The Graduation Photo Sends Them to Their Graves

Silverwood Academy had a rule: never take a graduation photo. Legend said whoever stood in the frame would be cursed. But Melody, our beloved class sweetheart, refused to believe in ghosts. I'm moving abroad in weeks, she pleaded, eyes brimming with tears. Can't we have one memory?

The class agreed instantly. "It's just a stupid rumor," they said. Everyone except me. My intuition was a physical weight, screaming disaster. I slipped away to find our homeroom teacher, shutting down the shoot.

Melody left for Europe with a heavy heart. Her plane crashed into the Atlantic. No survivors. At her memorial, the class realized they had no group photo to remember her by. Grief turned to venom. They cornered me by the biology lab. Nelson, my childhood friend, delivered the final blow, shoving me down eight flights of stairs. I died in a pool of blood.

To protect Nelson, the class lied to the police. My parents, unable to bear the injustice, locked themselves in their room with a charcoal stove, clutching my Ivy League acceptance letter as they succumbed to the fumes. Well make your dreams come true in the next life,they wrote.

I opened my eyes. I was back in the classroom. Sunlight streamed in. Melody leaned over my desk, smiling like a porcelain doll. "Iris, can we please take the senior portrait? Just this once?"

I slowly pulled my hand away, my voice flat. "Sure. Why not?"

The entire room fell into a stunned silence.

No one expected me to agree so easily.

Melody squealed in delight, throwing her arms around my neck. "Iris! You're the best! Thank you!"

Behind her, someone muttered in disbelief, "Wait, Iris, aren't you terrified of the curse? You're usually the one preaching about bad omens and spirits."

I closed my textbook, my expression entirely unreadable. "Would my fear actually stop any of you from doing what you want?"

"Of course not!" several voices chimed in unison.

I knew they wouldn't.

Behind my back, they called me the teacher's pet, the hall monitor brownnoser, and the friendless freak. They had never once cared about my comfort.

Nelson was staring at me from across the aisle, his eyes narrowed in deep suspicion. "Iris, what kind of game are you playing right now?"

I met his gaze.

Nelson had been my childhood friend for fourteen years. I used to think he was the one person who would always have my back. But in my past life, when the class was screaming at me, he didn't utter a single word of defense.

Instead, he was the one who pushed me to my death.

"You made her live her last days with regret, you should pay for it!"

His voice still echoed in my nightmares. He loved Melody. He loved her so deeply that he was willing to become a murderer for her.

And after I died, he orchestrated the cover-up.

"Iris was clumsy. She just lost her footing and fell. You can't blame anyone else for an accident."

When my acceptance letter from Evercrest University arrived, my parents broke. They knew how many sleepless nights I had spent pulling myself up from nothing to earn that future. To lose it all right at the finish line was a cruelty they couldn't survive.

My eyes stung with sudden, hot tears.

Nelson's stare became even more hostile. "What's with the waterworks? Are you trying to play the victim again?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat, my jaw tightening. "Nelson, whatever I do has absolutely nothing to do with you."

He recoiled slightly, clearly caught off guard by my icy tone. But his arrogance quickly returned. "But you're always talking about your spiritual rules. No haunted houses, no swimming in the reservoir, no traveling to the deep woods... are you absolutely sure this curse isn't real?"

I kept my eyes on my book. "Does it matter? Do you even know what the curse actually is?"

He let out a sharp, dismissive scoff. "Who doesn't?"

Five years ago, the senior class of Room 301 took their graduation portrait. Within a single month, half of those students died in bizarre, gruesome accidents. The other half fell into mysterious, prolonged comas, their bodies covered in inexplicable lacerations. When they finally woke up, they had completely lost all memory of that entire month.

Since then, the administration at Silverwood Academy had quietly banned all group photos.

For four years, every graduating class abided by the unspoken rule. Better safe than sorry.

But Nelson's lip curled in disgust. "It was just a massive statistical anomaly. Coincidences happen."

"If you've already made up your mind, why ask me?" I replied smoothly.

Nelson leaned over my desk, his shadow blotting out the light. "Don't think I don't know what you're up to," he whispered, his teeth clenched. "I'll be watching you. Don't even think about running to the principal."

He paused, a dark flicker in his eyes. "If you ruin this for everyone and make Melody leave with a heavy heart, I will make you pay."

A cold realization washed over me.

He was reborn too. He carried the memories of the previous timeline.

But his second chance was useless. He was still blind. Unlike me, he couldn't see what was currently written on the classroom wall.

Directly behind him, dripping in wet, crimson ink, a massive message was flashing on the chalkboard:

DO NOT TAKE THE SENIOR CLASS PORTRAIT, OR MISFORTUNE WILL FALL!

Melody slid into the seat next to me, her perfume sickeningly sweet. "Iris, when should we do it? How about today after school?"

I shifted my chair a few inches away from her. "My name is Iris."

I didn't want her using cutesy nicknames with me. We weren't friends.

Melody's smile faltered, her eyes instantly filling with tears. "I... I'm sorry. I just wanted us to be close." She sniffled softly. "Iris, do you hate me?"

Before I could even open my mouth, Nelson snapped, "She's just being her usual miserable self! Give her an inch of kindness and she thinks she owns the place. Ignore her."

He placed a comforting hand on Melody's shoulder, his voice softening. "We'll do it today after school. The weather is perfect."

Then, he shot me a deadly look. "And you, Iris, will be standing right there with us. No excuses."

I didn't argue. "Fine."

In my last life, I fought tooth and nail to protect them, and it cost me my family and my life. This time, I wouldn't stand in their way.

But Nelson remained deeply paranoid.

All afternoon, his eyes followed me. When I went to the restroom, he trailed me into the corridor. When I pulled out my phone, his shadow loomed over my shoulder.

"Are you that terrified I'll report this?" I asked, turning to face him.

"I know exactly what kind of snake you are," he spat, his eyes burning with resentment. "Your little psychic act might fool the teachers, but it doesn't work on me."

I didn't bother explaining. It was pointless.

At five o'clock, the entire class of fifty students gathered at the edge of the running track.

Someone suggested, "Should we grab the homeroom teacher and the principal? It won't be complete without them!"

"No," Nelson intervened quickly. "Just us is fine."

He shot a pointed look in my direction. "We wouldn't want some rat running to the administration and ruining the fun."

The air grew heavy. Fifty pairs of eyes turned to glare at me.

Melody stepped forward, biting her lip. "Iris... you wouldn't do that to us, right?"

"Come on, Iris, don't be a buzzkill."

"It's our graduation! We need some memories!"

A few students stepped closer, shoving their shoulders into mine to intimidate me. I simply held up my hands, my voice completely level. "I haven't said a single word. I'm standing right here."

Nelson scoffed. "Just get in position. Don't waste our time."

He had recruited a student from the junior class to act as our photographer.

"Alright, everyone squeeze in close," the junior called out, raising the camera. "On three... one... two..."

Before he could count to three, a deafening crack shattered the sky.

BOOM!

A violent bolt of violet lightning tore through the atmosphere, striking the massive oak tree at the edge of the field. The trunk split in half with a sickening crunch, sparks and small flames bursting from the wood.

The junior dropped the camera in terror, stumbling backward. The class screamed, scattering in all directions.

I was the only one who didn't run. I looked up at the sky.

High above us, written in towering, bleeding letters that stretched across the clouds, was a message five times larger than the one in the classroom:

LAST WARNING: DO NOT TAKE THE SENIOR CLASS PORTRAIT, OR MISFORTUNE WILL FALL!!

The junior photographer was trembling so hard his teeth clicked. "I... I can't do this. I remember now... the legend... it's real."

He bolted down the street, leaving his tripod behind.

The crowd was in a frenzy of panic.

"Is the curse actually real?"

"It was just a lightning strike! A storm is coming!"

"But the sky was completely clear a second ago..."

Whispers of doubt began to spread. The more timid students were visibly shaking.

"Iris... you always know about these things," one girl whispered, her eyes wide with fear. "Did you feel something?"

I looked up at the bleeding red letters in the sky, which were slowly fading but still visible. "If I told you I felt a lingering, suffocating malice, would any of you actually walk away?"

They hesitated. The collective bravado was beginning to crack.

"Of course we're taking it!" Melody cried, her voice rising in desperation as she saw her moment slipping away. "I'm leaving next week! This is my only chance!"

Nelson stepped up to her side, his jaw set. "Don't listen to Iris's garbage. It's just weather."

He pulled his phone and a small tripod from his backpack. "Everyone line up again. We'll set a timer and do it ourselves."

They looked at one another, torn between fear and their desire to please Melody. In the end, they shuffled back into formation.

I stood at the absolute edge of the second row. While their attention was focused on the lens, I quietly slipped my hand into my pocket and pulled out a thick black face mask. If this disaster was inevitable, I would cover my face. If my face wasn't in the frame, perhaps the curse wouldn't recognize me.

Nelson adjusted the timer and started walking back to the group. But before he could take his place, a sharp, angry voice cut through the air.

"What do you think you are doing?"

Mrs. Gable, our homeroom teacher, was marching across the lawn, her face white with fury. "Step away from that camera! Immediately! Go home, all of you!"

Nelson's face contorted with rage. He turned on me like a wild animal. "You snitched! Iris, it was you again!"

The class glared at me, their murmurs thick with disgust.

"What a pathetic loser."

"Can't even let us have a photo. Truly the teacher's pet."

I remained entirely calm. "I have been standing right next to you the entire time. My hands haven't even touched my pockets. How could I have called her?"

Nelson didn't believe me. He snatched my backpack, tearing it open and pulling out my phone. He bypassed my lock screen, which he had memorized from our years of friendship, and went straight to my call logs, text messages, and social media apps.

Nothing. No contact with Mrs. Gable or any school official.

"You deleted it!" he snarled, his eyes bulging. "You're the only one who cares about this stupid superstition!"

"Where is your proof?" I asked quietly.

"Enough!" Mrs. Gable barked, stepping between us. "Do you think the school security cameras are decorations? The monitoring room saw fifty of you gathering on the field and called the office! The principal is furious!"

She waved her hand dismissively. "The shoot is canceled. Go home."

Melody began to weep, burying her face in her hands. "Mrs. Gable... I'm leaving next week... I just wanted to remember them..."

Mrs. Gable's tone softened slightly, but her resolve remained absolute. "You can take small group photos, Melody. But the senior class portrait is strictly forbidden. It is school policy."

The students dragged their feet as they dispersed, their faces dark with resentment.

But Nelson wasn't finished. He pulled out his phone and sent a blast message to our private class group, the one without any teachers.

Tomorrow is Saturday. No staff on campus. We meet at the front gates at ten in the morning.

He tagged me directly.

Iris, you better show up.

I didn't reply.

I walked out of the school gates and looked up at the sky one last time. The bleeding letters had changed:

FINAL WARNING: DO NOT TAKE THE SENIOR CLASS PORTRAIT, OR MISFORTUNE WILL FALL!!!

At ten o'clock on Saturday morning, my doorbell rang.

I opened it to find Nelson standing on my porch. "Let's go. Time to take the photo."

He had actually come to my house to drag me there, all to satisfy Melody's whim.

Despite knowing me for fourteen years, Nelson hated coming to my neighborhood. Your family lives in a mansion, Iris. I don't belong in places like this, he used to say. His fragile pride made him believe my parents' success was a personal insult to his modest background, despite how warm and welcoming my family had always been to him.

I used to spend hours reassuring him, trying to prove our friendship was deeper than money. But now, I saw the truth. A relationship that required constant walking on eggshells wasn't worth saving.

I leaned against the doorframe, crossing my arms. "I'm not going."

Nelson's brow furrowed. "Why?"

"Because I don't want to," I said plainly. "And I don't care about keeping memories with any of you."

Nelson stared at me as if I were speaking a foreign language. "It's our graduation portrait, Iris. You only get one in your life."

I offered a dry smile. "There are plenty of moments in life worth remembering. The key is who you share them with." I looked him dead in the eye. "I don't consider any of you my friends. Why would I want to remember you?"

He went rigid, his pride clearly stinging. "We've been friends since we were toddlers... fourteen years..."

"No," I corrected, my voice cold. "That was just your assumption. To me, you were just a classmate."

Nelson's face flushed deep crimson. His fragile ego was shattering. When logic failed him, he resorted to demands. "I don't care what you think. Melody wants this photo, so you're going!"

A small, mocking laugh escaped my lips. "Nelson... aren't you even a little curious as to why Melody is so utterly obsessed with this portrait?"

"She just wants a keepsake!" he shouted.

"She wants a keepsake of me? Someone she barely knows and who clearly dislikes her? Does that sound rational to you?"

Nelson opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

I took a step back. "You are free to do whatever you want. But do not drag me into your grave. Goodbye."

As I went to shut the door, his hand shot out, grabbing the wood. He stared at me with intense, burning focus. "You... you know something, don't you?"

His eyes were wild. "You're reborn too, aren't you?"

A bitter, sorrowful smile touched my lips. "You know exactly what you did to me in the last life, Nelson. You should understand perfectly why I will never consider you a friend again."

I stared at his trembling hand. "I can't pretend none of it happened."

Nelson's hand slowly slipped from the door. He didn't say another word. He turned and walked away into the gray morning.

Half an hour later, I opened my social media feed.

At the gates of Silverwood Academy, forty-nine students were gathered in a perfect, smiling formation. Melody stood at the absolute center, her smile radiant and sweet.

In her hand, she was holding a laminated printout of my student ID photo, holding it up to the camera.

Her caption read: Iris couldn't make it today, but we made sure she was there with us! Our family is complete!

The comment section was filled with hearts and cheering emojis.

My stomach dropped. A cold dread settled deep in my bones.

Suddenly, a massive, earth-shaking thunderclap rattled the windows of my room. It was closer and louder than any storm I had ever experienced.

I rushed to the window.

Across the gray clouds, thick, crimson liquid was beginning to ooze from the sky. It fell in heavy, sluggish drops, like blood dripping from an open wound.

The drops slowly formed words that stretched across the horizon:

I TOLD YOU NOT TO TAKE THE SENIOR CLASS PORTRAIT, BUT SOMEONE DIDN'T LISTEN.

A violent, blinding pain exploded in my temples. My vision began to fail, dissolving into a sea of static. In the distance, a low, mechanical hum began to echo in my ears.

The anomaly had begun.