All hell broke loose the moment Thomas and Sienna uploaded a photo to social media to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary. What was meant to be a simple, loving post turned into something terrifying.
A creepy face appeared in the picture, hidden in the background, and once people noticed it, nothing in their lives felt normal again. That single image set off a chain of events that pushed the happy couple straight into a horrifying truth they never expected to face.
Thomas had set the camera on the mantel and hurried back to stand beside Sienna in front of the fireplace. The flames crackled softly behind them, casting warm light across the room.
“Ten years,” Thomas said with a soft smile, slipping his arm around her waist.
Sienna leaned into him and replied, “Ten years of us.”
The timer blinked red as it counted down. Just before the shutter clicked, Sienna thought she heard a faint sound from the hallway behind her. It was soft, almost like a shuffle or a breath.
Her eyes flicked away for a second, but she quickly brushed it off. It was their anniversary. She didn’t want to ruin the moment. She focused on the camera, knowing this photo would be another memory added to the many already filling their home.
Their house was crowded with reminders of their life together—photos on the walls, framed tickets from trips, small souvenirs on shelves, and handwritten notes tucked into corners. Every room told a story.
Thomas suddenly sighed, nostalgia washing over him. “I remember when we first moved in here,” he said. “We spent two nights sleeping on the floor.”
Sienna laughed softly. “And now every nook and cranny holds a piece of our story. And we get to share those pieces with others… on social media.” She smiled, tapped her phone to upload the photo, then put it away so they could enjoy the rest of the night together.
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the curtains and pulled Sienna from sleep. But something else was bothering her too—a constant buzzing sound.
“Check that, hon,” Thomas muttered, still half-asleep. “It’s been pinging for a while now.”
Sienna reached for her phone on the nightstand, squinting at the screen. Her eyes widened as she saw notification after notification. Comments. Messages. Missed calls.
“People are saying there’s something weird in our photo,” she said slowly. “And I’ve got a bunch of missed calls too.”
Thomas rolled closer and looked at the screen. “Weird? Like what?”
Sienna scrolled, her forehead wrinkling. “They say there’s a strange face in the background. That can’t be right… can it?”
Thomas took the phone and studied the picture. “It’s probably just shadows or a trick of the light,” he said, though his voice didn’t sound as confident as he wanted it to. “Don’t let it bother you.” He handed the phone back and got out of bed.
But Sienna kept reading.
One comment stopped her cold. Someone had posted a screenshot, zoomed in and circled. Near her shoulder was a pale, childlike face staring straight at the camera.
“Thomas…” she whispered, dread crawling up her spine. “What the hell is that?”
He came back from the bathroom and leaned over her shoulder. “It has to be a prank.”
But Sienna’s heart was pounding. She remembered the sound she’d heard just as the photo was taken. Her hands shook as she opened the original image from her gallery.
“This isn’t a glitch,” she said. “It’s too clear. Too real. Look at its expression.”
Thomas didn’t answer right away. She kept scrolling through older photos.
“Look,” she said, pointing. “In every picture, there’s something. A blur. A shape. I think… I think it might be a ghost. Maybe our house is haunted.”
“We’ve lived here for ten years,” Thomas said, trying to laugh it off, though his voice cracked. “We would’ve noticed.”
Still, Sienna couldn’t let it go. She returned to the spot where the camera had been and started taking more pictures, trying to find a normal explanation. Suddenly, hands grabbed her shoulders.
She screamed.
“Relax, love. It’s me,” Thomas said, chuckling. “Forget the photo. We’ve got lunch reservations, remember?”
She nodded, but as they left the house, she kept glancing over her shoulder. When they reached the car, she froze. There—at the window—was the same eerie face.
“Stop the car!” she shouted, pointing at the house.
Thomas squinted. “I don’t see anything.”
And just like that, it was gone.
That night, Sienna woke to a sound that made her blood run cold. A mournful cry echoed through the house, followed by footsteps.
“Darling, wake up,” she whispered. “Do you hear that?”
Thomas sat up, listening. He grabbed his phone. “I’m calling 911.”
“We can’t call 911 for a ghost!” Sienna hissed.
“I’m not risking it,” he said, grabbing his gun.
“I’m going with you,” Sienna insisted.
They moved carefully through the house. Voices—soft and broken, in another language—came from the kitchen. When they reached it, Sienna gasped.
It wasn’t a ghost.
It was a boy.
He was thin, pale, and crying—the same face from their photo.
“Freeze!” Thomas shouted, then lowered the gun as the boy shook with fear.
“Help?” the child whispered.
Sienna’s fear melted into heartbreak. “You’re hungry, aren’t you?”
The boy nodded. “Hungry, yes.”
“My name’s Sienna. What’s yours?”
“Nikolai.”
As she made him a sandwich, the truth slowly came out. He had run from a bad place.
“You will help Mama?” he asked.
“Of course,” Sienna promised.
When the police arrived, Nikolai panicked and ran. The next day, Sienna and Thomas searched for him themselves. Their neighbor Nancy recognized the face from the photo and joined in.
Eventually, Sienna found a neglected Victorian house. Barking echoed behind a wire fence. Chicory flowers bloomed nearby.
“Wire wall…” she whispered.
Inside, a woman cried for help.
The police rescued her. “I’m Asya,” she said. “I came here with my boy. He kept me prisoner.”
Nikolai was found in the basement and reunited with his mother. An officer told Sienna, “Your quick action saved them.”
Later, back home, Thomas held up the framed photo.
“I think this deserves a special place,” he said.
“It’s the best of the bunch,” Sienna replied.
They laughed softly, knowing their anniversary photo had changed lives forever.