My Dead Best Friend Won't Stop Texting Me

Three years ago my best friend Jessica Moore died in a car crash. We were supposed to go to this graduation party together but she never picked me up. Next morning I found out she'd wrapped her car around a tree on Highway 9. The cops said she fell asleep at the wheel.

Last night I'm laying in bed scrolling through TikTok when my phone buzzes. Text message from Jess's old number. The same number I've kept in my contacts for three years even though I know her parents canceled the service.

"hey maddie its me"

I literally threw my phone across the room. Like what kind of sick person does this? But then it buzzes again.

"i know ur scared but look at our prom photo. really look at it"

So I'm thinking okay someone hacked her old Instagram or something. Probably some creep who knew we were friends. But I go look at the photo anyway because I'm an idiot.

It's this selfie we took in my bedroom mirror while getting ready for prom. Just me and Jess being stupid with our makeup half done. I remember that night perfectly. We were alone in my room listening to Taylor Swift and complaining about our dates.

But when I zoom in on the mirror reflection I see something that makes me want to puke.

There's a third person standing behind us. Tall guy in a dark hoodie. Face hidden but you can see him clear as day just... watching us.

I know for a fact this person was not in my room that night. I would have noticed someone standing there staring at us while we got dressed.

My phone buzzes: "you see him dont you"

I text back "STOP THIS ISN'T FUNNY" and get an immediate response: "maddie its really me. ive been trying to contact you for 3 years. that person has been following you since junior year"

So now I'm really freaking out and I start going through all my old photos. Birthday party from March 2021 - there he is in the background by the fence. Christmas morning - shadow in the kitchen window. First day of senior year - reflection in my car window in the parking lot.

How the hell did I never see this before???

"I tried to tell you before I died" comes the next text. "remember when I said I felt like someone was watching me? you said I was being paranoid about college stress"

I did remember. Jess had been acting really weird those last few weeks. Jumpy. Always looking over her shoulder. She kept saying she felt like someone was following her but I thought she was just stressed about graduation and moving away for college.

"the night I died I was coming to your house. I had proof. photos videos everything. I was going to show you we were both being stalked but I never made it"

Then she sends me an email. From her old Gmail account that was supposed to be deleted. [email protected].

The email has like 30 photos attached. The same hooded figure outside my work at Starbucks. Sitting in a car across from my apartment. Walking behind me at the mall. Some of these photos have timestamps from last week.

But the last photo makes my hands shake so bad I almost drop my laptop. It's my apartment building taken from across the street. Tonight. 11:23 PM. And you can see me in my bedroom window looking at my phone.

Someone was watching me read Jess's messages.

Right then my phone starts ringing. Caller ID says "MOM" with the little heart emoji. But my mom's phone is downstairs on the kitchen counter charging. I literally saw it there when I went to get water an hour ago.

Text from Jess: "DONT ANSWER ITS NOT YOUR MOM"

"they clone voices now. theyve been listening to your family for months. they know exactly how she sounds when shes worried about you"

I let it go to voicemail. When I play it back it's definitely my mom's voice: "Madison sweetie I had a bad dream about you. Can you come downstairs? I'm in the kitchen making some chamomile tea. We need to talk."

But there's something wrong with it. Like it's too perfect. And I can hear this weird clicking sound in the background. Like someone typing on a keyboard.

"theyre in your house" Jess texts. "your parents are probably drugged. they slip stuff in the water or air conditioning. nothing deadly just makes people sleep really deep"

I text back "WHAT DO I DO" and she responds immediately: "remember our last sleepover? I hid something in your closet behind the box of stuffed animals. loose floorboard. I was going to tell you about it but then..."

So I crawl over to my closet trying not to make any noise. Behind this old box of Build-A-Bears from when we were kids I find a loose floorboard. Underneath is a waterproof bag with a flip phone, like $300 in cash, and a handwritten note in Jess's messy handwriting:

"Maddie - if you're reading this then they got me and now they're coming for you. This phone has one number programmed. Detective Rivera in the next state over. She's been investigating disappearances like ours. She's the only cop who believed me. Call her and tell her Jessica's friend needs help. She'll know what to do. The cash is for a bus ticket. Get out of town tonight. Don't pack anything they're watching for that. Just GO. I love you. -J"

My phone lights up with another text from Jess: "they just got out of the black SUV. 3 people. you have maybe 2 minutes before theyre inside"

I grab the flip phone and cash and go to my window. There's this old oak tree I used to climb down in high school when I wanted to sneak out to parties. Never thought I'd need it to save my life.

As I'm climbing down I hear the front door open. Footsteps in the hallway. My mom's voice calling "Madison? Honey? Come down here please."

But it's wrong. Too cheerful for the middle of the night. And I can hear other voices whispering.

I drop to the ground and run.

Behind me I hear my bedroom door open. Someone cursing when they find the window open.

I make it to the Greyhound station just as the last bus to the next state is loading. Hand over the cash for a ticket with shaking hands. As the bus pulls away my flip phone buzzes:

"you made it. im so proud of you. detective rivera is waiting. she has a safe house. youre going to be okay"

"but maddie this isnt over. there are other girls like us. other families being watched. promise me youll help them. promise me my death meant something"

That was six months ago. Detective Rivera was amazing. Turns out Jess was right about everything. There was this whole human trafficking ring that had been operating for years. They'd target young women who fit a certain profile - brunette, petite, artistic, middle class families. They'd stalk us for months learning our routines and our families' schedules before making their move.

Jess's evidence broke the whole thing open. The FBI arrested 12 people across 4 states. Dozens of girls were saved.

But here's the part that still gives me chills. Detective Rivera told me after the trial that the phone company had no record of those text messages. According to Verizon my phone never received any texts that night. But somehow I knew exactly where to find everything Jess had left for me.

I still get messages sometimes. Late at night from numbers that don't exist. Other girls who didn't make it out in time. Warning me about new dangers, new patterns, new people who need help.

And I always listen.

Because I learned that love doesn't die when someone does. It just finds new ways to protect the people who matter most.

I run a nonprofit now called Jessica's Warning. We've helped over 200 young women recognize stalking patterns and get to safety. Every life we save is because my best friend refused to let death stop her from saving people.

Sometimes when I'm working late at the office my computer will open a new document with just one line:

"keep going maddie. im proud of you. -jess"

I always smile when I see those messages.

What are best friends for, right?

UPDATE: A lot of people are asking for proof. I get it, this sounds crazy. I can't share the police reports because the case is still ongoing (appeals and stuff) but Detective Rivera said I could share the nonprofit website if anyone wants to learn about stalking warning signs. Just Google "Jessica's Warning nonprofit" and you'll find us.

Also to the person who DMed me asking if this is real - yes it's real. I wish it wasn't. But if sharing Jess's story helps even one person recognize they're being stalked then it's worth people thinking I'm crazy.

Stay safe out there.