Whispers in the Dark

Kayla couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching her.

It followed her home. It lingered in the empty hallways of Ridgewood High. It pressed against her chest when she tried to sleep.

The voice from the basement still echoed in her mind—

"You'll be next."

She hadn't told the others. Hadn't told anyone. Because saying it out loud would make it real.

But the shadows had already made their move.

And soon, she'd have no choice but to face them.

---

"You look like hell."

Kayla groaned, not even bothering to lift her head from her locker as Caston's voice cut through the noise of the crowded hallway.

"Nice to see you too."

Caston leaned against the lockers beside her, his sharp blue eyes scanning her face. "Seriously. You sleep at all?"

"I'm fine," she muttered.

He scoffed. "Liar."

Kayla turned, finally meeting his gaze, ready to snap at him—but then she saw it.

The tension in his jaw. The way his fingers clenched against the metal of the locker.

And—was that concern?

No. Nope. Not happening.

Kayla rolled her eyes and shoved her books into her bag. "You're acting like my mother."

Caston's lips quirked. "I would, but you don't listen to her either."

She glared. "What's your deal today?"

His smirk faded slightly, replaced by something unreadable. "I saw you last night."

Her stomach dropped.

"What?"

"Outside. Around midnight. You were standing on your porch, staring at the street like you were waiting for something."

Kayla's mouth went dry. She had been outside. The whispering had woken her, lured her to the window. But she didn't remember seeing Caston.

"You spying on me now?" she snapped, trying to deflect.

"Not spying," he said, his voice quieter. "Watching."

She hated the way that word made her shiver.

Before she could respond, Rose ran up, breathless. "Guys. You need to see this."

---

The Library – 20 Minutes Later

The group stood around a table covered in old newspapers and crumbling records.

"This is from 1954," Laura said, pointing at a faded article. "It's about Elaine Carter."

The missing girl. The one they'd seen in the yearbook.

Kayla skimmed the article. It detailed her disappearance, how she was last seen alone at Ridgewood High after dark.

Just like them.

"But look at this." Rose slid another newspaper over. "This article is from 1955. Another student. Same story."

Marina paled. "And another in 1956."

One by one, they flipped through decades of disappearances.

The pattern was clear.

Every year, one student vanished.

"Guys," Laura whispered, her voice trembling. "This is still happening."

The room fell into a heavy silence.

Kayla's fingers clenched around the paper. "Why doesn't anyone remember this?"

"Because they don't want us to," Rose murmured.

Kayla exhaled sharply. "Then we make them remember."

Before anyone could respond, the lights flickered.

A sharp chill filled the room.

And then—

A book flew off the shelf, landing with a thud at their feet.

The title sent a shiver down Kayla's spine.

"The Lost of Ridgewood."

And beneath the title—

A list of names.

All the missing students.

And at the bottom, freshly written in ink that hadn't been there a second ago—

Kayla Monroe.

The breath left her lungs.

Her name. Her name was on the list.

A hand grabbed her wrist, warm and steady.

She turned, startled.

Caston.

His grip was firm, protective. His expression dark, serious.

"Over my dead body," he muttered.

And for once, Kayla didn't have the strength to argue.

---

End of Chapter 18.