Chapter 3: The Digital Storm
1102 Words
The hum of my phone was like a ticking clock in my pocket, a constant reminder of everything I couldn’t seem to outrun. I had barely made it past the school’s front doors when it buzzed again. A t****k notification—another clip, another reminder of the disaster I’d tried so hard to escape. I was still reeling from the confrontation with Maya. Her words rang in my ears, the venom she’d spewed at me like acid, burning through everything I thought I knew about her.
I couldn’t stop thinking about the video, the one that had turned my humiliation into entertainment for the entire school. It felt like I was being suffocated by the digital world—by the cruel comments, the laughter, the way the video was already spreading like wildfire. I hadn’t even had a chance to process the pain of Maya’s betrayal before the internet was already dissecting me, dissecting every flaw, every stutter. I couldn’t go back. I couldn’t undo what was already done.
As I walked, my fingers hovered over the screen, torn between opening the app and ignoring it altogether. But the buzzing wouldn’t stop. With a resigned sigh, I pulled the phone from my pocket, my thumb swiping across the screen, opening the app. I didn’t even need to look at the name—it was my face, plastered across the screen in full glory, the stammering mess that had been me just an hour ago.
The caption was worse than the video itself: “She dresses like a model, talks like a mute. #EpicFail #Speechless.”
The comments came flooding in.
“Can’t believe she thought she could pull that off.”
“Who let this girl think she could speak in public?”
“Major cringe.”
I clicked the video. It was worse than I remembered. The awkward pauses, the red splotches that spread across my neck as I stumbled over my words. My cheeks flushed as the laughter from the classroom echoed in my mind, amplified by the voices in the video.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
As I scrolled down, I saw something that made my stomach twist—a comment pinned to the top. It was from Maya, a comment I hadn't noticed before.
"Don't worry, Evelyn. You'll get them next time. 💕"
I froze. Next time. She was playing me. I didn’t need to rewind to know she had already planned this out. She hadn’t even been trying to help. She had been setting me up. The comment wasn’t just a reassurance; it was her way of pretending like she was still the ‘best friend’ while stabbing me in the back. The smile she gave me earlier was nothing more than a mask, and the whole time, she’d been recording for herself, for her own twisted little game.
A sudden wave of nausea hit me, and I couldn’t hold it back any longer. I felt the bile rise up in my throat, and I dropped to my knees in the middle of the courtyard, my vision blurring with tears I couldn’t stop.
I could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on me—should I go back in time? Should I rewind it all, just like before? Fix the speech? Fix the confrontation with Maya? Fix myself, maybe? Or was this just another way to avoid facing what was happening?
I wanted to scream, but the sound was caught in my throat, stifled by the digital storm swirling around me. I could feel the power of the pin, just waiting in my pocket. But I was afraid. I was afraid of what it was doing to me—what I was losing every time I used it. How many pieces of myself had already slipped through my fingers? How many more would I lose if I kept relying on it?
I closed my eyes, pressing my palms to my face. I had to face this. I had to face what was happening to me, to the people I trusted, to the lie that Maya had wrapped around our friendship. And yet, as I sat there, my hands shaking, another notification flashed on my phone. A new DM.
@ShadowWatcher13: "They’re watching you, Evelyn. But not just them. You’ve been watched from the start."
My heart stopped.
I looked around, panic creeping up my spine. There was no one around—just the distant murmur of students inside the school, the wind tugging at my hair, the soft rustle of leaves. But the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up, and the feeling of being watched was like a weight pressing down on my chest.
I didn’t know what this meant—who was ShadowWatcher13, or how they knew what I could do. But the message was clear. I wasn’t just trapped in Maya’s betrayal. I was caught in something bigger. Someone had seen what I was capable of, and now, they were watching my every move.
I tried to steady my breathing. Time was running out. I had to make a decision.
Another message popped up, this time from an anonymous account: "The cost is coming, Evelyn. Are you ready to lose more?"
My breath hitched. The pin. I could feel it pulse again in my pocket, pulling me, tempting me, telling me I could fix this. I could fix the video. I could undo the humiliation. I could go back and change everything—but at what cost?
I slipped the phone back into my pocket, the messages still burning in my mind. As I stood up, I made a choice—not to use the pin, not yet. I wouldn’t let the power define me. I would face the storm, and I would fight it. I had to find out who was behind these messages, and I had to face Maya—face what she had done to me.
With a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and walked toward the school doors. There was no going back now.
As I entered the building, my phone buzzed once more. This time, there was a new notification—a t****k comment that made my blood run cold:
"Evelyn's breakdown was just the beginning. Stay tuned for more. #TheGame."
I knew then that I wasn’t just caught in a school scandal. Someone—something—had plans for me. And I wasn’t sure if I was ready to face them. But I had no choice.
The game had begun. And I was already in too deep.
The storm was just starting.
- Writer
