Chapter 2: The Voice Grows
1040 Words
Amara didn’t feel normal.
From the moment she stepped out of her house that morning, everything felt… off. The air was the same, the streets were the same, people moved like they always did—but something inside her had shifted.
The voice hadn’t left.
It was quiet now, but its presence lingered like a shadow she couldn’t escape.
“Don’t trust him.”
Those words replayed in her mind over and over again.
Her grip tightened around her phone as she walked toward school. Daniel’s message was still open on her screen.
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
Her chest tightened.
“What are you hiding?” she murmured under her breath.
“Talking to yourself now?” a voice suddenly said from behind her.
Amara jumped slightly and turned.
Tessa.
Of course.
Her best friend stood there with a playful smirk, her arms folded. “You’ve been acting weird since morning. Don’t think I didn’t notice.”
Amara forced a small smile. “I’m fine.”
Tessa raised an eyebrow. “You look like someone that saw a ghost.”
If only you knew, Amara thought.
“Did you even sleep?” Tessa asked, falling into step beside her.
“Not really.”
“Hmm. That explains the zombie face.”
Amara rolled her eyes faintly, but her mind wasn’t in the conversation anymore.
As they walked through the school gates, a strange uneasiness settled over her again.
Then—
“Watch closely.”
Amara froze mid-step.
Her heart skipped.
The voice.
Again.
Clear.
Sharp.
She looked around quickly, her breathing picking up.
“Amara?” Tessa called. “Why did you stop?”
“I… I thought I heard something,” she said quietly.
Tessa frowned. “Heard what?”
Amara hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
But deep down, she did.
And this time, it didn’t sound like a warning.
It sounded like an instruction.
The hallway was crowded as usual—students talking, laughing, moving between classes. Normal. Everything looked normal.
But Amara couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to happen.
“Watch closely.”
Her eyes scanned the hallway.
People passed by.
Nothing.
Then—
A loud crash echoed through the corridor.
Everyone turned.
A boy had slipped near the staircase, his books scattering across the floor as he landed hard.
Gasps filled the air.
“Oh my God!” someone shouted.
Tessa rushed forward immediately. “Is he okay?”
Amara didn’t move.
She stood there, frozen.
Her heart pounded loudly in her ears.
The voice had spoken…
before it happened.
Her stomach twisted.
“No…” she whispered.
This wasn’t coincidence.
This wasn’t imagination.
The voice knew.
“Amara!”
She blinked, snapping back to reality.
Tessa was staring at her. “Are you coming or what?”
“Yeah…” she replied slowly, still shaken.
As they walked away from the scene, her mind raced.
It told me.
Before it happened.
Exactly before it happened.
Her breathing grew uneven again.
“What is this?” she whispered to herself.
Later that day, Amara sat in class, barely paying attention.
Her pen hovered over her notebook, unmoving.
Every sound felt louder.
Every movement distracted her.
Every second stretched too long.
She couldn’t focus.
Because she was waiting.
Waiting for the voice.
Waiting for it to speak again.
And then—
“He’s going to lie.”
Amara stiffened.
Her fingers tightened around her pen.
Slowly, she lifted her head.
Her eyes moved toward the classroom door just as it opened.
Daniel walked in.
Late.
Her heart began to race.
He glanced around briefly before his eyes met hers.
And for a moment—
Something felt different.
He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said casually as he took his seat.
Amara stared at him.
“He’s going to lie.”
The words echoed again in her head.
Her chest tightened.
She watched him carefully now, noticing things she hadn’t before.
The slight tension in his shoulders.
The way he avoided eye contact for too long.
The forced calmness in his voice.
What are you hiding?
After school, Daniel caught up with her just outside the gate.
“Hey,” he said, slightly out of breath. “You got my message, right?”
Amara nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
He hesitated for a second before speaking again. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
Her heart started pounding.
This was it.
The moment.
The test.
She looked straight at him, her expression unreadable.
“Then say it,” she replied.
Daniel ran a hand through his hair, looking unusually nervous.
“It’s… it’s nothing serious,” he said quickly. “I just—uh—I might not be around much this week.”
Amara’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“That’s it?”
“Yeah,” he said, forcing a small laugh. “I just have some family stuff going on.”
Silence.
Amara stared at him.
Waiting.
Watching.
“He’s going to lie.”
The voice whispered again.
And suddenly—
She knew.
Something wasn’t right.
“Okay,” she said quietly.
But her tone had changed.
Daniel didn’t seem to notice.
“Alright, I’ll text you later,” he said before walking off.
Amara stood there, unmoving.
Her heart felt heavy now.
Not just with fear—
But with doubt.
As she walked home alone, the world around her felt quieter than usual.
Too quiet.
Her thoughts spiraled.
The voice had been right twice now.
Twice.
First, the warning.
Then, the fall.
Now, Daniel.
Her chest tightened.
“What if…” she whispered.
What if the voice never lied?
A chill ran down her spine.
Because if that was true—
Then everything was about to change.
That night, Amara lay in bed again.
Wide awake.
Staring into the darkness.
Waiting.
And just when she thought it wouldn’t come—
“This is only the beginning.”
Her breath caught.
Her eyes widened.
And for the first time…
She didn’t feel confused.
She felt afraid.
Because now, she understood one thing clearly—
The voice wasn’t going away.
And whatever it wanted…
It was just getting started.
- Writer
