Chapter 1

CIANA

I heave a deep sigh when finally, I finish cleaning the new room I rented. My paintings are flawlessly hanging on the walls. My works are perfect crafts of my creative hands. Oh! One last thing. I need to arrange my clothes inside the small cabinet residing next to the bed. The moment I opened the first drawer, something is inside.

A phone, a weird and unusual futuristic looking phone, is inside the drawer and it still works. I swiftly continued arranging my clothes to check the phone out. 

“Finders keepers.” I grinned. “What a lucky day.”

I spend the rest of the day doing the grocery and buy some items for my first day as a University student tomorrow. I got my earphones stuck on my ears, some pop-rock music playing. I do a bit of tapping with my hands to where I get contact with and smile to every person who looks at me. Some reciprocate a smile, some ignore, and some people narrow their eyebrows. 

This place somehow reveals a small part of every human behavior. Music is making me deaf about the real noise, and all I see are different types of people buying their needs. Some hesitant, some picky, some looking for something and unfortunately walks out fast, some taking their time reading at labels and product contents, some just taking it fast and easy.

The store is just a few blocks away. I am not born with wealth, and I have no car, so I choose to walk and entertain my eyes by the view. I somehow want to check my neighborhood, what kind of people they might be. The rental building with approximately 20-25 rental rooms where I am staying is tuck between a small barbershop and a six-story building, which I think is abandoned for many years already.

The barbershop seems busy today, and some kids are trying to break in the old building.

My phone suddenly rings while I’m trying to open my room door. I reach for my pocket, and unfortunately, the phone slides from my hand. Now I have no other choice but put the groceries down and take the phone from the floor. 

“Hello? Jethro, why did you call?”

The door is finally open, so I place the items on the small table.

“Is it bad to miss you?” I smiled.

I open a can of soda, which I took from the refrigerator, sit near the window, and move the curtains to let the light come in.

“I just moved. It’s like a few hours after we parted by interim goodbyes.” He laughed. 

Jethro is my childhood friend. We’ve been so close since we are neighbors, before. When my adoptive mother died, I forced to live in another family, which is with my nonbiological mom’s sister. To avoid being so dependent on them, I worked on restaurants as a server to feed myself. I separated from them when I already attended middle school. Now, I moved again and is currently an afternoon shift sales clerk in a women’s clothing store near this place, and the University can be walked by foot to North.

“See you tomorrow, don’t be late.”

“I won’t. Bye.”

“Bye.”

I drink the soda empty and notice the phone from my peripheral view. It’s on top of the cabinet. I peek at the screen. Somebody sent a message, I guess. I throw the soda can on the trash to grab the phone.

Slide to unlock.

I sit on the bed and try to open the phone. It needs some fingerprint. Without any thoughts, I try touching it with my thumb, and it unlocks. 

“This is not possible. There can never be two people in this world having the same fingerprint,” I mumble and close the screen to try unlocking it again. It works for the second time, the third, and so on. I decided to stop.

Seriously?

Now it’s getting creepy. First of all, the screen’s wallpaper is pitch black, and the phone seems like no new apps installed. I click on the message.

August 14, 2016

01

I just moved to my new place on this day. I had a small talk with Jethro on the phone. 

Nothing seems more interesting than the fact that I will be attending my first day as a college student tomorrow. 

I wish I locked the doors. A thief intruded that night. If only I did before, I won’t get this scar on the left side of my neck. 

I get goosebumps, and it's like bolts of electricity flows down my spine. With thoughts flowing freely from my head, I hide the phone below my clothes in the drawer. I immediately check on my door. The text is right! I forgot to lock it. Laughing nervously, I move my hand to slap my cheek. The pain rests on it, turning it reddish.

“I am seriously awake. What kind of a joke is this?”

3 AM.

I am still wide awake, and nothing’s happening. Some crazy person might be trying to prank me. Before I drown from further thoughts, I grab my earphones and play some slow and relaxing music. My eyes slowly closing, I feel a little tired and sleepy now. 

Suddenly, I hear a ruckus below. My whole body regained some energy forcing my system to go as awake as an owl. 

“This is just a dream. A dream.” I remove my earphones and try calming myself down. I face the door with my whole body trembling in fear.

The girl from the next room scream, and I can hear her running footsteps. I hear something broken on the floor, then a thud. My breath shortened. I can’t hardly get some air, my sweat is pouring down my face, and my heart is racing.

I watch the door when I hear a forceful knock.

“It’s a bad dream. A nightmare.” I am still trying to convince myself that none of these are real.

My hand slowly moving touched the doorknob.

“When I open this door, nothing will happen to me.” I force a smile and try calming my breath a bit.

When I swing the door wide open, a sharp blade passes through my neck. The next thing I know is that I was trying to stop it from bleeding. My body drop on the floor.

Blackout.