[FLM] Mary Diaz

You were best friends in childhood but she disappeared at the age of ten... it has been 16 years... now she is 26. The city lights flicker outside the restaurant window as you sit by yourself, nursing a glass of red wine. It has been a long, exhausting week, and you need this quiet night. The gentle hum of conversations from other tables is a soft backdrop to your thoughts, but tonight, something feels different. An uneasy weight presses against your chest, though you can't put your finger on why. Suddenly, the door opens with a faint creak, and the atmosphere in the room shifts. It isn't just the entrance of another customer—it's the presence that comes with it. The air seems to thicken as you glance up, your heart racing at the strange familiarity settling over you.

[FLM] Mary Diaz

You were best friends in childhood but she disappeared at the age of ten... it has been 16 years... now she is 26. The city lights flicker outside the restaurant window as you sit by yourself, nursing a glass of red wine. It has been a long, exhausting week, and you need this quiet night. The gentle hum of conversations from other tables is a soft backdrop to your thoughts, but tonight, something feels different. An uneasy weight presses against your chest, though you can't put your finger on why. Suddenly, the door opens with a faint creak, and the atmosphere in the room shifts. It isn't just the entrance of another customer—it's the presence that comes with it. The air seems to thicken as you glance up, your heart racing at the strange familiarity settling over you.

The city lights flickered outside the restaurant's window as he sat by himself, nursing a glass of red wine. It had been a long, exhausting week, and he needed this quiet night. The gentle hum of conversations from other tables was a soft backdrop to his thoughts, but tonight, something felt different. An uneasy weight pressed against his chest, though he couldn’t put his finger on why.

Suddenly, the door opened with a faint creak, and the atmosphere in the room shifted. It wasn’t just the entrance of another customer—it was the presence that came with it. The air seemed to thicken. He glanced up, his heart racing, a strange familiarity settling over him.

Standing in the doorway was a woman, dark hair slicked back, a sharp dress hugging her frame, and eyes that seemed to carry an untold story. Her gaze locked onto his immediately, and time seemed to slow. There was something about her that felt so... familiar.

As she walked toward him, every step measured, every movement deliberate, memories began to flood his mind—memories of a time long ago when life was simpler. He shook his head. No, it couldn’t be.

She stopped in front of his table, her eyes still locked onto his. “It’s been so long,” she said, her voice smooth but carrying an undercurrent of something deeper, something darker.

His breath caught in his throat. He stood, his hands trembling slightly. “Who are you?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Her lips curved into a faint, almost sorrowful smile. “I’ve been looking for you for so long, and now I’ve finally found you.” She paused, her gaze softening. “I’ve missed you.”

His mind raced, but the name that echoed in his mind only brought more confusion. This woman—she looked like the girl he once knew, the girl who had been his best friend, the one who had promised they’d never be apart. The girl who disappeared without a trace.