LOGINCameron’s POVBrandon’s father stood silently across from us.Nobody moved after seeing his familiar face.Even the hallway seemed frozen around us.My heart hammered against my chest painfully.Brandon stared at him like a ghost.His father’s expression remained strangely calm.That calmness somehow frightened me even more.People shouldn’t look that relaxed after dying.“Dad?” Brandon whispered again, completely stunned.The man smiled without answering him immediately.“You’ve grown older, Brandon.”Brandon’s face immediately twisted with anger.“You died three years ago.”His father slowly tilted his head sideways.“That’s what everyone was supposed to believe.”I immediately looked toward Brandon in confusion.“What does that even mean, Brandon?”He shook his head without answering me.His father chuckled softly from across hallway.“You still haven’t told him everything.”Brandon immediately stepped in front of me.“Don’t talk to him, Dad.”His father raised one eyebrow afterwar
Cameron’s POVMy mother’s voice came from outside softly.Every nerve inside me suddenly became completely alert.Brandon stood beside me, completely frozen.Neither of us dared to breathe normally.“Cameron, darling, open the door, please.”The voice sounded exactly like my mother’s.Not similar, but completely identical to my memories.My hands immediately began shaking beside Brandon.“That’s not possible,” I whispered quietly.Brandon immediately reached for my trembling hand.“I know, Cameron, but don’t open it.”“But that’s my mother’s voice outside.”“I know what you’re hearing right now.”“Then why are you telling me otherwise?”“Because your mother died three years ago.”I stared toward him, completely terrified now.The knocking came again against his door.Three slow knocks, followed by complete silence.Then her voice returned again, sounding gentle.“Cameron, sweetheart, I know you’re inside.”My heart immediately began pounding against my ribs.I stepped closer toward th
Cameron’s POVThe message stayed glowing between our hands.For some reason, I couldn’t look away.My mother’s name wasn’t even mentioned anymore.Yet somehow, those words felt like an invitation.Your mother is waiting.I swallowed slowly, feeling strangely unsettled inside.Brandon noticed my expression immediately and frowned.“Cameron, what exactly did that message say?”I turned the phone toward him without speaking.His eyes moved across the screen carefully.Then his jaw tightened almost immediately afterward.“She shouldn’t be able to contact you.”I stared at him with growing confusion.“Why shouldn’t she contact me, Brandon?”“Because your mother died years ago.”I stopped breathing for several uncomfortable seconds.“What?”Brandon looked at me with genuine concern.“Cameron, your mother died three years ago.”I shook my head immediately after hearing that.“No, that’s impossible because I remember her.”“You remember her because she was alive.”“Exactly, so why are you say
Cameron’s POVMy entire body froze after hearing that voice. Brandon's fingers tightened around my hand immediately.Neither of us dared to breathe properly. he voice came from outside my window.“Cameron, open the door for me.” My heart slammed against my chest painfully.I looked toward Brandon without moving anything. His expression had completely changed now.“Don't move,” Brandon whispered very quietly. I swallowed before answering him carefully.“That's difficult when someone knows my name.”“I know, but please stay completely still.”The voice came again from outside. “Cameron, I know you're inside there.”Brandon immediately reached toward the car locks.I grabbed his wrist before he could.“Don't unlock anything yet, Brandon.”He looked at me with worried eyes.“I wasn't planning to open anything.”“Good, because I'm starting to panic.”He gave me a tiny nervous smile.“You're doing surprisingly well for someone panicking.”“I haven't screamed yet, which deserves applause.”B
Cameron’s POV“We never went upstairs, Cameron,” Brandon whispered.I stared at him, completely unable to breathe.The old phone remained frozen between our hands.Its cracked screen reflected both our frightened faces.“What do you mean, never went upstairs?”Brandon looked toward the dark road outside.“Exactly what I just told you, Cameron.”“But someone mentioned something happening upstairs.”“I know, and that’s the problem.”I stared at him with growing confusion again.“You’re telling me something impossible right now.”“Unfortunately, impossible has become normal around you.”I almost laughed despite everything happening tonight.“That might be the worst comfort ever.”Brandon smiled faintly before looking away again.“I was trying to lighten things slightly.”“You’re terrible at comforting people, you know?”“I’ve been told that several times already.”“Then perhaps you should start listening eventually.”“Maybe you should stop getting yourself kidnapped.”I looked at him wit
Cameron’s POVThe phone kept ringing between our shaking hands.Neither of us moved to answer it.Brandon stared at me like I’d exploded.Honestly, I understood his reaction completely now.I had just remembered calling him somehow.Except I remembered absolutely nothing about calling him.Which was becoming extremely annoying, honestly speaking.My brain apparently enjoyed giving me trailers only.“Say something,” Brandon finally whispered beside me.I stared at him without understanding anything.“What exactly am I supposed to say here?”“Anything would honestly make this slightly better.”I looked toward his phone again slowly.My name remained glowing across that screen.The incoming call continued ringing between us.I suddenly hated technology with everything inside.“Answer it,” I whispered finally, surprising myself.Brandon immediately looked horrified by my suggestion.“Absolutely not, Cameron, that’s definitely not happening.”“Why are you suddenly acting completely ridicul
Cameron’s POVI didn’t realize I’d stopped breathing until Brandon said my name for the third time.“Cameron… hey… why do you look like you just saw a ghost, what happened?”My hand was still wrapped around my phone so tight my fingers hurt, like if I loosened my grip even a little the message woul
Cameron’s POVBy the time we got to campus, it felt like the entire world knew something we didn’t.Nothing was actually different.The sky was still annoyingly bright, people were still laughing too loud outside the student center, someone was skateboarding like they were in a coming-of-age movie,
Got you — we’re slowing the pacing a bit and letting everything breathe and ache, with longer sentences, fuller dialogue, less choppy back-and-forth, more emotional weight and suspense creeping in. Think: dread, late-night talking, soft touches, then the threat tightening. Still teen Cameron’s POV
Cameron’s POVThe adrenaline didn’t leave.That was the worst part.Even after Peter disappeared down the street with that busted ego and stupid limp-walk, even after the sidewalk went quiet again, my heart was still slamming against my ribs like it was trying to escape my body.My hands wouldn’t s







