Chapter 10: The Ringing Phone
1100 Words
The phone kept ringing.
Tring. Tring. Tring.
Daniela stood frozen.
Daniel was staring down the corridor like he had just seen something he desperately didn't want to see.
“Where is that coming from?” Daniela whispered.
“Don't move,” Daniel said.
“Why?”
“Just don't.”
The ringing stopped.
Silence.
Then—
Tring. Tring.
This time, it sounded closer.
Daniel looked toward the old classroom block.
“Come.”
Daniela followed him.
“Where are we going?”
“Just trust me.”
She almost laughed.
“That's the exact thing I've been trying not to do.”
Daniel stopped.
“Fair.”
They continued walking.
The ringing became louder.
They reached an empty classroom.
The door was slightly open.
Daniel pushed it.
Inside, there was nobody.
But a phone was lying on one of the desks.
It was ringing.
Daniela stared at it.
“That's not mine.”
“I know.”
Daniel stepped inside.
The phone stopped ringing.
Then the screen lit up.
INCOMING CALL — DANIELA
Daniela's eyes widened.
“That's my name.”
“I can see that.”
“How?”
Daniel shook his head.
“I don't know.”
The phone started ringing again.
Daniela slowly reached for it.
“Don't!”
Daniel grabbed her wrist.
She looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because that's exactly what they want.”
“Who?”
Before Daniel could answer, the classroom door slammed shut.
Both of them jumped.
Daniel rushed toward it.
Locked.
“Daniel!”
“I'm trying!”
He pulled the handle again.
Nothing.
Daniela's breathing became faster.
“Okay. This is officially not funny.”
“I know.”
The phone continued ringing.
Daniela looked at the screen.
A message appeared underneath the call.
ANSWER IT.
She stared.
Then another message appeared.
OR ASK DANIEL WHY HE LIED.
Daniela slowly turned toward him.
“What did you lie about?”
Daniel didn't answer.
“Daniel.”
He looked down.
“I didn't lie.”
“You told me you were at football practice.”
“I was.”
“But you were also at the old classroom block.”
Daniel went quiet.
“So?”
“So you lied by leaving that part out!”
Daniel sighed.
“I went there because someone sent me a message.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
“What did it say?”
Daniel looked at the phone.
“Same thing.”
“What?”
“7:42.”
Daniela stared at him.
“You got a message too?”
He nodded.
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
“What did it say?”
Daniel looked at her.
“It told me to stay away from you.”
Daniela's eyes widened.
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
The phone suddenly stopped ringing.
The screen went black.
Then the classroom door unlocked.
Daniel slowly opened it.
The corridor was empty.
“Let's go,” he said.
They stepped outside.
But Daniela stopped.
Something was written on the classroom board.
Purple marker.
YOU'RE ASKING THE WRONG QUESTIONS.
Underneath it was a silver crown.
Daniela stared at it.
Then she noticed something else.
A name.
Written underneath the crown.
AMARA.
---
“That's impossible.”
Daniela stared at the board.
Daniel stood beside her.
“Maybe they're trying to frame her.”
“Maybe.”
“But why her?”
Daniel didn't answer.
Daniela took out her phone.
She called Amara.
No answer.
She called again.
Still nothing.
“Where is she?”
“I don't know.”
Daniela started walking quickly.
“I'm finding her.”
Daniel followed.
They checked the canteen.
Empty.
The library.
Empty.
The courtyard.
Nothing.
Finally, they reached the science block.
They heard voices.
Daniela stopped.
One voice sounded familiar.
Amara.
“Please, just tell me what you want!”
Daniela looked at Daniel.
They hurried around the corner.
Amara was standing alone.
“Amara!”
She turned.
Her face went pale.
“Daniela?”
“What are you doing here?”
Amara looked confused.
“I was looking for you.”
“Why?”
“I got a message.”
Daniela's stomach dropped.
“What message?”
Amara pulled out her phone.
She showed Daniela.
COME TO THE SCIENCE BLOCK ALONE.
Daniela looked at Daniel.
He immediately shook his head.
“I didn't send that.”
“I know,” Daniela said.
Amara looked between them.
“What is happening?”
Daniela took a breath.
“We found another crown.”
Amara's expression changed.
“Where?”
“On the board.”
“What did it say?”
Daniela hesitated.
“Your name.”
Amara went completely silent.
Then she whispered,
“That's not possible.”
“Why?”
Amara looked around.
“Because…”
She swallowed.
“I've seen that crown before.”
Daniela's eyes widened.
“When?”
Amara looked at Daniel.
“Before I came to this school.”
Daniel's face changed.
“You never told me that.”
“I was going to.”
“When?”
Amara looked away.
“After I figured out who was using it.”
Daniela stepped closer.
“Who?”
Amara's eyes filled with fear.
“I don't know.”
“Amara.”
“I don't!”
She took a shaky breath.
“But I know where it came from.”
Daniela waited.
Amara pointed toward the old classroom block.
“There's an old student file room there.”
Daniel frowned.
“That's been locked for years.”
“I know.”
“Then how do you know?”
Amara looked at Daniela.
“Because somebody showed me.”
“Who?”
Amara didn't answer.
Instead, her phone buzzed.
All three of them looked at the screen.
A new message appeared.
7:42 WAS NEVER THE TIME.
Daniela frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Another message appeared.
IT WAS A NAME.
Daniel's face suddenly went pale.
He whispered,
“No…”
Daniela looked at him.
“What?”
He stared at the message.
Then at Amara.
Then at Daniela.
“There was a student.”
“Which student?”
Daniel swallowed.
“Her name was Seven Forty-Two.”
Amara's eyes widened.
“That can't be true.”
Daniel shook his head.
“I thought she was a rumour.”
Daniela stared at both of them.
“What are you talking about?”
Neither answered.
Then, from somewhere inside the old classroom block, they heard a loud metallic click.
The locked file-room door slowly opened.
And from inside came the sound of a phone ringing.
7:42.
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