It started with a message.
Nothing special.
No big introduction.
Just a simple “Hey.”
He almost didn’t reply.
But something about it felt… normal.
So he did.
And that’s how it began.
At first, it was just casual.
Short conversations.
Simple topics.
Nothing personal.
But slowly…
It became more.
They talked every day.
Morning messages.
Late night conversations.
Jokes.
Thoughts.
Stories.
Everything.
He didn’t even realize when it happened…
But they became part of his routine.
Part of his day.
And then…
Part of his life.
He told them things he didn’t tell anyone else.
Not because they asked.
But because it felt easy.
Safe.
There was no pressure.
No judgment.
Just understanding.
And that’s rare.
He didn’t know much about them.
No photos.
No calls.
Just messages.
At first, that felt strange.
But over time…
It didn’t matter.
Because connection…
Doesn’t always need a face.
Months passed.
And the connection grew stronger.
Until one day…
He said it.
“We should meet.”
Silence.
For a moment…
He thought maybe he crossed a line.
Then the reply came.
“Okay.”
His heart skipped.
They chose a place.
Simple.
Public.
Nothing complicated.
The day came.
He arrived early.
Sat there.
Waiting.
His mind was racing.
What if it’s awkward?
What if it’s not the same?
What if everything changes?
He looked around.
People passing.
Conversations.
Noise.
Then…
A message.
“I’m here.”
His heart started beating faster.
He stood up.
Looked around.
“Where?” he typed.
No reply.
Then…
Another message.
“Turn around.”
He did.
And what he saw…
Made everything stop.
There was no one.
Just empty space behind him.
He frowned.
“This isn’t funny,” he typed.
No reply.
Then his phone buzzed again.
“Sit down.”
His chest tightened.
Slowly… he sat.
Trying to stay calm.
“What is this?” he wrote.
A few seconds passed.
Then the message came.
“You really don’t remember me… do you?”
His mind went blank.
“What do you mean?”
Silence.
Then:
“We’ve already met.”
His heart started racing.
“That’s not possible,” he typed.
Another message:
“It is.”
His hands felt cold.
“Where?” he asked.
The reply came slowly.
“In your life… before everything changed.”
That sentence hit something inside him.
Something buried.
Something he couldn’t reach.
“What are you talking about?” he wrote.
Then…
The message that changed everything:
“You used to talk to me the same way.”
His breathing got heavier.
“Every day.”
“No…” he whispered.
“You just forgot.”
Silence.
His mind started spinning.
Forgot?
How do you forget someone like that?
“How do you know that?” he typed.
The reply came instantly.
“Because I was there… when you lost your memory.”
Everything stopped.
The noise around him disappeared.
“What…?” he whispered.
“You didn’t just forget things,” the message continued.
“You forgot people.”
His chest tightened.
“People who mattered.”
He stared at the screen.
“People like me.”
His hands were shaking now.
“That’s not true…”
But deep down…
Something felt real.
Something painful.
“Why didn’t you tell me before?” he typed.
The reply took longer this time.
“I wanted to see if you’d remember.”
Silence.
“You didn’t.”
That hurt more than anything.
“Then why now?” he asked.
The answer came slowly.
“Because I can’t keep pretending we’re strangers.”
His vision blurred slightly.
“Where are you?” he typed quickly.
“I’m right here.”
He looked around again.
People everywhere.
Faces he didn’t recognize.
Or maybe…
Faces he forgot.
“Which one are you?” he asked.
A pause.
Then the final message:
“That’s the problem.”
“You don’t know anymore.”
Silence.
No more messages.
No more replies.
Just the screen.
And the realization that hit him harder than anything else:
He didn’t just meet someone new.
He met someone he lost…
And didn’t even remember losing.
