Episode 3 – Scene 4: Jonah

## **Episode 3 – Scene 4: Jonah**

**[NARRATION]** Jonah Subramountian sat forward, elbows on his knees, listening intently to what appeared to be empty air. It wasn’t, of course — at least, not to him.

His expression shifted with the rhythm of an unseen storyteller. A nod for the sweet parts, a wince for something crude, a frown deepening into the kind of concern that comes when you realize the story has taken a turn you weren’t prepared for.

**JONAH:** "That’s… quite a way to start life."

**[NARRATION]** A pause, then his brow furrowed.

**JONAH:** "Wait—who? No, go back to that bit about—"

**[NARRATION]** His shoulders dropped. The thread was gone, replaced by something lighter, less urgent. Jonah gave a weary little chuckle and shook his head.

**JONAH:** "Right, of course. Priorities."

**[NARRATION]** Whatever the conversation had been, it left him unsettled in a way that was more than curiosity. There was a rhythm to the strange in this school, and he could feel it picking up pace.

Then, faint but unmistakable, a scream carried through the walls — high, brief, and enough to still him where he sat. His head turned toward the sound.

The room went very quiet.

**[END SCENE]**