Alex wasn’t the only one who had a rough night.
As he walked downstairs, he found Maya already awake, sitting at the kitchen table. A notebook was in front of her, pages filled with hurried writing.
“You’re up early,” Alex said, grabbing a glass of water.
Maya startled slightly before closing the notebook. “Couldn’t sleep.”
Alex raised an eyebrow. “Another story idea?”
She hesitated. “Something like that.”
Before Alex could ask more, Jason stomped in, yawning dramatically.
“Okay, remind me never to bike that much again. My legs are dead.”
“Didn’t you say you were ‘the strongest one here’ yesterday?” Camilla teased, following behind.
Jason groaned, flopping onto a chair. “That was yesterday. Today, I’m suffering.”
Camilla smirked. “Tragic.”
Alex shook his head, chuckling. “Alright, what’s the plan today?”
“We could check out the town,” Jason suggested. “I heard the bookstore got a new shipment, and Maya—” He turned to her. “Didn’t you want to get another journal?”
For a moment, Maya hesitated. Her grip on the notebook tightened.
“Yeah… actually, that sounds good.”
Alex noticed, but he didn’t push it.
Something felt off.
They stepped outside, the streets of Maplewood just as familiar as ever. But something was… different.
Alex couldn’t put his finger on it at first. The town looked the same—the same streets, the same shops—but the air felt too still.
As they walked past Joe’s Convenience Store, Alex slowed down. Something wasn’t right.
Where was Joe?
The small shop had been around forever. Joe was always behind the counter, chewing gum and pretending he didn’t care when kids grabbed extra candy. But now—the store looked abandoned.
The sign still hung above the door, but the windows were dusty, the inside dark.
“Wait…” Alex frowned. “Since when did Joe’s store close?”
Jason turned to look, confused. “Joe’s? Dude, that place has been empty for years.”
Alex felt a chill run down his spine. “No, it hasn’t. I literally bought snacks here last summer.”
Maya and Camilla exchanged glances.
“Alex…” Maya said slowly. “Are you sure?”
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Alex’s stomach twisted.
He was sure. But the way Jason and Camilla looked at him—like they didn’t remember at all—made him doubt himself.
“…Never mind.”
They kept walking. But Alex couldn’t shake the feeling.
Something wasn’t right.
Alex couldn’t stop thinking about Joe’s store.
The boarded-up windows, the dusty sign, the way Jason and Camilla had looked at him like he was crazy—as if Joe had never existed.
But he knew what he saw.
He had memories of that place.
He could still hear Joe’s gravelly voice, see the old man flipping through a newspaper behind the counter, chewing gum like it was his last meal.
And now… he was just gone?
But no one else seemed to care.
Alex let out a slow breath, forcing himself to focus as they walked into the bookstore.
The bell chimed softly as they entered.
Maya made a beeline for the journals, flipping through them carefully.
Jason stretched his arms, yawning. "Okay, I’m officially calling this a boring day. Can we at least stop for ice cream after?"
Camilla rolled her eyes. "You say that, but you’re the one who buys comic books every time we come here."
Jason grinned. "That’s different. Comics are an investment in my mental well-being."
Alex, meanwhile, wandered toward the history section.
He ran his fingers along the book spines, scanning for something—anything—that could explain why his memories didn’t match reality.
And then, he noticed something strange.
A book—"Maplewood: A Town’s History."
He pulled it out, flipping through the pages.
There were old photos, black and white images of Maplewood from decades ago. He skimmed through them until something made him freeze.
A picture of Main Street.
Joe’s store was gone.
Not just abandoned. It wasn’t in the photo at all.
Like it had never existed.
Alex’s heartbeat quickened.
He wasn’t crazy. Something was erasing things from the town.
He shut the book and turned to Maya—who was standing there, staring at him.
Her journal was clutched in her hands.
"You saw something, didn’t you?" she said softly.
Alex hesitated. "Did you?"
Maya glanced around before nodding. "We need to talk. But not here."
That evening, Alex sat on his bed, staring at his laptop screen.
His fingers hovered over the keyboard.
Something in his gut told him to check his old texts.
?? Alex: Hey, do you guys remember Joe’s store?
?? Jason: What store?
?? Alex: Joe’s. The convenience store. The one we always went to as kids.
?? Jason: Dude… I seriously think you’re mixing it up with somewhere else. That place has been closed since before we were born.
?? Camilla: Yeah, I don’t think that store ever existed, Alex.
His chest tightened.
They were wrong.
His memories were real.
Alex shut his laptop, running a hand through his hair.
He needed sleep.
But just as he was about to turn off his bedside lamp, his phone buzzed again.
A new message.
?? Unknown Number: You remember.
Alex’s blood ran cold.
The message disappeared before he could reply.
And in the silence of his room, he swore he heard a whisper.