The morning it happened, the air smelled like rain and cut grass. The baseball field looked the same as it always did green, quiet, perfectly trimmed but that morning, people weren't looking at the field. They were looking past it.
Police cars lined the narrow service road behind the bleachers, their red and blue lights spinning silently. A small crowd had gathered near the fence, students whispering, phones out, faces pale with curiosity and dread.
Something had been found.
Jenna was there, clutching her phone like it could somehow explain what she was seeing. When an officer emerged from the woods holding a small evidence bag, Jenna's knees nearly buckled. Inside it was a silver bracelet thin, delicate, with a tiny charm shaped like a crescent moon.
It was Emily's.
Jenna had seen her wear it every day since freshman year. It wasn't expensive, just meaningful. A gift from her mother.
She covered her mouth as tears filled her eyes. "Oh my God," she whispered.
From behind the fence, someone murmured, "That's hers." The words spread through the crowd like smoke.
By noon, the police had cordoned off the area. Reporters stood by the gates, their microphones catching every rumor that leaked through campus. "A personal item belonging to the missing student Emily Hayes was discovered near the athletic field…"
Inside the administration building, Emily's parents sat with Detective Greene in a small, quiet office.
Mrs. Hayes looked exhausted her eyes red, her hands clasped so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. Mr. Hayes sat beside her, staring at the floor, his jaw clenched in a way that made him seem both furious and broken.
"Finding the bracelet doesn't necessarily mean the worst," Detective Greene said gently. "It could have been dropped days before she disappeared."
Mrs. Hayes shook her head. "No. Emily never took it off."
The silence that followed was heavy. Outside, voices echoed in the hallway administrators whispering, phones ringing, the murmur of panic spreading through the school.
"Do you have any suspects?" Mr. Hayes asked finally, his voice low, controlled.
"We're still interviewing people," Greene said. "Anyone who saw her that night, anyone she interacted with. We'll find out what happened."
But even as she spoke, her eyes betrayed a flicker of uncertainty.
That evening, the baseball team was called to the athletic office for questioning. Liam sat among his teammates, staring at the floor while Coach Daniels paced near the door.
"All right, listen up," Coach said. "The police just want routine statements. You tell them the truth when you last saw Emily, what you were doing that night, simple stuff. Don't speculate, don't guess."
"Coach," one of the players said quietly, "is it true they found her bracelet by the field?"
Coach paused. His jaw tightened. "That's what I heard," he said. "But don't go spreading stories. Let the police do their job."
When his turn came, Liam followed Detective Greene into a smaller room.
She gestured for him to sit. "Thank you for coming, Liam."
He nodded, hands folded on the table.
"I wanted to follow up on our last conversation," she said, flipping open her notebook. "You mentioned you saw Emily on Tuesday night. Can you tell me exactly what time that was?"
He hesitated. "Uh, around nine? Maybe a little after."
"And where did you talk?"
"In the common room, like I said."
"Anyone else see you there?"
"I don't think so. It was pretty late."
She watched him quietly for a few seconds before speaking again. "You and Emily were you close?"
He hesitated again. "We were friends. She helped out with the team sometimes."
"Just friends?"
He forced a small laugh. "Yeah. Just friends."
Detective Greene nodded, writing something down. "You didn't argue that night?"
"No," he said quickly. "Why would we?"
"I don't know," she said, her voice calm, even. "But we've spoken to a few people who said she seemed upset that day. Distracted. Nervous."
Liam felt his pulse quicken. "About what?"
"That's what we're trying to figure out." She closed her notebook. "If you remember anything else anything at all I need you to tell me."
He nodded again, but his mind was racing. Nervous. Of course she was nervous. She had planned to expose him. To tell everyone.
He stood quickly, eager to leave. "I'll let you know if I think of anything."
That night, the dorm halls buzzed with tension. Students whispered through doors left half-open, trading theories and fear.
Jenna sat in her room, scrolling through old photos of her and Emily the two of them laughing at the campus fair, standing in front of the library, Emily wearing the same silver bracelet that now sat in an evidence bag somewhere downtown.
She couldn't shake the thought that someone they knew someone on campus had done this.
When there was a knock at the door, Jenna jumped.
"Hey," said Liam, standing awkwardly in the doorway.
She stared at him, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I just… wanted to check on you," he said. "I know you were close with her."
Jenna looked him over. His clothes were clean, his face calm, but there was something in his eyes a restless flicker, like someone trying too hard to appear normal.
"Thanks," she said finally, her voice cautious. "I'm okay, I guess. Just… trying to make sense of everything."
He nodded. "Yeah. Same."
There was a silence that stretched too long.
"Do you think…" she began, but stopped herself.
"What?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Nothing. Just… if they found her bracelet there, maybe she went to meet someone. You don't think it was anyone from the team, do you?"
His chest tightened. "No. No, I don't think so."
He turned to leave, but as he reached the door, Jenna spoke again. "She trusted you, Liam. If you know something anythin you should tell them."
He froze for a heartbeat, then forced a nod. "I will."
When he stepped into the hallway, his pulse was pounding in his ears. He leaned against the wall, eyes closed. Every conversation felt like a trap now every question a rope tightening around his neck.
Two days later, the rain returned. The police expanded their search into the woods behind the field. Drones, dogs, and volunteers combed through the thick underbrush.
On Sunday morning, Detective Greene received a call from one of the search units.
They'd found something.
By noon, the campus was sealed off. The local news vans had multiplied, their cameras pointed toward the line of trees behind the baseball diamond.
Whispers turned to gasps. Rumors became certainty.
A body had been found.
And within hours, the silence that had hung over St. Doyle College shattered