The rain hadn't stop since morning.
It taps against the window like it was trying to whisper something only she could hear.Antasha sat curled up on her bed,hoodie pulled over her head,watching the grey clouds press against the sky.The air in her room was cold,but it was the silence that bothered her more.
Not that kind of silence that felt peaceful.
That kind that waited.
She glanced at the box under her desk.The one she never opened.The one her mother told her to "leave in the past". But Antasha never forgot it was there,collecting dust and weight.
Just like her memories.
School was no escape either.
Antasha was the type who blended in.Quiet.Observant.She spoke when she had to,smile when it was expected,but never quite let anyone in.not even alia,her only friend,noticed how Antasha's hand trembled when certain names came up in class.
Today it was leena's name.
"Did you hear?they reopened the case."
A whisper from the hallway.
Antasha froze.
She hadn't heard the name in years—not since the night everything blurred.The night the police came The night the screams echoed so loudly she forgot what silence felt like after
She never remembered the details.just the cold.the smell of wet earth.And someone hand gripping her tightly…before letting go.
Her chest tightened.
She reached for her sketchbook,flipping past pages of flowers,eyes and meaningless scribbles until she found it: a rough sketch of a girl silhouette.
No face.no name just a
Shadow.
Her pencil hovered.but she couldn't add to it.Not today.
Suddenly,her phone buzzed
A massage,unknown number.
No text, just a photo
Antasha's blood run cold.
It was a same box from under her desk—but taken from out side her window.
She dropped her phone.
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End of chapter 1
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