STRAWBERRY VALLEY MYSTERIES: BOOK 1 - BAD PARTS

Chapter 3: Silent Spectator

"Well?” Greg asked, raising an eyebrow.

Max hesitated. “Well, we didn’t see much, but…,” he trailed off, then took a deep breath and continued. “We saw a figure near the asylum. Definitely didn’t look like a woman, though.”

“That’s strange,” Barney muttered, concern lacing his tone. “That place has been abandoned for thirteen years.”

“What?” Rose’s eyes widened in fear.

Greg looked at them, his expression a mix of curiosity and concern. “A figure, you say? Near the asylum?”

Max nodded seriously. “Yeah, clear as day. It didn’t look like a woman.”

Barney furrowed his brow. “That’s strange. Thirteen years, and now someone—or something—just shows up there?”

Greg leaned in, his gaze intense. “How close did you get to this figure?”

Max glanced at Rose, who looked visibly shaken. “Not too close. We kept our distance. It was just… standing there, not moving,” he said, turning to Rose. “We must’ve been, what, maybe thirty or forty yards from the asylum?”

Rose shivered, feeling a chill run down her spine. “Yeah, about that,” she whispered.

Greg pursed his lips, processing the information. “And you didn’t get a clear look?”

Max shook his head. “No. Like I said, it was in the distance, but it didn’t look like a woman.”

“Did it seem dangerous?” Barney asked, his tone grave.

Before Max or Rose could respond, Ryan, Chris, K.C., and Lilly appeared out of nowhere.

“What’s going on?” Chris asked, his voice cheerful as he approached the group.

Barney jumped, startled by their sudden arrival. “What the—?”

Greg turned to the newcomers, his expression shifting to one of authority. “We’re trying to understand what these two saw out by the asylum,” he said, gesturing to Max and Rose.

Ryan, Chris, K.C., and Lilly exchanged curious, slightly concerned glances before Ryan spoke up, his usual enthusiasm dampened by the seriousness of the situation. “What did you see?”

Max and Rose shared an uncertain look, struggling to explain the disturbing sight they’d witnessed. Barney stepped in to clarify. “They saw a figure near the asylum, but they don’t think it was a woman.”

The newcomers exchanged puzzled glances, the intrigue around the situation deepening.

“A figure?” Ryan asked, frowning. “Did you get a good look at it?” Chris added.

“No,” Max and Rose replied in unison.

“Jinx!” Max said, a hint of excitement breaking the tension. Rose simply shrugged, unbothered.

Barney sighed, aware of how complicated the situation was becoming. “They didn’t get close enough to tell much else. But they’re sure it wasn’t a woman.”

Ryan’s eyes widened slightly. “Then… could it have been a man?”

A tense silence fell over the group as everyone exchanged uneasy glances. The idea that a man—someone, or perhaps something else—might be lurking around the old asylum made their skin crawl.

“Did it… do anything?” Lilly asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “Or was it just… watching you?”

Max shook his head, his face pale. “No, it didn’t move at all. Just stood there like a statue. But there was something… off about it. Like it wasn’t even human.”