The Warning.

Luna couldn't shake off Sophia's words. What kind of experiment could be so dangerous that the government would be involved? And what did it have to do with the new boy? Determined to find answers, Luna started digging deeper. She spent the rest of the day researching online,but she couldn't find any information about the experiment. As she walked home from the school library, Luna noticed a black SUV following her. She quickened her pace, but the SUV kept pace with her , suddenly the SUV pulled up beside her, and a woman with a Stern expression stepped out ," Luna,we need to talk " , the woman said, her voice firm, Luna's instincts told her to run but her feet seemed rooted to the spot. She eyed the woman warily, " what do you want?", Luna asked , trying to keep her voice steady, the woman expression didn't change " we need to talk about the new boy", she said " And the experiment" , Luna's eyes narrowed," I don't know what you're talking about". The woman smiled , a cold calculating smile " Don't play dumb, Luna, we know you're curious and we know you're getting close to the truth" , Luna stood her ground, trying to appear confident. " I don't know what you're talking about" she repeated, the woman raised an eyebrow " Don't lie to me , Luna,we have evidence, evidence that suggest you're getting close to the truth" Luna shrugged," I'm just a curious student, I don't know anything about any experiment" the woman sighed,her expression unchanging " fine,play it that way, but know this, Luna, we're watching you, and if you get too close to the truth, there will be consequences", with that , the woman turned and got back into the SUV , which sped away into the night. Luna watched them go , her heart racing , what had just happened ? .

Luna stood there for a moment, trying to wrap her head around what had just happened. Who was that woman? And what did she mean by 'the truth' ? As she walked home, Luna's mind was racing with questions, what experiment was the woman talking about? And what did it have to do with the new boy? When she got home, Luna went straight to her room and started searching online for any information about the experiment,but she couldn't find anything. Frustrated, Luna sat back in her chair tried to think. What was she missing ? Suddenly her phone buzzed,it was a text from an unknown number " meet me at the old oak tree in the park at midnight, come alone" Luna's heart skipped a beat as she read the text, who could be sending her mysterious messages ? And what did they want with her ? Despite her reservations, Luna's curiosity got the better of her. She decided to go to the meeting,but she'd be careful, she'd sneak out of the house and make sure to arrive early, so she could scope out the area. As the clock struck midnight, Luna made her way to the old oak tree in the park. The tree looked above her,its branches creaking in the wind, suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows. As the figure stepped into the moonlight, Luna's eyes widened in surprise. It was the new boy , the one Sophia had warned her about, " what are you doing here?" Luna asked, trying to keep her voice steady, the new boy smiled,his eyes glinting in the dark, " I've been waiting for you, Luna" he said, " my name is Elijah ,by the way " . Luna's mind was racing, what did Elijah want with her ? And how did he know her name ? Elijah took a step closer,his eyes locked on Luna's, " I know you've been asking questions about me," he said ," And I think it's time we had a talk " .

Luna took a step back,her heart racing. There was something unnerving about Elijah's intensity, something that made her feel like he could see right through her. " What do you want to talk about?" Luna asked, Elijah smiled again," I want to talk about the experiment",he said " and what happened to me", Luna's eyes widened as Elijah began revealing more about himself, he spoke about the experiment, the government's involvement, and about the things they had done to him. As Elijah spoke, Luna felt unease growing, there was something about Elijah's story that didn't add up, something that made her feel like he was hiding something. Suddenly, Elijah's eyes locked onto Luna's, and he took a step closer , " I've been watching you, Luna," he said" And I think you're in danger." Luna's eyes narrowed as she took a step back from Elijah, " what do you mean I'm in danger ?" She asked, Elijah's expression turned serious, " I mean that the people who did this to me are still out there" , he said, " And they'll stop at nothing to keep their secrets safe ", Luna's mind was racing, what secrets was Elijah talking about? And what did they have to do with her? " I don't believe you" Luna said, trying to sound braver than she felt, " you're just trying to scare me " Elijah's eyes flashed with anger, but then his expression smoothed out," I'm trying to protect you, Luna," he said " but if you don't want my help,then maybe you should just leave " , Luna hesitated,unsure if what to do ,part of her wanted to believe Elijah, to trust him but another part of her was scream to get away from him, ty run as fast as she could.

Luna turned and walked away, leaving Elijah standing alone in the darkness, she didn't dare look back, fearing what she might see. As she walked home, Luna tried to shake off the feeling of unease that lingered inside her, she told herself that Elijah was just a wierdo, and that she was better off without him, but the memory of Elijah's words lingered, echoing in her mind like a warning," you're in danger, Luna ..." Luna pushed the thought aside and focused on getting home safely. She quickened her pace,her heart pounding in her chest. When she finally reached the front door, Luna let out a sigh of relief. she was safe . She was home. But as she turned to lock the door behind her, Luna caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye, a piece a paper, tucked into the door frame. Luna's heart skipped a beat as she pulled out the paper and examined it. It was a note , scribbled in hasty handwriting.

"They're watching you. Trust no one"

Luna's eyes scanned the note,her mind racing. Who wrote this ? And what did they mean? She looked around nervously, feeling like she was being watched, but the street was empty , and the houses around her we're dark and silent. Luna took a deep breath and tries to calm down. It was probably just a prank, she told herself. As she went inside and locked the behind her,Luna couldn't shake off the feeling that she was being watched, and she wondered if she'd ever be able to feel safe again, she kept looking over her shoulder. She tried to focus on her homework, but her eyes kept darting towards the windows,she was convinced that someone was watching her waiting for their chance to strike. As the hours ticked by, Luna's paranoia grew, she started to feel like she was trapped in some kind of a twisted game, with unseen forced manipulating her every move. She tried to call Sophia, but she didn't answer. Luna was left alone with her thoughts, and they were growing increasingly dark and twisted.

Suddenly,Luna heard a cracking sound outside her window. She froze, her heart pounding in her chest, Luna's eyes were fixed on the window,her heart racing with every crack and groan of the old house, she was convinced that someone was trying to break in. She slowly got up from her chair, her eyes never leaving the window, she backed away slowly, trying not to make any noise , as she reached for her phone to call for help, but as she turned to run, she was something that made her blood run cold. The window was open, just a crack, but enough to let in a silver of moonlight, she was sure she had closed that window before she went to bed, so who - or - what - had opened it? Suddenly she heard footsteps outside her room, heavy deliberate footsteps that seemed to be coming closer and closer. Luna stood frozen , she was terrified, but she knew she had to confront whoever- or- whatever -was making the noise, she took a deep breath and slowly turned the handle of her bedroom door. The creaking sound seemed loud in the silence, and Luna winced, expect something to jump out at her .

But nothing did.

She stepped out into the hallway, her eyes scanning the darkness, the footsteps had stopped and an oppressive silence had fallen over the house . Luna took another step forward, her voice barely above a whisper. " Who's there ? She called out .

There was no answer.