the truth(40)

The sun bathed the town in a golden glow, a soft breeze rustling the trees. It was the kind of day that should have been peaceful. The kind of day Michael should have enjoyed.

Instead, he sat on a park bench, his arms crossed as he watched his friends play soccer on the field in front of him. His foot tapped against the ground, his fingers drumming against his knee in a steady rhythm.

Something wasn't right.

He had been feeling it for days now—this creeping sensation, this pressure on his chest that refused to go away. Every time he looked at Lisa, the feeling grew stronger.

Michael (thinking):

"I should be happy. Everything is fine. But… why do I feel like something is about to go horribly wrong?"

He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. Maybe he was just paranoid. Maybe he was imagining things.

Lisa's voice echoed in his mind.

"Hey, Michael… are you mad at Ethan and I getting together?"

Michael clenched his jaw.

Michael (thinking):

"She said it so casually, like she wasn't trying to mess with me. But there was something about the way she looked at me… like she knew something I didn't. Like she was testing me."

Across the field, Ethan laughed, his arm slung over Lisa's shoulder after she scored a goal. The sight of it twisted something in Michael's gut.

Michael (thinking):

"No. Something is wrong with her. The way she looks at people. The way she talks. It's too… deliberate. Too calculated. She knows something."

His fingers dug into his palm as he watched Lisa turn to him, smiling. A sweet, innocent smile.

Michael stiffened.

Michael (thinking):

"Why does that smile make me so uneasy?"

"Michael!"

Michael snapped out of his thoughts as Emily waved a hand in front of his face, her brow furrowed.

Emily:

"You okay? You've been zoning out a lot today."

Michael forced a smile, pushing his paranoia down.

Michael:

"Yeah. Just tired."

Emily didn't look convinced, but she nodded.

Emily:

"Well, come on. We're getting ice cream. Your favorite—mint chocolate chip."

Michael hesitated.

Michael (thinking):

"Maybe some ice cream will help. Maybe I am just overthinking things."

---

They arrived at the ice cream shop, the familiar chime of the bell ringing as they stepped inside. The cold air washed over them, a welcome relief from the warmth outside.

Michael took a bite of his ice cream, letting the cool sweetness melt on his tongue. For a moment, he felt at ease.

Then Lisa spoke.

Lisa:

"Michael, you've been looking at me a lot lately. Do I have something on my face?"

Michael nearly choked.

Michael:

"What? No, I—"

Lisa giggled, tilting her head.

Lisa:

"I'm just teasing. But really, if something's on your mind, you should say it. Keeping things bottled up isn't good."

Michael's grip on his spoon tightened.

Michael (thinking):

"She's toying with me. She knows I don't trust her. But why? Why is she acting like this?"

Ethan nudged Michael's shoulder, laughing.

Ethan:

"Relax, man. Lisa's just messing around."

Michael forced another laugh, but inside, his paranoia only grew.

Michael (thinking):

"Am I the only one who sees it? Why is Ethan so… blind?"

The day went on. They went to the arcade, played games, joked around. Everything was normal.

But Michael's unease only worsened.

Lisa never did anything wrong. She was friendly, sweet, playful. But that was the problem.

Michael (thinking):

"It's too perfect. She's too perfect. Like she's acting."

As the sun began to set, Michael sat on the swings at the park, staring at the darkening sky. The others were still chatting behind him, but their voices felt distant.

Michael (thinking):

"Maybe I really am just crazy. Maybe I should let this go."

But then—

Ethan's voice cut through the air.

Ethan:

"Michael, what the fuck have you done?!"

Michael's heart dropped.

Michael:

"Eh? What are you talking about?"

Ethan stormed up to him, his face twisted with anger. The others turned, startled by the outburst.

Michael (thinking):

"What just happened? I didn't do anything! What the hell did Lisa say to him?!"

Then, he saw her.

Lisa stood behind Ethan, her expression unreadable.

And in that moment, Michael knew.

His paranoia hadn't been paranoia at all.

Lisa had done something.

And whatever it was… it had just begun.

Silence filled the room as the memory faded. Dakota and his group sat in stunned silence, the weight of what they had just witnessed settling over them.

Ava was the first to break the silence.

Ava:

"Huh? Why is Ethan mad at you, Dakota? What did you do?"

Dakota's expression remained unreadable as he crossed his arms. His voice was calm, but there was a cold edge to it.

Dakota:

"It's because that bitch Lisa said something to Ethan. And it was a lie. That's what started the problems between us."

Lucas let out a sharp breath, rubbing his temples as a deep frown settled on his face.

Lucas:

"Oh god… I feel like I'm getting a new memory. I feel like… soon enough, I'll become a new person for some reason."

Dakota sighed, patting Lucas on the shoulder.

Dakota:

"Just don't worry about it, Lucas. And… your feeling is right. After this memory ends, you will truly become a new person."

The group exchanged nervous glances.

The past was unraveling before them.

And what they saw next… would change everything.

Dakota thinking: I remember this moment really it was the moment where that bitch lisa started to manipulate everyone and get me in trouble I cannot believe that my friends actually believed her, but she made it so believable that I can't even blame them. I tried so hard to make them believe that I didn't do it but I couldn't so I had to do it myself I had to like do something so I didn't ask my friends for help which was a mistake... a mistake I should have never made if only i was patient and made my friends believe me, then the suffering wouldn't have happened to me.