The Meeting at Midnight
707 Words
Liora didn’t sleep.
Not even a little.
Every sound—
A creaking door,
A car passing outside,
Her mom’s footsteps—
Made her heart pound like a drum on caffeine.
At 11:57 p.m., her phone buzzed.
A message in the group chat:
Arin: Midnight. Abandoned bus stop behind Crescent High. We talk. No excuses.
Liora typed back:
Liora: On my way.
She put on her hoodie, grabbed her flashlight, and tiptoed past her sleeping parents.
Before leaving, she whispered to herself:
“This is probably the dumbest idea ever.”
And then she left anyway.
Midnight — The Abandoned Bus Stop
The bus stop was old, rusted, and flickering with a single dying light bulb—
the perfect place to get murdered, honestly.
Arin was already there, pacing in circles.
“I’ve been here for TEN MINUTES alone!” he whisper-yelled. “The darkness was looking at me!”
“It’s literally a shadow, Arin…” Liora sighed.
Nova arrived next, wearing sunglasses at midnight for reasons.
“I don’t trust the moon,” she explained.
And then Jace stepped out from behind the bus stop, silent and serious.
“Someone followed me,” he said.
Everyone froze.
“What do you mean followed you?” Liora asked.
Jace swallowed hard. “On my way here… Someone was walking behind me. Every time I turned, they hid.”
Arin squeaked.
Nova clutched her flashlight like a weapon.
Liora scanned the darkness.
“Where’s Xaden?” she asked.
Arin shrugged. “Probably brooding on a rooftop somewhere.”
Xaden Arrives — Dramatic as Always
A voice suddenly spoke from behind them:
“Talking about me?”
Liora jumped so high she almost left her spirit behind.
Xaden stepped out of the shadows like it was his full-time job.
“How long were you standing there?” Nova demanded.
“Long enough to hear Arin insult rooftops.”
Arin gasped. “I would never insult rooftops. I love rooftops. Rooftops are my safe space.”
Sharing What They Know
They formed a small circle.
Jace was the first to speak.
“I think the Shadows marked me,” he said quietly. “They left something in my room. A pendant.”
Nova nodded. “They hacked into my devices. And they know what I did in the school system.”
Arin exhaled. “Someone whispered to me. Outside my window. It wasn’t a voice from this world.”
Liora took a breath. “And someone thinks I’m trying to expose them. They said they’re coming.”
Xaden’s jaw tightened. “They’re speeding up.”
“Why?” Liora whispered.
Xaden hesitated.
Everyone stared at him.
After a long moment, he said:
“My brother is involved.”
The group fell silent.
“You mean… the same brother who disappeared?” Nova asked.
“The same one,” Xaden confirmed. “And he’s not missing. He’s with them. The Shadows.”
Jace blinked. “And you’re telling us NOW?!”
“It wasn’t safe before.”
Nova rolled her eyes. “Oh sure, but now is definitely the safest time ever.”
The Theory
Arin raised a hand dramatically.
“I have a theory,” he declared. “A terrible, terrible theory.”
Everyone looked at him.
“The school is hiding something HUGE,” he continued. “Like a secret. A big one. Maybe even dangerous.”
Xaden nodded. “It’s true. My brother said the school wouldn’t let the truth out.”
“What truth?” Liora asked.
Xaden looked at her.
Deep, serious, heavier than night.
“There is a reason Crescent High was built here. And it wasn’t for education.”
A cold wind blew through the bus stop.
Nova hugged herself.
Arin whispered, “I hate when you drop scary plot twists like that.”
The Symbol Returns
Suddenly—
Jace stiffened.
“Guys… the wall.”
They turned.
Behind the bus stop, a brick wall was covered in graffiti.
But one symbol was fresh.
Dripping.
Black.
The crescent moon… split down the middle.
The Shadows’ mark.
Arin screamed.
Nova dropped her flashlight.
Jace stepped back.
Liora felt her heart slam against her chest.
And Xaden said quietly:
“They’re watching us right now.”
- Writer
