(1057  words)

Monday, April 30, 2025

Alicia took the postcard out of her bag again, even though she had already read it several times since that morning.

For a moment, she froze, staring at the words as if they might change if she looked at them long enough.

You left me on the road.

The hallway of the apartment building was silent, just as it had been before.

Nothing around her suggested that anything was wrong.

Yet the postcard in her hand felt heavy, as if it did not belong in the same world as everything else.

She read it again.

More slowly this time.

Then she turned it over, even though she already knew there would be nothing there.

No name.

No number.

Only the location.

Her eyes stopped on the place written on the card, and a small expression crossed her face.

Almost invisible.

She knew it.

Not a little.

Exactly.

Alicia took a deep breath and slipped the postcard back into her bag.

She kept it close, as if she did not want to lose it.

Or as if she needed it.

"This changes everything," she whispered.

Her voice was calm.

Her mind was not.

Thoughts were racing through her head.

Someone knew.

Maybe not everything.

But enough.

At school, the noise of students and teachers filled the hallways.

Everything looked exactly as it always did, which made it easy for Alicia to move around without attracting attention.

She entered the teachers' room and placed her bag on the table.

Then she started taking out papers, although she was not really looking at them.

"Hi," Claire said, glancing up from her coffee.

"You're early again."

Alicia gave a small smile and sat down.

"I couldn't sleep," she replied lightly.

Claire watched her for a moment before leaning back slightly.

"You look tired," she said.

"And honestly, I hardly ever see you anymore. You're always rushing somewhere, or you're not here at all."

Alicia paused.

Then she shrugged as if it did not matter.

"I work fewer hours this year," she explained.

"Only part-time. So I come in, teach my classes, and leave. It's easier that way."

Claire raised an eyebrow.

"Even so, it feels like you're never here. I thought you were working more, not less."

Alicia smiled slightly but did not correct her.

"Maybe it just seems that way," she said.

Claire nodded slowly, although she did not look completely convinced.

After a short pause, she asked,

"How's Mark?"

Alicia lowered her eyes to the table.

She allowed a brief silence to settle between them before answering.

"He's... the same," she said quietly.

"He likes to know where I am. Who I'm with. What I'm doing all the time."

Claire frowned immediately.

"That doesn't sound good."

Alicia gave a tired smile.

"I'm fine," she said.

Her voice suggested otherwise.

"No, it doesn't," Claire replied.

"That sounds very controlling."

Alicia did not answer right away.

Instead, she let the silence stretch long enough to become uncomfortable.

Then she looked up.

"I have classes," she said.

Claire studied her carefully.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Alicia smiled again.

"Yes."

This time, the smile stayed a little longer.

The day passed quickly.

Alicia taught her classes with the same calm focus as always.

She explained things clearly.

Corrected mistakes.

Smiled when necessary.

Nobody noticed anything unusual.

But even while she was speaking, the words from the postcard remained in her mind.

Repeating themselves quietly.

You left me on the road.

After work, Alicia did not go home.

Instead, she walked past her apartment building without slowing down.

She turned the corner and continued toward the library, as if it had always been part of her plan.

Inside, the air was warm and quiet.

The familiar smell of books made everything feel calmer.

Safer.

More controlled.

Emma, the librarian, looked up from her desk as soon as Alicia entered.

"There you are," she said with a small smile.

"I didn't see you yesterday, which is strange because you're usually here for hours every day."

Alicia smiled back as she walked farther inside.

"I was busy," she said simply.

Emma tilted her head.

"You're always busy," she replied.

"But honestly, I think you spend more time here than at home."

Alicia laughed softly but did not deny it.

"Maybe," she said.

The library was cool and quiet, filled with tall shelves and soft lighting.

Alicia knew the place well.

It felt like part of her daily routine.

She sat at her usual table by the window and placed her bag beside her.

Then she slowly took out the postcard again.

As if she could not help herself.

For a moment, she simply stared at it.

Then she laid it on the table.

A few minutes later, Emma walked over and sat across from her.

"You look serious today," she said.

Alicia looked up.

"I was just thinking."

Emma followed her gaze toward the table, although she did not comment on the postcard.

"Work?" she asked.

"And home," Alicia replied after a short pause.

Emma nodded.

"Mark again?"

Alicia looked away, as if she did not want to talk about it.

Still, she answered.

"He doesn't like it when I'm out for too long," she said.

"He always asks where I am."

Emma frowned.

"That's not normal."

Alicia smiled faintly.

"That's just how he is."

Emma leaned forward slightly.

"You shouldn't accept that."

Alicia did not answer.

Instead, she looked down again and allowed Emma to fill the silence with her own thoughts.

Time passed slowly after that.

Alicia stayed in the same place.

Sometimes reading.

Sometimes simply sitting without moving.

The hours passed quietly around her.

She checked the clock.

Three hours.

Then four.

Then five.

She was not in a hurry.

She did not feel the need to explain herself.

For the first time in a long time, she felt something close to control.

Her fingers brushed the edge of the postcard again.

Almost absentmindedly.

Someone knew.

And that was a problem.

But problems could be solved.

When Alicia finally left the library, the sky was already beginning to grow dark.

The streets were quieter now.

Only a few people were still outside.

She walked toward her apartment building with steady steps.

Her expression was calm.

Her mind was clear.

As she approached the entrance, she slowed slightly.

Then she stopped.

Something felt different.

It was not obvious.

It was subtle.

But it was there.

Across the street, near a parked car, a figure stood completely still.

Watching.

Alicia did not react immediately.

Instead, she kept her body relaxed, as if she had noticed nothing.

Then, slowly, she looked up.

The person did not move.

Did not speak.

Simply stood there.

Alicia held the gaze for one second.

Then two.

Her heart was beating faster now.

But her face remained expressionless.

Then she turned away.

Opened the door.

And stepped inside without looking back.