(1319  words)

Saturday, May 17, 2025

The park was crowded that afternoon.

Children ran across the grass while their parents sat on benches watching them. A group of teenagers laughed near the fountain. Somewhere behind Alicia, a dog barked before its owner called it back.

Alicia was sitting alone on a bench near the edge of the park.

A small black notebook rested on her lap.

She opened it slowly.

Several pages were already filled with neat, careful handwriting.

Most people wouldn't have understood what she was writing.

Alicia picked up her pen and looked at the latest notes.

Tom — 282 days. Sleeping better. Talking more.

She turned the page.

Ryan — 91 days. Less angry. Still refuses to cooperate.

She crossed out one word and replaced it with another.

Then she turned another page.

Ethan — 14 days. No change.

She looked at the words for a moment before adding one more line.

Still observing.

Her phone rang before she could write anything else.

Alicia immediately closed the notebook.

The number was unfamiliar.

For a second, she considered ignoring the call.

Instead, she answered.

"Hello?"

The voice on the other end sounded nervous.

"Alicia?"

"Yes. Who's speaking?"

There was a short pause.

"Someone gave me your number."

Alicia didn't reply.

The man continued.

"Daniel gave it to me."

Alicia looked toward the children playing near the fountain.

"I see."

Another silence followed.

"I wasn't sure if I should call."

"Then why did you?"

The man took a deep breath.

"Because nobody else can help us."

Alicia remained silent.

She had heard words like these before.

Not often.

But often enough.

The man lowered his voice.

"There's someone living near my sister."

Alicia waited.

"He came back three weeks ago."

"From prison?"

"Yes."

Alicia slowly looked around the park.

The man continued.

"He wasn't there for very long."

"How long?"

"Less than six months."

Her expression didn't change.

Around her, children were still running across the grass.

A mother laughed at something her son had said.

Life continued as if nothing had happened.

The man's voice became even more nervous.

"Everyone knows what he did."

Alicia stayed quiet.

"The victim still lives on the same street."

"She sees him almost every day."

His voice dropped to a whisper.

"People don't let their children walk alone anymore."

Alicia slowly closed her eyes.

"And the police?"

"They come sometimes."

"And?"

"They can't do anything."

The answer didn't surprise her.

Neither of them spoke for several seconds.

Finally, Alicia opened the notebook again.

"What's his name?"

The man answered immediately.

"Andrew Tardy."

Alicia carefully wrote the name.

Andrew Tardy.

Then she waited.

"Is that everything?" she asked.

The man sounded confused.

"What do you mean?"

"You called me."

"What exactly do you want?"

The silence lasted several seconds.

Finally, he answered.

"I don't know what else to do."

Alicia looked at the name again.

"Send me everything you have."

Then she ended the call.

Suddenly, the park felt quieter.

She stared at the notebook.

Beneath the new name, she wrote only two words.

One more.

Then she closed it.

For several minutes, Alicia simply watched people moving through the park.

An elderly couple walked slowly along the path.

A young mother pushed a stroller.

A little girl chased pigeons near the fountain.

Then Alicia opened her bag.

She took out a photograph.

The edges were worn now.

She had looked at it many times.

She turned it over.

The same message waited on the back.

You can't disappear twice.

For several seconds, she simply stared at the words.

The first time she had read them, she thought they were a warning.

Later, she wondered if they were a threat.

Now she wasn't sure they were either.

Nina wanted answers.

Nothing more.

Alicia slipped the photograph back into her bag.

For days, she had tried not to think about it.

For days, she had hoped the problem would disappear on its own.

It hadn't.

Nina was still there.

Waiting.

Watching.

Talking to Leo.

Most people eventually gave up.

Nina never did.

Alicia knew that better than anyone.

She looked toward the fountain once more.

Then she made her decision.

This time, she wasn't going to disappear.

This time, she would meet Nina.

And finally discover what Nina really wanted.

The decision felt surprisingly simple.

Almost overdue.

She stood up.

The notebook disappeared back into her bag.

A few minutes later, she reached the parking lot.

Her car was waiting near a quiet corner.

The bag of food still rested on the passenger seat exactly where she had left it.

She placed the notebook beside it.

Then she started the engine.

The city slowly disappeared behind her.

The roads became quieter.

The houses grew farther apart.

After almost forty minutes, she turned onto a narrow road lined with tall trees.

The route was familiar.

She had driven it many times before.

Eventually, she reached the place she had been looking for.

She parked the car.

The afternoon was unusually quiet.

Alicia turned off the engine.

For a moment, she remained in her seat without moving.

Then she picked up the bag of food.

She opened the car door and stepped outside.

The air felt colder here.

She closed the door behind her.

The trees swayed gently in the wind.

Everything looked normal.

Exactly as it should.

She took a few steps forward.

The gravel crunched softly beneath her feet.

There was nobody in sight.

No cars.

No people.

Nothing that seemed out of place.

Alicia kept walking.

Then she heard it.

"Alicia!"

She froze instantly.

The voice came from somewhere behind her.

Her hand tightened around the bag of food.

For one long second, she didn't move.

She didn't even breathe.

The voice sounded familiar.

Far too familiar.

But that didn't make any sense.

Nobody was supposed to be there.

Nobody knew she was coming.

Slowly...

She began to turn around.

And in that exact moment...

She realized something had gone terribly wrong.

Very wrong.

The silence around her suddenly felt different.

Heavier.

As if someone had been waiting.

The wind moved through the trees again, carrying the smell of damp leaves and cold earth.

Her heartbeat remained steady.

Panic had never helped anyone.

She finished turning.

A figure stood several meters away, partly hidden between the trees.

For a moment, Alicia couldn't clearly see the face.

Only the outline.

The posture.

Then the person took one slow step forward.

Alicia's eyes widened slightly.

"Nina..."

The name escaped her lips almost in a whisper.

Nina didn't smile.

She simply looked at Alicia with calm, searching eyes.

"I've been looking for you," she said quietly.

"I know."

Neither of them moved.

For several seconds, only the wind filled the space between them.

Then Nina looked down at the plastic bag in Alicia's hand.

"You came here again."

It wasn't a question.

Alicia didn't answer.

Nina slowly raised her eyes.

"I followed you."

Again, there was no surprise on Alicia's face.

"How long?" she asked.

"For a few days."

Alicia nodded almost imperceptibly.

"I thought so."

Nina took another careful step closer.

"You've been lying to everyone."

"I know."

"You were planning to disappear."

"Yes."

Nina looked at her for a long moment.

"Why?"

Alicia didn't answer immediately.

When she finally spoke, her voice was calm.

"Because I couldn't keep living the life everyone expected from me."

Nina lowered her eyes for a second.

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

Alicia let out a slow breath.

"Because you would have tried to stop me."

For the first time, sadness appeared on Nina's face.

"I would have tried to help you."

"I know."

Another silence settled between them.

The trees continued to sway gently overhead.

Far away, a bird called once before everything became quiet again.

Finally, Nina spoke.

"Who are you bringing food to?"

Alicia looked at the bag.

Then back at Nina.

"I can't tell you."

"You have to."

"No."

Nina's voice became firmer.

"Alicia... whatever this is... you're not alone anymore."

Alicia's expression didn't change.

"That's exactly the problem."

Nina stared at her.

"I don't understand."

"You don't have to."

Another long silence followed.

Then Nina took one final step closer.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me the truth."

Alicia looked at her old friend for several seconds.

She already understood something important.

Nina wasn't going to give up.

Not today.

Not tomorrow.

Maybe not ever.

Slowly, Alicia tightened her grip on the bag.

Then she looked past Nina, toward the row of storage units hidden among the trees.

She knew she had reached the point where every choice would change everything.

And for the first time since this had all begun...

She wasn't sure which decision was the right one.