Chapter 3: The Secret She Can't Explain

When I woke up the next morning, my whole body ached.

Every muscle felt bruised, like I’d been running all night. I groaned, stretching, my joints cracking.

It felt like something had stomped all over me.

No bruises, just that same heavy dread.

I thought about last night—about Maya.

The memory was foggy, like a nightmare I couldn’t quite shake off.

Was that just sleepwalking, too?

It didn’t feel like sleepwalking. It felt like something darker, something I didn’t want to name.

No way.

I shook my head, trying to convince myself it wasn’t real.

I looked over at Maya, who had just finished brushing her teeth.

She was humming, totally relaxed, like she hadn’t just scared the life out of me. It was hard to believe this was the same girl from last night.

She stared at me, eyes wide:

"You look rough. Didn’t sleep?"

She looked at my wrinkled pajamas, raising her eyebrows.

Once the others left, I asked her quietly:

"Last night... what happened?"

I kept my voice low, not wanting anyone else to hear.

Maya looked at me, genuinely confused:

"I went to bed early last night. What are you talking about? Didn’t sleep well again?"

She sounded sincere, but I couldn’t quite believe it.

I stared at her, searching her face. She didn’t look like she was lying.

Her eyes were clear, her face open. I started to wonder if I was losing it.

Seeing nothing, I just let it go.

I sighed, grabbed my bag, and tried to shake off the weirdness. Maybe I was just tired.

But just as I was about to leave, Maya shoved a pack of Always pads into my hand.

She pressed them into my palm, almost forcefully. I just stared at her, not sure what to say.

Her eyes went cold:

The warmth from a second ago vanished. Her gaze was flat, almost robotic.

"You’ll need these today."

Her voice was monotone, as if she was reciting a line from memory.

She looked like a zombie as she shuffled out of the dorm.

Her shoulders were hunched, steps slow and deliberate. For a moment, it felt like I was looking at a stranger.

No matter how many times I called after her, she wouldn’t answer.

She ignored me, eyes locked straight ahead. My stomach twisted in knots.

Only when she reached the door did Maya suddenly snap back to normal.

She blinked, looked over her shoulder, and smiled like nothing had happened. "You coming?"

What the hell is going on?

My mind spun with questions. Was I the only one seeing this? Was it Maya, or was it me?

I spent the whole morning obsessing over it.

I barely touched my breakfast, too lost in thought. My friends chatted around me, but their voices sounded far away.

I didn’t hear a single word in class.

The notes on the board just blurred together. I kept replaying last night in my head, over and over.

Before class ended, I glanced at my backpack.

The pads she gave me were still unopened.

Maybe she wasn’t so all-knowing after all.

Just before the bell, Brianna rushed over and wrapped her jacket around my waist.

She moved fast, glancing around the room. My cheeks burned with embarrassment.

My scalp tingled. I froze, heart pounding. What was she doing?

I hadn’t felt anything weird.

I looked down, confused. Everything looked fine.

But Brianna’s look told me Maya had been right all along.

Brianna gave me a sympathetic smile, whispering, "Don’t worry, it happens to everyone."

I peeked under the jacket, mortified.

There was a small, dark red stain blooming on my jeans.

My face went hot. I stuffed the pads in my pocket and bolted for the bathroom.

I locked myself in a stall, breathing hard as I cleaned up. My hands shook as I changed.

After cleaning up, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Maya was... something else.

There was no way she could’ve known. Unless...

The weird sleepwalking, those chilling warnings—it all felt connected, but I couldn’t figure out how.

What scared me most were those pitch-black eyes.

Just remembering them gave me goosebumps all over again.