As the third anniversary of Laura’s disappearance approached, strange things began to happen. It started with small, eerie occurrences. A photograph of Laura, long put away, mysteriously reappeared on the mantle. The scent of her favorite perfume lingered in the hallway. Laura’s favorite song would suddenly play on the radio, even though no one had turned it on.

Mark tried to dismiss these as coincidences, figments of his stressed mind. But the occurrences became more frequent, more intrusive. The whispers at night turned into full conversations, and the feeling of being watched grew oppressive. Cynthia was unnerved. She accused Mark of playing tricks, of trying to drive her mad. Their relationship, once built on the thrill of their shared secret, began to fray.