Chapter 13: The Final Message
344 Words
Lina didn’t move from her bed.
The clock on the wall ticked louder than usual tonight, like it was counting down to something she couldn’t stop.
Every shadow in her room felt sharper.
Every sound felt closer.
And her phone…
Her phone was the only thing she kept watching.
Then it buzzed.
Lina sat up so fast her breath caught in her throat.
Unknown Number.
But this time, she didn’t hesitate.
She opened it immediately.
One message appeared:
"Come to the bridge."
Lina stared at it.
Longer than she should have.
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
“No…” she whispered. “Not again.”
But her mind wasn’t arguing anymore.
It was tired.
Too tired to fight.
Another message came before she could think:
"If you don’t come, you will never understand what really happened."
Lina’s chest tightened.
“I already know what happened…” she said quietly.
But even saying it felt wrong.
Because she didn’t sound sure anymore.
The phone buzzed again.
This time, a photo appeared.
The bridge.
But not the empty one she remembered.
There were people.
Rain.
Movement.
And something in the distance she couldn’t clearly see.
Her breathing slowed.
This wasn’t just memory anymore.
This was evidence.
Or manipulation.
Or both.
Another message:
"You’ve been remembering wrong on purpose."
Lina’s hands started shaking.
“No… I didn’t do that…” she whispered.
But her voice cracked halfway through.
Because she didn’t know anymore.
Not fully.
Not completely.
Then came the final message.
Slow.
One line at a time.
"Come alone."
"Or don’t come at all and stay broken forever."
Lina dropped her phone onto the bed.
It bounced once.
Then went still.
Her heart was racing now.
Not from fear anymore.
But from something worse.
Choice.
She stood up slowly.
Walked to the window.
Outside, the world looked normal.
Too normal for what she was feeling inside.
And for the first time in days…
Lina didn’t cry.
She didn’t panic.
She just whispered:
“…I need the truth.”
And she picked up her phone again.
- Writer
