The Town of Forgotten Memories

hey neared, their quiet, unremarkable façades standing as silent sentinels against the backdrop of the darkening sky. The one they approached was the last in the row-a small, cozy c

she turned the key in the door. The sound of the lock clicking

r. The warm, golden glow of the lamps inside spilled out onto t

ant but worn, as if it had been lived in for years, yet everything was immaculately placed. The soft scent of vanilla and

oaxing, as though Alex needed persuasion. "It'

r swung shut behind them with a soft click. The sound fel

y smiled at each other in every frame, caught in moments of joy, laughter, love. In some, they were standing in front of the cottage, their arms wrapped around each other; in others, the

ath their touch, and yet, the faces in the picture felt distant, like strangers. The overwhelming warmth of the room,

tender but insistent. "It's all pa

e of what she said. "But... I don't rem

r now, more patient. "You don't need to remember everything at once

eight of her words, the warmth of her presen

again, leading them further into the

re crackled softly in the hearth, filling the room with the comforting scent of wood smoke. The room wa

g into the kitchen. The clink of dishes, the faint h

oor, partially hidden behind a heavy velvet curtain. It was small, inconspicuous, but there was something about it that dr

seemed to grow louder as their eyes fixed on the door. Something was... wrong about it. They co

int whisper, like a breeze carryi

rom behin

nd Alex blinked, staring at the door in disbelief. Was

g through the house, interrupting their thoughts. Alex

nd, an unshakable weight. As they walked away from the door and into the dining room, t

tairs to a bedroom. The bed was large a

g Alex on the forehead. "We'll talk m

ase. As Ellie left the room, closing the door behind her, Alex lay there, staring u

whispers b

gh to understand, but the tone-low, urgent, desperate-was unmistakable. Alex's breath caught in th

cked b

an down Al

ady to reveal. The whispers from the basement were just the beginning, but something deep inside Alex knew that they couldn't ignore it

their mind, Alex closed their eyes, bracing themse