Chapter 1
I stirred on my bed, stretching my limbs in a futile attempt to hold onto the remnants of that dream as sleep gradually released its grip on my tired thoughts. It was as if I didn’t exist in that dream. Then I realized I did. A nightmare that will never come true and a dream that was forgotten. Groggy and disoriented, I rubbed my eyes and blinked a few times, not quite out of the fog of sleep.
I sighed and dragged myself out of bed, my feet shuffling across the cold floor, leading me towards the bathroom. As I stood in front of the mirror to begin my daily routine, my heart skipped a beat.
Staring back at me was a face I didn’t recognize. It was a face I’d never seen before, staring back at me with wide, startled eyes. My heart raced, and a cold shiver ran down my spine as I tried to comprehend what was happening. The deep, dark eyes seemed to hide something, and the high cheekbones and sharp jawline were unfamiliar.
Panicking, I reached out to touch the face in the mirror. My mind was racing, desperately looking for an explanation. Had I been sleepwalking? Was it an elaborate prank by someone? Did I just enter another reality in the middle of the night? Or was it just me going crazy? Questions flooded my mind, each more baffling than the last. But there was nothing, only a blank void where my reflection should have been. The world outside the bathroom seemed to be passing as always, but the world inside the bathroom was still as if time had paused.
I splashed the ice-cold water on my face with shaking hands, attempting to startle myself back to reality. The rush of cold water over my skin jolted me awake, but the face in the mirror remained unfamiliar. Gathering every ounce of courage, I decided to go outdoors and attempt to recall anything—any clue that could cast some light on this occurrence—hoping to find someone who could offer an explanation.
Chapter 2
I set out into the bustling downtown streets, determined to discover the truth. People looked at me, their eyes filled with recognition—people I’d never seen before. As I walked to the nearest coffee shop to meet my mother, the air was thick with uneasiness. The doorbell jingled as I walked in. She was sitting, and she raised her face from our familiar table, as she often did, expecting me, she returned to reading her book. She didn’t seem to recognize me. My heart felt like it had been punched. This is when I remembered.
That night, weeks ago, I went to a nightclub hoping to find some solace after a terrible day at work. As I took a seat at the bar, a strange-looking man caught my eye. His rugged appearance and the symbol on his wrist pique my interest. We started talking, and he offered to buy me a drink. It was the first time I said yes to a stranger. He handed me a drink, and before I could register the significance of his actions, I had consumed its contents. After that, I didn’t remember much. I woke up the next morning, unharmed on my couch, cursed myself for my stupidity, and went on with my life without thinking much about that night.
Intrigued and desperate for answers, I retraced my steps. The rain spattered against the windowpane of the dimly lit pub that held the promise of answers. Inside, the room was filled with a mixture of curious onlookers and secretive whispers. I approached the bartender, who has known me for years now, asking if he knows anything about the uneventful night. I politely asked if I could access the CCTV footage from that evening. He obliged without hesitation, handing me a small screen displaying the events of the night. Hurriedly, I fast-forwarded through the footage, hoping to stumble upon something significant.
I was reviewing the CCTV footage of that man’s wrist, that symbol. Something seemed to spark in my memory. Flashbacks from when I was a toddler came through. I continued seeing the same symbol because it was familiar to me, and I felt a wave of energy rush through my body. Images and memories that aren’t mine flash before my eyes.
I started looking for any information about the symbol. Hours turned into weeks as I sifted through numerous archives, books, and websites, and nothing came to light. The sign remained a mystery. Frustration sets in, but I refuse to give up. I go back to my aunt’s house and dig through her belongings in the hopes of finding some form of understanding.
Revelation hit when I remembered the exact symbol from my late aunt’s diary—an artifact entrusted to me before she died.
She had always been a fascinating character, spinning tales of hidden treasures and secret societies in my imagination. Could this sign be linked to her mysterious past? It didn’t take long before I stumbled upon an old, weathered book mentioned in the diary. Its cover bore the very same symbol etched in the man’s skin. With trembling hands and sweaty palms, I flipped through its pages filled with cryptic messages and strange drawings. It was as if my aunt had been on a quest of her own, searching for a truth hidden from the world. The symbol, it seemed, held a power far greater than I could have ever imagined.
I begin to decipher the words, page by page, delving deeper into a world I never knew existed. But just when I’m ready to discover the final truth, the story abruptly ends. The final pages were missing, was as if my aunt had purposefully left me stranded. I could feel physically suffocating as if I cannot breathe, think, or even see clearly. Loss, anger, and frustration were slowly seeping into my mind as I sat there with the book in hand. What became of my aunt? What is the symbol’s significance? Above all, who am I now?
I close the book and gaze at my reflection once again, I can’t help but wonder: what other secrets lie hidden within the unknown face that now stares back at me?
About the Author:
With a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology and a master’s degree in human resource management together with more than 5 years of experience, Hema has a lot of experience in research and problem-solving. She is a millennial mother of two children with expertise in parenting, career guidance, relationships, raising two children, and working from home.
She is skilled at thoroughly researching any topic requested, and She strives to write original but engaging language for her clients.
Her primary writing focus is on articles, blogs, and site content, but she is always open to other areas of writing.
RediscoverYou 