Maria

Maria had always believed her life was perfect. She had doting parents, loyal friends, and a deep faith that kept her grounded. Her days were filled with prayer, laughter, and dreams of a future built on love. But what Maria didn’t know was that her world was a carefully crafted illusion—one that was beginning to crack.

She wasn't born into the family she called her own. In truth, Maria was an orphan. Her real parents had died in a tragic accident when she was just a baby, leaving behind a fortune. A fortune that became her curse. The people she called "Mom" and "Dad" weren’t her biological parents. They had taken her in, not out of kindness, but out of greed. Their love was a performance, rehearsed daily with sweet words and smiles. Her so-called friends were in on it too—staying close, playing loyal, all with eyes on her inheritance.

But Maria, kind-hearted and trusting, saw none of this.

Until one night.

It was 4:07 AM when she woke with a start. A scream echoed down the hallway—her mother’s. Heart pounding, she threw off her blanket and ran to her parents' bedroom. The door was slightly ajar. She pushed it open and gasped.

Her mother was on the bed, half-conscious, mumbling nonsense and staring blankly at the ceiling. Her body trembled like a leaf in the wind.

“Mom?” Maria whispered, approaching slowly. “What’s wrong?”

No response. Just more gibberish.

Her father was nowhere to be seen. Gone. Out in the middle of the night without a word. Strange. Alarming. She had no siblings to help, no one to call.

And then—movement.

From the corner of her eye, she saw it: a figure in the window. A dark silhouette standing silently. Watching. Her breath caught in her throat. Slowly, cautiously, she turned toward it. But just as she stepped closer, the shadow vanished—like smoke in the wind.

And then—

“Maria?”

She spun around. Her mother was sitting up, eyes clear, voice steady. As if nothing had happened.

“What are you doing in my room, sweetheart?”

Maria blinked, confused. “You… you screamed. You were talking nonsense. You weren’t okay.”

Her mother smiled gently. “You must’ve been sleepwalking, darling. I’m fine. See?” She stood, stretched, and even hummed a little tune. “Perfectly fine.”

Maria stared. Her instincts screamed that something wasn’t right. But how could she argue when everything looked... normal?

The morning came with a quiet fog that clung to her thoughts. At school, things only got stranger. Her best friend, Aisha, was absent. Whispers floated through the corridors—stroke, sudden, unexpected. Maria’s heart dropped. Aisha had been perfectly healthy just yesterday.

And then came the new Boy.

A transfer student with dark eyes and a knowing smile. He introduced himself as Zahar. Something about him felt out of place, yet oddly familiar. When their eyes met, Maria felt it—a jolt, like lightning through her spine.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. The laughter in the hallways sounded distant. The classrooms seemed dimmer. Every word, every glance, every smile felt… rehearsed.

Like her life was a play and everyone else had a script but her.

That night, as she lay in bed staring at the ceiling, Maria couldn’t shake the feeling. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

She thought she knew love. She thought she knew family.

But as the shadows danced once more outside her window, Maria began to wonder:

Had her whole life been a lie?

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To be continued...