Chapter 1
THE BLUE PRINT
CHAPTER ONE
THE AWAKENING
4:50 A.M.
Bzzzzzzzz…
The sound of my alarm filled the room.
I groaned and blindly reached for my phone, knocking it off the bedside table in the process.
“Ugh…”
I slowly opened my eyes.
For a few seconds, I just stared at the ceiling.
It was still dark.
The kind of darkness that made you want to pull your blanket over your head and pretend morning didn't exist.
I reached down and picked up my phone.
4:50 A.M.
I stared at the time with sleepy eyes.
“Who wakes up at this ungodly hour?”
I turned off the alarm and dropped my phone beside me.
I pulled the blanket over my head.
“Just five more minutes…”
I closed my eyes.
Silence.
Peace.
At least, that's what I thought.
Tap.
My eyes opened.
I froze.
I slowly lifted my head from the pillow.
“What was that?”
Nothing.
I listened.
The room was completely silent.
I swallowed.
Maybe I had imagined it.
I lay back down.
Tap.
My eyes opened again.
This time, I was certain.
Someone—or something—had made that sound.
I sat up slowly.
My bedroom looked exactly the same.
My desk was beside the window.
My books were scattered across it because I had been too lazy to arrange them the night before.
My wardrobe stood quietly in the corner.
Everything was normal.
Everything except the strange feeling crawling down my spine.
I grabbed my phone and turned on the flashlight.
The beam moved across the room.
Nothing.
I sighed.
“Okay, Arielle. You're officially losing it.”
I switched off the flashlight.
Then I heard it.
Footsteps.
My entire body went still.
Step.
I stared at my bedroom door.
Step.
Someone was walking down the hallway.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
My heart began beating faster.
Step.
I held my breath.
The room suddenly felt colder.
Who was awake?
I glanced at the time.
4:52 A.M.
Everyone should still be asleep.
At least, I thought they should be.
The footsteps continued.
Step.
Step.
Step.
They were getting closer.
I slowly moved backward until my back touched the headboard.
“Who's there?”
My voice came out weaker than I expected.
No answer.
The footsteps stopped.
I stared at the door.
Nothing happened.
For several seconds, there was complete silence.
Then—
Step.
I flinched.
The sound was right outside my room.
My fingers tightened around my phone.
“Hello?”
Nothing.
I looked toward the door again.
The handle didn't move.
Maybe someone had gotten up and was walking past my room.
Maybe it was my imagination.
Maybe—
Creak.
The door moved.
Just slightly.
I stopped breathing.
The door slowly opened.
Not quickly.
Not violently.
Slowly.
As if whoever was on the other side wanted me to watch.
I couldn't move.
The darkness of the hallway appeared through the opening.
I stared into it.
“Mom?”
Silence.
“Dad?”
Nothing.
The door opened a little wider.
My heart was pounding so loudly that I could hear it in my ears.
“Who are you?”
Still nothing.
I reached for the lamp beside my bed.
My fingers touched the switch.
Click.
The room filled with light.
And that's when I saw it.
Someone was standing in the doorway.
I couldn't see their face.
They were completely covered by the darkness behind them.
I stared.
My body refused to move.
“Who… who are you?”
The figure didn't answer.
It just stood there.
Watching me.
I felt my throat tighten.
“Please…”
My voice trembled.
“Leave.”
The figure tilted its head.
My heart dropped.
There was something wrong.
Something horribly wrong.
I reached for my phone.
The figure suddenly took one step forward.
I froze.
Another step.
I tried to scream.
Nothing came out.
“Jesus Christ…”
My voice shook.
“Thou Son of David…”
Another step.
“Have mercy on me…”
The figure kept coming.
I pressed myself against the headboard, desperately trying to create distance between us.
But there was nowhere to go.
The room suddenly felt freezing.
My breath became shaky.
Then the figure stopped.
For a moment, everything went silent.
I stared at it.
And then—
A sharp pain suddenly shot through my head.
I grabbed my temples.
“Ah!”
Images flashed through my mind.
A dark room.
A strange symbol.
A blue light.
A voice whispering something I couldn't understand.
Then—
A door.
An old wooden door covered in strange markings.
And behind it…
Something was waiting.
I gasped and opened my eyes.
The figure was still standing in front of me.
But this time…
I could see its eyes.
My blood ran cold.
They were glowing.
Not bright.
Just enough to make them visible in the darkness.
I tried to move.
Nothing.
I tried to scream.
Nothing.
The figure slowly raised one hand.
And pointed directly at me.
My heart stopped.
Then a voice echoed through the room.
Not from the figure.
Not from anywhere I could see.
It was inside my head.
“You were never supposed to forget.”
My eyes widened.
“What?”
The room began spinning.
The walls seemed to stretch.
The light from my lamp flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then everything went black.
The last thing I heard was the sound of my name being whispered.
“Arielle…”
And then—
Nothing.
TO BE CONTINUED…
