THE STRANGER IN MY PHONE

THE STRANGER IN MY PHONE Episode One – the message The first message arrived at 11:47 p.m. I almost ignored it. My phone had been lying beside me for nearly an hour while I stared at the ceiling, trying to convince myself that I was tired enough to sleep. Then it vibrated. Unknown Number: Are you still awake? I frowned. Who messages someone at this time from an unknown number? I turned the phone face down. Ten seconds later, it vibrated again. Unknown Number: Don't trust the person sitting beside you. My heart stopped. I slowly looked to my left. Nobody was there. I laughed quietly at myself. Okay, very funny. I picked up the phone again. Before I could type a reply, another message appeared. Unknown Number: I'm not joking. I stared at the screen. Then I heard a sound outside my bedroom door. Three slow knocks. Knock. Knock. Knock. I froze. Nobody should have been awake. And suddenly, the message didn't feel like a prank anymore. I slipped out of bed and walked toward the door. Who is it? Silence. I waited. Nothing. I reached for the handle. . My phone vibrated. I nearly dropped it. Unknown Number: Don't open the door. I stared at the message. My hand remained on the handle. Another message appeared. Unknown Number: Please. Something about that word made my stomach tighten. It wasn't a warning anymore. It sounded like fear. I stepped away from the door. Then came another knock. This time, it was louder. "Who is it?" I whispered. A voice answered from the other side. "It's me." I knew that voice. It was Daniel. Nancy's older brother. The same Daniel who had disappeared from my life six months ago without saying goodbye. For a few seconds, I couldn't move. Daniel was standing on the other side of my bedroom door. Six months. Six months since I had last seen him. Six months since he had disappeared without a phone call, a message, or even a goodbye. And now he was standing outside my apartment at midnight. "Bianca?" His voice was softer this time. I closed my eyes. It was really him. The same voice that used to make me feel safe whenever I was nervous. I looked at my phone. The unknown number was still on the screen. Don't open the door. My fingers tightened around the phone. "Daniel?" I whispered. "Yes." "Where have you been?" Silence. I heard him breathe on the other side. "I can't explain everything right now." My heart sank. "Then why are you here?" "Because you're in danger." I stared at the door. The room suddenly felt colder. "From who?" "Bianca, listen to me. You need to leave this apartment." "Why?" "Because they know where you live." Before I could respond, my phone vibrated again. Unknown Number: He's lying. I looked at the door. Then at the message. My hands began to shake. "Bianca? Open the door." I stepped backward. "No." Silence. Then Daniel said something that made my blood run cold. "Bianca... Nancy is with me." My eyes widened. "Nancy?" "Yes." I immediately reached for my phone to call my best friend. But before I could press the call button, a new message appeared. Unknown Number: Don't call Nancy. I froze. Another message appeared. She isn't alone. The lights in my apartment suddenly went out. And someone knocked on my window. Bianca couldn't breathe. The knock came again. This time, it was softer. Almost gentle. She stared at the window. Her curtains were closed, but she could see the faint movement of the fabric. Someone was standing outside. That was impossible. Her apartment was on the second floor. "Bianca." Daniel's voice came from the hallway. She took one careful step toward the window. Then another. Her hand reached for the curtain. She pulled it aside. Nobody was there. Only the dark street below. A cold breeze slipped through the slightly opened window. Then she noticed something on the windowsill. A small black envelope. She opened it. Inside was a photograph. It was a picture of her, sitting in the university library. The date printed in the corner was from three days ago. Someone had been watching her. She turned the photograph over. There were four words written on the back. YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT. Bianca dropped it. A loud bang came from the hallway. She rushed to the bedroom door and opened it. The hallway was empty. Her front door was wide open. Daniel was gone. Then her phone vibrated. Unknown Number: Now you know why I came back. Her fingers trembled as she typed her first reply. Bianca: Who are you? The reply came almost immediately. Unknown Number: Someone who has been trying to protect you. Bianca: From who? Unknown Number: From the person you trust the most. Bianca's heart sank. Unknown Number: Don't tell your parents. Bianca's blood ran cold. She had never told the stranger she had parents. Bianca barely slept. By six in the morning, she had already checked the locks on her door three times. She finally got dressed for class. She needed answers. By the time Bianca reached campus, the sun was already high. She spotted Nancy near the entrance of the psychology building. "Nancy?" Nancy turned. The moment she saw Bianca's face, her smile disappeared. "Bianca? What's wrong?" "Did he come to my apartment last night?" "What about Daniel?" "Was he with you last night?" Nancy stared at her. "Bianca, Daniel isn't here. I haven't seen my brother in six months." Bianca's stomach dropped. "But someone came to my apartment last night. He said he was Daniel." Nancy grabbed Bianca's arm. "What exactly happened?" "I'll tell you, but not here." They walked toward the empty hallway at the back of the building. Neither of them noticed the person standing across the courtyard. Watching them. And holding a phone. A message was sent. Unknown Number: She's with Nancy now. A reply came. Unknown Number: Good. Then another message appeared. Unknown Number: Let them talk. The person smiled. Because Bianca was finally asking the right questions. The empty hallway felt colder than the rest of the building. Bianca and Nancy stopped near the end of the corridor. Nancy looked around before speaking. "Tell me everything." Bianca nodded. She took out her phone and showed Nancy the messages. Nancy read them one by one. Her expression changed. "Bianca... who is this person?" "I don't know." "And you really don't know who sent these?" Bianca shook her head. "No." Nancy looked at the screen again. "What happened after I disappeared from the conversation?" Bianca hesitated. "He came to my door." "Daniel?" "He said he was Daniel." Nancy stared at her. "But Daniel has been missing for six months." "I know." "Then why would someone pretend to be him?" "I don't know." Bianca looked down at the photograph in her hand. Nancy noticed it. "What is that?" Bianca handed it to her. "The photograph I found on my windowsill." Nancy studied it carefully. "That's you." "It was taken three days ago." Nancy looked at the back. Her eyes stopped at the words. YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT. She looked at Bianca. "Someone was following you." Bianca nodded. "And they knew where you lived." "That's what scares me." Nancy handed the photograph back. "Did the stranger say anything else?" Bianca remembered the messages. "He said he was trying to protect me." "From who?" Bianca looked at her. "He wouldn't say." Nancy was silent for a moment. Then she asked, "What about your parents?" Bianca frowned. "What about them?" "The stranger told you not to tell them." "I know." "And you never told him anything about your parents?" "No." Nancy's face became serious. "Then how did he know you had parents?" Bianca felt a chill run through her. "I don't know." Suddenly, footsteps echoed from the other end of the hallway. Both girls turned. Someone was walking toward them. Bianca held her breath. The footsteps stopped. Nobody appeared. Nancy grabbed Bianca's arm. "Come on." They quickly walked in the opposite direction. Neither of them noticed the phone lying on a bench behind them. Its screen lit up. A message appeared. Unknown Number: They're leaving. A second message followed. Unknown Number: Follow them. Across the courtyard, someone lowered their phone. They had been watching Bianca and Nancy the entire time. And now they knew something Bianca didn't. The stranger wasn't the only person watching her.