Pieces of the Past

Theo stared at the shoebox sitting between them.

It was unassuming—plain cardboard, the edges worn from years of being shuffled around. But as Evelyn carefully removed the lid, he had the strangest feeling that whatever was inside would change everything.

She reached inside, pulling out a stack of old letters, photographs, and scraps of paper.

"I've been collecting these since I was a teenager," she explained, setting them on the table. "Notes, postcards, anything that felt important."

Theo exhaled slowly. "And you think something in here connects us?"

Evelyn met his gaze. "I think we'd be fools not to check."

She handed him a yellowed envelope, the edges slightly frayed.

He hesitated before opening it. The handwriting inside was unfamiliar.

"Evelyn, I hope you find this when you need it most. Some things are meant to happen, no matter how much time has passed. Maybe this letter will remind you of what was lost."

Theo's fingers tightened around the paper. "This isn't my handwriting."

"No," Evelyn agreed. "But it was in my old apartment—hidden in the back of a drawer I never use."

His jaw clenched. "Who sent it?"

Evelyn shook her head. "I don't know."

Theo scanned the note again, something gnawing at the edges of his memory. There was something familiar about it—like a whisper at the back of his mind that refused to surface.

Evelyn pulled out more papers, flipping through them quickly. Then, suddenly, she froze.

"What?" Theo leaned forward.

Slowly, she turned the paper toward him.

It was a photograph.

A grainy Polaroid, slightly faded with time.

Two people stood side by side—a young man and a young woman. Smiling. Close. Familiar.

Theo's breath caught in his throat.

The man in the photo was him.

And the woman—was Evelyn.

A shiver ran down his spine.

He swallowed. "This… this isn't possible."

Evelyn was gripping the photo tightly, her knuckles turning white. "I don't remember this," she whispered.

Neither did he.

And yet, the proof was right there in front of them.

Theo forced himself to breathe. His mind raced, searching for some kind of explanation.

"Maybe… maybe we met years ago, and we just forgot," he said, though even he didn't believe that.

Evelyn's gaze snapped to his. "How do two people forget something like this?"

They didn't.

Not unless—

Theo stood abruptly, running a hand through his hair. "This doesn't make any sense."

Evelyn stared at the photograph, her expression unreadable. "We need answers."

Theo let out a short, humorless laugh. "Yeah? And where do you suggest we start?"

Evelyn placed the photo carefully on the table. "There's one place we haven't checked yet."

He frowned. "Where?"

She looked up, determination blazing in her eyes.

"The Hollow Bookstore."

---

The Hollow Bookstore—Again

It was late by the time they arrived. The sky had deepened into an indigo hue, the air crisp with the lingering chill of early spring.

The bookstore was closed, but a dim light glowed from inside. Evelyn knocked on the glass door.

A few moments later, the elderly woman from before—Margaret Holloway, the owner—appeared. She peered at them through the glass, then sighed, unlocking the door.

"I had a feeling you two would be back," she said, stepping aside.

Evelyn didn't waste time. "We found a photograph," she said, holding it out. "You said you used to have a letter-writing station here. Do you remember seeing us before?"

Margaret took the photo, adjusting her glasses.

Her brows knitted together. "Oh my," she murmured. "It's been so long since I've seen this."

Theo and Evelyn exchanged a glance.

Margaret looked up. "You two used to come here all the time."

Theo's stomach dropped. "What?"

She nodded. "You were inseparable."

Evelyn's breath hitched. "But… I don't remember that."

Margaret's gaze softened. "I wondered about that."

Theo's heart pounded. "What do you mean?"

Margaret hesitated, then motioned for them to sit. "I don't know the full story, but I do remember one thing."

She turned toward a bookshelf, pulling out an old, leather-bound journal. She flipped through the pages before stopping at one, tracing a name with her finger.

Theo leaned in.

And there, written neatly in ink—was his name, alongside Evelyn's.

March 25, 2015.

The same date as the letter.

Evelyn's voice was barely above a whisper. "What is this?"

Margaret closed the book. "This is our Memory Journal."

Theo stiffened. "Memory Journal?"

She nodded. "A long time ago, customers who used our letter-writing service would sign their names, leaving behind a small memory—something they wanted to remember."

Evelyn's pulse raced. "And we signed it?"

Margaret's expression was gentle. "Yes. And you wrote something, too."

She carefully turned the book toward them.

Theo's eyes locked on the message beneath their names.

"If we ever forget, this is where we'll find each other again."

A chill ran through him.

Evelyn pressed a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Theo swallowed hard. "Why… why would we write that?"

Margaret sighed. "That, my dear, is the real question."

Evelyn's hands clenched. "There has to be more. Is there anything else—anything that could explain why we don't remember?"

Margaret hesitated. "There was one thing…"

She turned back to the shelf, pulling out a small, locked box.

"I don't remember exactly when, but one day, you both came in and asked me to keep this safe," she said. "You said that if you ever came back, I was to give it to you."

Theo's breath came fast.

"What's inside?" he asked.

Margaret shook her head. "I don't know. You never told me."

Evelyn reached for the box, but Margaret stopped her. "It's locked."

Theo exhaled sharply. "Do you have the key?"

Margaret shook her head again. "No. You said you'd keep it with you."

Evelyn's fingers curled into fists. "But if we don't remember, then—"

Theo suddenly froze.

A memory—faint, blurry, like a dream—drifted through his mind.

A flash of metal. The feeling of something cold against his palm. A whispered promise.

His hand instinctively went to the chain around his neck.

His heart slammed against his ribs.

Slowly, he pulled the chain from beneath his shirt—revealing a small, silver key dangling from it.

Evelyn's breath hitched.

Margaret smiled softly. "Looks like you had the answer all along."

Theo's hands shook as he removed the key, staring at it like it held the weight of the universe.

Evelyn's voice was barely a whisper. "Open it."

Theo hesitated for only a second before sliding the key into the lock.

The box clicked open.

Inside—

Was a single, folded letter.

Theo picked it up, his pulse hammering. His name was written on the front, in a handwriting that was both his own and yet… different.

He met Evelyn's gaze.

With trembling fingers, he unfolded the letter.

And as he read the first line—

The world as he knew it shattered.

---

End of Chapter 3