The Vanishing Message
The sun slipped beneath the horizon as Reeve walked home from college, his bag slung loosely over one shoulder, his mind already drifting toward dinner and rest. Halfway down the quiet road, a sudden jolt of panic struck him.
His phone.
He stopped, sighed, and turned back. The college corridors were empty now, bathed in dim yellow light that stretched shadows across the tiled floor. His footsteps echoed as he reached his classroom. There it was—his phone, lying exactly where he'd left it.
Yet something felt wrong.
The screen blinked with a single notification. No name. No icon. Just a message waiting to be opened.
Before he could tap it, a voice spoke from behind.
"Reeve, what are you doing here?"
He flinched and spun around. His class teacher stood at the doorway, expression calm but curious.
"I forgot my phone, sir," Reeve replied quickly.
The teacher nodded. "I see. It's late. You should head home."
"Yes, sir. Bye. Take care." Reeve smiled politely and left, the strange message already slipping from his thoughts.
By the time he reached home, finished his homework, and let the cool night air wash over him outside, the memory had faded completely. It wasn't until he lay on his bed, phone in hand, that he remembered.
He unlocked the screen.
The message was gone.
No sender. No trace. Only emptiness.
A shiver ran down his spine—but exhaustion won. By 11:30 PM, Reeve fell asleep, unaware that his ordinary life had already ended.