The air inside Evelyn's room felt heavier than usual, as though the walls themselves held their breath. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, each thud a loud reminder that she was alone—or at least supposed to be.
The knock still lingered in the room, an echo she couldn't shake off.
She clutched her phone tightly, her trembling fingers barely able to swipe the screen. One glance at the time: 12:03 AM. No missed calls. No new messages. Only the weight of that knock pressing against her sanity.
"Who… who's there?" she managed, her voice barely a whisper, almost hoping no one would answer.
Silence.
Then, another knock. This time softer. Almost… teasing.
Evelyn's throat dried. The urge to scream battled with the fear that any sound might invite whatever lurked beyond her door. She tiptoed closer, her bare feet making no sound against the wooden floor. Her fingers hovered over the doorknob.
A memory struck her: Elias's warning from just hours ago.
"If you hear anything strange tonight, don't open your door."
She swallowed hard. Maybe she was imagining things. Maybe it was her mind playing cruel tricks. But when a third knock came—this one sharp and impatient—her courage cracked.
Evelyn yanked open the drawer beside her bed, pulling out the small brass key Elias had once given her. She never thought she'd have to use it.
Slowly, she unlocked the box under her bed. Inside, a single photograph: her, Elias, and another boy she hadn't dared remember for years—Derrick. The three of them smiling, innocent, unaware of the storm their lives would become.
Tears blurred her vision. She grabbed the photograph and clutched it against her chest.
"I need to leave," she thought.
But the house was eerily quiet. Too quiet. The kind that creeps beneath your skin.
Gathering what little courage she had left, Evelyn cracked the door open, peeking into the hallway. Nothing. Just darkness and the faint creak of old floorboards.
She stepped out, tiptoeing down the hall. Every step felt like a betrayal against her instincts.
Then, a voice.
"You shouldn't have done it, Evelyn."
She spun around, her breath catching in her throat. The voice came from nowhere and everywhere all at once.
"Who's there?" she whispered.
Silence.
She stumbled forward, descending the stairs two at a time. As she reached the living room, the lights flickered. The old grandfather clock struck 12:15 AM.
And then she saw it.
A figure standing by the window.
Evelyn's heart slammed against her chest. The figure turned, and for a split second, she caught a glimpse of the face.
Amara.
Her former best friend.
The girl she thought had vanished a year ago without a trace.
Amara looked pale, her eyes hollow. A ghost in the flesh.
"Amara…?" Evelyn's voice cracked.
Amara smiled, a broken, bitter smile. "Miss me?"
Before Evelyn could respond, Amara bolted through the front door, disappearing into the night.
Evelyn hesitated for only a moment before chasing after her.
The cold air bit into her skin as she ran barefoot down the street. Shadows danced, and the world seemed both too large and too small all at once.
"Amara, wait!" she shouted.
But the figure didn't slow.
Evelyn followed, heart pounding, until they reached the old abandoned chapel on the outskirts of town. A place they once dared each other to enter as kids.
Amara stood at the doorway, her face half-lit by the moonlight.
"You ruined everything," she hissed.
"I don't understand—"
"Lies!" Amara's voice echoed inside the hollow building. "You knew what you were doing, Evelyn. You always knew."
"I swear, I—"
A movement inside the chapel caught her eye. Another figure, half-shrouded in darkness.
Evelyn's breath hitched.
"Who's that?"
The figure stepped forward.
Elias.
His face was unreadable, his eyes void of the warmth they usually held.
"Elias?" Evelyn whispered.
But he didn't answer. Instead, he held up a phone.
A video played on the screen.
Evelyn's stomach twisted.
It was her. With Derrick. Laughing. Kissing. The night before Derrick disappeared.
"No," Evelyn choked out. "That's not—"
"It was you," Elias said coldly. "You led him there."
Tears blurred her vision. "I didn't… I didn't know—"
Amara's laugh was hollow. "You think secrets stay buried, Evelyn? The truth always finds its way out."
A rush of wind slammed the chapel doors shut behind her. Trapped.
Evelyn's chest heaved, panic rising. "Please, listen to me! I never meant for any of this to happen!"
Amara stepped closer, her voice icy. "Too late."
Suddenly, a scream shattered the air. It wasn't Evelyn's. It wasn't Amara's.
It was Elias.
He clutched his chest, eyes wide in horror.
From the shadows, another figure emerged.
Derrick.
Alive.
Bruised. Scarred. But unmistakably alive.
"You forgot about me," he rasped.
Evelyn felt the world tilt. Everything she believed shattered in an instant.
"I… I thought you were dead," she whispered.
Derrick's glare was venomous. "And you moved on. With him." He pointed a shaking finger at Elias.
"I didn't know!"
"I waited for you, Evelyn. I trusted you."
A shot rang out.
Evelyn screamed.