a weirdo there?” I muttered.

She looked up at me her blond hair falling in front of her face to obscure her sharp gray eyes.

“I’ve been here before.” She stated pointing at the old Polaroid picture in her hands.

My frown deepens now with confusion. “What?” I asked standing up from my bed and walking to where she sat in the middle of my room on the floor.

I crouched next to her as she spoke again. “I’ve been to this place before.”

Her little hands extended and I glanced at her before taking the picture from her.

It was a picture of a forest, the trees old and tall, towering over a small clearing that was littered with dead yellow leaves, the sun rays bouncing off of them to illuminate the surrounding area.

“It’s just a forest...” I mumbled looking up at her after inspecting the picture.“Where did you get this?” I asked.

She patted the worn out album next to her. “I found it in Grandpa’s album.” She stated her eyes trailing from the old brown album to the photo in my hand.

“And why are you saying y you’ve been here before?” I asked.

“Because I have.” She said in a matter of fact tone. “I was in the forest, running...” she stated.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “Running?” I asked and she nodded.

“I was running from him.” She said shuffling in her place looking uncomfortable as her eyes flickered around the room as if waiting for someone to interrupt her.

“Him? Who’s him?” I asked shocked and worried.

“The man with the crooked teeth and crazy eyes.” She whispered. “He had an Axe.”

I blinked at her as a shiver ran down my spine and dread settled in my stomach.

“Wha-”

“Don’t worry though! He never caught me!” She spoke smiling as she took the picture and grabbed the album, hopping up and walking towards the doorway, she smiled at me one last time before walking away.

(A week later.....)

Lily looked up after finishing her story, staring at the officer in front of her expectantly.

He looked apprehensive but still remaind serious and Stoic though Lily could see the scared look in his eyes.

She always saw things nobody else saw....

“And that was the last time you spoke to your sister? You didn’t talk to her at all before she went missing?” He asked and Lily nodded with a smile.

“But it isn’t my fault Mister.” She said shaking her head and he raised an eyebrow at her.

“What isn’t your fault?” He asked her.

“I told her he wouldn’t catch me, tried to give her a hint.” She said, ignoring the officer’s question as she flipped through the album in her hands.

The officer crouched next to her, his eyes snapping around the victims room.

“Lily what isn’t your-“

“He couldn’t catch me.” She stated again shaking her head sadly. “But he did catch her.”

The officer froze his face paling as a photograph was given to him.

It was a picture of a path, one end of it was lined by trees and the other stood out a lake covered slightly by fog. A bench sat by the trees and was directed so that the seater had a view of the lake.

“I’ve been here before too, and so will you...”