The hallways of East Ridge High were alive with chatter and excitement. It was extra-curricular week, and the energy was contagious. Posters for various activities were plastered on every wall, students rushed between rooms for sign-ups, and laughter echoed off the lockers. It was as if the disappearance of Alex had faded into the background. "Can you believe it? Dodgeball tournament starts tomorrow!" one student said, grinning at his friend as they passed by Ryan, Samira Naomi.Naomi glanced at Ryan, her brow furrowing. "It's like everyone’s forgotten... about Alex."Ryan grunted in response, his jaw tight. “Yeah, it’s like he never existed. Just gone. Poof. And everyone’s excited about dodgeball.”Samira sighed, running a hand through her hair. "We should’ve heard something by now, right? I mean, he wouldn’t just vanish without a word. Not to us."Ryan stopped in his tracks, his fists clenching. “It’s like no one cares! How can they just move on like this? It’s been weeks, Naomi!”
As the sun dipped below the horizon, signaling the end of the first day of extra-curricular activities, Samira headed home, her mind racing. She barely noticed the streets passing by as her thoughts drifted back to Alex. The school had been buzzing all day with excitement, but beneath her own energy, there was a constant, gnawing worry about him. As she pushed open the front door, she was met by Lila, who was seated on the couch, looking deep in thought.“Hey,” Samira greeted, tossing her bag on the chair. “Long day?”Lila looked up and gave a faint smile. “You could say that. Dodgeball was intense, but that’s not really what’s been on my mind.”Samira sat down beside her, sighing. “Yeah... I know the feeling. I’ve been thinking about Alex all day.”Lila’s expression grew more serious. “I just can’t shake this feeling. We both know Silas has him. But why hasn’t Silas made a move yet? What’s he waiting for?”Samira leaned back, crossing her arms. “That’s what I’ve been wondering too.
Astra moved through the shadows, her eyes sharp as she scanned the darkened streets. She’d been tracking Samira all night, but so far, the girl had managed to stay just out of reach. Astra smirked to herself. *You can run, Samira, but you can’t hide forever.*A flash of movement caught her attention as someone stepped out from a nearby alley. Astra’s smirk faded as she realized it wasn’t Samira—it was Naomi, completely unaware of the danger lurking around her.“Wrong place, wrong time, kid,” Astra muttered under her breath, slipping silently behind her.Naomi, glancing around nervously, felt the eerie presence but couldn’t place it. She quickened her pace, muttering to herself, “I hate walking alone at night… Should’ve waited for Ryan to walk with me.”Astra stepped out in front of her, blocking her path with a cold smile. “Well, well… What have we here?”Naomi gasped, stumbling back a step. “Who… Who are you?”Astra tilted her head, feigning innocence. “A friend of a friend. Or, mayb
The bell for lunch echoes through the crowded hallways of East Ridge High School. Students stream out of classrooms, filling the corridors with a cacophony of laughter, chatter, and the occasional shout. Among the sea of faces, one stands out: Alex Chen, a 17-year-old with a slight build, dark eyes, and an air of quiet caution. Alex clutches a stack of textbooks to his chest, his head down, eyes scanning the floor as he navigate the bustling crowd. Alex has learned to move through the hallways like a ghost, slipping between groups, always trying to avoid drawing attention. Despite his best efforts, the attention he desperately wish to evade always finds him. Today is no different. As Alex approaches his locker, his heart begins to race. The knot in his stomach tightens with each step. He knows what’s coming, but he cling to the faint hope that today might be different—that maybe, just maybe, he will be left alone. But as he near the row of lockers, that hope is crushed. Victor Vex,
After the long day at school, the walk home feels endless to Alex. Each step seems to drag on as he replay the events of the day in his mind, the humiliation and fear gnawing at his insides. The sky is overcast, the gray clouds hanging low, as if reflecting the heaviness in Alex’s heart. By the time he reach the familiar, modest two-story house, he is emotionally drained, barely holding himself together.Alex’s home is one of the few places where he feel safe. The worn wooden steps leading to the front door creak under his weight as he climb them, his fingers brushing against the peeling paint on the banister. Taking a deep breath, he push open the door and step inside, the warm, familiar scent of his grandmother’s cooking wrapping around him like a comforting blanket.Inside, the house is quiet, save for the soft hum of the old refrigerator and the distant ticking of the clock on the wall. Alex drops their bag by the door, his shoulders slumping as he feel the weight of the day full
The warmth of the congee and the comfort of Grandma Chen’s words had soothed Alex, allowing them to momentarily forget the day’s horrors. As they prepared for bed, Alex felt a small sense of calm wash over him, a fleeting hope that sleep might offer a brief escape from the relentless bullying that had haunted his waking hours.The bedroom was a sanctuary, small but cozy, with posters of favorite bands and bookshelves filled with well-worn novels lining the walls. The soft glow of the bedside lamp cast a warm light across the room as Alex changed into pajamas, his movements slow and deliberate. The events of the day still weighed heavily on his mind, but the comforting routine of getting ready for bed helped to ease some of the lingering tension.As he slid under the covers, Alex’s thoughts drifted to his friend, Samira—a fiery, fiercely loyal girl who had stood by Alex’s side through thick and thin. Samira had been suspended from school for two weeks after standing up to Victor in a w
As Grandma Chen quietly closed the door to Alex’s room, she lingered in the hallway for a moment, her hand resting on the doorknob. The soft sound of Alex’s breathing, finally steadying into the rhythm of sleep, was a bittersweet comfort. It had been a long day, full of pain and fear for Alex, and now, in the quiet solitude of the night, Grandma Chen felt the weight of her own worries settle heavily upon her shoulders.With a sigh, she slowly made her way down the dimly lit hallway to her own bedroom. The house was silent, the only sound the soft creaking of the floorboards under her feet. As she entered her room, she turned on the small lamp by her bedside, its warm light casting long shadows on the walls. The room was filled with memories—old photographs of loved ones, mementos from years gone by, and, tucked away in the bottom drawer of her nightstand, secrets that she had kept hidden for years.Sitting down on the edge of her bed, Grandma Chen felt a familiar pang of guilt and sor
The first light of dawn crept into Alex’s room, casting a soft glow over the posters and bookshelves that filled the small space. Outside, the world was just beginning to stir, the quiet hum of early morning activity drifting through the open window. For Alex, the night had been restless, plagued by the anxieties and fears that had haunted them since the incident at school. The thought of the video, of Victor’s cruel words, lingered in the back of their mind, an ever-present reminder of the challenges that awaited himBut this morning, as he slowly opened his eyes and stretched beneath the covers, something felt different. There was a heaviness in the air, a weight that pressed down on his chest, making it difficult to fully relax. The events of the previous day had taken their toll, but there was also something else—an undercurrent of anticipation, of something just out of reach, waiting to be discovered.As Alex sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he heard the soft creak