THE GIRL WHO RECEIVED A TEXT FROM HER FUTURE SELF CHAPTER FOUR — THE STRANGER AT THE DOOR

Elaris rushed away from the window.Her heart was pounding.The stranger in the black hoodie was gone.But she knew she hadn't imagined them.Someone had been watching her.She grabbed her phone and quickly locked the bedroom door.For a few seconds, she stood there in silence.Then—KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.Elaris froze.The sound came from downstairs.Someone was at the front door.She slowly walked into the hallway and looked over the railing.“Mum?”No answer.Another knock.This time, louder.Elaris's mother appeared from the kitchen.She looked toward the door.Then toward Elaris.And something about her expression made Elaris uneasy.“Stay upstairs,” her mother said.“Who is it?”“I said stay upstairs.”Her mother walked to the door.Elaris didn't listen.She quietly followed her.Her mother opened the door slightly.A man stood outside.He looked familiar.Elaris had never met him before, but something about his face made her feel like she had seen him somewhere.The man looked past her mother.His eyes landed on Elaris.He immediately went silent.Her mother stepped in front of Elaris.“What do you want?”The man lowered his voice.“We need to talk.”“Not here.”“You know why I'm here.”Her mother's face tightened.“I told you never to come back.”Elaris's eyes widened.Never come back?The man glanced at her again.“Does she remember?”Her mother didn't answer.“Does she remember?” he repeated.“No.”The man sighed with relief.Then Elaris spoke.“I remember what?”Both adults froze.The man's face changed.Her mother quickly turned around.“Elaris, go upstairs.”“No.”“Elaris—”“What does he mean by remember?”The man stared at her for a long moment.Then he slowly reached into his jacket.Elaris stepped backward.Her mother immediately shouted,“Don't!”The man stopped.Instead of pulling something out, he carefully removed an old photograph.He held it out toward Elaris.“You need to see this.”Her mother tried to take it from him.But Elaris was faster.She grabbed the photograph.The moment she looked at it, her entire body went cold.It was a photograph of her.But not the Elaris standing in front of him.This Elaris looked younger.Much younger.She was standing in front of a large building.And beside her—Daniel.Elaris stared at the picture.“What is this?”The man looked at her sadly.“You really don't remember.”“Remember what?”He didn't answer.Elaris turned the photograph over.There was a date written on the back.SEPTEMBER 14TH — FIVE YEARS AGO.Her breathing became shallow.Five years ago.The same date her future self had warned her about.She looked at her mother.“Mum…”Her mother's eyes filled with tears.“Please,” she whispered. “Don't ask me.”Elaris looked back at the stranger.“What happened on September 14th?”The man hesitated.Then he said the words that made Elaris's blood run cold.“That's the day you disappeared.”Elaris stared at him.“What?”“You disappeared for three days.”Her mother covered her face.Elaris couldn't speak.She had no memory of it.Not even a single moment.The stranger stepped closer.“And when you came back…”He stopped.“What?”He looked directly into Elaris's eyes.“You weren't the same.”Suddenly, Elaris's phone vibrated.Everyone looked at it.UNKNOWN NUMBERA new message appeared.“He's telling you the truth.”Elaris's hands trembled.Then another message appeared.“But he's not telling you everything.”Elaris looked up at the stranger.He had gone pale.Because he had seen the message too.And for the first time, Elaris realized something terrifying.The stranger knew about her future self.TO BE CONTINUED…

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