NOTICE

PROLOGUE

Nicola Fadeky curled up in the cramped wardrobe, feeling as if the coats and shirts were closing in on her. The shoes scattered around her seemed to taunt her, as if each pair represented a different path she could have taken in her life. The work pumps to the left were polished and sleek, while the runners and joggers to the right were worn and scuffed, each pair telling its own story.

The glow of Nicola’s phone illuminated her face, casting eerie shadows across her features. The screen shook in her trembling hand, causing the words of the email to blur and dance before her eyes. Beads of sweat clung to her forehead, and her loose hair was slick with moisture. She didn’t have the energy to brush it away, the weight of the email crushing down on her like a heavy stone.

The sound of the boiling water on the stove was a constant background hum, a reminder of the mundane tasks of daily life that were now overshadowed by the crisis at hand. Nicola closed her eyes and whispered a prayer, the words echoing through the wardrobe like a desperate plea. When she opened her eyes again, tears streamed down her face, each drop a glistening reminder of the overwhelming emotions that threatened to engulf her.

She quickly flicked through the contacts and made a call. It was answered in a weary voice.

“Hello?” Nicola said, fighting to hide the tears in her voice. “Mumma?”

“Oh, darling. What time is it there?”

“It’s late, Mumma.”

“Are you okay? Is your anxiety acting up again?”

“No, Mumma,” Nicola replied, letting a stream roll down her face. “I just wanted to say I love you.”

“I love you too, Nicky. I love you too.”

As she ended the call, she repeated her self-imposed rule like a mantra: “Stay put.” It was the only way to survive the onslaught of notifications. She retreated to her wardrobe, knowing it was the safest place she could think of with its sturdy door and clothes that provided a barrier against the outside world. She couldn’t predict how the notifications would play out, but she didn’t want to take any chances.

Suddenly, a shrill alarm pierced through the peacefulness of the apartment, snapping her out of her thoughts. It was the same fire alarm that had falsely gone off just a week ago. She remembered standing outside for forty-five minutes, huddled in a thin dressing gown, shivering in the cold night air. And now, the memory of that frustrating night made her shudder.

Despite the noise and chaos outside, Nicola remained calm. She knew that her wardrobe was her fortress and that no harm could come to her as long as she stayed put. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, waiting for the chaos to pass.

A thump at the door startled Nicola, causing her limbs to jerk. She could barely hear the muffled voice call out her name, but she recognized it as Emily from across the hall. They often shared coffee and baked goods every fortnight on her small balcony that overlooked the weekend bustle of the city streets. They would nibble and sip and watch the cars and make up stories about the pedestrians going about their business, each time trying to outdo each other’s previous commentary.

But Nicola couldn’t be swayed from her hiding spot, even by Emily’s friendly voice. The world was full of harm and danger, and she refused to lie down and willingly enter the arena, waiting for the lions to be released. She clamped her hands tightly over her mouth, afraid that any sudden rush of nerves might give away her presence.

Emily’s voice and the thumps on the door eventually faded, but the fire alarm continued to blare, filling the small apartment with its shrill sound. Nicola slowly removed her hands from her mouth and brought them up to her ears, trying to block out the noise. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, focusing on her breathing to calm herself down.

“Just nineteen more hours,” she said as she rocked. “Just nineteen more hours.”

As the fire alarm continued to blare, an undertone of distant sirens could be heard, growing louder and louder until Nicola knew that several emergency trucks were parked right outside her building. A flicker of relief washed over her, but she quickly pushed it away, knowing that it was exactly what they wanted her to feel.

Who were ‘they’? Nicola couldn’t say for sure. It could be anyone, anything. But she had a nagging feeling that going outside was a bad idea. She had heard the stories, the rumors of people being lured out of their homes by false alarms or fake emergencies, only to disappear forever.

Nicola double-downed on her resolve to block out the world and ride out her fate. She refused to be a victim, a pawn in someone else’s twisted game. She retreated deeper into her closet, surrounded by her clothes and shoes, trying to make herself as small as possible. She closed her eyes, focusing on the sound of her breathing, and waited for the world to calm down around her.

Twelve agonizing minutes dragged by as Nicola waited, huddled in her closet, listening to the chaos outside. Finally, several firemen rushed out of the building, yelling at the gawking crowd to get back. But just as the scene seemed to be under control, a deafening explosion rocked the building, shattering windows and sending flames soaring toward the sky.

Nicola’s heart pounded in her chest as she realized the gravity of her mistake. She had thought she could outsmart fate, but now she knew there was no escaping destiny. Death would find her, no matter where she was.

In those final moments, as the inferno raged closer, she thought of all the things she had left undone, all the words left unspoken. In the split second before flames engulfed her, she glanced down once more at her Notice.