the first letter
770 Words
Maya couldn't stop thinking about the note.
Stay away from Locker 117.
She read it over and over as she lay in bed that night. The words were simple, but they carried a warning she couldn't explain.
Who had slipped it into her hand?
And why her?
Eventually, she tucked the note inside her diary and turned off the light.
Just as she was about to fall asleep, her phone buzzed.
An unknown number.
She opened the message.
Some secrets should stay buried.
Her heart pounded.
She typed back:
Who is this?
The message was marked as read.
No reply came.
The next morning, dark clouds hung over Westbrook High.
Students hurried inside to escape the rain.
Emma greeted Maya with her usual cheerful smile.
"Morning! Ready for another day?"
Maya forced a smile.
"I guess."
Emma noticed the dark circles under her eyes.
"You didn't sleep much, did you?"
Maya hesitated.
She wanted to tell Emma about the note and the mysterious text message.
But something held her back.
Instead, she simply shrugged.
"Just first-day nerves."
Emma wasn't convinced, but she didn't press further.
In chemistry class, Maya found herself seated beside Jordan.
He didn't even look up from his notebook.
After a few minutes, Maya decided to break the silence.
"Hi."
Jordan nodded once.
"Hi."
"I'm Maya."
"I know."
"You do?"
"Everyone knows."
Before Maya could ask what he meant, the teacher entered the room.
The conversation ended.
Near the end of class, the teacher asked everyone to work in pairs.
To Maya's surprise, Jordan finally spoke.
"Whatever you do..."
He kept his eyes on the worksheet.
"...don't go near Locker 117."
Maya's breath caught.
"You know about that?"
Jordan finally looked at her.
For the first time, she noticed how tired his eyes looked.
"Just promise me."
"Why?"
He lowered his voice.
"Because that's where it started."
Before Maya could ask another question, the bell rang.
Jordan packed his bag and left without another word.
Determined to get answers, Maya walked toward the hallway where Locker 117 stood.
Students passed by without paying any attention to it.
It looked ordinary.
Blue paint.
A scratched handle.
A dent near the bottom.
Nothing unusual.
She reached out to touch it.
"Don't."
The voice came from behind her.
It was the old janitor.
He stood with his cleaning cart, staring at the locker.
"You warned me yesterday," Maya said.
"Why?"
The janitor sighed.
"Some doors should never be opened."
"But it's just a locker."
He looked at her sadly.
"It stopped being just a locker a long time ago."
Before Maya could ask another question, he pushed his cart away.
At lunch, Maya sat with Emma under a window overlooking the courtyard.
"Can I ask you something?" Maya said.
"Sure."
"Have you ever heard of Locker 117?"
Emma nearly dropped her fork.
"What?"
"Why does everyone act so strange when I mention it?"
Emma glanced around the cafeteria.
Students were talking and laughing.
No one seemed to be listening.
Even so, she lowered her voice.
"My dad told me never to talk about it."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"But he said if anyone ever asks questions about that locker..."
She stopped.
"What?"
Emma swallowed.
"...walk away."
That afternoon, Maya finally made up her mind.
She wasn't going to let fear control her.
When the last bell rang, she waited until the hallways emptied.
Then she walked back to Locker 117.
The corridor was silent.
She looked left.
Then right.
No one.
Slowly, she wrapped her fingers around the handle.
It was cold.
Very cold.
She pulled.
The locker door creaked open.
Inside...
There were no books.
No backpack.
No school supplies.
Only a single white envelope.
Across the front, written in black ink, were two words.
For Maya.
Her heart raced.
She opened it carefully.
Inside was another note.
It read:
If you're reading this... it's already too late.
Suddenly—
CLANG!
A locker slammed somewhere behind her.
Maya spun around.
The hallway was empty.
Then she heard footsteps.
Slow.
Steady.
Getting closer.
She grabbed the note, slammed Locker 117 shut, and backed away.
A shadow appeared at the far end of the corridor.
Someone was standing there.
Watching her.
The figure didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Just watched.
Then, as quickly as it had appeared...
It disappeared around the corner.
Maya ran.
She didn't stop until she reached the front entrance of the school.
Outside, the rain had started again.
She looked down at the note in her trembling hand.
There was something else written on the back.
Words she hadn't noticed before.
Don't trust the person who smiles first.
- Writer
