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The University
Chapter 2: The Whispering Garden
Mira had never been to the garden, but as she stared at her phone, her heart raced. The image showed her sitting cross-legged on the neatly trimmed grass of the university garden, smiling as if nothing in the world was amiss.
It made no sense.
Her trembling fingers tapped the screen, but the sender of the message was untraceable—just the words *Unknown Number*.
"Who would send this?" she muttered, her voice shaky.
A part of her wanted to believe it was Nora and her friends playing an elaborate prank. After all, they had gone out of their way to warn her about the garden, spinning ominous tales about how dangerous it was. Maybe they had doctored the photo to scare her because she was new.
But the other part of her—a growing, gnawing fear—whispered that something else was at play.
She stared at the image again. The details were too perfect. The light, the shadows, even the way her hair fell around her shoulders—it all looked real. Too real.
Mira tried to shake off the unease, telling herself it was a trick. A stupid joke. Still, she couldn't bring herself to delete the photo. Instead, she tucked her phone away and tried to focus on getting through the evening.
---
Later that night, Nora was chattering excitedly about her day while Mira sat on the couch, her mind elsewhere.
“You should’ve seen Matthew try to answer the professor’s question—he totally blanked!” Nora laughed, nudging Mira.
“Yeah,” Mira said absently, forcing a weak smile.
Nora tilted her head. “You okay? You’ve been quiet all evening.”
“I’m fine,” Mira lied. She wasn’t about to bring up the photo or the message. Nora would probably brush it off or worse, scold her for being paranoid.
As Nora returned to her phone, texting and laughing at messages from their friends, Mira slipped away to her room. She locked the door, turned off the lights, and sat cross-legged on her bed, her phone glowing faintly in her hands.
She searched the internet for anything that could...
Mira had never been to the garden, but as she stared at her phone, her heart raced. The image showed her sitting cross-legged on the neatly trimmed grass of the university garden, smiling as if nothing in the world was amiss.
It made no sense.
Her trembling fingers tapped the screen, but the sender of the message was untraceable—just the words *Unknown Number*.
"Who would send this?" she muttered, her voice shaky.
A part of her wanted to believe it was Nora and her friends playing an elaborate prank. After all, they had gone out of their way to warn her about the garden, spinning ominous tales about how dangerous it was. Maybe they had doctored the photo to scare her because she was new.
But the other part of her—a growing, gnawing fear—whispered that something else was at play.
She stared at the image again. The details were too perfect. The light, the shadows, even the way her hair fell around her shoulders—it all looked real. Too real.
Mira tried to shake off the unease, telling herself it was a trick. A stupid joke. Still, she couldn't bring herself to delete the photo. Instead, she tucked her phone away and tried to focus on getting through the evening.
---
Later that night, Nora was chattering excitedly about her day while Mira sat on the couch, her mind elsewhere.
“You should’ve seen Matthew try to answer the professor’s question—he totally blanked!” Nora laughed, nudging Mira.
“Yeah,” Mira said absently, forcing a weak smile.
Nora tilted her head. “You okay? You’ve been quiet all evening.”
“I’m fine,” Mira lied. She wasn’t about to bring up the photo or the message. Nora would probably brush it off or worse, scold her for being paranoid.
As Nora returned to her phone, texting and laughing at messages from their friends, Mira slipped away to her room. She locked the door, turned off the lights, and sat cross-legged on her bed, her phone glowing faintly in her hands.
She searched the internet for anything that could...
