The forest seemed eerily quiet and sinister without Phil by my side. I glanced over my shoulder towards the dormitory windows. They were blank and faceless (Phil, Chris and PJ were all in media), but I couldn't help feeling as if someone was watching me. I tried to remember exactly where Purple Shirt Guy had entered the trees, and struck out into the darkness. This patch was completely different to the leafy, sunlit glen I'd walked in with Phil. The woods were dense and cold, and so dark I could only see a few trees ahead of me.

I wasn't sure exactly what I was looking for. Clues. Inspiration. But why did I care so much? The others had all but forgotten it, apart from Phil. Phil was the reason I was here. Something wasn't right, and I had sworn to get to the bottom of it.

I used my phone as an admittedly pretty pathetic torch, searching the ground for footprints or some kind of track. I had no idea what I was doing, each tree trunk looked exactly the same, the mud floor evenly soft and damp.

I wondered where Phil went with Jakob, if he took him to our river. Or maybe Jakob was the one who had shown Phil the river. I hadn't thought of that.

I shook the thought out of my head and continued searching.

For what?

The little voice in my head asked.

You're not a detective, or a tracker. You've been watching too much Sherlock. Go back to Phil. You should trust him. He is your boyfriend now, remember?

And how could I forget? Phil, with his glistening eyes and his soft pink lips. Phil with his floppy fringe and crooked grin.

I was about to give up and leave when a flash of white caught my eye. A tiny scrap of paper caught in a bush close to the ground as though tossed aside, fluttering in the breeze. I stooped to snatch it, unfolding and flattening it against a tree trunk to try and make out the scribbled characters.

30 Yao 22/04

What did that mean? I hadn't the faintest clue and it was hardly anything to go on. I had no proof that this piece of paper had anything to do with Purple Shirt Guy, I wasn't even entirely sure I was in the right bit of forest. It could have come from anywhere, blown in the wind maybe. Nevertheless, I folded it carefully into my pocket before leaving with a shiver.

There was a good chance I was standing unhealthily close to a murder scene. At the very least I was deliberately tracing the last steps of a human being - with a life and a family and friends. It was kind of morbid, and I broke self consciously into a jog as I made for the tall grey dormitory building.

*

It had been a long day at college and the bus had broken down on the way home, leaving me in a foul mood. Once I had collected an unhealthy assortment of snack-foods hunter gatherer style (from the cupboards), I headed upstairs to my room, collapsing on my bed with a sigh. I unloaded my bounty and tipped the contents of my bag onto the floor. As I did, a tiny scrap of paper I'd almost forgotten about fluttered innocently down onto blue carpet. I surveyed it for a moment before leaning back and propping myself up with pillows, turning my laptop on and assuming browsing position.

Just as I'd got comfy and signed in, I realised my headphones were on the desk - a whole three metres away. I groaned, seriously considering gaming mute, but after a brief pep talk I psyched myself up to the move. It took me another few minutes to get comfortable again once I was back, and I muttered angrily to myself under my breath.

Maybe it was the music I was playing or maybe it was the coffee I'd drained to try and get me through last period, but I couldn't concentrate on Guild Wars. I changed the song several times a minute, skipping through playlists and creating a bizarre mix of Tchaikovsky and Metallica.

I was restless. I even picked up the scrap of paper I'd found in the forest and tried to find anyone in the phonebook with the name 'Yao'. There were a couple, but they were all elderly Chinese men living on the other side of Reading.

I searched to see if any info had been released about the body yet. I tried searching Jakob again. I ended up on Phil's facebook profile, scrolling happily through all his photos before suddenly remembering I didn't need to settle for virtual Phil. I had the real thing.

So I called him on skype, and didn't stop staring until 4am when he fell asleep in front of the camera and I just about died of cuteness.

*

Best Zombie Movie Ever filming had ceased for less than three hours after the excitement at the building site, before recommencing with renewed gusto. It was all starting to come together, and we were filming some of the filler and transition shots in our lunch break.

The shoot was set up uncomfortably close to the woods in front of dorms, and I couldn't help feeling edgy. I hadn't told anyone yet about Purple Shirt Guy, not even the police. I wasn't sure why exactly, only that it had something to do with Phil. I was scared. I was uneasy. There were so many things left unexplained. Could it be just coincidence that he and Jakob were in the forest at the same time as PS guy? Or was there something I was missing?

Or maybe was I just paranoid.

Whatever happened, I wasn't ready to give up my investigation just yet.

The camera had been rolling constantly all break to make sure everything was captured. In hindsight, this was not such a great idea as the memory card reached capacity within half an hour. Most of the take had been ruined anyway by the mournful wail of a car alarm that refused to cease. It was painfully close, but we'd searched for 15 minutes and still couldn't find the car. I wasn't doing much (as usual) so I volunteered to sprint back to their dorm for a spare. As I rounded the corner at a jog I stopped short in my tracks, spraying gravel into the air to avoid crashing into Jake Mansford, who was pelting towards me with a hand clamped over his face.

I gasped. The whole left side of his face was streaked with blood, a great puffy welt swelling up under his eye. He was limping and peppered with bruises. From the way he was wheezing I guessed he'd been hit in the torso too, multiple times. As I stared, he stared back and – to my horror – a tear welled in his left eye and fell onto his cheek. He wiped it away furiously with his other hand, streaking more blood across his face.

"Get out of my way!" He screamed, pushing past me with a sob.

I stared wordlessly after him. There were only two kids harder than Jake Mansford in the entire college, and they were his two best friends. I shook my head slowly. I couldn't really feel sorry for him, he usually brought it on himself. It was still strange though. Why would they beat him up? He was their dealer for everything from hard drugs to casual sex. Their reputations relied on him. I shivered.

Detouring round the back of the tennis courts took longer, but I wanted to make sure I didn't run into Knuckles and Gabes, assuming they were nearby. I clattered up the stairs to their second floor dorm, my hand trailing along the metal banister as I went. Opening their door felt like coming home. I hated having to leave each day while my friends got to, well, have fun without me (as petty as that sounds). The computer chair was lying on its side, wheels spinning, but I didn't take much note, listening instead to their shouts of laughter muffled through the window.

Hurriedly, I searched the equipment corner for a spare memory card. I didn't know how many they had between them but there were a fair amount on the desk waiting to be transferred. I was tempted to call Phil and ask him where they were, but instead I decided to just move all the files onto his computer to free up some space. While I waited, I watched the three of them out the window. They were messing around and setting up for the next shot, PJ giving Chris a piggyback and chasing Phil round and round in circles. I snorted with laughter as they finally cornered him and crashed full force, bundling into the grass.

As I watched, a shadow moved in the line of trees just behind them. I froze for a second, squinting. They were tussling with their backs to the woods, completely oblivious. Maybe it was Gabes and Knuckles. What if they weren't content with beating up Jake? What if they'd got so worked up they had energy to spare? I pressed my face up against the glass, resisting the urge to fling open the window and scream down at them. It was probably nothing. Or it could just as easily be a deer or something, I was being paranoid.

The car alarm started up again and a collective groan rose from outside the window.

I shivered, pulling myself deliberately away from the glass and back to the computer. I'd been staring for a while and the transfer had long since finished. I shook my head, pulling the card out and stuffing it into my jeans pocket. Quickly, I pressed play on a random file to make sure it had transferred okay. It was a close up of Phil's face and I couldn't help but sigh happily. We'd been waving huge sheets of cardboard to create a windswept look so I'd missed the full impact of his acting. I sat down on the edge of the desk with a guilty glance over my shoulders at the three of them waiting for me. As I turned back to the screen a movement in the background of the shot caught my eye. I rewound quickly and played through again. A dark figure ran past, followed by two more at a desperate sprint. I zoomed in, curious. We hadn't seen these people pass so they must have gone straight into the forest.

I replayed and gasped in horror. The first figure was unmistakably Jake Mansford, running for his life with an expression of pure terror plastered across his face. Pursuing him was, as I'd guessed, Gabes. But, instead of knuckles, a tall, brutal looking skinhead was at his side. Judging by the tattoos and gaunt face, this guy was a lot older than anyone in college. So where was Knuckles? And who was this?

It didn't take a genius to figure out that they'd chased Jake into the forest and beaten the absolute shit out of him, it was probably one of them I'd seen moving in the shadows. Bile rose in my throat as I suddenly realised that this was the second time I'd only just missed a brutal attack in that forest. And once again, Phil was even closer. Thank God no one was murdered this time. At least, I really hoped not. Knuckles was mysteriously absent, and Jake had been crying – he'd taken a fair few beatings while I'd known him without a flinch. I pushed the thought out of my mind, running my hands through my hair.

I bit my lip.

Should I say anything? I'd already decided to only tell the police about Purple Shirt Guy if they asked, I couldn't handle having to give another statement in that claustrophobic room with the rattling air conditioner and bare walls. And this business with Jake and Gabes was nothing to do with me.

Something hit the window with a crash and I jumped, nearly falling out of the chair.

I ran to the window to see PJ bending down to throw another handful of gravel and wrestled with the catch before flinging the window open.

"OI!" I yelled, with a grin.

"You're taking your time young man, hope you're not having a quick wank over my underwear draw!" Chris yelled back, cut short with a muffled 'ow' as I chucked a pillow at his head.

Phil punched him lightly on the shoulder before tilting his face back up to me. "What's taking you so long?"

"I couldn't find any clean cards, so I was just moving the files over." I called down.

Chris straightened up rubbing his arm and opened his mouth to-

BANG!

A great flock of birds rose screaming from the trees with a clatter of beating wings. I froze, blood thundering through my veins. The forest was suddenly still, instantly silent. I looked back down at the gravel. PJ and Chris were running for the doors. A girl was screaming. Another running in slow motion. Phil remained as he was, stock still as if a statue; but instead of the woods or to the safety of the doors he was staring up at me, his expression unreadable.

I mouthed his name, incapable of words.

"Dan." He whispered, before crumpling silently to the ground.