As my normal day went on I stepped out of my and I was greeted with a gust of wind. Out of nowhere a kid ran to me clining to my leg. At that moment I knew this was not going to be a normal say.
I looked down at the kid confused, I looked around trying to look for any sign of parents. There was nobody just me and this kid, I knelt down to the kids level and in a soft voice I asked "where's your mum?" The last thing I remember is the little boys grin as he stabbed me in my chest.
I woke up.
I immediately sat up panting, sweat dripping down my forehead as I look around the room. It felt to real, like I felt the wind. My eyes drifted to my window where I had forgotten to close, that was the breeze. I stepped out of bed and walked over to the window closing it.
Later that day.
I was strolling through the shops my thoughts constantly drifting back to the little boy in my dream, I could'nt help but feel like I knew him, like he was calling out to me.
As I walked out of the shopping centre I got a notification, my attention drifted to my phone as I checked a message, it was from an unknown number. I clicked on the message my eyes tracing the words, "look up princess" when I bumped onto a guy. I felt his muscles against my fragile skin, my head slowly lifted and I looked up at the guy only to see it was no other than my enemy.
He grabbed my chin and pulled me closer to him, my eyes never left his and his never left mine. Then I heard a deep voice yell "he's there" as he ran off leaving me with a mixture of unidentified emotions.
The tension in your chest only seemed to build as you stood frozen, the guy's touch lingering on your skin, but the world around you continued as if nothing unusual had happened. You rubbed your chin, trying to erase the sensation of his grip, but something told you that this encounter wasn't random. The words from the text still echoed in your mind, "look up princess." How did they know? Why did he vanish as soon as someone called out for him?
As you gathered yourself, your phone buzzed again. Another message from the same unknown number: "He's watching. Stay alert."
Your heart raced, eyes darting around the crowded shopping center. Everyone seemed oblivious, engrossed in their own lives. But that message, that warning-it wasn't coincidental. You knew that man; he wasn't just a random passerby. He was the enemy who had haunted your life for too long, but how had he tracked you down?
The familiar feeling of eyes watching you crept up your spine. You couldn't stay here. Quickly, you stuffed your phone into your pocket and made your way out of the shopping center, avoiding eye contact with anyone. As soon as you reached your car, you took a deep breath and sat inside, locking the doors.
That night, you couldn't sleep. The dream, the mysterious messages, the encounter-it all connected in ways you couldn't fully grasp yet. But the little boy from your dream stood out the most. Why did he feel so familiar, so real, like someone from your past you should remember?
You reached for your phone again, staring at the unknown number, tempted to reply. Your fingers hovered over the keys, but before you could make a decision, your phone buzzed once more.
This time, it was a picture.
A photo of you from earlier that day, when you had been standing in the shopping center, looking down at your phone. But the chilling part wasn't the photo itself-it was the reflection in the glass behind you.
The boy from your dream.
Was this boy stalking me? Am I imagining things? I felt almost desperate to respond but I didn't know how, I didn't know what to do.
Then it hit me, I saw Damien earlier today, what if he had something to with this.
My thoughts started drifting back to my past. Then I remembered, that little boy looks so similar to damiens younger self. When we were kids.
Should I call him? Should I ask him what was up with today? Maybe.. but what would I even say?
The next day
After getting ready for my morning walk I open my front to see a note, the note saying. "Meet me at the park 1km to the left of your house and yes my left."
That was certainly an interesting way to give directions but I'm scared I'm about to meet someone? And I don't know who. What if they're a murderer or someone I know. I'm not sure if I'm ready to find out but I know I need to know.
As I'm on my way to the park Damien messages me "get back inside your house now, it's not safe I'll be there soon" we'll isn't that timing? I'm only around the corner from the park and he messages me now? And why would he care and how does he know where I am?
I decided to stupidly ignore him and I turned the corner to the park.
As you rounded the corner to the park, your heart raced with a mix of excitement and dread. The park was quiet, almost too quiet for this time of morning. The trees rustled lightly in the breeze, and the playground equipment stood eerily still. You scanned the area, looking for any sign of the mysterious person who left the note.
Nothing. No one in sight.
You took a few hesitant steps forward, feeling the weight of Damien's warning settle in the back of your mind. His message had been sudden and cryptic, but something about it unnerved you. How did he know where you were? And why did he seem so concerned now, after all this time?
As you approached a park bench, you saw something that stopped you in your tracks-a small, folded piece of paper tucked under a rock. Your breath caught as you reached for it, your fingers trembling slightly. When you unfolded it, the words were written in the same handwriting as the first note:
"You're late."
Your stomach dropped. Whoever had written this was watching you.
Suddenly, a soft rustle came from behind you. You spun around, your heart pounding in your ears. There, standing in the shadows of the trees, was the little boy from your dream. The same dark eyes, the same unsettling grin.
He didn't move, just stared at you. You blinked, convinced your mind was playing tricks on you, but when you opened your eyes again, he was still there, his presence chilling.
Your phone buzzed in your pocket, snapping you out of the trance. It was Damien again: "I'm almost there. Don't talk to him."
The boy's grin widened as if he could read the message over your shoulder. You took a step back, the fear in your chest threatening to overwhelm you.
"Who are you?" you whispered, your voice shaky.
The boy tilted his head, still not speaking, but his grin faltered for the briefest second. And then, just as suddenly as he appeared, he turned and darted deeper into the park, disappearing into the shadows.
Without thinking, you ran after him. You didn't know why. You needed answers. Needed to know why this boy kept showing up, why he haunted your dreams, why Damien seemed so afraid of him.
As you entered the denser part of the park, the trees closed in around you, the sounds of the world outside fading into an eerie silence. You followed the boy's footsteps, but the further you went, the more lost you felt. The park wasn't this big, was it?
Just when you thought you couldn't go any further, you came upon a small clearing. In the middle of the clearing stood a figure, but it wasn't the boy this time.
It was Damien.
He was standing still, facing away from you, his body tense. You called out to him, but he didn't turn. Slowly, you approached, feeling a growing sense of unease. As you reached out to touch his shoulder, he finally turned, and the look on his face sent a chill down your spine.
"I told you not to come here," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Now it's too late."
Before you could ask what he meant, the shadows around you seemed to shift, and from behind the trees, figures began to emerge. Silent, watchful, and familiar.
The boy. The man from the shopping center. Others you didn't recognize.
They surrounded you, their eyes locked onto yours.
"What's going on?" you whispered, your voice trembling.
Damien's gaze darkened, his hand reaching for yours as he whispered the words you feared most: "You were never supposed to remember."
Remember what I though? I didn't know what to do. I felt like curling up in my bed and crying but I couldn't.
Your mind reeled as Damien's words sank in. "You were never supposed to remember."
"What do you mean?" you whispered, your voice barely audible, but your question hung in the air, unanswered. The figures surrounding you in the clearing were motionless, their eyes fixed on you like they were waiting. But for what?
Damien still hadn't let go of your hand, his grip firm but not comforting. His expression was cold, distant, a far cry from the concern in his messages just moments ago. The little boy stood at the edge of the group, that same unsettling grin plastered on his face. Your heart pounded in your chest as you felt like a pawn in some twisted game you didn't understand.
"What's going on?" you demanded, pulling your hand from Damien's grip and taking a step back. "Why is this happening? Why are these people here?"
Damien took a deep breath, his eyes shifting between you and the group around you. "There are things about your life you don't know-things you've forgotten. Purposely forgotten."
You shook your head, backing away from him. "That's impossible. I haven't forgotten anything."
"Not forgotten," Damien corrected softly. "Erased."
The air around you felt heavier, the tension thickening as his words sank in. Erased? What did he mean? Your mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of memories, dreams, and strange encounters. The boy, the man from the shopping center, the texts-they weren't random. And somehow, Damien was at the center of all this.
"Why?" you asked, your voice trembling. "Why would I have forgotten?"
Before Damien could answer, the boy finally spoke. His voice was soft, but it sent a shiver down your spine. "Because you weren't supposed to remember me. You weren't supposed to come back."
The boy's grin faded, replaced by something darker, something much older than his appearance suggested. "You promised, and now you've broken that promise."
"What are you talking about?" you asked, confusion and fear battling within you. "I don't know who you are!"
"You do," the boy said, stepping forward. His eyes gleamed with a strange intensity. "You knew me once, and you chose to forget. But now, you're remembering. You're waking up. And that's dangerous."
Damien's hand shot out, grabbing your arm again, his grip tighter this time. "You need to leave. Now."
You yanked your arm free, spinning around to face him. "I'm not leaving until someone tells me what's going on! Why does this kid think I know him? Why did I forget?"
The figures around you began to move slowly, closing the circle tighter. Their faces remained expressionless, but their eyes-dark, hollow-never left you.
Suddenly I woke up to damiens strong arms rapped around my body as he pulled me from a lake dripping wet.
As he sat me on the ground I coughed up blood, thinking about the dream, was it a dream? What did it mean? Do I tell him? Who's the boy?
I had so many questions but I needed to put it aside, Damien had just saved me.