Chapter 1

The night before our SAT, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Suddenly, my phone screen lit up. I received a text from an unknown number.

[Tomorrow at 6:30 a.m.. Leaving for the testing center. Your sister disappears.]

I stared at the screen, my heart jolting.

I did have a twin sister, Molly Young, and we were both scheduled to take the test the next day.

But what a pathetic prank.

I tossed my phone aside, turned over, and went back to sleep.

The next morning, we had barely left the driveway when Molly suddenly cried out beside me.

“Oh no, I forgot my admission ticket.”

“Dad, pull over! I need to go back and get it.”

Chapter 1

Mom offered to go back for Molly, but Molly waved her off, saying it was only a two-minute walk and she’d be back in no time.

I watched my sister hurry toward the house, feeling strangely uneasy.

Just then, Mom, who was sitting in the passenger seat, turned to look at me.

“Kelly, double-check your things too. You don’t want to get to the testing center and realize you’ve forgotten something.”

I looked away and checked my exam essentials once more.

My admission ticket, ID card, calculator...

Five minutes passed.

Dad tapped his fingers rhythmically against the steering wheel.

Mom lowered the window and peered toward the house.

Ten minutes passed.

It only took two minutes to walk home from where we had parked.

Molly still hadn’t returned.

Mom could no longer sit still and pushed the passenger door open.

“I’m going home to check. Maybe Molly couldn’t find her admission ticket.”

I glanced at the time on the dashboard.

6:41 a.m.

A sentence suddenly flashed through my mind.

“Tomorrow at 6:30 a.m., when we leave for the testing center, my sister will disappear.”

Just then, Mom came running back in a panic.

“Molly hasn’t come back?”

She looked into the car, her expression growing increasingly frantic.

“No one was home. I searched around the house again, but I still couldn’t find her.”

My hand trembled as I held the document envelope, and I got out of the car with Dad. “It was only a short walk. How could she have disappeared?”

“Did you call her? Try calling Molly first.”

When we called, her phone began ringing inside the car.

Molly hadn’t taken her phone with her.

Mom was frantic and wanted to go back and search again.

Dad grabbed her arm and stopped her.

“Kelly still needs to get to the testing center. She can’t afford to be late. Take her there by taxi first.

“Once I find Molly, we’ll go straight to the testing center.”

Only then did Mom turn to look at me, hesitation flickering across her face.

In the end, as if she had made up her mind, she nodded.

“Fine. Call me the moment you find Molly.”

I hurriedly gathered my things, my mind in turmoil.

The moment I got into the taxi, my phone vibrated again.

[Traffic jam. You're in the car. Your father doesn't. Dead.]

I sat bolt upright, my palms beginning to sweat.

I instinctively looked out the window.

The scenery outside drifted steadily past, though the car occasionally came to a stop at red lights.

Who was playing this prank?

Or...

Could these messages really predict the future?

“Mom, look...”

I held my phone out for her to see.

She frowned as she glanced at the screen, and anger quickly spread across her face.

“Kelly, this is no time for jokes. Don’t you know you’re about to take a very important test?

“And your sister is still missing. Why are you showing me this now? What are you trying to pull?”

I hurried to explain, wanting Mom to look at the previous message—the one that had predicted Molly’s disappearance.

But this time, Mom slapped my hand away.

“Show me another message like that, and I’ll take your phone away right now.”

Chapter 2

I couldn’t let that happen.

What if another message came through after Mom confiscated my phone?

I bit my lower lip and reluctantly pulled my hand back.

After hesitating for two seconds, I replied to the unfamiliar number.

[Who are you?]

[Why are you sending me messages like this?]

I waited for two minutes, but there was no response.

I looked out the window again as the taxi crawled forward and stopped repeatedly.

Just then, a traffic report came through the driver’s radio.

“There’s been a serious accident at the intersection of Main Street and Oak Avenue.

“The resulting traffic restrictions have caused severe congestion. Drivers with students on board, please take note and consider taking an alternate route.”

There really was a traffic jam.

The taxi came to a complete stop.

My fingers slowly curled into a fist.

The message was still glowing on my screen.

[Traffic jam. You're in the car. Your father isn't. Dead.]

I was in the car.

Dad wasn't...

The message didn’t say who was dead, but if the prediction was real and I did nothing to change it...

At least one of us would die.

I couldn’t just sit back and wait for it to happen.

I picked up my phone and immediately called Dad.

He didn’t answer.

I called again, and there was still no answer.

I had to get out of the car.

I took a deep breath and grasped Mom’s hand.

“Mom, we need to get out.”

Mom’s expression changed, and she immediately looked ready to lose her temper again.

“Kelly, can you stop making a scene? Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“Do you even want to take your SATs?”

I shook my head, trying to keep my voice calm and rational.

“The traffic is so bad that even if we took a detour, we wouldn’t be able to get out.

“We should get out and take another taxi from somewhere less congested. It’ll definitely be faster than sitting here waiting.”

The driver also turned around and joined in.

“There’s no way to get out and take a detour right now. If the young lady is taking her SATs, she can’t afford to lose any time.

“She’s right. It’ll be faster to get out and walk to the next intersection before taking another taxi.

“I can help you contact a nearby taxi, so don’t worry about finding one.”

Even the driver was saying so.

Mom bit her lip, glancing between me and the gridlocked traffic outside.

At last, she nodded.

“All right.”

We paid the fare and got out of the taxi.

The moment my feet touched the ground, I let out a long breath.

I wasn’t in the car anymore.

So, the second half of the message wouldn’t come true, right?

I took out my phone and called Dad again.

Ring, ring, ring...

He answered!

The moment I heard Dad’s voice, mine began to tremble.

“Dad, are you all right?”

He sounded confused.

“I’m fine. I’m still looking for your sister. I just heard she was seen chasing someone, so I’m heading over to check.

“You go to the testing center first. Don’t let it make you late for your exam.”

Relief nearly made me go weak at the knees.

I wanted to remind him to be careful, but Dad had already hung up.

I held my phone and told Mom what Dad said.

Mom didn’t say a word. With a grave expression, she took my hand and started walking.

I knew she was worried about Molly.

But Dad said Molly had gone after someone.

Who was she chasing?

I kept thinking about it as we walked. I had no idea how much time had passed when Mom called out from ahead.

“Kelly, we found a car.”

I took a deep breath, slipped my phone into my pocket, and ran over.

Once the car started moving, I leaned against the window and went over the two messages again and again.

Chapter 3

The first one read: [Tomorrow at 6:30 a.m.. Leaving for the testing center. Your sister disappears.]

Because I hadn’t taken the message seriously and left for the testing center at 6:30, Molly really did disappear.

The second message read: [Traffic jam. You're in the car. Your father isn't. Dead.]

Dad was fine, and so was I, because I had gotten out of the car.

I hadn’t followed the message’s , so the prediction hadn’t come true.

The thought made my whole body relax.

That was what I told myself.

As long as I didn’t follow the messages’ , everything would be fine.

A short while later, the car pulled up outside the school. It was already past eight.

Mom paid the fare and turned to look at me.

“We’re here. Let’s get out.”

At the exact moment I opened the car door, I failed to notice the phone in my pocket vibrate.

A new message lay quietly in my inbox.

7:30 a.m.

I stood outside the testing center and glanced down at my phone.

There was a new message.

It was from the same unfamiliar number.

My finger hovered above the screen, and I unconsciously held my breath.

I opened it.

[At 7:40, Your mother walked away. The head burst open.]

The blood drained from my face.

“Kelly, hurry inside. The test is about to begin. They don’t allow phones inside. Give it to me, and I’ll keep it for you.”

Mom urged me along and reached for my phone.

I grabbed her hand.

“Mom.”

Her voice was already edged with impatience.

“What is it now?”

I held my phone out to her.

She glanced at the screen, and her expression immediately darkened.

Then she gritted her teeth and snapped, “Kelly, are you ever going to stop?”

“Mom, it’s real. The first two messages came true. I’m scared this one will too.

“Molly is already missing. I can’t lose you too...

“How am I supposed to focus on the test when I don’t even know you’re safe?

“It’s only a few minutes until 7:40. Just wait until 7:41, and I’ll go inside. I’ll still have time.”

Mom was about to pull her hand away, but her expression gradually softened when she heard me.

She pulled me into her arms and gently rubbed my back.

There really were only a few minutes left until the time I had mentioned.

There were many students lining up to enter the school.

Waiting a few more minutes wouldn’t make much difference.

“All right, but this is the last time, okay? I know you’re under a lot of pressure, so don’t be nervous or worry about anything else. Your father and I are here for you.”

I let out a sigh of relief, but I still clung tightly to the hem of her clothes.

The seconds ticked by.

I stared at my phone, watching the time change from 7:36 to 7:37, then to the next minutes.

Mom stood there helplessly, glancing at the time from time to time.

I knew she was anxious to go look for Molly.

But I couldn’t worry about that now.

At 7:39, my breathing grew rapid.

My eyes darted around, ready to intercept anything from any direction that could hit Mom in the head.

7:40.

Nothing happened.

Mom was still standing there.

She was still alive.

No one's head had burst open.

I let out a long breath, feeling as though all the strength had been drained from my body. I nearly collapsed onto the ground.

“Are you satisfied now?”

Mom glanced at the time as she asked.

I nodded and released my grip on her clothes.

“Can you go in and take your test now?”

I nodded again.

Mom forced a faint smile and reached over to straighten my collar.

“Don’t think about all that nonsense. Do your best. Your father and I will find Molly.”

Just then, her phone rang.

Mom froze for a moment before answering it.

“Did you find Molly?”

It was probably Dad calling.

Chapter 4

I couldn’t make out what the person on the other end was saying.

But I could see Mom’s expression.

It changed little by little.

Mom hung up.

Her hand dropped to her side, her phone still clutched in her palm, but she looked as though she had suffered a devastating blow.

“Mom?”

I called out to her.

She didn’t respond.

“Mom, what did Dad say? Did he find Molly?”

Mom slowly turned to look at me.

Her eyes were red, and her lips trembled, but she couldn’t get a word out.

The noise around us suddenly seemed very far away.

I reached for her arm.

“Say something...”

Her lips parted, and she finally spoke.

But her voice was so hoarse that it barely sounded like her own.

“Kelly, go inside and take your test.”

I bit my lip and shook my head.

I knew something must have happened.

“I’m not going in. Tell me what Dad said.”

Mom still refused to say anything.

“Be a good girl.”

My voice was already breaking, drawing a few curious glances from the parents nearby.

“What happened to Molly? Tell me, and I’ll go take the test.”

Mom closed her eyes for a moment.

When she opened them again, her expression had changed.

It wasn’t anger or grief, but a kind of resolve I had never seen before.

Mom grabbed my shoulders, her fingers digging into me painfully.

“Kelly, go inside and take your test. I’ll handle everything else.”

With that, she seized my wrist and dragged me toward the school entrance.

I struggled to pull free, but her grip was like an iron vise. I couldn’t escape.

“I believe you about the messages now. I received one too. It was about you.

“Your father just called and said that he and Molly had received messages on their phones too...”

I was stunned.

Mom had received a message too?

No wonder she had looked so shaken.

“What did it say?”

Mom gritted her teeth.

“It said... ‘At 7:55, if you haven’t entered the testing center gate, you will...’”

Mom didn’t finish the sentence.

But I already knew what came next.

My breath caught.

I quickly checked my phone.

7:46 a.m.

There were a few minutes left.

I looked at the long line of students waiting to enter the testing center.

Then I glanced around, my eyes sweeping over the surroundings.

Two people arguing on the sidewalk, cars streaming along the road, a tower crane operating at a construction site in the distance...

When Mom saw me staring blankly, she pushed me into the line.

“Hurry up. Don’t waste any more time.”

More students arrived and joined the line behind me. When I turned around, Mom was already gone.

A strange feeling suddenly washed over me.

But with so little time left, I couldn’t stop to figure out what it meant.

At 7:47, the line inched forward.

The security checkpoint was still several dozen yards away.

At 7:48, another thought occurred to me.

Phones weren’t allowed inside the testing center. What would I do if another message came in and I couldn’t see it?

At 7:49, the security checkpoint drew closer and closer.

I should still have enough time.

A notification suddenly appeared on my phone, announcing a new message.

I closed my eyes for a moment, as if there were no escaping my fate.

Then I opened them, held my breath, and tapped the message.

A single line appeared.

My finger froze.

Just then…

“Kelly.”

A familiar voice came from behind me, and I instinctively turned around.

In an instant, I remembered the message I had just received.

[Don’t turn around. Don’t look at her. Don’t believe a word she says. She’ll kill you.]

But I had already turned around.

I had already looked.

And she had already begun to speak.