The Girl Who Returned My Messages

I got her message at 2:11 AM.

That wasn’t strange.

What was strange…

was that she had been dead for eight months.

Her name still sat at the top of my chat list.

I never deleted it.

Never could.

It felt like erasing her twice.

The last message I sent her still read:

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

Seen.

No reply.

Until that night.

My phone buzzed softly against the table.

I almost ignored it.

But something—some quiet instinct—told me to look.

“You always say sorry too late.”

My chest tightened.

My fingers froze.

No.

No, this wasn’t real.

Someone had her phone.

Someone was playing a joke.

A cruel one.

I typed quickly:

“Who is this?”

The reply came instantly.

“You know who it is.”

My throat went dry.

I stared at the screen, hoping it would glitch.

Hoping the name would change.

But it didn’t.

It was still her.

Still Lina.

I stood up, pacing.

“This isn’t funny,” I muttered.

“Stop it.”

Another message.

“You never listened when I said that either.”

The room felt colder.

I remembered things I didn’t want to remember.

Late-night arguments.

Missed calls.

The way she would say my name when she was hurt—not angry, just… disappointed.

“Where are you?” I typed.

A pause this time.

Longer.

Heavy.

Then—

“Same place you left me.”

My heart dropped.

The lake.

I hadn’t gone back since that day.

Couldn’t.

We were arguing.

About something small.

Something stupid.

It always starts like that.

She walked ahead of me, angry, arms crossed.

I didn’t follow.

I just stood there.

Let her go.

“I’m not chasing you this time!” I shouted.

She turned briefly.

Hurt flashing across her face.

“Fine,” she said.

And then she kept walking.

That was the last time I saw her alive.

They said she slipped.

Said it was an accident.

But I always wondered—

If I had followed her…

If I had just said one more thing…

Would she still be here?

My phone buzzed again.

“Come see me.”

I stared at the message.

“No,” I whispered.

“You owe me that much.”

My hands trembled.

And somehow…

I found myself grabbing my jacket.

The lake wasn’t far.

But that night, it felt like another world.

The streets were empty.

Too empty.

Like the city itself didn’t want to witness where I was going.

When I reached the path, I stopped.

The water was still.

Unnaturally still.

My phone buzzed again.

“I’m here.”

I looked around.

“Lina?” I called.

No answer.

Just the sound of my own breathing.

Then—

A ripple.

Small.

But enough.

In the center of the lake.

My chest tightened.

“No…” I whispered.

The water moved again.

This time, slower.

Deliberate.

Like something beneath it…

was waking up.

“You didn’t come after me.”

The voice wasn’t on my phone this time.

It was behind me.

I turned.

And there she was.

Standing at the edge of the water.

Lina.

But not the Lina I remembered.

Her hair hung damp, clinging to her face.

Her skin pale—too pale.

Her eyes…

Empty.

“You let me go,” she said softly.

“I didn’t think—” I started.

“You didn’t think,” she repeated.

Her voice wasn’t angry.

That was the worst part.

It was calm.

Broken.

“I was scared,” I said.

“I thought you’d come back.”

She tilted her head.

“I did.”

A chill ran down my spine.

“No,” I whispered.

“You just didn’t see me.”

The air grew heavier.

“I waited,” she continued.

“Right here.”

She pointed toward the lake.

“For a long time.”

My breath became shallow.

“I kept thinking…” she said, stepping closer,

“…you’d come and say my name.”

Tears blurred my vision.

“I’m here now,” I said.

Her smile appeared.

Slow.

Unnatural.

“Too late.”

The water behind her began to ripple violently.

“You always are.”

Before I could react—

She grabbed my wrist.

Cold.

Freezing.

Stronger than she should have been.

“You said sorry,” she whispered.

The ground beneath me felt like it was slipping.

“So say it again.”

I shook my head, panicking.

“Please—Lina—let go—”

But she pulled harder.

Toward the water.

“You don’t get to leave this time.”

My feet hit the edge.

The lake stretched behind her.

Dark.

Endless.

“I didn’t mean it!” I shouted.

“I swear—I didn’t mean it!”

She stopped.

For a moment—

Just a moment—

Something changed in her eyes.

Something human.

Then—

Gone.

“You never do.”

And she pulled.

The world disappeared beneath freezing black water.

Silence swallowed everything.

And as I sank—

As the darkness wrapped around me—

I felt it.

A vibration.

In my pocket.

My phone.

One last message.

From her.

“Now you won’t ignore me.”