I got up feeling unsettled—unhappy, even. My heart throbbed in my chest, and it was only morning. I glanced at the newspaper again. The same survivor stared back at me from the front page, her expression frozen in trauma. Even in black and white, her eyes gave off the same energy I felt—haunted, hollow. It startled me… but it also motivated me.
I had to move. I didn't want extra homework today—just pray we get a better sub.
As I stepped outside, a blast of hot air hit me. My mind already felt drained as I walked through the empty roads, weaving between buildings, dragging my feet toward school. Dread settled in. Maybe I was overreacting. It's not like I was the one who went missing. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling.
I refuse to be next.
The school building was humid, suffocating. I could already hear the whispers, see the glances. People were gossiping—of course they were. Helena. They were talking about Helena.
I crossed the classroom slowly, my thoughts a mess—Zynnia, the strange invitation… I made up my mind. I wouldn't go. It didn't feel safe.
That's when I saw it. Something weird on Zynnia's desk.
A note.
Nobody else had touched it. So, of course, being the morbidly curious idiot I am, I reached for it. I unfolded it slightly, just enough to read, making sure no one was looking.
What I found next made my stomach turn.
It was a list. A list of everyone I knew—from Mika, to me, to Jay, to Helena. Even Ellin's entire friend group was there.
I felt sick.
You're probably thinking, "It's just a list of names. Chill out." But you're wrong. Helena and Jay's names were both crossed out. In order. Left to right.
I knew something was wrong. Deeply wrong.
I shoved the note back in place just as I saw Zynnia approaching.
Later, after a hopeless session of learning absolutely nothing, something strange happened. Everyone seemed to gasp at me. Their faces turned pale. Horrified.
I asked what was going on. No one spoke. Finally, someone handed me a fresh newspaper.
I should have braced myself.
When I saw the headline, my eyes froze. I couldn't even finish reading it. My body gave out.
Everything went black.
I collapsed in the hallway, cold and breathless.