Chapter 5: The Missing Piece
1344 Words
Daniela didn't sleep properly that night.
Every time her phone lit up, she reached for it.
Nothing.
No new message.
No unknown number.
No explanation.
Just silence.
The last message was still there.
NOW YOU KNOW WHO TO WATCH.
Sent from her own number.
She had checked it at least twenty times.
Same number.
Same message.
She even called herself.
It went straight to voicemail.
That was impossible.
Or at least, it was supposed to be.
By morning, Daniela had convinced herself of one thing:
She wasn't going to tell anybody else.
Not yet.
---
“Why do you look like you fought your pillow all night?”
Amara dropped into the seat beside her.
Daniela looked at her.
“I barely slept.”
“Because of yesterday?”
Daniela nodded.
Amara sighed.
“Same.”
She pulled out her notebook.
“I kept thinking about that photograph.”
Daniela looked at her.
“The person behind us?”
“Yeah.”
Amara paused.
“And the pen.”
Daniela remembered it.
The purple pen with the tiny crown.
The same symbol that had appeared on the envelope.
The same symbol that had appeared on the flash drive they hadn't found yet.
Actually, they hadn't found a flash drive.
Not yet.
That came later.
For now, Daniela only had the photograph.
And the message.
And the growing feeling that someone at Danso High knew far more about her than they should.
“Amara?”
“Hmm?”
“Yesterday, when Daniel said he'd seen the pen before…”
“Yeah?”
“Why did you say you'd seen it too?”
Amara looked confused.
“Because I had.”
“Where?”
“I don't remember.”
Daniela watched her.
Amara noticed.
“Don't do that.”
“Do what?”
“That suspicious face.”
Daniela almost smiled.
“What suspicious face?”
“The one that says you're secretly interrogating me.”
“Maybe I am.”
“Then at least offer me snacks first.”
Daniela laughed.
Amara smiled.
But then she became serious.
“Daniela, I really don't know who owns that pen.”
“I know.”
“And I don't know who's doing this.”
“I know.”
Amara looked down at her notebook.
“But if you start suspecting me because of some stupid pen…”
She didn't finish.
Daniela understood.
“I don't.”
Amara nodded.
“Good.”
Neither of them noticed the folded piece of paper that had been pushed underneath Daniela's notebook.
---
Daniela found it during chemistry.
She unfolded it carefully.
Her heart dropped.
YOU MISSED SOMETHING YESTERDAY.
She looked around.
Then she read the next line.
THIRD DESK. AFTER CLASS.
Daniela stared at the paper.
It was the same handwriting.
The same purple ink.
The same strange feeling she had when she saw the message on the noticeboard.
Someone was giving her instructions.
Again.
She showed Amara.
Amara's expression immediately changed.
“Absolutely not.”
Daniela raised an eyebrow.
“You're the one who said you'd come with me.”
“I know. I'm just hoping you'll suddenly develop common sense.”
“Not happening.”
Amara sighed.
“Fine.”
She folded the note.
“But we tell Daniel.”
“No.”
“Daniela—”
“He'll tell us to report it.”
“And?”
“And I want to know what this person wants.”
Amara stared at her for a moment.
Then she nodded reluctantly.
“Fine. But if we get expelled, I'm blaming you.”
---
After class, the corridor emptied quickly.
Daniela counted the desks.
One.
Two.
Three.
She crouched down.
Nothing.
Amara checked the other side.
“See? Nothing.”
Daniela reached underneath.
Her fingers touched something cold.
She pulled it out.
A small black flash drive.
Amara went completely silent.
There was a purple crown drawn across it.
Daniela stared at it.
“The same symbol.”
“Yeah.”
Neither of them touched it for several seconds.
Finally Amara whispered:
“Whoever is doing this wanted us to find that.”
Daniela nodded.
“And they knew we'd come looking.”
That thought was worse than the flash drive itself.
---
They took it to the library.
Not because it was a good idea.
Because they didn't know where else to go.
Daniela inserted the flash drive into a computer.
One folder appeared.
DANSO_17
Amara frowned.
“What's 17?”
“I don't know.”
Inside the folder were six files.
01
02
03
04
05
06
Daniela opened the first.
A video appeared.
She immediately recognized the location.
The school gate.
Yesterday.
The photograph.
She and Daniel were standing there talking.
But the video was different.
It had been filmed from inside the school.
Daniela leaned closer.
“That's us.”
Amara nodded.
Then the video zoomed slightly.
Someone was standing behind them.
The same person from the photograph.
Daniela paused the video.
“That's the person.”
Amara stared at the screen.
“They've been following you.”
“Maybe.”
“No.”
Amara pointed at the screen.
“Look at where they're standing.”
Daniela zoomed in.
The figure wasn't looking at her.
They were looking directly at the person filming.
As if they knew the camera was there.
Daniela's stomach tightened.
She opened the second file.
Daniel was behind the science block.
The third showed Amara arriving at school.
The fourth showed Daniela entering the library.
The fifth showed Daniel again.
Every video had the same blurred figure somewhere in the background.
Watching.
Following.
Waiting.
Only the sixth file wouldn't open.
FILE CORRUPTED.
Daniela tried again.
Nothing.
“Why would someone record all of us?” Amara whispered.
Daniela didn't answer.
Then Amara noticed something.
“Go back.”
“To which one?”
“The first.”
Daniela reopened it.
Amara pointed toward the bottom corner.
“Look at the timestamp.”
Daniela zoomed in.
7:42 AM.
Her eyes widened.
“That's yesterday morning.”
“So?”
“I wasn't talking to Daniel at 7:42.”
Amara looked at her.
“What?”
Daniela's voice became quieter.
“I arrived at school at 8:05.”
They both stared at the screen.
The video showed Daniela entering the school at 7:42.
But she knew she hadn't been there.
At least…
she thought she hadn't.
Amara slowly turned toward her.
“Daniela?”
“I don't know.”
Then the library door opened.
Both girls turned.
The librarian stood there.
She looked at the computer.
Then at the flash drive.
Her expression changed.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
“Where did you get that?”
Daniela quickly pulled the flash drive out.
“Why?”
The librarian's eyes stayed on it.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then she said quietly:
“You shouldn't have that.”
Amara stepped closer to Daniela.
“How do you know what it is?”
The librarian looked toward the hallway.
Then back at them.
“Go to class.”
“But—”
“Now.”
Her voice was firm enough to end the conversation.
Daniela put the flash drive into her pocket.
She and Amara walked away.
Neither spoke until they reached the stairs.
Then Amara whispered:
“She knew.”
Daniela nodded.
“Yeah.”
“But how?”
Daniela stopped.
She reached into her pocket.
The flash drive was still there.
Then her phone buzzed.
Both girls froze.
Daniela slowly looked at the screen.
A message had arrived.
YOU WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO SEE FILE ONE.
Daniela's hands went cold.
Another message appeared immediately.
NOW ASK YOUR FRIEND WHERE SHE WAS AT 7:42.
Daniela looked at Amara.
Amara looked back at her.
For once, neither of them said anything.
Then Amara quietly whispered:
“Daniela…”
“What?”
“I wasn't at school at 7:42.”
Daniela stared at her.
“I know.”
Amara swallowed.
“But…”
She looked at the message again.
“I think somebody wants you to believe I was.”
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