My End Is My Beginning

Mysteries Don't Sleep

picture on the front desk. I look intensely at the details, noticing a tall, pale figure behind the large group of people.

I quickly noticed that the date was set as the day they went missing, the day my friends went missing. "What the hell?" I question with confusion. I started to look around when the front desk assistant came out apologizing. "Well Sweetheart, I'm sorry I took forever." The assistant stated. "It's quite ok, I'd like to get a room though." I specified visibly sweat dropping, showing her my ID and handed her the cash in my pocket. "Hon, that's a bit much?" She inquired in confusion, not knowing how to tell me that I handed her too much money. "Sorry I'm a bit out of it, been driving for a few hours." I stated with a tired voice. I glance at the picture on the desk, picking it up, I turn it to make the image face her. "May I ask where this was taken?" I inquired. She looked at me with uneasiness. "Hon...Where did you get that image?" I looked at her with confusion. "I got it off of the desk?" I pointed to where on the desk I found it. The woman looked at me with suspicion "Hon, that photo was never there before, is this a sick game with you?" With this I look at her with a serious expression. "No ma'am I saw this sitting here and-" she cuts me off with her palm facing me, the indie music of choice playing in the background. "Honestly, I don't want excuses, I want an explanation, this photo was taken when that whole group disappeared, the only things found in them were a camera, campsite, all their bags and supplies, and that picture. My sister was in that group. That was fifteen years ago." I look at her with sadness "I'm sorry ma'am, but I can assure you that I did not put this here, I noticed it, picked it up, and saw the tall figure and the date, that date is the day my three friends went missing." She looked at me with pity. I hate that, I hate when people look at me with pity when I tell them that my best friends disappeared. I clench my fist with my knuckles turning white, and I pocket the photo maybe it will give me some leads as to where they've gone. I soon noticed the lady wave to me telling me to follow her to my motel room.

As she shows me where my motel room is, I get the feeling that someone is watching me, every move I make as if I was a form of bacteria being monitored for any adverse effects. I turn around; however, I don't spot anything. The woman notices this and looked at me with a perplexed look. Not wanting to worry her, I quickly turn around and ask "Is this my room?" She looks around trying to spot what I was looking for, "Y-Yeah, this is your room, sorry for being rude earlier." She uttered awkwardly. I wave her off as if saying it's ok. She then nodded, walking away quickly as if I had just yelled at her with intense fury.

I quickly walk into my room looking for any cameras, not seeing anything, I start to view what the room had to offer. I peeked out of the window, that's when I remembered that I had the photo in my coat pocket. I quickly pulled it out and looked and took the photo itself out of the frame. I turned to the picture and noticed the same symbol that was in the photo of my bedroom window. I quickly realized that I left my bag with all my evidence in it inside my car, I quickly sprint out of my room, careful not to slam the door on my way out. I hope it's still there, I thought anxiously. Not realizing it was already dark, I quickly search my now trashed, glass covered car for my bag. After five minutes of searching for my black bag I finally found it, making sure to look inside and take note if anything was missing. After searching for any missing evidence, since I had a USB with all the pictures I had taken on my necklace, I wasn't worried about those, however, I was worried about the paper evidence. After noting that nothing was missing, I sprinted back inside with the feeling of being watched quickly fading as I stepped foot into the motel.

As I reach my room, I notice a picture taped to my door, I scan it seeing that it was a picture of me in the lobby of the motel. I snatch it off my door and quickly step inside my room after opening the door. I dump all of my evidence onto my bed and realize that I forgot to bring my box of video tapes in. I quickly run out of the motel and to my car, popping the trunk as soon as I reached my car. I snatch the box of video tapes, including the tape player I can hook up to my computer, and I make my way to my motel room. I pull out my phone and call the closest auto repair shop which was surprisingly close by. As I call the shop a croaky voice answered, "Thanks for calling Mitches auto repair you wreck it, we repair it, how can I help you?", "Yes, hi. I'd like to make an appointment, one of my cousins threw a baseball and it shattered my driver's side window, and I was just wondering what the best is opening you have?" I questioned, hoping that I could get my car in the morning. After confirming my hopes, I set the appointment for ten in the morning. I quickly pull out the thumbtack box I had packed away in the bottom of my bag. I started making an evidence board in the wall above the desk that sits across from the bed.

After I hang up my findings, noting that my camera was lying on the bed. "Oh, that's where that went." With realization I pick it up and turn it on. I spot the most recent photo; it was me passed out in my car a symbol drawn onto my car, drawn onto my door. With a shiver I drop my camera onto the bed and sit on the bed.