Whispers of Unity High – Episode 1: The Transfer Note
It was a Monday morning, and Unity High School buzzed with the usual noise of students rushing into their various classes after assembly. Most of them didn’t notice the girl who stood quietly by the admin block, clutching her brown envelope like it contained a secret that could burn the whole school down.
Her name was Mara Oyeniran, and she was the newest transfer student. Tall, soft-spoken, and observant, Mara had been moved to Unity High from a Federal Girls’ College under mysterious circumstances. No one knew the full story—some whispered that she got expelled. Others said her father was posted to the city and insisted she transfer.
Whatever the case, Mara had one goal: keep her head down and finish the term quietly.
“SS2A,” the registrar told her after flipping through her papers. “You’ll find the class on the second floor. Prefect will assign you a seat.”
Mara thanked her and left the office. The hallways felt different here—clean and shiny but somehow cold, like something fake was painted over something rotten. As she passed a row of noticeboards, she noticed how many prefects had the same surname initials. A coincidence, or not?
In SS2A, all eyes turned when Mara entered. The class captain, a tall boy named Tega, greeted her awkwardly and showed her to a seat near the window.
“Don’t worry, they’ll stop staring soon,” he said. “We don’t get many transfers. Especially not in the middle of term.”
Mara nodded. “Thanks.”
By break time, she had figured out three things:
- Unity High had its cliques and codes.
- Some students avoided eye contact when certain teachers walked by.
- The girl who sat beside her, Ozioma, was the only one bold enough to whisper, “You’re brave to come here.”
“Why?” Mara asked.
Ozioma paused, her eyes scanning the classroom door before leaning closer. “Let’s just say this school has… shadows. You’ll understand soon.”
Mara almost laughed—until she opened her locker at the end of the day.
Inside, on top of her books, was a folded piece of white paper. It was unmarked, except for one line written in red ink:
“Don’t trust anyone here. They’re watching you.”
She didn’t sleep well that night.
Was it a prank? A warning? A threat?
By the next morning, Mara arrived early and checked her locker again. Nothing new. She showed no reaction during classes, but her senses were on high alert. At lunch, she spotted a boy sitting under the mango tree with a small camera, pretending to film the birds. Only the birds weren’t there.
Later that day, while copying notes from the board, a paper airplane landed on her desk. It came from behind.
She opened it. A single word:
“Library. 3:40pm. Come alone.”
This time, she hesitated. But something inside her—curiosity or caution—told her to go.
At exactly 3:40pm, she walked into the school library. Most students had gone home, and the librarian was nowhere to be seen.
Someone was waiting behind the tall history shelf.
“You came,” he said. “I wasn’t sure if you would.”
Mara studied the boy. Neat uniform, camera bag. It was the same one from the mango tree.
“Who are you?”
“Name’s Jude. SS3C. Student journalist—well, unofficial. I’ve been documenting things. Strange things. You’re not the first to get a note like that.”
“Who sent it?”
He shook his head. “Could be a warning. Could be bait. Either way, you need to be careful. This school has… layers.”
“Layers?”
Jude opened his bag and pulled out a creased black-and-white photo. “Recognize her?”
Mara looked. It was an old Unity High prefect group photo. One girl stood out. Bright eyes. Confident smile. A name tag read Sarah Ukeje.
“She was Head Girl three years ago,” Jude explained. “She tried to expose something. Then she vanished. Transferred. Story covered up. But I’ve been digging. All roads lead to what they called… The Circle.”
Mara raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like a cult.”
“Not a cult. A network. A silent society within the school. Prefects, teachers, even staff—connected by something bigger. No one talks about it, but everyone obeys it.”
Mara looked at the photo again, then at Jude. “So why tell me?”
He hesitated. “Because they don’t leave notes unless they feel threatened. You showing up here wasn’t random. Someone’s scared. Maybe of what you know—or what you’ll find.”
Before Mara could reply, the lights flickered. A voice called out from the hallway: “Library is closed. Everyone out!”
Jude quickly tucked the photo away. “This isn’t over. Watch your back, Mara.”
That night, Mara sat at her desk, staring at the mysterious note again.
“Don’t trust anyone here. They’re watching you.”
She no longer thought it was a joke.
Not in a school where prefects disappear, notes appear in lockers, and student journalists film shadows instead of birds.
Unity High wasn’t just a school.
It was a maze—and someone had just pushed her in.
To be continued… Next Episode 2: The Shadows in the Staffroom
