The clock on Harper's nightstand read 6:06 a.m....She hadn't slept. Not after the closet. Not after the voice.
She had clutched her notebook to her chest all night, afraid it too might vanish with the sunrise.
Jamie was gone. Like she never met him.
But she remembered him. That had to count for something.
She shoved the notebook in her bag, pulled on her hoodie, and ran to the library—again.
Mrs. Finch, the librarian, hadn't arrived yet. Harper picked the lock on the archive room using the trick Jamie taught her. Her fingers shook as she stepped into the dim archive, rows of dusty files waiting silently.
"Come on, come on," she whispered, flipping through the student logs.
Jamie Lorne.
Nowhere.
Not even a withdrawal record.
She tried the yearbook database next, dragging over a rolling stool. Bellridge Academy Yearbook, Class of 2025.
She typed "Jamie Lorne."
No results found.
"Why are you doing this?" she whispered toward the ceiling, as if the school could hear her. "Why take them and pretend they were never here?"
She opened her notebook again. Her handwriting stared back.
Jamie Lorne – October 10
Katherine Quinn – October 11
Today was October 10.
Harper suddenly remembered something. Not from her memories, but a sensation.
The way Jamie looked when he said, "You were on the list, too. Just earlier."
She flipped to the front of the notebook. Scribbles. Doodles. And under a corner, in faded ink:
"They forget. But you remember. Until you don't."
Her heart stopped.
She remembered Jamie now—but what if tomorrow she wouldn't?
She had to act fast.
Harper bunked her class and sprinted to the student office, where a quiet girl named Ren worked part-time. If anyone could help dig up info, it was her.
"Ren, I need your help," Harper blurted, shutting the door behind her.
Ren looked up, startled. "You okay? You look like you saw a ghost."
"Worse. I remembered one." Harper pulled out the notebook. "Do you remember Jamie Lorne? Tall, brown hair, kind of dorky? He's—he was in your history class."
Ren's brow wrinkled. "I… no. Are you sure you're not mixing him up with someone else?"
Harper slid the notebook over. "This is his name. I'm telling you, I didn't imagine him. We were in Room 13A. He showed me things—"
"Room what?"
"13A."
Ren looked confused. "There's no 13A."
"I know what people say. But it exists. I've been there. And now he's gone. The school took him—whatever this place is, it took him."
"You are dreaming or what ... it's idiot" Ren said and continued to do her work...
That night, Harper didn't go back to her room.
She went back to the library.
She re-opened Katherine Quinn's file. Not much was there—the same details
Subject reported hallucinations. Claimed a room "13A" was watching her. Referred to counselor. Disappeared a week later...
Harper stared at the report. Her fingers trembled as she flipped to the back of the file—and then look through the photograph again looking each detail again.... checking the similarity seeing if it's her only or some new found old twin....
The ink had faded, but the girl's face exactly same...
She turned to the mirror beside the archive door.
Her face..
Her time...
Harper backed away slowly, breath shaking. There was no Jamie now. No one to confirm she was real.
Tomorrow, it might be her.
Unless she cracked this.
Unless she broke the pattern.PATTERN...