the last message

Maya knew it was going to be a bad day the moment she woke up. Not because of the rain. Not because she had a mathematics test she hadn't studied for. And definitely not because the heating in her dorm room had stopped working sometime during the night. It was because her phone was already vibrating. 7:13 a.m. Maya reached across her bedside table and grabbed it. One new message. No name. No profile picture. Just a number she didn't recognize. She opened it. You shouldn't have opened that door. Maya frowned. "Okay..." She stared at the message, waiting for the punchline. Nothing. She typed: Who is this? The message showed one tick. Then two. Then— Read. Maya waited. No reply. She tossed the phone onto her pillow. Probably a prank. Ravenwood Academy was full of them. Someone was always pretending to be a ghost, hiding someone's shoes, leaving fake notes in lockers, or starting ridiculous rumours. She wasn't going to let one anonymous message ruin her morning. Then her phone vibrated again. This time, there was an attachment. A photograph. Maya opened it. Her smile disappeared. It was her. Standing outside Ravenwood's old library. She was wearing the exact clothes she'd worn three days ago. Her school blazer. Her striped tie. Her backpack hanging from one shoulder. Even the silver bracelet her mother had given her was visible around her wrist. But Maya had never been to the library that night. The photograph had been taken from behind a tree. Someone had been watching her. And whoever took it had been close. Too close. Maya zoomed in. Her stomach tightened. There was something written across the bottom of the picture. 11:42 P.M. She stared at the screen. "That's impossible." A knock came at her door. Maya quickly locked her phone. Her closest friend walked inside without waiting for permission. "You're going to be late." Maya looked up. "Did you know I was at the library three nights ago?" Her friend's expression changed. Only for a second. But Maya noticed. "What?" "The library." "I heard you." "Did you know I was there?" "No." The answer came too quickly. Maya narrowed her eyes. Her friend grabbed a jacket from the chair. "We have assembly in ten minutes." "Wait." "What?" Maya studied her. "Never mind." Her friend smiled. But it wasn't the usual smile. Something was wrong. Maya could feel it. She just didn't know what. --- By lunchtime, Maya had convinced herself to forget the photograph. Almost. She sat beneath the large oak tree behind the dining hall, pretending to read while secretly staring at her phone. No new messages. No strange photographs. Nothing. Then someone dropped into the seat opposite her. Ethan. He was one of those people at Ravenwood who seemed to exist without making any noise. Quiet. Observant. Always watching. Maya had spoken to him before, but never enough to call them friends. He glanced at her phone. "You look worried." "I'm fine." "You're terrible at lying." Maya raised an eyebrow. "That's a strange thing to say to someone you barely know." "I know." "Then why say it?" "Because you're staring at that phone like it's going to explode." She almost smiled. "Maybe it is." Ethan's expression became serious. "What happened?" Maya hesitated. Then she showed him the photograph. His eyes moved across the screen. For the first time since she'd met him, Ethan looked genuinely shocked. "Where did you get this?" "Someone sent it." "When?" "This morning." "Who?" "I don't know." He looked at the photograph again. Then he looked at Maya. "Delete it." She frowned. "Why?" "Just delete it." "Why?" Ethan lowered his voice. "Because whoever sent that wants you to look at it." "Obviously." "No." He leaned forward. "I mean they want you to find something." Maya's heart skipped. "What?" Ethan glanced toward the school buildings. "I don't know." "You clearly know something." "I said I don't know." "Then why are you acting like you've seen this before?" Ethan went silent. Maya waited. Finally, he said: "Because I have." Her eyes widened. "Where?" Ethan stood. "Not here." "Ethan." "I'll explain." "When?" He looked at her. "Tonight." Then he walked away. Maya watched him disappear into the crowd. She looked down at the photograph again. Something caught her attention. Behind her in the picture was a window. The library window. There was a reflection in it. Someone standing inside. Maya zoomed in. A figure. A student. She couldn't see the face. But the uniform was unmistakable. Ravenwood. Then Maya noticed something else. The person was holding a red notebook. --- That evening, Maya returned to her dorm. Her friend wasn't there. She checked the time. 8:26 p.m. She opened her bag. The photograph was still there. She had saved it. Against Ethan's warning. Maya zoomed in again. The red notebook. Why did it look familiar? She searched through her memories. Nothing. Then she remembered something. The school library had an old restricted section. Students weren't allowed inside. And the door was red. Maya grabbed her jacket. She knew she shouldn't go. Every sensible part of her brain told her to stay in her room. Instead, she walked toward the library. The halls were nearly empty. Rain tapped against the windows. Her footsteps echoed through the corridor. When she reached the library, the main doors were locked. But there was another entrance around the side. Maya tried it. Unlocked. She stepped inside. The library was dark. Only the emergency lights were on. She walked between the shelves. Then she saw it. A red notebook sitting on a table. Maya stopped. Her heart began pounding. She approached slowly. There was a name written on the cover. ETHAN. Maya stared at it. Then she heard footsteps behind her. She turned. Nobody. Her phone vibrated. One new message. I TOLD YOU NOT TO COME. Maya's fingers went cold. Another message appeared. NOW ASK ETHAN WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT. She looked toward the library entrance. A shadow moved beneath the door. Someone was standing outside. Maya grabbed the red notebook. The door opened. And Ethan walked in. His eyes immediately went to the notebook in her hands. His face went pale. "Maya..." She stepped backward. "What happened that night?" Ethan didn't answer. "Maya, give me the notebook." "No." "You don't understand." "Then explain it." He looked toward the door. Then back at her. His voice dropped to a whisper. "Because if you've found that notebook..." A sound came from somewhere deeper inside the library. Knock. Both of them froze. Another knock. Knock. Ethan's face changed. Maya whispered, "Who's there?" Ethan shook his head. "Don't." The knocking stopped. For three seconds, there was silence. Then Maya's phone vibrated one final time. She looked down. THE PERSON YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IS ALREADY IN THE ROOM. Maya slowly lifted her eyes. Ethan was standing directly in front of her. And behind him— between the bookshelves— someone was watching them.