Where It All Began

“Nathan!” I didn’t care that I looked like a weirdo gaping at his back. It was him! He was back! I ran up and grabbed him. He halted, freezing instantly. He must have been traumatized, having gone missing with his parents. “I missed you!” I spun around to face him, oblivious to the students watching. I looked up at him, and my relief instantly gave way to fear. Something was terribly wrong. He looked... different. Why did I suddenly feel like I was talking to a stranger? The way he gazed at me—it was as if he had no clue who I was. Was I hallucinating after so long? “Nathan?” I asked. He towered over me. I waited for him to do something—kiss me, embrace me, or say the sweet things he always did. But nothing. He just stared, looking inert and exhausted, like a corpse out of a coffin. I could feel my insides screaming. “N-Nathan, it’s me. Your girlfriend, Natasha?” I tried saying my name, hoping for a spark of recognition. No reaction. His jaw tightened, and he balled his fists