Watching My Murder Go Viral

Whats up, guys? Guess where your boy Jax is taking you tonight?

It was the dead of night when the streamer and his crew burst through the door, hauling their lighting rigs and cameras into the hollowed-out shell of my living room. I was perched on the ceiling beam, aimlessly counting the ants marching across the wood.

"Everyone remembers the Riverdale 'Wife-Slayer' case from four years ago, right?"

Jaxa guy who built his career on "urban exploration" and tragedy-porngrinned at the camera. He panned the lens around the room, the harsh LED light sweeping across the dust-choked air until it settled right where I was sitting.

I flinched, trying to hide.

It took me a heartbeat to remember that Ive been dead for years. Im nothing more than a fractured shadow, a ghost tied to a ruin.

Jax pointed the camera at the beam beneath my spectral seat, his voice dropping into that rehearsed, theatrical rasp. "They say this is it. The exact spot where that monster, Daniel Miller, finally took the coward's way out and hung himself after his murder attempt failed."

This was the first time anyone had stepped foot in my house since I died.

I leaned forward, drawn by a morbid curiosity to see what the world thought of me now. The phone screen in his hand was a blur of scrolling comments. Scumbag. Monster. Burn in hell.

The live chat was a feeding frenzy.

God, Jax, why are you in that psychos house? Its bad luck just looking at it.

Daniel Miller is a stain on the gender. A literal disgrace.

I remember the news. He didnt just hit her; he chased her with a knife. Screaming that he was going to gut her. The neighbors heard the whole thing.

Yeah, I saw the interview with the wife afterward. She was covered in bruises, looking so fragile. It broke my heart.

A bunch of us went to his house back then to throw eggs and trash. I was one of them. No regrets.

He was a coward. He couldnt face the music, so he kicked the chair. Good riddance.

The vitriol poured in, a digital lynch mob four years late.

Jaxs face was practically splitting with glee. Every time he mentioned my name, the viewership numbers spiked. People started sending "gifts"digital stickers that translated into cold, hard cashdemanding he trash the place or "summon" my spirit just to curse it. In the world of clickbait, my misery was a gold mine.

"Easy, guys, easy," Jax said, pulling a decorative "ghost-hunting" dagger and a stack of sage from his bag. He waved them around with practiced flair. "After Daniel died, his wife was taken in by her family, and this place has been sealed ever since. There are secrets buried in these walls, and tonight, were going to find them. If Daniel is still lurking here, Ill make sure he knows he isn't welcome in this world or the next."

The crowd roared in the comments.

Meanwhile, on the west side of the city, in a sprawling modern villa, Jordan sat frozen. He watched the livestream on a massive 4K TV, his knuckles white as he gripped the remote. Suddenly, he swept the glass decor off the coffee table in a fit of rage.

"Damn it!" he hissed.

"That piece of trash Daniel... hes been dead for years. Why is his name still popping up to haunt us?"

"That idiot streamer usually just does haunted hospitals. Why today? Why that house?"

"I cant let Madison see this," Jordan muttered, his breathing ragged. "Shes finally starting to live again. Shes finally moved past the trauma."

He didn't notice Madison standing in the doorway. She walked over quietly, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, pressing her cheek to his back. "Jordan, honey, don't get upset over something so insignificant. Its not worth it."

She let out a soft sigh. "Ive made my peace with it. Daniel brought me nothing but pain, but hes gone now."

She shifted her hand, resting it gently over the slight curve of her stomach. "I have you now. And we have our baby coming."

She looked up at him, her eyes wide and searching. "Youll always take care of us, wont you?"

Jordan turned, pulling her into a fierce embrace, burying his face in her hair.

"Maddie, I was so stupid back then. I was so worried about what our parents would think since we grew up as siblingseven if we aren't related by blood. I pushed you away. I gave you to Daniel because he was my best friend. I thought hed keep you safe. I almost cost you your life."

He pulled back, cupping her face. "Im never letting go again. Ill be with you forever, I swear."

They kissed, framed by the glow of the television.

On the screen, Jax had reached the living room wall. He paused, frowning at a dark, brownish-black stain on the plaster. "Wait, whats this?"

He leaned in, sniffing the air, then recoiled, his face pale.

"Thats blood."

A massive spray of blood had oxidized over the years, turning into a grim, crusted map. Under the glare of his high-powered flashlight, you could see faint, rhythmic symbols etched into the wall beneath the stain.

Gross! That is haunting.

I heard he went insane before he died. A madman is capable of anything.

Maybe thats some kind of curse he put on his wife. Evil bastard.

Im glad hes dead.

The comments kept coming, the numbers climbing.

I stared at the screen, my spectral heart aching. I felt like I was back there, four years ago, looking through the windows at the "righteous" strangers gathered on my lawn to scream at a man they didn't know. They had never met me, yet they judged me based on a handful of headlines and internet rumors.

Is that what justice looks like? A consensus of strangers fueled by half-truths?

A bitter coldness washed over me. I didn't understand how these people could carry so much hate for a ghost.

Jax found a stiff brush in his gear bag. He set up the tripod and began to meticulously scrub the dust and grime away from the blood-stained wall. As the crust fell away, he gasped.

"Holyokay, any experts in the chat? What am I looking at?"

He pointed to the edge of the symbols.

Almost immediately, a comment pinned itself to the top: Those are burial rites. Specifically, the 'Prayer for the Departed.' Its meant to guide a lost soul to peace.

Another followed: Jax, look at the center of the wall. It looks hollow. Break it open.

Jax didnt hesitate. He pulled a small sledgehammer from his pack and swung. On the third hit, the drywall gave way, revealing a dark cavity. Something fell out with a dull thud.

"There we go!"

He flashed a thumbs-up to the camera and picked up a small, weathered wooden box. Inside was a single photograph and a leather-bound journal.

The photo showed an elderly couple standing proudly behind two younger children.

"Who are these people?"

Bottom left... is that Daniel?

Are those his parents? Why would he hide this?

Did he kill them too? Did he use that prayer to hide his crimes? Is he even more of a monster than we thought?

The "expert" from before commented again: That prayer is usually commissioned by a grieving person to bless their family. If a murderer used it, it would actually act as a curse upon himself. And lookhe chose a photo with himself in it. Hes putting himself under that protection, or that judgment.

Jax stared at the photo, his expression shifting from excitement to genuine intrigue.

"Whatever the case, this just got a lot more interesting. Lets see what the diary says..."

[September 5th, 2015.

Today is the day. Im finally marrying her. Im marrying the girl of my dreams.

Jordan handed Madisons hand to me himself. I promised him, man to man, that I would spend every breath making her happy. Best friends becoming brothers-in-law. This is the happiest day of my life.]

Jax had a "storyteller" voice when he wanted to. As he read, the audience seemed to settle. They were seeing a different Daniela nervous, head-over-heels kid who thought hed won the lottery.

In the villa, Jordan felt a chill. He remembered that day. He remembered the way Daniels hands shook when he put the ring on Madisons finger.

[September 6th, 2015.

Last night was our wedding night, but Maddie didn't want me to touch her. I feel a bit lost, a bit rejected, but I get it. Shes nervous. Its a big change.

I talked to my sister, Lucy, about how to be better, how to make Maddie feel more at ease. Ill keep trying. Ill do whatever it takes for her to love me back.]

...

As Jax continued to read, the chat went quiet. The "scumbag" comments slowed to a trickle. People were listening.

Madisons face had gone paper-white the moment the photo appeared on the screen.

"Jordan," she whispered, clutching her stomach. "I... I don't feel well. Can we go upstairs? Please?"

Jordan assumed the broadcast was triggering her trauma. He shut off the TV immediately and helped her to bed, tucking her in with a tenderness that felt like a shield.

But the words from the stream kept echoing in his head.

Ten minutes later, once Madisons breathing had evened out into sleep, Jordan crept downstairs. He turned the TV back on, the volume low.

He didn't know that upstairs, Madison had opened her eyes.

"Damn you, Daniel," she hissed into the darkness, her face contorting with a sudden, sharp malice. She reached for her phone and opened the livestream.

[April 3rd, 2017.

Maddies been so down lately. I booked a surprise trip for us to the coast, but at the last minute, my boss called. A mandatory overtime crisis.

I suggested we push it back two days. She didn't say anythingshe just slapped me across the face and walked out the door.

Jordan called later. He said he was in the area and would look after her. I was so relieved.

But tonight, neither of them are answering their phones. Im scared.]

[April 4th, 2017.

Still nothing. Im losing my mind. Please, God, let them be okay.]

[April 5th... no answer.]

[April 6th. I couldn't take it. I caught the first flight I could. I went to the hotel room Id booked for us.

I cant believe what I saw. Theyre siblings. How could they... how could they be doing that?]

Holy shit!

What does he mean? What did he see?

Is this going where I think its going?

Wait, the timeline... Daniel was still being a 'perfect husband' then. Did he find out they were sleeping together? Is that why things turned violent?

Doesnt matter. Domestic abuse is never the answer!

The chat was a war zone of theories. Jordan felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his temples.

He remembered that year. He remembered Daniel calling him, panicked, saying Madison had run off to the coast alone. Jordan happened to be on a "business trip" nearby. He told Daniel hed handle it.

After that...

He rubbed his eyes. His memory of that month was a blurred mess. Hed been in a car accident shortly after. A concussion, the doctors said. Madison told him it wasn't important, that he hadn't missed anything.

But he realized now that Daniel had stopped calling him after that trip.

And then, one day, Madison had come home covered in bruises, sobbing that Daniel had turned into a monster.

Had something happened before the "abuse"?

Jaxs voice cut through the silence of the living room.

[April 17th.

Maddie came back today.

She collapsed in my arms, crying. She said Jordan forced her. That he used his position as her 'big brother' to trap her.

That piece of garbage. I treated him like a brother, and he preyed on his own sister.

I wanted to kill him. I was halfway out the door when Maddie stopped me. She begged me not to. She said it would ruin the family. She said the reason she wouldn't let me touch her was because she felt 'unclean.'

I just held her. My poor, stupid girl. I don't care about that. I love her. Ill protect her.

As for Jordan? Hes dead to me.]

Jordan froze. He felt like the floor had dropped out from under him.

Madison told Daniel that he forced her? But... before they officially became a couple after Daniel's death, Jordan had never even looked at her that way. Had he? His memory of that hotel room was a fog of alcohol and blackouts.

Something was wrong. He pulled out his phone and started making calls. He needed to find the security footage from that hotel. He needed the truth.

The diary pages turned.

[May 27th, 2019.

Today, Maddie told me shes pregnant.

Im going to be a father. Finally, something good. A real family.

Im working so much to save up for the baby, so I asked my mom to come move in and help out. My sister, Lucy, just finished her exams and wanted to find a summer job nearby too.

But Maddie said no. She was adamant.

I decided to rent them a place in the apartment downstairs instead. I just wanted them close in case Maddie needed anything.]

[July 15th.

Maddie found out Mom and Lucy are living downstairs.

She screamed at me for hours. She held a kitchen knife to her own throat and told me if I didn't kick them out, shed kill herself and the baby.

I was terrified. I agreed to send them back.]

[July 18th. I told the landlord wed be out in a week.]

[July 19th. My mother is dead. And Maddie lost the baby.]

Wait, what? How?

How did the mom die?

Why was Madison so psycho about the mother-in-law? Bringing a knife to her own throat? Thats extreme.

Suddenly Daniel isn't looking like the crazy one here...

I watched the words on the screen, and the nightmare of that day flooded back.

I had seen my mom in the elevator that morning. She was carrying groceries, smiling. She told me she was going to make a batch of Madisons favorite dumplings before she left. In our family, it was a traditiona mothers handmade meal to give the pregnant daughter-in-law "good fortune" for a safe delivery.

I was in meetings all morning. When I finally checked my phone at lunch, I had forty-three missed calls from my sister.

My heart stopped. When I called back, Lucy was hysterical. She said there had been an accident. Both Mom and Madison were at the hospital.

I never saw my mother alive again.

The story I was told was that Mom had come upstairs to bring the dumplings. She had tripped on the landing and fallen down the stairs, hitting her head. Madison had seen it happen, and the shock had caused her to miscarry.

I lost my mother and my child in the same hour.

In the hospital room, Madison looked like a ghost. She gripped my hand, her voice a fragile whisper.

"Daniel, Im so sorry. Its my fault. If I hadn't been so stubborn, if Id just let her stay with us, she wouldn't have been on those stairs..."

She was grieving, bleeding, and yet she was comforting me. I told her it wasn't her fault. I blamed myself for not being there to protect them.

I swallowed the bitterness. Looking back now, as a spirit, I see that my mothers death was only the beginning of the harvest.

[July 22nd, 2019.

I took two weeks off to take my mothers ashes back to our hometown for the burial.

Maddie was still recovering, so I hired a nurse for her.

My dad said hed meet me at the station. He said he had something important to tell me, something hed found in Moms things.

At 4:00 PM, my father was killed in a hit-and-run on his way to meet me.]

The police report said hed lost control of his motorcycle and gone over a cliff. No witnesses. No cameras. An "accident."

I lost both parents in a single week. My hair literally turned white over the next few days. I was a walking corpse. By the time I finished the funerals and returned to the city, it was August.

[August 2nd.

Lucy got her acceptance letter for the university here in town.

With Mom and Dad gone, shes all I have left. Maddie is my soul, but Lucy is my blood.]

[August 24th.

I dropped Lucy off at the dorms. I watched her walk onto that campus and prayed shed have the life our parents wanted for her. A bright future.]

[August 30th. Lucy is missing.]

[September 1st. Explicit photos of Lucy are all over the internet. Someone leaked them to the university board.]

[September 2nd. Lucy jumped from the roof of the science building. Shes gone.]

Jax stopped reading.

He stared at the page as if the ink were burning his eyes. The chat, usually a storm of activity, went completely silent for a long, heavy moment.

I know what they were thinking. They were finally feeling the weight of it.

I touched the phantom space where my heart used to be. Ive been dead so long Id forgotten what that kind of pain felt like. That year had wrung me dry. It had hollowed me out until there was nothing left but the shell.

Finally, a single comment broke the silence: This is too much.

Then, a flood. Too much. This is a nightmare. Poor guy.

Jax sighed, a heavy, ragged sound. "To lose everyone... your mom, your dad, your baby, your sister... all in a few months? Id lose my mind too."

Someone in the chat pushed back: Wait, lets be real. The parents were accidents. The sister was a tragedy, but you can't blame his wife for that. Just because his life was sad doesn't give him the right to become an abuser.

Exactly. He probably snapped and took it out on the only person left. Madison is the one I feel for. She lost her in-laws, her baby, and then had to live with a husband who went psychotic.

In the villa, Jordan clung to that thought. He felt a wave of guilt for doubting Madison. The "internet" was right. Daniel was a victim of circumstance, but Madison was a victim of Daniel.

He walked upstairs to check on her. He found her huddled under the covers, sobbing quietly. When she saw him, she lunged into his arms.

"Jordan, Im having nightmares," she wailed, her body shaking. "I dream about Daniel with that knife... hes coming for me... please don't let him get me!"

Jordan stroked her hair, whispering promises of safety. He cursed himself for watching that show. It was a circus, a disgusting exploitation of her pain. She was pregnant. She needed peace.

He decided to go back down and turn off the TV for good.

But as he reached for the remote, Jax flipped to a new page.

Jaxs voice boomed through the quiet living room, frozen with a new intensity.

[January 1st, 2020.

I found it. I found the truth. All of it.]

The chat exploded.

January 1st? That was the day of the attack! The day he chased her with the knife!

I remember the video! It went viral. He was arrested and held for three days.

Madison did that interview right after, crying about years of abuse. The neighbors backed her up.

The whole country wanted his head. And then he got out of jail and hung himself. We all thought it was 'guilt' or 'cowardice.'

Jax, what did he find? What was the truth? READ IT!

Jax teased the camera, drawing out the suspense before turning the journal toward the lens.

But the page was blank.

"What? Are you kidding me?" Jax flipped through the remaining pages. Blank. Blank. Blank.

He reached the very last page of the notebook. There, scrawled in frantic, jagged handwriting, were three lines:

[My life is over.

If anyone ever finds this, open the third drawer of the desk in the study. Press the false back on the left.

The secret of my death is waiting for you there.]

Jax scrambled toward the study, the camera lurching with him. He fumbled with the desk drawer, his fingers frantic. He pressed, he pried, and suddenly, a small compartment clicked open.

He pulled out an old, cracked smartphone.

It wouldn't turn on, but Jaxever the propopped out the microSD card.

"I've got a reader in my laptop," he whispered.

The chat held its collective breath as he plugged the card in and synced it to the stream. Two video files appeared on the screen.

He clicked the first one. My face filled the frame.