The Girl Who Replied After She Died

Lina almost didn’t check her phone. It was already past midnight, and the room was quiet except for the soft sound of rain tapping against the window. She had been staring at the ceiling for a long time, unable to sleep, her thoughts heavy for reasons she couldn’t explain. Then her phone buzzed. Once. Then again. She sighed, reached over, and picked it up. Unknown Number. Her eyebrows pulled together. “No one texts me at this time…” she whispered. She opened the message. The first line made her freeze. "Why didn’t you come back?" Lina blinked slowly. That didn’t make sense. She typed back quickly: "Who is this?" She waited. No reply. Just silence. She locked her phone and tried to ignore it. But less than a minute later— Buzz. Another message. "You used to answer faster than this." Her grip tightened. “Stop joking,” she muttered under her breath. She replied again: "I don’t know you. Leave me alone." This time, the reply came instantly. "You know me, Lina." Her chest tightened at her name. Only a few people ever called her that way. Her screen went dark for a second. Then— Buzz. One more message. And this one made her stop breathing. "I’m still waiting for you… like I was that night." Lina sat up straight. Her heart started pounding. Because “that night” wasn’t something people should know about. Not anyone. Not anymore.