The mystery surrounding Allison’s sudden silence had plagued her parents, Mark and Sarah, for weeks. Ever since her grandmother, Marjorie, had begun regularly babysitting her, Allison had retreated into herself, her once vibrant personality eclipsed by a veil of silence that left her parents baffled and concerned.

At first, Mark and Sarah had attributed Allison’s newfound reticence to shyness. After all, she had only just begun to forge a relationship with her grandmother, having been estranged from her for the first ten years of her life. But as the days turned into weeks, their concern deepened, and they began to suspect that there was more to Allison’s silence than met the eye.

Their suspicions were confirmed one afternoon when Sarah was sorting through the laundry and discovered a crumpled piece of paper in Allison’s pocket. Unfolding it with trembling hands, Sarah’s breath caught in her throat as she beheld the drawing that lay before her—a chilling depiction of a young girl with her mouth sewn shut, tears streaming down her face.

With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, Sarah rushed upstairs to confront Marjorie before she left for the day. She found her mother-in-law in the hallway, her purse slung over her shoulder as she prepared to make her exit.

“Stop! Open your purse,” Sarah commanded, her voice trembling with urgency.

Marjorie recoiled in shock at Sarah’s demand, her eyes widening with indignation.

“How dare you?!” Marjorie exclaimed, her voice laced with outrage.

But Sarah refused to back down, her determination unyielding.

“Do it!” Sarah insisted, her eyes blazing with determination.

With a reluctant sigh, Marjorie reluctantly complied, her hands shaking as she reached into her purse and withdrew its contents. And then, as Sarah and Mark peered inside, their worst fears were realized.

Nestled among Marjorie’s belongings was a pair of scissors—a chilling reminder of the drawing that had shaken them to their core.

Sarah’s heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the scissors in disbelief, her mind reeling with the implications of Marjorie’s actions. Had she been responsible for Allison’s sudden silence? And if so, what other secrets lay hidden beneath the surface?

As Sarah and Mark grappled with the shocking revelation before them, they knew that they could no longer turn a blind eye to the truth. For the sake of their daughter’s well-being, they would confront Marjorie head-on and demand answers—no matter how painful they might be.