That night, Nayomi still couldn't sleep. The clock on the wall had already passed eleven, but her eyes remained open as she stared at the bedroom ceiling. The air felt colder than usual. Every so often, wind slipped through the gap in the window that hadn't been shut all the way.
Nayomi pulled the blanket up to her chest.
“Why does tonight feel so different?”
She didn't even know why the question had slipped out.
Nayomi usually didn't care much about the feeling of the night. To her, night was simply time to rest after a full day of school, talking with friends, doing homework, and then sleeping. But tonight, something was making it hard for her mind to settle.
Her eyes flicked toward the window.
The curtain moved slowly.
Nayomi sat up at once.
“Just the wind,” she muttered.
She got out of bed, walked slowly to the window, and pulled the curtain shut. Then her hand felt around for the window latch.
Click.
Safe.
Nayomi let out a breath and returned to bed.
Only a few seconds after she lay down, a small sound came from outside the room.
Knock.
Nayomi opened her eyes.
Knock.
This time, it was clearer.
She immediately sat up.
“Who is it?”
There was no answer.
Nayomi waited for a while.
Maybe it was just the sound of something falling. The house often made noises at night, especially when the wind was strong.
She tried lying down again.
Knock.
The sound came a third time.
Nayomi swallowed.
She picked up her phone from the nightstand beside the bed. The screen showed 11:17 p.m.
Nayomi opened her messages.
There was one notification from a number she didn't recognize.
Don't leave your room.
Nayomi frowned.
“Huh?”
She read the message again.
The number wasn't saved. There was no profile picture. The sender's name was nothing but a string of numbers.
Nayomi typed immediately.
Who is this?
The message was sent.
One check mark.
She waited.
Two check marks.
Before Nayomi could feel relieved, a reply came in.
Whatever you do, don't leave.
Her heart began beating faster.
Nayomi stared at the bedroom door.
The knocking from earlier still echoed in her head.
“Who are you, really?”
She typed again.
Where are you?
This time, there was no reply.
Nayomi turned off her phone screen. She tried to think clearly. Maybe someone was just messing with her. Maybe it was a friend from school. But who had her number and was deliberately sending her messages in the middle of the night?
Nayomi heard another sound from outside.
Creak.
Like someone stepping on a wooden floor.
She went completely still.
The sound came again.
Creak.
Nayomi hugged her knees.
Her house had two floors. Nayomi's bedroom was upstairs, while the living room and kitchen were downstairs. Her parents had gone to her grandmother's house that afternoon because of a family matter. That night, it should have been just Nayomi and her younger sibling, Raka.
But Raka was sleeping in the room next door.
Nayomi picked up her phone again and opened her chat with Raka.
You asleep?
The reply came right away.
Already.
Nayomi typed quickly.
Do you hear that?
There was no reply for a long time.
Then the words “typing…” appeared.
Hear what?
Nayomi hadn't had time to reply when the sound of a door came from Raka's room.
Bang.
Nayomi jumped to her feet.
“Raka?”
There was no answer.
She walked slowly toward the bedroom door. Her hand was almost touching the doorknob when her phone vibrated.
The unknown number had sent another message.
I told you not to leave.
Nayomi froze.
For several seconds, she simply stood in front of the door.
“If you really know something, who are you?”
There was no reply.
Nayomi slowly backed away.
She chose to sit on the edge of the bed, never taking her eyes off the door. Her thoughts began to spiral.
Maybe someone had gotten into the house.
But if they had, why hadn't they done anything yet?
Nayomi took a deep breath.
She tried calling Raka.
The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
No answer.
“Pick up, Rak…”
The call disconnected.
Nayomi immediately called again.
The second time, there was still no answer.
She stood up, then opened her bedroom door a crack.
The hallway was dark.
The light that was usually on at night was off instead.
Nayomi reached for the switch.
Click.
The light came on.
The hallway was empty.
She stared at Raka's bedroom door.
Still closed.
“Raka?”
Nayomi walked closer.
Before she reached it, a sound came from downstairs.
As if someone were dragging a chair.
Nayomi stopped.
Then came the sound of something falling.
Thud.
She spun around.
Her phone vibrated again.
New message.
Don't go downstairs.
Nayomi felt both annoyed and afraid.
“How am I supposed to stay calm when all you do is give me orders?”
She typed out a long reply.
If you know what's happening, just tell me. Don't keep saying don't do this and don't do that.
The message was sent.
A few seconds later, a reply appeared.
Because if you go downstairs, you'll remember everything.
Nayomi fell silent.
Everything?
What did that mean?
She read the sentence over and over.
There was something about those words that bothered her. Not because they were frightening, but because they felt like something she'd heard before.
Nayomi closed her eyes.
Suddenly, a fragment of memory surfaced.
Heavy rain.
The lights going out.
Someone calling her name.
Nayomi.
Her eyes flew open.
Her breathing felt heavy.
“Why do I remember that?”
The fragment lasted only a few seconds, then vanished just like that.
Nayomi tried to remember the face of the person calling her, but there was nothing.
She stood in the middle of the room.
All that remained in her head was the sound of rain and someone repeatedly calling her name.
Nayomi.
Nayomi.
Nayomi.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the bedroom door.
Knock.
Nayomi flinched.
“Raka?”
The knock went unanswered.
Knock.
This time, it was softer.
Nayomi didn't move.
Her phone vibrated again.
Don't open it.
Nayomi stared at the screen.
Her hand began to tremble.
She didn't know who to trust.
Raka, who might be standing behind the door.
Or the stranger who kept sending her messages.
“Nayomi.”
Raka's voice came from behind the door.
Nayomi recognized it immediately.
It was Raka's voice.
“Raka?”
“Yeah. Open up.”
Nayomi almost approached the door, but stopped when her phone vibrated once more.
It wasn't a message.
An incoming call.
The unknown number.
Nayomi answered with a trembling hand.
“Hello?”
For several seconds, there was only the sound of breathing.
Then a man's voice spoke softly.
“Don't open the door.”
Nayomi stared at the door.
“Who are you?”
“Listen to me. Whatever you hear outside, don't open it.”
“But that's my younger sibling's voice.”
The man fell silent for a moment.
Then he said,
“Your younger sibling isn't in the house.”
Nayomi felt all the strength leave her body.
“What?”
“And Nayomi…”
“Yes?”
“Don't let them know you've started remembering.”
The call ended immediately.
Nayomi stood without a sound.
Outside the bedroom, Raka's voice came again.
“Sis, open the door.”
Nayomi stared at the doorknob.
Her hand didn't move.
“Sis…”
The voice became softer.
“You still remember me, right?”
Nayomi took one step back.
The fragment of memory surfaced again.
Rain.
The lights going out.
Someone crying.
Then a door.
And a small child standing in front of it.
Nayomi began clutching her head.
“I've… seen this before.”
Suddenly, the bedroom light went out.
Darkness filled the room.
A small laugh came from behind the door.
It wasn't Raka's voice.
Nayomi covered her own mouth so she wouldn't scream.
Her phone lit up with one new message.
This time, the message consisted of only four words.
You're starting to remember everything.