Chapter 1
On the first day of the new semester, I found an old phone at home. It didn't even have a passcode.
There was only one app on the phone.
I tapped on it. The first page had only one sentence.
[September 1st. Today is my birthday, but nobody showed up to celebrate with me.]
I skimmed through the notes—it was all fragmented, every line thick with fear and anxiety.
[They are demons.]
[I want to escape, but the door is locked.]
[I think I'm getting sick. It's so cold.]
A chill ran down my spine. Just as I was about to close the app, my mother, Holly, called.
"Delilah, don't forget you're having dinner with Vernon this weekend. Be good, okay?"
After hanging up, I caught a glimpse of the app's latest entry—it had been updated just a minute ago.
[Delilah, save me.]
*****
I looked over the phone in my hand.
It was a pretty old model, definitely not something anyone in my family would ever use.
The edges were all banged up, like it could fall apart any second.
I pressed the power button, and to my surprise, the screen lit up. No passcode—just straight to the home screen.
The home screen was super bare. Apart from the basics, there was only one app left—something called Corner.
Holly's call popped up just then.
"Delilah, did you make it to school? Got your stuff settled in?" she asked.
Her voice was as gentle as ever, but I could sense the underlying intention in her words.
"Yeah, I just got here," I replied.
"Good. By the way, listen—don't make any plans this weekend. I've arranged with Katelyn for you to meet her son, Vernon, for dinner," Holly said.
I knew it. This is what Holly was calling about.
I tightened my grip on the phone, irritation bubbling up.
"Mom, I'm busy. School just started, there's a ton of things to do, and my major classes are piling up," I said.
"No matter how busy you are, you need to eat," Holly said.
She continued, "Vernon's quite the catch—you know, his father is the mayor. If you two end up together, your whole career will be set.
"Law is tough for any girl, and at the end of the day, you'll have to settle down anyway. Your dad and I do all this for your own good."
It was always the same excuse—for my own good.
Those words had been chained to me ever since I was old enough to understand anything.
They had planned out my entire life—where I'd go to college, what I'd study, and now, they even had my future husband picked out for me.
My whole existence was their pet project, and everything had to look perfect on the outside.
I took a deep breath, swallowing down my urge to rebel. "Mom, I can handle my own life."
"Why are you being so unreasonable?" Holly asked.
She let out a sigh on the other end.
"Be good, and make sure you dress up nicely this weekend," Holly said.
Then she hung up, not giving me a chance to say another word.
I stood there, feeling completely powerless.
A gust of wind blew, and the old phone in my hand felt icy cold.
Before I knew it, my fingers had tapped open the app called Corner.
[September 1st. Today is my birthday, but nobody showed up to celebrate with me.]
The entries were fragmented—scattered notes, each one thick with fear and anxiety.
[September 3rd. Had that dream again. I was running outside, beneath a bright blue sky.]
[September 10th. They fought again, all because of me. She looked right at me and said I was nothing but a mistake.]
[September 15th. I think I'm getting sick. I'm freezing, but I'm too scared to say a word. They're demons.]
The words were filled with depression, loneliness, and fear. Just a couple of lines, and it sent chills straight down my spine.
It was like something written by a kid locked up, with nowhere to run and terrified.
Was it a prank, or what?
Or was it something that actually happened?
Just as I was about to close the app, I caught the latest entry.
[Delilah's headed off to school. They dressed her up to look perfect, like a doll. They said she is their most perfect work.]
[Delilah, save me.]
My heart clenched tight.
The words "doll" and "most perfect work" were things Holly had said to me countless times since I was a child.