A Stolen Corpse

Jess stirred before dawn, the dim light barely filtering through the curtains. She carefully slipped out of bed, trying not to disturb Leanna, who remained curled beneath the blankets, her face peaceful for once. Jess hesitated for a moment, then leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Leanna’s forehead.

"Thank you," she whispered—too softly for anyone to hear.

She padded to the living room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The air in the house was still, carrying the faint chill of early morning. She flicked on the TV, settling onto the couch with her knees tucked under her chin. The local news played quietly in the background as she made her way to the kitchen and started a fresh pot of coffee.

The weather report droned on, predicting light showers later in the week. Jess barely listened. She was trying to focus on something normal for once.

Then, the anchor’s tone shifted.

"Breaking news this morning from Shady Pines Rehabilitation Center. Former patient Elliot Grayson was found dead last night in what authorities are calling a ‘suspicious circumstance.’ Police are currently investigating an incident at the Sleepy Hollow County Morgue, where Grayson’s body was reportedly stolen hours after his passing. Authorities suspect foul play—"

Jess didn’t hear the rest. The coffee pot shattered on the tile floor as it slipped from her grasp. She stood there, barefoot, trembling, her mind frozen in shock as hot coffee seeped around her feet.

A door swung open behind her. "Jess?!" Kevin’s voice was thick with sleep.

More doors creaked as the rest of the gang rushed in, groggy and confused. Ryan took one look at Jess and the mess around her. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Jess lifted a shaking hand and pointed at the TV.

Leanna stepped forward, her gaze flickering from the spilled coffee to the screen. "No. No way. We just saw him yesterday."

"And now he’s dead?" Hannah whispered, horrified. "And someone stole his body?"

Jess took a shaky breath, her hands still trembling. She turned, her bloody feet leaving faint prints on the tile. Without a word, she walked past them all and curled into a ball on the couch, arms wrapped tightly around her knees.

Leanna was the first to move. She grabbed a towel, sat beside Jess, and gently lifted her feet, dabbing at the tiny cuts. "Hey," she said softly. "I’m here, okay? You’re not alone."

Jess nodded numbly, but the weight in her chest wouldn’t leave. It felt too much like a warning. Too much like a message meant for them.

A sharp knock on the door shattered the heavy silence. Everyone froze. Ryan slowly stood, motioning for them to stay put as he peered through the peephole. He turned back, face grim. "Cops."

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door. Two detectives stood on the porch, both wearing dark suits. The older one, with graying hair and a hardened expression, flashed his badge. "Detectives Monroe and Ramirez. We’d like to ask you some questions about Elliot Grayson."

Jess felt her pulse thunder in her ears. It’s happening.

"Can we come in?" Monroe asked, though it was clear it wasn’t really a question.

Ryan hesitated, but Jess nodded, stepping forward. "Yeah… of course."

The detectives entered, their eyes sweeping across the room like they were taking mental inventory of everything. Ramirez, the younger of the two, focused on Jess. "You were the last people to visit Grayson before his death. You realize that makes you people of interest in our investigation."

"Wait, what?" Kevin blurted out. "We just wanted to talk to him. He was alive when we left!"

Monroe narrowed his eyes. "You were the only visitors he's had in eight years. No family. No friends. And then, less than twenty-four hours after you see him, he turns up dead and goes missing from the morgue. Quite the coincidence."

Jess’s throat went dry. "We—we had nothing to do with that. We were looking into local history for a documentary."

Ramirez raised a brow. "A documentary? That’s interesting, considering Grayson never gave interviews. Why did you choose him?"

Leanna, keeping her cool, answered smoothly. "We heard he had lived in the area for a long time and thought he might have insights on local legends. We didn’t even know he was sick."

Monroe studied them, then glanced at the shattered coffee pot on the floor. "Looks like the news shook you up."

Jess exhaled, forcing herself to stay calm. "Of course it did. Someone stole a corpse. That’s terrifying."

Ramirez nodded slightly. "That it is. Which is why we need to know if Grayson told you anything unusual. Anything that might suggest why someone would want to take his body."

The group exchanged careful glances.

"No," Jess finally said. "He didn’t say much. He wasn’t very lucid. Just mumbled about the past."

The detectives didn’t look convinced, but they let it go—for now.

Monroe tucked away his notepad. "Don’t leave town. If we have more questions, we expect answers."

With that, they turned and left. The door closed, and the room erupted into nervous energy.

"They think we’re involved," Olivia muttered, pacing. "They know we’re hiding something."

"But we didn’t do anything," Hannah said, shaking her head. "Why do I feel like that doesn’t matter?"

"Because it doesn’t," Ryan said darkly. "If whoever’s behind this wants to frame us, we don’t stand a chance. We need to figure this out fast before we’re next."

Jess swallowed the lump in her throat. "Then we go to the lab. Now."

Hannah, who had been quiet for most of the conversation, suddenly looked up. "I think I already found it."

Everyone turned to her. "What?" Kevin asked.

She flipped her laptop around to reveal a satellite image. "I’ve been looking at historical land surveys. There’s an abandoned facility outside of town, buried in the woods. It’s completely overgrown, but you can still see the shape of the buildings. It’s small—just a couple of structures—but it’s exactly the kind of place a secret lab would be."

Leanna leaned in, her eyes widening. "That could be it."

Jess stared at the grainy image on the screen, her stomach twisting. This is real. This isn’t just a theory anymore.

"Then that’s where we go next," Ryan said.

No one argued. The lab was waiting for them, and whatever secrets were buried there… they were about to find out.