Audrey POV:-
My husband was correct—today was going to be a long day, although actually it was just another normal day. Upon my arrival at the school, the headmaster told me that today was indeed the day they were enrolling new students. It was difficult for me to get to know them and acclimatize to the new routine. The fatigue from the night before was still there, and I wasn't sleeping much, so I'd largely brushed those agitated thoughts away. Then, out of the blue, came a peculiar text. The whole message was blank—no words, no text—just a blank screen. The number was unknown; I didn't know who it was. At the end, there was a small note: "PS."
I had checked the number, but it wasn't in my records or contacts.
"Weird," I said to myself. "I don't have this number saved. Perhaps someone sent me the wrong message."
I didn't respond. Instead, I concentrated on the children, trying to divert my mind. Time was passing by when the peon came to me.
"Madam, you have a call,"
he stated. I asked the children to play or draw quietly for a bit and excused myself to answer the call. The school had a specific landline—each teacher had a number to call either staff or parents, and in case of emergencies, there was an urgent call line. I thought it was probably Ethan calling and concerned about me. I picked up the phone.
"Hello, this is Audrey,"
I said. For a moment, there was silence, and then I could only hear heavy, raspy breathing.
"Hello? Hello? Who is this? Why are you calling me?"
I asked again, confused. Nothing but heavy breathing on the other end of the line. Finally, after a minute or so of silence, I hung up, with a strange feeling of unease creeping over me. I moved away from the phone, and it rang again. I waited for a moment and then responded, thinking maybe it was someone else.
"Hello?"
I said hesitantly. But again, silence. No voice, no noise.
"Look,"
I said firmly, attempting to hide my nervousness.
"If you have something to say, you can call on mobile or speak louder. Perhaps you are speaking, but I am not able to hear you clearly."
I breathed in deeply, attempting to remain calm. Sometimes, individuals forget that the phone may be on hold or mute, and they speak without knowing that the latter can't hear them. But just as I was going to set the phone down, the phone rang again. My heart began racing. At once, memories of last night's activities flashed through my mind—everything about all the unusual feelings and the discomfort I'd experienced. I took the phone and picked it up, but again, nothing—no sound, no voice. I hung it up at once, a cold shiver running down my spine. Whoever it was, they were more than likely just playing some sort of joke on me.
But why? I had done nothing to anyone. What was the point? Why now? I rushed back to class. The children watched me eagerly, but I couldn't focus. I told them to play games or draw, just to distract them. I grabbed my phone immediately and sent Ethan a brief message just to reassure him without worrying him or letting him know I was upset. Then, suddenly, I got a video. My heart began pounding. It was Ethan—chatting with his friends. His phone was in silent mode, but somehow, the video had been recorded and sent. Seeing him in the video, a chill went down my spine. How could someone can be present i the police station's system, room, and record Ethan without his knowing and send it to me? That surely seemed like a huge invasion of privacy and security. I didn't even pause, deciding to head to the police station immediately. The officers there treat me like family, and I felt at ease going in unannounced. I met Ethan and asked him to let me see his phone. He was confused but took out his phone—no missed calls, no messages, and all the volumes were on full. He smiled reassuringly at me.
"Perhaps you're worrying too much,"
he said softly. As always, he knows what I was thinking.
"I know you're anxious, but everything's okay."
If you'd like, I can drop you off at your favorite ice cream shop—just to unwind a little."
I nodded, a glimmer of relief. Perhaps I'd been fussing over nothing. This might be an innocent prank.
"Yeah,"
I said to myself.
"Maybe I just…"
What could have gone wrong—who's doing all this, and why? I asked myself:
"How could someone gain from this crap? I had no idea who was responsible for this or their motivations. Ethan's assistant soon appeared in the room and was asked to investigate where the video came from. Much to the surprise, even though it was sent from an unknown number, the police managed to track it quickly."
Turns out, it was a prank—a young guy here at the station had made the video for fun, intending to play it with background music while writing captions like
"Cops are chilling."
He'd shared it with friends, unaware of how serious it looked. Hearing this, I wondered if perhaps someone had intended to send that video to Ethan but sent it to me by mistake, or maybe someone was trying to scare us. I came home at about 7:00 p.m., tired and agitated. Ethan had gone out for some sleuthing, so I wondered what was going on. I just sat there on the couch thinking when I saw a black gift box with my house in front of it. My gut just tightened with fear. I wanted to call Ethan right away, but I hesitated—what he told me might be true. Perhaps it was just a prank.
Slowly, I walked toward the box, my heart racing. It appeared unusual—nothing in it at first, just a plain black box. Yet, as I gazed at it, I could see faint cracks and ornaments on it. My hands shook as I wavered, then flipped on my video camera. I wanted to document everything, just in case something went awry. People need proof first. Slowly, I picked up the box, with a mix of curiosity and fear. Inside, nothing but a shattered glass ornament with delicate patterns was left, but it was broken at the center. undefined It did appear to be an old, used piece, but I couldn't get rid of the disturbing sensation.
I left it on the table at a safe distance from me, but I subconsciously kept my hands away from it in case—something about it didn't sit right with me. I slowly patted my thigh, hoping Ethan would assist me in determining what it was. undefined In my heart, I knew I wasn't just being paranoid; I felt that something was horribly wrong. And that could be a major problem?