“Pieces of the Forgotten,” by Alka Lin: February 2025 3rd Place

Sofi woke up gasping. The cold air stung her skin, her breath fogging in the dim light of her bedroom. Something was wrong.

She reached for her phone, but the date on the lock screen sent a chill down her spine. March 18th. But yesterday—yesterday was supposed to be March 10th. A week. A whole week was missing. She stumbled out of bed, hands shaking as she searched for clues.

The apartment looked untouched, yet something felt off—a perfume she didn’t recognize lingering in the air, a glass of wine half-drunk on the counter. A voicemail blinked on her phone.“Sofi, please. Stop digging. It’s safer this way.” The voice was hers.

Her pulse pounded. The more she searched, the more cracks formed in her mind—flashes of dark alleyways, whispered conversations, blood on her hands. Then, the breaking point. A hidden compartment in her closet, one she swore had never been there before. Inside: a folder. A stack of legal documents spilled onto the floor. Divorce papers. But—she had never been married. Her breath hitched. A photo was tucked inside the folder. It was of her, smiling, standing beside a man she didn’t recognize. Two love letters slipped out next. The ink bled in places, words fading like they were dissolving into nothing. She traced over the smeared lines.

“I’ll always find my way back to you, no matter what they do to us.” “If something happens, don’t believe them. Don’t forget me, Sofi.” The memories came flooding back. She had met him before. Loved him before.

But the more she remembered, the more she realized—he had never existed. Sofi staggered back, heart racing. The missing week wasn’t just lost time. It was taken. Erased. A new message buzzed on her phone. Unknown number.

“You weren’t supposed to remember, Sofi. But now that you do… we have to start over.” 

A knock at the door.

And then—darkness.