Just an hour later Cassidy came back to her cozy apartment. As she entered the kitchen, she put down the bags of groceries she had picked up on her way home. Determined to cure the effects of the last night's hangover, she decided to make herself some chicken soup. She felt her body needed a good nutritious meal.
Once the girl unpacked the vegetables, she began peeling them, filling the countertop with vibrant colours of chopped carrots, leek and celery. As the chicken in the pot seemed ready, Cassidy added the vegetables, filling the kitchen with the scent of a homemade cure.
„Chicken soup will be perfect for a hangover" – she thought to herself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Water in the pot was already becoming to look like soup and delicious smell was spreading around the whole apartment. Cassidy was in the middle of cleaning the mess she had made while preparing for the party the night before. As she shifted through unfolded clothes lying on the floor, her phone buzzed. She put down a skirt she was holding, and moved to the desk where the device was placed. When she noticed the SMS notification popping up, the memory of Emily warning her about a strange text surfaced, but curiosity overcame caution, and a subtle smile played on her lips.
Holding the phone in her hand, she unlocked it to find the mysterious message waiting. She hesitated only for a moment before replying. Her eyes sparkling as she typed a response, her fingers dancing all over the phone screen with a mix of anticipation and nervousness. Once she hit the send button, a sense of excitement reached her, and she couldn't help but wonder where this conversation might lead.
UNKNOWN: Hi! It's me again, don't block me, please.
CASSIDY: How did u reach me again?
UNKNOWN: That was simple. I'm not a creep, I promise! Haven't you head of the saying "You get a treat if you listen to older men?"
CASSIDY: No .-.
UKNOWN: I'm sorry, stupid joke. Will hearing me make you trust me more?
CASSIDY: I'm not sure.
UNKNOWN: Let me call you then!
Right after she read the message her phone started ringing. Her eyes widened and her heart started pounding much faster than it had been before, conflicting emotions showing in her trembling hand. Lost in her thoughts, Cassidy came back to her senses just when the phone went quiet.
- No, no, no – she saddened and quickly scrolled through her call history, hoping there would be a trace of the mysterious number she could call back. To her surprise there was no record of the missed call. Her eyelids dropped as she let out a heavy breath of resignation, when the phone went off with another round of ringing. This time she answered right away, she would have been so angry if she missed this opportunity again.
***
- Oh you picked up! – she heard from the other side of the phone. - I had a feeling you would. Hi! How about now? How do I sound? – said a stranger in a pleasant voice.
- Uh.. hi – answered hesitatingly Cassidy. - You sound nice.
- See! I like your voice too – laughed the boy. - You probably think I'm odd.. I am a bit odd to be honest. But isn't it a miracle? Two complete strangers connected. I found a phone and you were the only one on the phone list.
- That's strange.. – muttered the girl. Her stress slowly fading away, while listening to a calming, friendly voice of the unknown. - Where exactly are you?
- Abroad for some business. Will be back soon and I promise I'll make it up to you! How about we go out for a coffee once I'm back? – Cassidy's breaths quickened at the offer. The excitement rising in her as chills were going through her whole body. The thoughts of going out with the stranger made all her previous worries fade into oblivion.
- Sounds interesting – she answered taking another deep breath while trying to sound as calm as possible.
- You sound like a very cute girl. I'm sure I won't regret it – said confidently the stranger.
- Thank you – her mouth curved into a smile as she was toying with a lock of her blonde hair. - Uh.. sorry for earlier, it was my friend texting you. She was worried and didn't want me to get involved in anything suspicious – Cass changed the subject trying to explain herself and make good impression on the caller.
- Understandable. No worries. Also, take a look at the picture I've just sent you. It's me – giggled the guy. – Maybe if you see my face you'll realise I'm not dangerous.
Cassidy, intrigued by the callers words, moved her phone away from the ear to check the picture she received. She opened the message to find a selfie of a young guy with messy dark grey hair, wearing the same colour turtleneck and a red checked jacked. The unknown's attempt to gain trust seemed to be working as she bit her lip at the sight of the picture, a subtle smile appeared on her lips. That made her consider the possibility of going for a coffee date and meeting him in person.
- Now as you know how I look and sound.. will you help me? – the already familiar voice pulled her out of her dreamy thoughts. - I won't be able to sleep if I don't find the owner.
- I don't know.. – she said doubtfully. She was very curious about what was going to happen if she decides to help the guy. On the other hand, she kept in mind that he was a stranger and his real intentions were still a mystery.
- If you feel unsafe, you'll leave – tried to persuade the unknown.
- Ugh.. alright.. You don't sound or look like a psycho.. I'll go there – gave up Cassidy. -But I'm going back as soon as something smells fishy.
- Yes, of course! Oh god, thank you for your help! Let's hang up now and I'll send you the address. Will call you again later, okay?
- Sure. Let me get ready to leave – answered confused woman and then realised the call had already ended. She shook her head still not sure if the conversation was real when her phone vibrated in her palm and a notification popped up.
***
UNKNOWN: Here's the address: link.
Cassidy clicked on the link and a map app opened, the mysterious location pinned on it. With a quick decision, she grabbed her handbag and stepped out of her room ready to leave. Smelling the aroma of the partially-cooked soup in the air, she first went to the kitchen to turn off the stove. As she locked the door with a key, the thrill of the situation she put herself filled her whole body.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The destined place was pretty far away from Cassidy's apartment. It was necessary, to take a bus and then take a 15 minute walk in order to get there. The whole trip took almost an hour, but she didn't mind it, she was fuelled by the desire for excitement, which was enough to compensate for the time spent on trying to get to the place.
Finally, she was at the desired place, standing right in front of a tall building, which seemed nothing different from other blocks of flats. She went inside straight to the door marked with a number from the address. Hesitatingly, Cassidy took a moment before gathering the courage to knock. Echoes of her knocks resonated through the hallway, but she got no response, all she heard was silence. Not knowing what to do next, she reached for her phone and decided to text the unknown.
CASSIDY: I'm already here.
UNKNOWN: Do you see anything strange?
CASSIDY: Not yet..
UNKNOWN: See, I told you there's nothing to be scared of.
CASSIDY: I knocked at the door, but no one answered.
UNKNOWN: Oh.. Well, then how about you check inside?
CASSIDY: There's a password door lock here.
UNKNOWN: Try these numbers 952018
Sceptical about how the stranger could know such details, she hesitated before entering the given numbers, expecting it wouldn't work anyway. To her surprise, the door's lock clicked open, leaving the girl with a mix of wonder and fear. Rather than stepping inside, which she didn't want to do, she grabbed her phone and sent another message to the unknown.
CASSIDY: The door's open..
UNKNOWN: Great, why don't you go inside?
CASSIDY: I don't think I should just enter a stranger's house..
UNKNOWN: Just quickly leave a note there and leave. If something happens show them my messages. That will do.
CASSIDY: Uh.. Alright..
Cassidy stared at the door for a bit longer as she was firmly clenching her hand around the door handle. She held her breath, tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and pressed the handle down, slowly pushing it open.
- Hello? - she shouted, sticking her head inside and looking around. No one answered and no one seemed to be inside.
Tension in her body seemed to be rising, her jaw tightened, breath became unsteady. Doubts about entering without permission began to surface. Just as she was pondering on giving up the idea, another door in the hallway creaked open.
Fearful that someone might find her in this suspiciously looking situation and mistake her for a burglar, Cassidy instantly made a decision. She stepped inside the mysterious flat, and closed the door behind, not wanting to get any unwanted attention from the neighbour. The atmosphere inside was very tense and the girl couldn't believe she put herself in a situation far more complex than she had initially expected. Her body began shaking at the thought of what was happening. Leaning at the door, she looked through a peephole to see if anyone still was there.
Cassidy regretted having come there and wanted to leave as quickly as it was possible, go to her house and forget about the whole situation and the unknown person. She was just realising how irresponsibly she acted. Seeing no one through the hole, she pressed the handle. Attempting to leave, she realised the door was locked, trapping her inside. She put her palm on her mouth, rubbing it rapidly, her chest was rising and falling rapidly. She grabbed a handle once again and pressed it a few more times, this time with much more temper, unsuccessfully. She nervously started fiddling with her necklace as all the colours drained out of her face. She was panicking.
- Calm down.. calm down - she said to herself apprehensively.
She stood for a moment with her eyes studying the door. After a moment, her focus turned to her phone, which she took out of the pocket. She unlocked it but once she wanted to open her messages with unknown, the black screen appeared on it flooded with strange green letters she couldn't understand. It looked as if her phone was just being hacked. Her hands started shaking along with her whole body, tears were slowly welling up in her eyes. Suddenly, the screen turned light blue and Cassidy found herself connected to a random chatroom, where a few strangers seemed to be casually enjoying their unbothered conversation. At the top of it appeared a pop up message, which covered the chat for a few seconds.
UNKNOWN: It'll be really fun from now on. Enjoy your time with everyone. I'll go get you soon.
Cassidy's instincts told her she had stumbled into something far more complex and dangerous than she could have imagined. Trapped in the unknown apartment and connected to a chatroom with strangers, she felt a growing sense of vulnerability. Her careless decision, now might be holding consequences she couldn't yet realize.