THE PHOTO
1005 Words
Chapter 13
Morning came quietly, as it always did in the small village.
A pale light slipped through the thin curtains of Lin Yue’s room, spreading slowly across the wooden floor. Outside, the distant crowing of a rooster broke the silence, followed by the soft rustle of leaves in the cool morning breeze.
Lin Yue had been awake for some time.
She sat on the edge of the bed, her hands resting lightly in her lap, her thoughts lingering on the strange vision from the night before.
Tall stone walls.
Cold wind.
The sound of metal striking stone.
It had felt so real that even now, remembering it made her chest tighten faintly.
She lowered her gaze to the pendant resting against her collarbone. The small object had been with her since the old couple found her, yet she still did not know where it came from.
Her fingers brushed its surface gently.
“Were you with me before?” she whispered.
Of course, it gave no answer.
A knock came at the door.
“Lin Yue?” the old woman’s voice called softly. “Are you awake?”
“Yes,” Lin Yue replied quickly.
The door opened, and the old woman stepped inside carrying a small tray.
“You woke early again,” she said with a warm smile.
Lin Yue nodded slightly.
“I couldn’t sleep well.”
The old woman placed the tray on the table beside the bed. “Your body is still recovering. It’s normal.”
Lin Yue hesitated before speaking.
“Last night… I remembered something again.”
The old woman paused.
“Oh?”
Lin Yue tried to explain.
“I saw a place. Tall walls… like a fortress or a palace. It didn’t feel like this world.”
The old woman listened quietly, her expression thoughtful.
“Memories return in strange ways,” she said gently. “Sometimes they come in pieces before the full picture appears.”
Lin Yue nodded, though uncertainty still lingered in her eyes.
She wished the memories would come back faster.
The emptiness inside her mind felt unbearable.
Later that morning, the old man prepared to leave the house again.
“I’m going into town once more,” he said while putting on his coat.
The old woman looked at him curiously.
“Again?”
He nodded.
“I want to check with a friend who works in the hospital records department. If someone named Lin Yue was admitted somewhere recently, he might know.”
The old woman smiled approvingly.
“That’s a good idea.”
Lin Yue felt a small wave of guilt rise in her chest.
“You don’t have to go through so much trouble for me,” she said quietly.
The old man waved a dismissive hand.
“It’s no trouble.”
Then he added with a gentle chuckle, “Besides, if we don’t help you find your family, this old house will feel too quiet once you leave.”
Lin Yue lowered her gaze.
Leave.
The thought made her chest feel strangely tight.
She had only been here a short time, yet the peaceful home already felt like the only place she belonged.
The rest of the day passed slowly.
Lin Yue helped the old woman with small chores around the house — sweeping the courtyard, watering the plants, preparing vegetables for lunch.
Though her body was still weak, moving around helped clear her mind.
For a few hours, the strange pain in her chest did not return.
But in the afternoon, as she stood near the small garden behind the house, the familiar ache suddenly resurfaced.
Not sharp.
Just heavy.
She paused, pressing a hand lightly against her chest.
Her breathing slowed.
Another faint flicker passed through her mind.
This time it was different.
A voice.
Low and distant.
Calling her name.
“Lin Yue…”
Her eyes widened.
The voice felt familiar — deeply familiar — yet she could not see the face behind it.
Just the feeling of someone standing close.
Someone important.
Her heart began to beat faster.
“Who are you…?” she whispered.
But the moment she tried to focus on the memory, it vanished like smoke in the wind.
The ache faded again.
Leaving her standing alone in the quiet garden.
By evening, the old man finally returned.
He looked slightly more serious than usual.
The old woman immediately noticed.
“Did you find anything?”
The old man placed his bag down slowly before answering.
“Not exactly.”
Lin Yue stepped closer, her curiosity rising.
“What do you mean?”
The old man hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“My friend checked the hospital records,” he explained. “No recent patients named Lin Yue.”
The old woman sighed softly.
“I expected that.”
“But…” the old man continued.
Both women looked at him.
“He told me something interesting.”
Lin Yue felt a strange tension form in her chest.
“What is it?” she asked.
The old man’s voice lowered slightly.
“This morning someone from the city contacted the police station asking about the photo I left yesterday.”
The courtyard fell silent.
Lin Yue blinked in confusion.
“Someone… asked about me?”
The old man nodded slowly.
“They didn’t say who they were. Only that they wanted more information about the girl in the photo.”
A faint chill ran down Lin Yue’s spine.
She did not know why.
But the thought that someone far away had suddenly taken interest in her existence felt… unsettling.
The old woman placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t worry too much,” she said gently. “It may simply be someone who recognizes you.”
Lin Yue nodded, though the unease inside her chest refused to disappear.
Because somewhere deep inside her mind…
A quiet instinct whispered something she could not yet understand.
The past she had forgotten…
Was slowly beginning to search for her.
- Writer
