Chapter 7: The First Clue
277 Words
Lina couldn’t breathe properly anymore.
Every message felt like it was pushing her closer to something she didn’t want to face.
But ignoring it wasn’t working.
Nothing was stopping it.
Not sleep.
Not silence.
Not even running away.
She stood up suddenly.
“I need answers,” she whispered.
For the first time, she didn’t just sit and take it.
She moved.
Lina grabbed her bag and left the house.
The air outside felt colder than usual.
She didn’t know where she was going.
Only that she couldn’t stay still anymore.
Her feet led her back toward town.
Toward places she had once been with Maya.
Places she avoided ever since.
She stopped at a small café near the old bus stop.
Maya used to like it here.
Lina hesitated before going in.
Inside, the smell of coffee and noise of quiet conversations made her feel slightly more grounded.
She sat in the corner.
And pulled out her phone.
No new messages.
That made her nervous more than anything.
Because silence usually meant something was coming.
Then she noticed something.
A photo in her gallery she didn’t remember taking.
Her fingers froze.
It was blurry.
But it showed the bridge.
That night.
And in the corner of the image…
A figure.
Standing too far away to see clearly.
Lina zoomed in.
Her heart dropped.
It wasn’t Maya.
It wasn’t her either.
Someone else was there.
Someone who had been there the whole time.
Watching.
She stared at the image until her hands started shaking.
“No… I wasn’t alone,” she whispered.
Her phone lit up instantly.
Unknown Number.
One message:
"Now you’re asking the right questions."
- Writer
