The sister's Secret
Noah stared at his phone screen long after the others logged off the group chat.
They didn’t know. They couldn’t.
Because the last time he had tried to tell the truth—about Lily—the shadows inside the messages had turned on him. His hand had lifted the blade without him even realizing.
He still carried the scar.
And the memory that if he ever tried again… he would vanish just like her.
Ava
I still can’t get last night out of my head.
We all blacked out after that one line.
Harper
“Smile for me.”
That’s the last thing I remember too.
…then nothing.
Ava
Exactly. Hours just… gone.
Like they were stolen.
Harper
Do you think it’s the Unknown doing it?
Ava
Who else?
The way it knew my name… Harper, this isn’t just some troll.
Harper
I know.
But if it can make us forget what happened… what else can it do?
Noah read their messages in silence, thumb hovering over the keyboard. He wanted to warn them. He wanted to type the truth:
That the Unknown wasn’t just erasing time.
That when it whispered the second command, the victim vanished forever.
That Lily had been the proof.
But as he thought the words, the scar on his wrist began to ache. His vision blurred, as though something dark pressed against his mind.
Noah
typing, deleting):
Don’t…
Don’t worry.
Noah
I’m fine.
Just didn’t sleep.
Ava
Do you want to tell us anything?
His chest tightened. He remembered everything.
Lily,his sister last messages The shadow’s smile. The frozen clock at 1:47.
And the moment he almost obeyed.
He couldn’t tell Ava and Harper, not without risking the same fate. The Unknown was watching him too closely.
He locked his phone and pressed it face-down into the sheets. His hands were shaking.
Because he knew what came next.
First the command to smile.
Then the order to harm yourself.
And when that happened…
Ava and Harper would be gone.
Just like Lily.
Noah sat on the edge of his bed, phone heavy in his hands.
Ava and Harper’s messages still glowed on the screen. Their confusion. Their fear.
And all he could do was lie.
Because the last time he tried to tell the truth, something had tried to take him too.
He traced the faint scar on his wrist with trembling fingers. His secret was stitched into his skin.
⸻
[Flashback – Two years ago | Lily’s Room, 1:30 AM]
Noah’s phone buzzed. He remembered it too clearly. Lily almost never texted this late.
Noah
Barely. What’s wrong?
Lily
I don’t feel alone in my room.
It’s dark but… I keep seeing something near the closet.
Noah
You’re half-asleep. Turn on the light.
Lily
I tried.
The switch won’t work.
Noah
Then use your phone flashlight.
Lily
It won’t turn on either.
I think my clock’s broken too.
It’s stuck at 1:47.
Noah had laughed at the time. Told her she was overreacting. He would never forgive himself for that.
Because then the messages had changed.
Lily
…someone just texted me.
Lily
I don’t know.
It’s just saved as “Unknown.”
Lily
It already sent something.
It said:
Smile for me.
Noah
Noah had frozen then, his stomach twisting. He remembered trying to call her. The line rang, but Lily didn’t pick up. Instead, the typing dots appeared again.
Lily
It’s saying more.
It’s telling me to…
Lily
Noah, I can’t stop my hands.
It’s telling me…
Noah’s blood ran cold. He had jumped out of bed, raced down the hall, slammed against her locked door.
He heard the sound of something heavy fall. Then silence.
When he finally broke the door open, the room was empty. Her phone was gone.
The only thing left was the clock on her nightstand.
Frozen at 1:47 AM.
Back to Present | Noah’s Room]
Noah gripped his phone so tightly his knuckles went white. He wanted to throw it, smash it, scream until his lungs tore. But instead, he opened the group chat with Ava and Harper.
His thumb hovered over the keyboard. He could type the truth. He could save them.
But then the screen flickered.
Three dots appeared in the corner.
Unknown (private chat to Noah):
Smile.
⸻
[Narration]
Noah’s scar burned like fire. He shoved the phone under his pillow, chest heaving.
He couldn’t warn them. If he tried, the shadow would turn him into the next missing piece of time.
And worse—he could already feel the hour pulling closer.
The cycle was starting again.
And this time, it wasn’t Lily.
It was Ava and Harper.
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