I enter the basement of the house. It's old and extremely dusty, like every other part of this house. I wasn't expecting to find something like this in the middle of the woods. Slowly, I descend the staircase, every step creaks under my feet. I look to see if theres anything worth something, maybe some old jewelry i could sell... when i take a step forward i feel something hard under my feet. A dark leather journal, with old yellowish pages. I wipe some dirt off of it, and decide to read a bit. I have nothing else to do, so i don't think anyone will even realize i'm gone. I open the journal and start reading...

16/6/1974

Hello. Im Diana. Im 9 years old. I found this journal in the basement. I think i'll write a diary in it.

29/6/1974

Today mom came back. She hates me, and she’s mostly away for “ work “, so I stay with Grandma. When mom sees me or i try to talk to her she usually hits me, so now i stay silent. Im tired, i think i'll just go to bed now. I usually like listening to mom from the bed in the basement, but tonight I’m not in the mood.

30/6/1974

I saw a mom hugging her kid at the park today. The child looked happy. Mom never hugs me. I'm not usually that happy.

23/8/1974

Mom has been staying for a month now. I've been living in the basement. Grandma told me to stay hidden in the basement, that she would take care of mom, but i was starving, and i was also really thirsty. Since i hadn't eaten all day, i decided to try and go get something super quickly from the fridge. But mom was there, and she saw me. I tried to run, but she grabbed my hair before i could even take a step. Then she slapped me, and started hitting me with a stick she keeps in the hallway. Then she started calling me names, and saying that i'm a stupid mistake. She said i ruined her life. Am i really a mistake? Is mom bad because of me?

Under the entry theres a picture made out of a red liquid... blood. There were two figures drawn on it . One is surely Diana's mother. The other looks like it could be Diana... She's separated form her mother with a a line. I keep on reading.

15/9/1974

Grandma died in hospital today. She was sick, mom said. I don't think she was. I saw what mom did to her, grandma was trying to convince her to be better with me. I don't think it worked.

18/9/1974

It's all my fault, isn't it?

...

I close the book. I turn around, trembling.

How could you treat like that your own child?

I quickly decide to leave the house. I hope to never see it again.