Thomas and Sienna enjoyed the night to themselves. They celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary and took the time to reflect on all the lovely moments they had shared over the years, wishing each other many more to come.
As is customary, they prepared to take a shot that would be placed on the mantelpiece, but as the camera’s timer ticked down, Sienna thought she heard a gentle sound in the hallway behind her. Thomas held her, assuring her that it was nothing, and they smiled for another snapshot celebrating a year together.
Sienna shared the photo on social media, not realizing it would lead to something inconceivable.
The next morning, she was awakened by the sound of pinging. She grabbed her phone as notifications rolled in one after another. The majority of them were comments from people wishing them a happy anniversary, but some kept questioning whose face was in the background of the shot.
Sienna noticed a face on the image they had taken the night before. She told Thomas about it, but he was convinced it was only a shadow that looked like a face.
Sienna, on the other hand, wasn’t at peace. She remembers hearing a sound at the time the shot was taken, so she requested Thomas to check the house just in case.
Thomas performed this, but there was no one present. “Relax, love. It’s me,” he answered, chuckling slightly. “Forget about that photo. We’ve got lunch reservations, remember?”
As the two approached the car and Sienna was about to get in, she noticed the same spooky face on the glass but was too afraid to say anything. She shouted and spun around, only to find no one behind her.
That night, she was startled by a weird noise. It was clear that someone was inside the house. She woke Thomas up, and he confirmed that noises were coming from downstairs.
He held the phone in one hand and his revolver in the other.
“We can’t call 911 for a ghost!” Sienna argued, but he still dialed 911.
Walking carefully to the kitchen, they noticed an emaciated boy who burst into sobs. His face was smeared with snot, and it was clear he was afraid and hungry.
But how did he wind up at their house?
“Hey there, it’s okay. We won’t hurt you,” Thomas said with a gentle voice.
“You’re hungry, right?” Sienna asked, grinning tenderly.
“Hungry, yes,” the boy nodded.
“What’s your name?”
“Nikolai.”
He gradually stated that he and his mother had come from a terrible place and continued asking whether they might help his mommy.
At that point, the police officers Thomas had already summoned arrived at their door. This frightened the youngster, and he escaped before they could capture him.
The next day, Sienna and Thomas began looking for Nikolai. They realized he couldn’t have traveled far.
While roaming around the neighborhood, they spotted an abandoned Victorian mansion.
Sienna continued her investigation and discovered a boarded window from which she could hear a woman pleading for aid. In a flash, she had her phone in hand, ready to call the cops. Other people soon began to gather.
The authorities broke into the building and discovered a woman in distress. In broken English, she said that she was Asya and explained that she traveled to the United States to make a better life for herself and her son, but instead met a man as a monster who held her captive.
They took her out, and soon after, Nikolai emerged from the basement.
“What about the man who did this?” Sienna asked.
“We’ve already sent officers to arrest him at his job. Nikolai and Asya will be taken to a safe place. It seems she came here from Russia as some kind of mail-order bride. The legality of her immigrant status is unknown at this point, but we’ll ensure they get the help they need,” the officers responded.
It was an amazing experience. A single photograph resulted in a surprising revelation, saving two lives.
“I believe the latest photo for the mantle deserves a special place,” Thomas told his wife, holding up a framed print of the now-infamous photo the couple had posted on social media.
“It’s the best of the bunch,” Sienna quipped.
