Chapter 4: Someone Was Watching

I barely slept that night.

Every time I closed my eyes, the words from the letter echoed in my head.

"Trust no one, not even the people you love most."

By morning, I had convinced myself I was overthinking everything.

Until I got to school.

As I opened my locker, a folded piece of paper slipped out and landed at my feet.

My stomach tightened.

It wasn't another letter.

It was a photograph.

The picture was old and slightly torn.

It showed my brother standing beside a man whose face had been scratched out with something sharp.

On the back, someone had written three words.

Ask your mother.

My hands began to shake.

I quickly slipped the photograph into my bag before anyone could see it.

"Maya?"

I turned around.

It was Daniel.

He had been in my class since our first year, but we'd barely spoken more than a few words.

"You dropped this," he said, holding out my pen.

"Thanks."

He looked at me for a moment.

“You don't look okay,” he said.

"I'm fine."

"You don't have to lie."

Before I could answer, the school bell rang.

As everyone rushed towards their classrooms, I glanced over my shoulder.

A man wearing a black cap stood across the road, staring directly at me.

The moment our eyes met, he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

My heart skipped.

I didn't know who he was.

But somehow...

I knew he'd been watching me long before today.