Chapter seven
521 Words
Chapter Seven: The Next One
Milo didn’t sleep.
Daniel lay curled on the couch, his body unnaturally still. Every so often, he twitched—his fingers flexing, his lips moving in silent whispers.
Milo sat in the chair across from him, watching.
His friend wasn’t alone in his head anymore.
And whatever was inside him… it wasn’t done.
Outside, the city slowly woke. Cars rumbled in the distance. The first rays of sunlight painted the buildings gold. But none of it felt real.
Milo’s phone buzzed.
He flinched, then grabbed it. A text from an unknown number.
UNKNOWN: Did he come back different?
Milo’s chest tightened. His fingers hovered over the keyboard.
“Who is this?”
The three dots appeared. Then—
UNKNOWN: Meet me at 10th & Mercer. I can explain.
Milo’s pulse quickened. He glanced at Daniel. His breathing was slow, steady—but wrong.
Like something else was breathing with him.
Milo exhaled and stood. He grabbed his jacket, hesitating for only a second before heading for the door.
He had to get answers.
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10th & Mercer – 9:42 AM
The coffee shop at the corner was nearly empty. A few students hunched over laptops. A barista hummed softly behind the counter.
Milo scanned the room.
A woman sat near the back, stirring her coffee absentmindedly. Her dark hair was pulled into a messy bun, and shadows lingered under her eyes.
The second their gazes met, she motioned him over.
Milo sat down. “You texted me?”
She nodded, eyes flicking toward the window. “My name’s Elena.”
Milo tensed. “How do you know about Daniel?”
Elena exhaled. “Because my brother disappeared last year.” She rolled up her sleeve—revealing the same markings Daniel had.
Milo’s stomach twisted. “He came back?”
Elena swallowed. “No.”
A chill ran down his spine. “But you have the markings—”
She nodded. “Because I was supposed to go next.”
Milo froze.
Elena leaned in, voice dropping lower. “It doesn’t stop at one person. Once the door opens, it keeps looking. It keeps taking.”
Milo’s throat went dry. “You’re saying—”
Her eyes darkened. “Your friend isn’t the last one. Someone else is going to disappear.”
The words hit like ice.
Milo swallowed hard. “How do we stop it?”
Elena hesitated. Then she reached into her bag, pulling out a worn, leather notebook. She flipped to a page, pushing it toward him.
Milo glanced down—and his breath caught.
The sketch on the page was of a door.
The same one Daniel had seen. The same unnatural blue light spilling from its cracks.
“I’ve seen that,” Milo whispered.
Elena nodded. “I think the scientists left something behind. Something they used to control it.” She swallowed. “We need to find it. Before it chooses the next person.”
Milo’s mind raced.
If she was right—someone in the city was about to vanish.
And they had no idea who it would be.
- Writer
