I sat next to my desk on a beanbag chair in the middle of my bedroom. My laptop was laid across my thighs, unstable even as I tried to keep it as balanced as possible. I typed words that soon appeared seconds later across the laptop's blank screen. Another idea of mine I'd never bothered to move forward from.

If everything we see, feel, or sense is only because of our mind, doesn't that mean if we can manipulate our own minds we could manipulate the world around us?

I pondered over the idea, staring at the black dots and slashes marking the page. Couldn't I make anything happen with my mind? Since after all, my mind is creating the world around me, so if I tried hard enough couldn't I create or manipulate the world around me?

I pressed the palms of my hands against the warmth of my forehead, feeling even more confused than ever. Maybe I should take a break. Thinking nonstop about something so complicated would only confuse me more and make the entire situation worse.

There was a sudden ringing from my phone. I looked right, my eyebrows scrunching together as I wondered who could be calling. I was dangerously hoping it was Nessa, my best friend, who hadn't responded to any of the texts that I'd sent her. I'd started texting her early this morning, spitting on and on about one of my completely insane ideas, and I'd expected a reply. She kept her phone on her at all times, and it was shocking to think that now it was almost eight and she still hadn't even read the text. I tried passing it off as her having a situation with her family making it difficult for her to text, but that didn't stop me from being worried.

I almost sagged down back into my beanbag chair when I saw the notification with the name Nessa in bold white letters. My fingers snatched up my phone from the desk and hit the talk button, all in one motion. "Hello? Nessa?" I babbled quickly into the phone, extremely happy that she had finally called.

There was no reply on the other end of the line.

And then-

"Hello, Myla. I'm sure you are very concerned about Nessa right now, but I'm not here to make your concerns go away," came a low voice from the other end of the line. I had never heard the person before, and the worry came crashing back down around me.

"What?" I asked, not sure how else I was supposed to respond.

"You have exactly thirty minutes. Hiltonnian Mall, the rooftop. There will be an open door to reach the roof in the stairway."

"Wha-?"

"Come or she dies."

The phone clattered onto the ground, my opened hand frozen in the air. There came a high pitched beeping as the call was disconnected, and I stared down at the phone in shock.

Come or she dies. The words echoed in my ears.

I didn't have a choice.

I had to go.