r/shortscarystories
8 hr. ago
k_g_lewis
The Family Secret
The red-headed girl in the summer dress stepped into the old man’s room. When he didn’t acknowledge her presence, she cleared her throat.
The man looked up from the puzzle he was building, gasping and clutching his chest when he saw the child, “Autumn?” he whispered, “Is that really you?”
“Hello, Grandpa,” Autumn smiled.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
Autumn crossed the room until she was standing in front of her grandfather.
“I’m here because I need your help,” she replied.
The grandfather stared at her for a moment before turning his attention back to his puzzle.
“There’s nothing I can do to help you,” he said.
“That’s a lie and you know it,” Autumn snapped at him.
“Please go,” he whined, “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I’ve got nowhere else to go,” Autumn said, “That’s why I need your help.”
The grandfather ignored her, reaching a remote on the table next to his puzzle. Once it was in his hand, he pressed the large button to call the nurse.
A minute later, one of the nurses walked into the room.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Sinclair?” the nurse asked.
“I would like her to leave,” he pointed at Autumn.
“You’d like who to leave?” the nurse looked around the room, “There’s nobody in here but you.”
“You know she can’t see me,” Autumn said, “Only you can because you know what happened to me.”
“No,” her grandfather shook his head, “No, I don’t.”
“Are you okay, Mr. Sinclair?” the nurse asked, “Should I call your son?”
“No,” he snapped, “Don’t call him. I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive,” he insisted, “You can go.”
“Okay,” the nurse turned and left the room.
Autumn stood there, staring at her grandfather.
“Stare all you like,” he said, continuing to work on his puzzle, “I can’t help you.
In a rage, Autumn swept the half-finished puzzle off the table.
“If you ever want to see Grandma again, you’ll do the right thing and help me,” she spat the words out.
Tears started to fall from his eyes.
Seeing his resistance starting to crack, Autumn continued.
“You’ll never get to if you don’t tell someone what happened to me.”
“But I didn’t have anything to do with it,” her grandfather insisted, “Your father is the one who needs to confess, not me.”
“What did my father do to me?” Autumn whispered.
Her grandfather poured his heart out, telling her everything that happened to her.
“I’m sorry,” were the last words he said.
“That’s all we wanted to hear,” the girl pretending to be Autumn reached up and pulled the wig off her head.
A moment later the nurse walked back into the room, but she wasn’t really a nurse. When she returned to the room, she had a police badge hanging around her neck.
“That was an Oscar-worthy performance,” she said, putting her arms around the girl’s shoulders and leading her into the hall.