Whispered Shadows

Chapter Four

Into The Darkness

Noa

The minutes crawl by like hours after Ryder hangs up. I sit frozen on the edge of my bed, clutching my phone with one hand and gripping the crumpled note with the other. The storm outside is relentless, the rain pelting the window in a rhythmic assault. The faint smear of red on the glass is gone now, washed away, but its image is burned into my mind.

"You shouldn't have come."

I should have called campus security. I know that. But something tells me they wouldn't believe me. A missing sister, creepy notes, and a smear of something on my window? They'd probably write it off as nerves. Freshman jitters. They don't know what I know.

They don't know Gia.

I could have taken a picture of it. A smarter person would have, but I didn't. I froze up in fear. People always say flight or fight, but they always forget the third option; freeze.

When it comes to anyone else in the world I fight. Someone says something bad about Gia and I am in their face. When a person was being bullied I was the one backing them. However, when it comes to me it's like my body doesn't know what to do.

My phone buzzes, jolting me out of my thoughts. I jump, my heart racing, but it's just a text from Ryder:

Ryder: 15 minutes out. Stay locked in. Lights on.

I nod to myself, even though he can't see me.

Me: Okay. Hurry.

The room feels colder now like the storm outside has seeped through the walls. I glance around, trying to convince myself it's just my imagination. The closet door is still closed. The curtains are drawn. Nothing has changed since Ryder told me to stay put.

Piper hasn't moved she is fast asleep on my pillow now taking most of it because I moved that. Most people talk about fighting over covers, however I have to fight over pillow space with a cat.

The feeling of being watched hasn't left.

I check the lock on the door again, even though I know I locked it earlier. My fingers hover over the bolt, and I hesitate, suddenly paranoid. Did I hear it click? Was it all the way latched?

Something crashes outside the window.

I whip around, my heart slamming against my ribs. Piper doesn't even flinch. I swear she can sleep through almost anything. My first thought is that it's just the storm—a branch, maybe—but the sound is too deliberate. Too loud. Like something heavy was thrown against the building.

Gripping my phone tighter, I creep toward the window, my bare feet silent on the cold floor. I hesitate for a moment before pulling the curtain back just enough to peek out.

The quad is empty. The rain continues to pour, glistening under the glow of the street lamps. There's no one there.

I close the curtain and step back, the unease coiling tighter in my stomach. My brain is screaming at me to get out of here, but where would I go? The halls are dark, the rest of the building silent.

I sit back on the bed, pulling my knees to my chest. Ryder will be here soon. I just have to wait a little longer.

Another sound. This one isn't outside.

It's inside the room.

My blood runs cold as I slowly turn my head toward the closet. The door is open now, just a crack, and a shadow shifts in the thin slice of darkness.

"Noa."

The voice is low, barely more than a whisper, but it's enough to send every hair on my body standing on end. I scramble back on the bed, my breath hitching, my eyes locked on the closet.