Chapter 8 – Whispers and Warnings
"Come back! Chloe!" Ava's voice cracked through the emptiness as she stumbled down the hallway, her bare feet slapping against the cold floor. But there was nothing. No figure. No shadow. No Chloe.
She pressed a palm to her chest, trying to catch her breath. Her skin was clammy, her nightgown soaked in sweat. She had run straight out of her dorm room, chasing a ghost.
"What's wrong with me?" she whispered, turning around to find herself alone in the west wing. The hallway lights flickered above her head, casting erratic patterns on the wall. She leaned against the wall, sliding to the floor, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees.
She knew it couldn't have been real. Chloe was dead. Everyone reminded her every day. But the look in Chloe's eyes—that same fierce determination she always carried—how could her mind create that with such cruel accuracy?
Her hands trembled.
"Ava?"
A familiar voice echoed from behind her. She turned to see Lana, dressed in an oversized hoodie, walking toward her cautiously.
"What are you doing here?" Ava asked, wiping her face quickly.
Lana tilted her head. "I could ask you the same thing. I heard shouting... and running. I thought something happened. Are you okay?"
Ava shook her head. "I thought I saw someone. Chloe."
Lana blinked slowly, her expression unreadable. "Ava, you know she's gone."
"Don't say that. I saw her. She was right there. She looked at me. She said my name."
Lana crouched beside her. "You're not crazy. You've been through a lot. And sometimes, when our minds can't handle the pain, they show us what we want most."
Ava buried her face in her hands. "But what if she's trying to tell me something? What if she's not gone—"
Lana grabbed her wrists gently. "Ava. Please. You're scaring me."
For a moment, they sat in silence, the flickering lights buzzing above.
Lana finally stood and reached down. "Come on. Let's get you back to bed. You're shaking."
Ava hesitated but took her hand.
---
Back in the dorm, Ava lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Lana was seated at the desk nearby, pretending to scroll through her phone.
"You don't believe me," Ava whispered.
Lana paused. "I believe you believe it."
"You think I'm losing it."
Lana turned around. "I think grief is messy. It doesn't follow rules. And I think you've kept everything bottled up for too long."
Ava turned her face to the wall, tears silently wetting her pillow.
---
The next day, Ava moved through her classes in a daze. Whispers followed her, but she ignored them. She was used to the stares by now.
She met up with Jessy in the cafeteria. He had two cups of coffee and that lopsided grin he always wore when he was trying to cheer her up.
"Hey stranger. Figured you might need this."
She took the cup, forcing a smile. "Thanks."
"Rough night?"
She nodded. "I saw her again. Chloe."
Jessy's smile faltered. "You're still seeing her?"
"I never stopped."
He leaned closer. "Ava, maybe it's time to talk to someone. Like... really talk to someone. A counselor."
She looked up sharply. "You think I'm crazy too?"
"No! I just— I care about you. And I want you to be okay."
She sighed, clutching the warm coffee. "There's something going on. I feel it."
Jessy didn't reply. He just sipped his drink, avoiding her eyes.
---
Later that evening, Ava found herself back in the old library basement. It had always been Chloe's favorite hideout, tucked behind the archives. No one ever came here.
She ran her fingers over the spines of dusty books, breathing in the scent of paper and memory.
Something caught her eye.
A book pulled slightly from the shelf. Not something she remembered. She tugged it free—and a folded paper slipped from its pages.
She opened it slowly. It wasn't Chloe's handwriting. It was someone else's. Someone with hurried, jagged pen strokes.
"If you're reading this, they already know."
Her heart thundered. Who was "they"? And what did they know?
She turned the paper over. A map. A series of initials. One of them stood out.
"K.K."
Mr. Kalu?
Her pulse spiked. She stuffed the paper into her bag and rushed out.
---
Back in her room, she locked the door and spread the paper across her desk. Lana was still out.
She ran her fingers over the map. The markings made no sense—at first. But then she noticed: it was a layout of the school. Specific rooms marked. The West Wing. The science lab. The art studio.
And then, a big circle around the chapel.
Chloe used to go there. Alone. Often.
The door creaked open. Ava spun around.
It was Lana.
"Hey. Didn't mean to scare you. You okay?"
Ava hesitated. "Yeah. Just... going through some old stuff."
Lana sat on her bed, pulling off her shoes. "You know, I've been thinking about Chloe too. A lot. She never really felt gone to me. Like she just... stepped out for a while."
Ava turned back to the desk, folding the map. "Yeah. Me too."
But deep inside, her gut twisted.
Something was very wrong. Chloe was at the center of it.
And someone didn't want her to know.
---
End of Chapter 8
Chapter 8 is now complete and continues directly from where Chapter 7 ended. It builds on Ava's mental state, the mystery surrounding Chloe, and begins introducing clues like the mysterious map and initials linked to Mr. Kalu.
Let me know when you're ready to begin Chapter 9 or if you'd like any edits!