2025-05-30 01:21:59Marianne's POV
It had been a long, exhausting day at school, and all I wanted was to get home and crash on my bed. The streets were quieter than usual as I walked home alone. My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I didn’t even bother to check it,just another reminder of how tired I was. But then, I felt the unsettling feeling, like someone was watching me. My skin prickled, and I instinctively glanced over my shoulder. There was no one there, but the air felt thick, suffocating, like it was closing in on me. I quickened my pace, my footsteps echoing off the pavement as I tried to shake the feeling. Every now and then, I would glance over my shoulder again, expecting to see someone or something lurking in the shadows. Nothing. Still, I couldn’t shake the sense of being followed, like a dark shadow was just behind me. My breath quickened as I pushed myself faster, my heart pounding in my chest. It wasn’t just paranoia anymore. It felt real. When I finally reached the safety of my front door, I released a deep breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. I fumbled for my keys and rushed inside, slamming the door shut behind me. The house was eerily quiet. The familiar scent of my mom’s cooking, the soft hum of the fridge, it all felt like a distant memory now. I kicked off my shoes and tossed my bag on the couch, heading straight to my room. I tried to shake off the uneasiness, telling myself it was just the result of everything that had happened,getting stuck in that forest, the fear, the trauma. But the feeling lingered, like a dark cloud hanging over me. I went about my usual routine, trying to distract myself. I showered, changed into something comfortable, and sat down at my desk to do some schoolwork. But I couldn’t concentrate. I kept glancing at my phone, hoping there’d be a message from someone, anything to take my mind off the feeling that something was terribly wrong. Then, I sat down at my computer, determined to get something done. I turned it on, the screen flickering to life in front of me. But as soon as it came on, a chill swept over me. The screen was different! something was off. A message was displayed in bold, capital letters, written in a blood-red font that made my stomach twist. My eyes widened as I saw the words: LEVEL UP, FEAR And below it, a gruesome illustration of a blood-stained knife. My breath hitched in my throat, and I felt my pulse race. The app. The game… It was back. There was no mistaking it. This wasn’t a coincidence. The red letters, the knife, it was all part of the game’s twisted message. My fingers shook as I reached for my phone, frantically trying to call Kai. My mind was spinning. I couldn’t do this alone. The phone rang, and I felt a momentary wave of relief when I heard Kai’s voice on the other end. “Marianne? You okay?” “Kai,” I gasped, my voice barely above a whisper. “You won’t believe what just happened.” I explained everything,how the screen had changed, the blood-red message, and the sickening image of the knife. By the time I finished, I could hear the seriousness in Kai’s voice. “I knew it wasn’t over,” he said. “We need to go to Professor Warrick. Now.” We both agreed. The professor was our only hope at this point. The app had to be stopped, and if anyone could help us, it was him. The next day, we met up with the others and set off for Professor Warrick’s office. I couldn’t shake the feeling that the game was somehow watching us, waiting for us to make a wrong move. The air felt thick, and I kept looking over my shoulder, as if expecting to see that unsettling smiley face on my phone again. But there was no time to waste. We had to find out what was happening and fast. The game was not done with us, and now it was after more than just our lives. It was after our sanity. As we walked through the school halls, I couldn’t help but wonder was this going to be the last time I saw my friends? Would the game take them one by one, like it had done before? The unease crept back into my bones, but I pushed it aside. We were going to figure this out. Together. And maybe, just maybe, we’d find a way to end it for good. •••••••• Do you think they'll succeed?🤷
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Dangerous Alliance
Kai's POVI paced back and forth in Professor Warrick’s office, the silence hanging heavy in the air like an impending storm. My mind still was processing everything that had happened. My phone buzzed on the desk, and my heart skipped a beat as I glanced at it. It was another notification from the game.I swallowed hard, my throat dry.“Don’t check it,” I muttered to myself. If I looked, I knew it would only make things worse. But I had to stay focused. For my friends. For myself.Professor Warrick sat across from me, his face etched with concern. He was a man of few words, but right now, the tension in his eyes spoke everything.“I’ve been researching the app,” he said, his voice low and steady. “And the results... they’re disturbing.”I nodded, anxiously running my fingers through my hair. “What did you find? Is there any way to stop it?”Professor Warrick leaned forward, his fingers steepled together. “The app isn’t just a game. It’s a force. It’s using a network of minds to feed
Not Yet
Marianne's POVIt had been a long, exhausting day at school, and all I wanted was to get home and crash on my bed. The streets were quieter than usual as I walked home alone. My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I didn’t even bother to check it,just another reminder of how tired I was.But then, I felt the unsettling feeling, like someone was watching me. My skin prickled, and I instinctively glanced over my shoulder. There was no one there, but the air felt thick, suffocating, like it was closing in on me. I quickened my pace, my footsteps echoing off the pavement as I tried to shake the feeling. Every now and then, I would glance over my shoulder again, expecting to see someone or something lurking in the shadows.Nothing.Still, I couldn’t shake the sense of being followed, like a dark shadow was just behind me. My breath quickened as I pushed myself faster, my heart pounding in my chest. It wasn’t just paranoia anymore. It felt real.When I finally reached the safety of my front do
Calm Before The Storm
Kai’s POVI woke up the next morning with a feeling of déjà vu, but it wasn’t the usual “I-forgot-to-do-my-homework” kind of déjà vu. No!, this was different. After everything that happened, after being trapped in that creepy forest, facing impossible tasks, and almost losing my life and my friends,I thought I was out. I thought it was over.But the real catch? No one believed us. Not our families, not anyone.I remember walking into the house, my mom’s face lighting up when she saw me. She ran over, pulling me into a tight hug, and for a moment, I just let myself be normal again. I was home, in the safety of my own house. Or so I thought. “Where have you been, Kai? she asked, her voice a mixture of relief and worry. “You scared me half to death! You missed school yesterday, and you didn’t pick up your phone. I thought something had happened.”I pulled back slightly, the weight of everything we’d been through hanging over me. “Mom, something’s going on. Something serious. There’s t
Similar Patterns
Author povThe air inside Professor Warrick’s office was thick with uneasiness. Mark sat across from the aging professor, his hands trembling as he held his phone tightly. The professor’s office was cluttered with books and papers, a strange mix of modern technology and old one. Mark could barely concentrate on the room itself, his mind spinning, swirling in a haze of fear and disbelief."I know this is hard to understand, Mark," Professor Warrick said, his voice calm, though his eyes were wide with concern. He was a man of reason, someone who had dealt with more than his fair share of bizarre events over the years. But nothing had prepared him for this.Mark stared at the phone in his hand, where the app's creepy smiley face blinked at him from the screen. It was almost as if it was mocking him. The tasks, the challenges, the deaths everything had led him here, to this office. He had to stop it. He had to save his sister.He pressed his thumb against the screen, and the notificati
The Puppeteer
Unknown POVThe room was dim, the only light coming from the flickering screen in front of him. His face, half-lit by the eerie glow, was a twisted mask of satisfaction. The hum of the computer was the only sound in the space, but to him, it was a symphony of chaos. His fingers danced across the keyboard, the sound of each click like a drumbeat in the quiet of the dark room.A lab coat, pristine white, hung from his shoulders, but it was not the color that defined him. It was the grin, the sickening, gleeful expression that crept across his face as he watched the game unfold. He leaned forward, his eyes scanning the screen intently, every fiber of his being focused on the chaos he had orchestrated.On the computer, the app’s symbol an innocently smiling yellow face glowed ominously. Beneath it, words scrolled across the screen in a cold, mocking font:“Game of Horrors: Level Up, Fear”He chuckled darkly as he read the quote that followed:“Fear is the key. And they will play. Whether
The Twist
Kai's POVThe cold, eerie silence that had fallen after the man’s departure was suffocating. I could feel the weight of the game pressing down on me, its invisible hands tightening around my throat. The notification on my phone had made it clear: we were out of time, and one of us was about to pay the price. My friends and I stood there, staring at our phones, the seconds ticking by like a countdown to our doom.I felt a bead of sweat trickle down my temple. The thought of sacrificing one of us, of choosing someone to die just to survive this hellish game, was too much to bear. I couldn’t do it. I wouldn't do it. But if I didn’t, who would? The game had us backed into a corner, with no escape.Then, a flicker of hope. Something in my gut told me that there had to be a way out. This wasn’t just some twisted game where we had to kill or be killed. No. There had to be another way another solution. I wasn’t going to let this game break us.“What if we don’t play by the rules?” I muttered,
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