Chapter 1
My name is Anna. I am 22 years old. I live in a small town with my mother and little brother. I work in a bookstore. I love my job because I love books.
One day, something happened - something very difficult. It was a rainy morning. I woke up early and checked my phone. There was a message from my best friend Maya. It said: "Anna, please come to the airport today, 12 pm, terminal 3." I didn't understand why Maya wanted me to go to the airport; she didn't say more. I tried to call her, but her phone was off.
I looked at the clock; it was already 10 am. I had only 2 hours. So, I put on my jeans, a pink jacket, and took my umbrella. I told my mom, "Mom, I need to go to the airport. Maya needs help." My mom looked worried but said, "Be careful, Anna."
I took the bus; it was cold and wet. The bus was full of people, and I stood the whole time. I kept looking out the window; the sky was grey, and I saw a plane in the distance. Finally, I reached the airport; it was very big and noisy. People were running, talking, and carrying bags.
I looked for terminal 3; it took me 10 minutes to find it. But when I got there, Maya was not there. I waited 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes. Still no Maya. I felt nervous. I looked around and saw a girl sitting near the window; she had a suitcase and was crying.
I walked slowly to her and asked, "Are you okay?" She looked up; her eyes were red. She said, "I missed my flight. I don't know what to do." I sat beside her and said, "My name is Anna. Can I help you?" She said her name was Marinate; she came from another city to see her father but was late, and the plane was already gone.
I gave her a bottle of water from my bag, and we talked. She was kind and said, "You are a good person, thank you." Suddenly, I got a call, and it was Maya. I picked up the phone quickly. "Anna, where are you?" she asked. "I am at terminal 3, waiting for you," I said. Maya said, "Oh no, I meant terminal 2. I am here, and I am scared. Please come fast."
I said goodbye to Marinate and ran to terminal 2. My heart was beating fast. When I reached there, I saw Maya sitting on the floor; she was crying too. "Maya!" I shouted. She looked up and ran to hug me. "Anna, I didn't know who to call. I am so scared," she said. "What happened?" I asked.
She told me something shocking: "I think someone is following me." I was surprised. I asked, "Who? Why?" "I don't know," Maya said. On the bus to the airport, she saw a man watching her. When she got down, he also got down. She ran inside and tried to hide.
I looked around; there were so many people. "Maybe it was nothing," I said. "Maybe you are just scared." "No," she said. "I saw him again at the coffee shop." Just then, Maya pointed at someone and whispered, "That's him." I turned to look; a man with a black cap and brown coat was standing near the exit, looking at his phone. My hands felt cold.
I said, "Stay here. I will go talk to him." But before I could walk, the man looked at us and walked away. We didn't move; we just watched him disappear in the crowd. Maya said, "Do you believe me now?" I nodded.
We sat for a few minutes in silence. Then I said, "Let's tell the airport police." We walked to the help desk and told everything. They listened and said, "Don't worry, we will check the cameras." We felt a little safe after that.
Maya looked at me and smiled. "I am lucky to have you," she said. I said, "Tell me the right terminal next time." We laughed. But something still didn't feel right. Why was the man following her? Was it just a mistake? Or was something else going on?
I looked at Maya and said, "Let's go home. But we need to be careful." She nodded. We walked outside together.
"He is behind us. We have to be smart," I said to the driver. "Please take us to City Mall instead of home." The driver said, "Okay." I looked behind and ...saw the man in a black car. We reached the City Mall, and Maya and I quickly jumped off the car and ran inside the market. The black cap man was following us. When we saw an officer, we quickly went to him and told him the whole story. The officer asked the man, "Why are you following these girls?" He said, "I am Maya's brother." Maya quickly shouted, "He is lying! I didn't meet him before." The black cap man started running, but the police arrested him.The police asked some questions from Maya and me. The police said, "You were right; that man was following you from the airport. Maybe he was sent by someone. He had your name, address, and some information." Then Maya remembered and started crying, "It will be my ex-boyfriend. I broke up with him last week. He will be angry with me, so he sent someone to follow me." The police said, "This can be, but we need to investigate first."
Maya and I returned back home, where my mom was worrying about us. She hugged us both, and I told her the whole story. After some days, the black cap man and his accomplices were arrested. Now Maya was in peace.
One day, I was doing my job when I heard someone calling my name, "Anna." When I turned back, it was Marinate. She came there to thank me for helping her at the airport. We talked to each other, and Marinate said she was permanently there now but didn't have enough friends. "Would you be my friend?" she asked. I said, "Okay."
