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Episode Two:The Red Notebook

The figure between the bookshelves didn't move.

Maya couldn't see their face.

Only the outline of a person standing completely still in the darkness.

Ethan stepped in front of her.

"Stay behind me."

Maya tightened her grip on the red notebook.

"Who is that?"

"I don't know."

"You're lying."

"I swear I'm not."

The figure suddenly moved.

One step backward.

Then another.

Maya grabbed Ethan's sleeve.

"Don't let them leave."

Ethan ran between the shelves.

Maya followed.

They reached the end of the aisle.

Nothing.

The library was empty.

Ethan looked around, breathing heavily.

"Where did they go?"

Maya looked down.

Something was lying on the floor.

A small piece of paper.

She picked it up.

There was only one sentence written on it.

HE WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO FIND THE NOTEBOOK.

Maya looked at Ethan.

"What does that mean?"

He didn't answer.

"Ethan."

He stared at the red notebook in her hands.

"Open it."

Maya frowned.

"You just told me to give it to you."

"I changed my mind."

"Why?"

"Because if someone went to this much trouble to hide it, there's probably a reason."

Maya slowly opened the cover.

The first few pages were filled with handwriting.

Names.

Dates.

Places.

Some of them had been crossed out.

Others had been circled.

Maya turned another page.

Then stopped.

There was a photograph.

A group of students standing in front of Ravenwood Academy.

One student had been marked with a black circle.

Maya recognized him.

Ethan.

But the photograph was old.

Very old.

"Ethan..."

He looked at the picture.

His expression became unreadable.

"That's my brother."

Maya looked at him.

"You said your brother doesn't go here anymore."

"He doesn't."

"Where is he?"

Ethan closed the notebook.

"Maya, you need to forget this."

"No."

"You don't understand."

"Then explain it."

He looked toward the dark windows.

"My brother disappeared."

Maya's voice softened.

"When?"

"Three years ago."

She stared at him.

"Was he a student here?"

"Yes."

"And the notebook belonged to him?"

"I don't know."

Maya opened it again.

A page near the middle caught her attention.

At the top was a date.

September 17.

Underneath it:

11:42 P.M.

Maya's breathing stopped.

That was the exact time written on the photograph.

She read the next line.

Maya saw the door open.

Her hands went cold.

"What?"

Ethan leaned closer.

He read the sentence.

Then looked at her.

"Maya, what door?"

"I don't know."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

Her voice echoed through the library.

They both went silent.

Maya stared at the page.

There were several more sentences.

She heard them arguing.

She wasn't supposed to be there.

Ethan knows the truth.

Then the final line had been written in darker ink.

If Maya remembers, everything falls apart.

Maya slowly looked up.

"Ethan."

He said nothing.

"You knew."

"No."

"You knew about this."

"I knew my brother was investigating something."

"What?"

"I don't know."

"You're not telling me everything."

Ethan looked frustrated.

"Because I don't have all the answers!"

For a moment, Maya said nothing.

Then her phone vibrated.

Both of them looked at it.

Unknown number.

A message appeared.

LOOK INSIDE THE COVER.

Maya turned the notebook over.

She ran her fingers along the edge of the cover.

There was something underneath.

A small folded piece of paper.

She pulled it out.

Ethan stared.

"Don't open it."

Maya unfolded it.

There was a single sentence.

Ask your friend why she lied about the library.

Maya immediately thought of her closest friend.

The strange expression that morning.

The quick answer.

The way she had avoided the subject.

Maya looked at Ethan.

"I need to find her."

"Wait."

But Maya was already moving toward the door.

---

The dormitory hallway was almost empty.

Maya hurried toward her friend's room.

She knocked.

No answer.

She knocked again.

Still nothing.

Then she noticed the door wasn't completely closed.

Maya pushed it open.

The room was empty.

But her friend's bag was sitting on the bed.

Her phone was on the desk.

Maya walked toward it.

A notification appeared on the screen.

Message sent.

She stopped.

The message had been sent to an unknown number.

Maya looked at the screen.

The text said:

She found the notebook.

Maya's heart sank.

Her friend had known.

A sound came from behind her.

Maya spun around.

Her friend stood in the doorway.

They stared at each other.

"Where have you been?" Maya asked.

Her friend didn't answer.

"Why did you lie to me?"

Silence.

"You knew about the library."

Still nothing.

Maya held up the red notebook.

"Did you know about this?"

Her friend's eyes immediately went to it.

Fear crossed her face.

"Where did you get that?"

"So you do know it."

"Maya, give it to me."

"No."

"You don't understand what you're holding."

"Then tell me!"

Her friend stepped closer.

"You need to get rid of it."

"Why?"

"Because people have gotten hurt over that notebook."

Maya froze.

"What people?"

Her friend looked toward the hallway.

"Not here."

She lowered her voice.

"Meet me at the old greenhouse after lights-out."

Then she walked away.

Maya watched her disappear around the corner.

Her phone vibrated.

Another unknown message.

DON'T GO TO THE GREENHOUSE.

Maya stared at the screen.

A second message appeared.

SHE'S NOT ALONE.

---

At 11:30 p.m., Maya stood outside the old greenhouse anyway.

Rain had started falling.

The greenhouse had been abandoned for years, its windows covered with vines.

She pushed open the door.

"Hello?"

Nothing.

She stepped inside.

A flashlight suddenly switched on.

Her friend stood at the other end of the greenhouse.

Maya took a breath.

"You came."

"Tell me the truth."

Her friend looked at her sadly.

"I was hoping you wouldn't find out."

"Find out what?"

Before she could answer, another voice came from behind Maya.

"You really shouldn't have come here."

Maya turned.

Ethan stood in the doorway.

She stared at him.

"You followed me?"

"I knew you wouldn't listen."

Her friend looked at Ethan.

"You shouldn't have brought her."

"I didn't."

Maya looked between them.

"What's going on?"

Neither answered.

Then the greenhouse lights flickered.

Once.

Twice.

And went out.

Maya heard something fall.

Her friend gasped.

"Ethan!"

A flashlight came back on.

The three of them looked toward the floor.

The red notebook was gone.

Maya's blood ran cold.

"Where is it?"

Nobody answered.

Then they heard a phone ringing.

Not Maya's.

Not Ethan's.

Her friend's phone.

She picked it up.

The screen showed an incoming call.

UNKNOWN NUMBER.

She answered.

For several seconds, she listened.

Then her face went pale.

"What did they say?" Maya asked.

Her friend slowly lowered the phone.

"They said..."

She swallowed.

"They said the last person who read the notebook never made it home."

A loud crash came from outside.

All three turned toward the greenhouse windows.

A shadow moved past the glass.

Maya stepped backward.

Ethan moved closer to the door.

Then his eyes fell on something written across the fogged window.

Three words.

MAYA REMEMBERED EVERYTHING.

Maya stared at the words.

"I don't remember anything."

Ethan looked at her.

"Maybe that's the problem."

And somewhere outside the greenhouse, a phone camera flashed.