Don’t Trust Me

I didn’t sleep.

How could I?

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face.

The man in the hallway.

The way his breathing slowed.

The way his eyes looked at me… like he was asking for help I couldn’t give fast enough.

Or didn’t give fast enough.

My chest tightened again.

I sat on the edge of my bed, phone still in my hand.

Waiting.

Because I knew it wasn’t over.

Not even close.

The room felt different now.

Smaller.

Like the walls had moved closer overnight.

Like something unseen had taken up space inside it.

Watching.

Learning.

Waiting.

The phone vibrated.

My body reacted instantly.

I looked down.

New message.

“You understand now.”

My jaw tightened.

“Yes,” I whispered.

I hated that it was true.

Another message followed.

“Good.”

A pause.

Then—

“Next instruction.”

I stood up slowly.

My body felt heavy, but my mind was sharp now.

Focused.

Because I knew hesitation wasn’t an option anymore.

Not after what happened.

The message came through.

“Go to the bus stop on 7th Street.”

I frowned slightly.

That was close.

Ten minutes away.

“Why?” I typed.

The reply came almost immediately.

“You don’t need to understand.”

My grip tightened.

Of course.

Because understanding meant control.

And this… this was about taking it away.

I didn’t argue again.

Didn’t question.

I just moved.

The street outside was colder than usual.

Or maybe it just felt that way.

Every shadow looked deeper.

Every quiet sound felt louder.

I walked faster than I normally would.

Not running.

But not relaxed either.

Because now I knew—

Someone was watching.

Even if I couldn’t see them.

Even if I never would.

The bus stop came into view.

Empty.

No people.

No buses.

Just a flickering streetlight and a bench that looked like it hadn’t been used in hours.

I stopped a few steps away.

Something felt off.

More than before.

Like I had stepped into something already in motion.

The phone vibrated.

“Sit.”

I exhaled slowly.

Then walked over and sat down.

The bench was cold.

Uncomfortably cold.

I looked around again.

Still no one.

Still nothing.

Then—

A voice.

“Don’t.”

I froze.

Slowly, I turned my head.

She was standing a few feet away.

I hadn’t heard her approach.

Hadn’t seen her come.

But she was there now.

Watching me.

Her expression was serious.

Tense.

Like she already knew something I didn’t.

“Don’t what?” I asked carefully.

Her eyes flicked briefly to my phone.

Then back to me.

“Don’t listen to it,” she said quietly.

My chest tightened.

“You know about this?” I asked.

Her lips pressed together slightly.

“That thing controlling you,” she said.

“It doesn’t stop.”

My grip tightened around the phone.

“So it’s real,” I said.

Not a question.

A statement.

She didn’t answer immediately.

Which was answer enough.

“You’ve done this before,” I added.

Her eyes shifted slightly.

Just enough to confirm it.

“Yeah,” she said finally.

“I have.”

A strange mix of relief and fear hit me at the same time.

Relief that I wasn’t alone.

Fear because she looked like someone who had already lost something.

Something important.

“What happens if I don’t follow?” I asked.

Her gaze dropped for a second.

Then lifted back to mine.

“Someone gets hurt,” she said.

The words landed heavy.

Because I already knew that.

I had seen it.

“But that’s not the worst part,” she added quietly.

Something in her tone made my chest tighten again.

“What is?” I asked.

She hesitated.

Just for a moment.

Then—

“You don’t stay the same,” she said.

That hit differently.

Not fear.

Not danger.

Something deeper.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

Before she could answer—

My phone vibrated.

I looked down.

New message.

“You’re not alone.”

My stomach dropped.

Slowly…

I lifted my eyes back to her.

She had already seen it.

I could tell.

Because her expression changed instantly.

From calm…

To something sharper.

Something urgent.

“They know I’m here,” she said.

My heart started pounding again.

“What does that mean?” I asked.

But I already knew.

It meant things were about to get worse.

Fast.

The phone vibrated again.

“New rule.”

My grip tightened.

Another message came.

“Do not trust anyone.”

Silence fell between us.

Heavy.

Tense.

I looked at her.

She looked at me.

And for the first time…

I didn’t know what to believe.

Because the system had just done something different.

Something smarter.

It didn’t just give instructions anymore.

It was turning us against each other.