Alisha POV
I couldn't sleep.
I kept turning, staring at the ceiling like it would answer me.
My mind was a mess. Alex. Andrew. The blood.
Mandy acting strange. And… those texts.
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
My heart skipped.
"You shouldn't hold Alex's hand like that."
I froze. My fingers shook as I stared at the screen.
How… how did they know?
That happened at night. Quiet. Only me and Alex. No one else around.
I typed back.
Who are you?
The reply came instantly.
"I see more than you think."
Cold. Creepy. My hands were shaking. My chest felt tight. I locked the phone and tried to convince myself it was just a sick joke.
But deep down, I knew it wasn't.
The next morning, Mandy was acting… off.
Too normal. Laughing. Talking. Oversharing.
Like nothing had changed. And that scared me more.
In class, my phone buzzed again.
Unknown number.
I didn't want to look. But I did.
"Tell Mandy to be careful."
My stomach dropped.
Why Mandy? Why her?
I glanced at her. She was ahead, chatting with Sarah, smiling, acting like everything was fine.
But something in her movements… too perfect. Tense. Controlled.
I typed back.
Why her?
The reply came fast:
"Because she's closer to the truth than you are."
I felt dizzy. My head spun. The lecture ended, but I didn't notice. Danny said something funny. Sarah laughed. I heard none of it.
That night, Mandy went to bed early. I lay awake, staring at the dark, mind racing.
Then… her phone buzzed.
Once. Twice.
I told myself not to look. But I couldn't help it.
Slowly, I reached for her phone.
The screen lit up.
Unknown number.
The last message made my blood run cold:
"If she finds out, you know what to do."
I scrolled up. Messages. Dozens of them.
Each more threatening than the last.
Then one that froze me completely:
"Alex is only the beginning."
I dropped the phone like it burned me.
The shadows in the room felt heavier. My heart hammered.
Then—I heard it.
Three soft knocks at the door.
Slow. Calm. Controlled.
My stomach sank.
I whispered, "Who is there"
No answer.
The knocks came again.
I approached the door, hands trembling.
Peered through the peephole.
Empty hallway. No footsteps. No shadow.
I locked the door. Backed away. My chest ached.
This… this was real.