CHAPTER 12: Echoes of Laughter and Fear
"Mom, I'm home!" Eva called out as she stepped into the house.
"Mom, I'm home too," Patrick echoed right behind her.
They both froze when they saw Danna sitting on the sofa, her ankle bandaged. The tension in the room shifted instantly.
Eva rushed over, kneeling beside her. "What happened, sis?! How did it happen? Are you alright?" she asked, her voice full of worry as she examined Danna's ankle. Patrick followed closely, crouching beside the sofa. "Sis, are you okay? Did you fall?" he asked, eyes wide and full of concern.
"No, I'm alright," Danna said with a small smile. "I just twisted my ankle while playing dodge ball."
Even as she tried to brush it off, she couldn't help but feel a little warmth in her chest at how much they cared.
Eva frowned, still eyeing her ankle. "Okay… but do we need to go to the hospital?" she asked, worry written all over her face. "No, not at all," Danna said with a reassuring smile. "I just can't come to work today, so please inform Mr. Charles."
Patrick leaned in and hugged her gently, careful not to hurt her ankle.
"Sis, you need to rest," he said softly, his voice full of care.
"Aww, my little brother," said Danna, smiling and hugging him back.
"Sis, stop calling me little! I told you, I'm getting older now," said Patrick, making an upset face.
"And dumber too," teased Eva with a grin.
Danna and Eva burst into laughter while Patrick crossed his arms and said with annoyance,
"Not dumber than you," rolling his eyes dramatically.
Eva was about to snap back, but Danna gently stopped her.
"No, he's right... a bit," Danna said, grinning teasingly at Eva.
Eva's smile faded. "Yeah, be with your brother. You don't need your sister anyway," she mumbled, clearly upset, before storming upstairs.
Danna and Patrick exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh again.
________________________________________________________________________
Danna's mom and her siblings helped her to her room. It was nighttime, and the house had quieted down. She sat on her bed, cozy under the blanket, reading a book — her favorite way to end the day.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed.
Garson: Miss Coffee, I have your bag with me. I'm coming to your house to drop it off.
Danna's eyes widened. What?! She quickly typed back:
"Don't come! Seriously, it's late!"
But he replied with a wink emoji.
Moments later, she heard the doorbell ring… then the door click shut.
He came anyway?! she thought, stunned.
A few minutes passed before Eva walked into the room, holding Danna's bag in her hand. She placed it gently on the floor, then flopped onto the bed beside her with a suspicious smile.
"So… who is Garson?" she asked, grinning.
"He's just my classmate," Danna muttered, eyes glued to her book, clearly avoiding Eva's gaze.
"Ahhmm, okayyy~ but he was kinda handsome," Eva teased.
"Anddd he helped you get home and brought your bag all the way here. That's some Romeo behavior!"
Danna huffed. "He's not even close to handsome. You're blind, Eva!"
"I told him I could come home with someone else, but he just kept insisting over and over!" she said, clearly annoyed but just a little flustered.
"Ohhh, he kept insisting and you accepted," said Eva, smirking with interest as she continued teasing her.
"Shut up, Eva," said Danna, throwing a pillow at her.
Eva dodged it with a laugh and headed toward the door, smirking.
"Don't worry, your classmate can protect you," she said playfully, then left the room with a grin on her face.
Her phone started ringing. It was Natalia.
"Danna, how are you?" Natalia asked gently.
"Garson asked for your bag, so I gave it to him."
"Yeah, I got it. I'm fine," Danna replied softly.
"Good. Rest, okay? No need to come to school for a few days," Natalia said, her voice full of concern.
"If it's fine, I'll try to come back as early as possible," Danna said, not wanting to fall behind.
"No. Just rest," Natalia insisted firmly. "Don't think about anything else right now."
"But… I have a presentation in a few days," Danna said, worry creeping into her voice.
"Leave that. Just take care of yourself, okay? Good night. I'm going to sleep," Natalia said, trying to make her understand.
"Bye," Danna replied softly, and the call ended with a click.
She was about to put her phone down when a message popped up.
Garson: Miss Coffee, you got your bag?
Danna: Yes, but aren't you acting a little strange, Mr. Whatever?
Garson: No, Miss Coffee. It's just helping. I still hate, you with a smirk emoji.
Danna: Same. Anyway, bye.
Garson: bye Miss Coffee
She locked her phone with a small smile, her cheeks warming just a bit.
She drifted back to sleep… but peace never came.
This time, she found herself sitting alone in a dimly lit classroom. The chalkboard was blank. Her notes lay scattered across the floor. The room felt cold… too cold.
Suddenly, the lights began flickering.
Buzz… click… BUZZZ.
And then — BANG!
Someone was slamming on the door from the outside. Over and over.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Panicked, Danna looked down — and froze.
Her hands… were covered in blood.
Bright. Red. Wet.
What did I do?! she thought, heart racing.
The banging stopped.
And then the door slowly creaked open. Crrreeaaak…
He was back.
That same man in the black suit.
Face hidden. Knife glinting in his hand.
He stepped into the room, calm… cold…
"Danna, you think you'll be alive for long?" he said, voice low and terrifying.
She bolted from her seat, running out the other door — her footsteps echoing down the hallway. Her breath sharp. Her mind screaming.
But his voice followed her.
Louder. Closer.
"Daaaannnaaa..."
"I'll find you..."
"Daaaannnaaa..."
She kept running until the hallway melted into shadows — then—
GASP!
Danna sat up in bed, heart pounding, drenched in sweat.
Her chest rose and fell fast.
It was still night. Her room. Her bed.
But her hands?
Still trembling.
"Dad…" she whispered, her voice barely audible as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Please… come back."
And with that, the weight she had been holding in finally broke.
She buried her face in her hands and began to cry — softly at first, then uncontrollably, like a child lost in the dark.