What Was Left Behind

Chapter 7: Glimpse of the Past

Timeline: Summer, Present Day

The sky over Hillstone had darkened, heavy clouds swirling as the wind picked up, tugging at Maia's hair as she walked back toward her apartment. Levi's words still echoed in her mind: "We'll do this together." She wanted to believe that. She wanted to trust that she wasn't in this alone anymore. But no matter how much she tried to hold onto that hope, the storm building inside her wouldn't let her rest.

She hadn't told Levi everything yet. She couldn't-not until she could piece together the fragments of Camilla's last days. And that meant confronting memories she had tried so hard to bury.

One Year Earlier
Timeline: Summer, One Year Before Camilla's Disappearance

It had been a warm summer night, the kind of evening when the air was so thick and humid that everything felt slower, more deliberate. They had been sitting on the rooftop of Camilla's apartment, legs dangling over the edge, a bottle of cheap wine between them. Camilla had been laughing about something, her voice rising above the soft hum of the night, but Maia couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

They had spent so many nights like this-drinking, talking, dreaming about the future-but this one had felt different. Camilla had been distracted, her gaze flickering toward the shadows more than usual, her laugh hollow in a way Maia hadn't noticed at first.

"You've been quiet lately," Maia had said, swirling the last of the wine in her glass. "What's going on?"

Camilla had sighed, her smile fading as she leaned back on her hands, staring up at the sky. "It's nothing," she'd said, her voice soft. "Just... stuff on my mind."

"Stuff?" Maia had pressed, raising an eyebrow. "Come on, Cami. I know you better than that."

There had been a long pause, the kind that stretched between them like a thread, thin and fragile. Maia could still remember the way Camilla had looked at her then-her dark eyes shadowed with something deeper, something she hadn't wanted to show.

"I've been doing some digging," Camilla had finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Into your father."

Maia had felt the air leave her lungs. "My father?"

"Yeah," Camilla had said, glancing down at the bottle of wine as if it held the answers she couldn't bring herself to say out loud. "I... I think he was involved in something. Something bad."

Maia had laughed then, though it hadn't been out of humor. "My father? Are you serious?"

Camilla's eyes had flashed with something-a mix of fear and determination. "I'm not kidding, Maia. He was part of these trials, these experiments... They were messing with people's minds. And it wasn't just some small study. It was... dark. They were covering things up."

Maia had shaken her head, the words too surreal to process. Her father had been distant, yes. Cold, even. But this? This was too much.

"You've been reading too many conspiracy blogs," Maia had said, forcing a smile she didn't quite believe herself.

"I'm serious, Maia." Camilla had leaned forward, her voice urgent. "I've found things-files, names. People who were part of the trials have disappeared. And I think... I think they're still watching. I think they're still doing it."

Maia had stared at her then, really stared, and for the first time, she had seen the fear in Camilla's eyes. Real, tangible fear. Her best friend, who had always been bold, always fearless, was now sitting in front of her, terrified.

"You're scaring me, Cami," Maia had whispered.

"I'm scared too," Camilla had replied, her voice shaking. "But I need to figure this out. I need to know what's really going on."

Maia had reached for her, had wanted to pull her back, tell her to stop, to let it go. But the words had stuck in her throat, heavy and unspoken. Camilla had been right about one thing-something wasn't right. Maia could feel it too, but she hadn't wanted to face it.

That had been the last real conversation they'd had. Days later, Camilla was gone.

Timeline: Present Day

Now, as Maia walked through the rain-soaked streets, she couldn't help but wonder how much of that night had been her fault. She should have believed her. She should have listened when Camilla told her something was wrong. Maybe then, she wouldn't be standing here, piecing together the mystery of what had happened to her best friend.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind her, steady and too close for comfort. Her heart raced as she glanced over her shoulder, but the street was empty. A shadow, maybe. A trick of the mind.

Maia picked up her pace, pulling her jacket tighter around her as the drizzle turned into a steady downpour. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her, following her, just as Camilla had said. Her mind raced with the possibilities-someone from the facility, someone who didn't want the truth to come out.

Her apartment was just a few blocks away now. She kept her head down, focusing on the wet pavement, her pulse thudding in her ears. The rain poured down harder, cold droplets running down her neck as she made her way up the steps to her door, fumbling for her keys.

The moment she stepped inside, slamming the door behind her, she let out a shaky breath, her hands trembling as she locked the door. She wasn't sure if the panic rising in her chest was real or if she was just imagining things. But after everything that had happened, after the pieces she'd uncovered, she wasn't willing to take any chances.

She leaned against the door for a moment, her breathing heavy, as the rain continued to pound against the windows. This was what Camilla had felt, wasn't it? The constant fear, the sense that someone was just around the corner, watching, waiting.

Maia pushed herself away from the door and made her way to the kitchen, her heart still racing. She needed to calm down, needed to focus. There were still too many questions, too many gaps in the story that didn't make sense.

She reached for the papers she had left scattered across the kitchen table earlier-the patient files, the notes she had found at the psychiatric facility. Camilla had been onto something. And if Maia didn't figure it out soon, she might end up just like her.

As she sifted through the files, something caught her eye-a name she hadn't noticed before. Patient #57, listed on several documents. Unlike the other patients, there were no details about this one-no background information, no diagnosis, just a number. Every time the patient was mentioned, the records became more cryptic, the language more guarded.

Patient #57. Who was this person?

Maia's heart quickened again. If she could find out who this patient was, maybe she could figure out what her father had been hiding. Maybe she could finally understand what had led to Camilla's disappearance.

As she flipped through the papers, her phone buzzed on the table. She reached for it, her hands still trembling, half-expecting to see Levi's name on the screen. But it wasn't Levi.

It was an unknown number.

Her pulse quickened as she stared at the screen, her thumb hovering over the answer button. For a moment, she considered letting it go to voicemail, but something in her gut told her this wasn't a call she could ignore.

She answered, her voice tense. "Hello?"

There was silence on the other end for a moment, just the faint sound of breathing. Maia's heart thudded painfully in her chest.

"Maia," the voice on the other end finally said, quiet but unmistakable.

It was Camilla's voice.

Maia froze, the world tilting around her. "C-Camilla?" she whispered, her throat tight, her mind racing. "Is that you?"

But there was no answer. Just the faint crackle of the line, and then... silence.

Maia stared at the phone, her hands shaking violently now. That couldn't have been Camilla. It was impossible.

But the voice... it had been her. She knew that voice. It was burned into her memory, woven into the very fabric of who she was.

And now, it had come back to haunt her.