Nobody Reported the Tide
mystery◐ MatureThe house sits on the bluff above Saltcreek. One story, weathered, shutters half-closed. The mailbox says "CURRENT RESIDENT" but the deed says it's been empty since 2019. I knocked. A light came on inside. The door opened—just a crack. "Yes?" A woman's voice.
I walked around the house. Fresh scratches on the back door. New cameras pointing at the driveway. The porch light was burned out but the wiring was new. Someone lives here despite the deed saying it's been empty. I tried the back door. It opened. Inside smelled like salt and chemicals.
What happens next?
2 ways forwardInside I found notebooks. Lists of names. Dates. Medical notes: "Fever day 3, confusion day 5, drowning day 7." Some names had X through them. Others had "LEFT—SAFE." I recognized the handwriting from the insurance claims. Carol had been tracking this for years.