This is a short chapter, but I apologize. I promise the next chapter will be longer.

Louise settled into bed after having sat at a computer for five hours straight. If there was anything that would even remotely faze her away from the realization that Shijie was gone, it was electronics. But even so, she'd feel that she would have to talk to the person next to her when she'd recall that the familiar presence was no longer there. Though she knew for him for a mere day, her subconscious would not let something as such go unnoticed. She fluffed up her pillow and wrapped herself in the thick down blanket, trying to get herself comfortable. And yet something didn't sit well with her. It felt as if something was poking at the back of her head, and yet she couldn't shake off the sensation. She readjusted herself, and still, the sensation was still there. Perhaps I could just try to fall asleep and see what happens from there, she thought. She turned on her side, but the poking at the back of her head grew worse. Perhaps she could opt to ignore it? No, now whatever it was, it was digging into her skin too harshly. Louise sat up and fluffed her pillow, then laid back down. For an elated moment, she thought she had ridded of the persistent poking; however, when she turned onto her side once more, the poking returned. Finally, Louise knew she wouldn't have it and flicked on the switch from her lamp that sat atop her nightstand. Immediately, light filled the room, causing Louise to snap her eyes shut from the sudden illumination. After a moment, of adjusting her eyes to the excruciating light, she held up the pillow to her eyes. To her surprise, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The mint-colored pillow was as normal as ever. Louise turned the pillow over in her hands. Nothing.

"Great. I manage to lose a Chinese kid, get a lovely note from his kidnapper, and seem to be hallucinating that some kind of sharp object is poking into my head all in one day. That's just peachy," Louise whispered to herself. She placed back the pillow, and just as she was about to flick off the switch, she noticed a peculiar, rectangular object sort of edging its way out of the fabric. She emptied out the pillow from its casing and noticed a small, folded piece of paper. Hurriedly, Louise took it, and threw the pillow sheet aside. She unfolded the piece of paper, expecting to see the familiar loopy handwriting she had the displeasure of reading earlier. But instead, rushed and scrawled handwriting greeted her eyes. It read: "Go to the front porch tomorrow at 4 o' clock. You're in terrible peril. -The Man in the White Lab Coat"