025 - 4

 - 4 -

Today, I decided to take a walk in the nearby park. It's so calm. I like it there. I go there whenever I want to feel comfortable, and alone. When I'm sitting there, near the lake, on my bench, nobody bothers me. But then, my mind wandered too far, and I remembered today's letter. With that thought, my happiness slips into a slight depression. Not enough to disturb my peace, however.

I go back home. The letter is still there, on my desk. "4". This number could only mean one thing. One cold, hard truth. I knew it, and I didn't try to fight it. My fate was decided now.

- 3 -

Waking up today was harder than usual. I tried to remember all the things I did yesterday, but nothing came up. I probably did something boring, like going out in the park again. Should I enjoy my time more ? I mean, I definitely should, especially after receiving that notice. So, today, I've decided… I'm going on a walk.

Today, I walked quite far. But I let myself go, and enjoyed the ride, as they say. This time I even got farther than usual. Some people gave me weird looks, and politely advised me to get back where I came from. This was not a bad idea, actually. My legs were killing me.

I noticed the letter on my desk. "3" was written. Strange number, isn't it ? Even though I have trouble remembering some things, I could still comprehend the meaning of this number. Who left it there ? That, I could not remember.

- 2 -

After my morning routine, something on my desk caught my eye. "2". Oh boy, has it been this long already ? The clock was ticking. But still, I wasn't sure of myself yet, so I just let it go.

I wasn't feeling ready for physical exercise today, so I thought it would be best to relax. I picked a book from my bookshelf, and comfortably sat in my chair. I had trouble following the story… but it was fine. I still had fun, nonetheless.

Despite all of this, part of me was concerned about the number of my desk. It meant I was halfway there. I tried to get the most of my day anyway, but this was hard to forget.

- 1 -

"1". That was the first thing I saw today. This was a cold, but necessary reminder. A picture flashes in my head. A letter with "4" on my desk… that was a painful thought. So terrifying, it even sent a shiver down my spine. I brushed it away as fast as I could.

I spent most of the day looking by my window. I've lived some terrible days because of depression, but this one was the worst. Everything that I've fought for was fleeting before my eyes. How could it happen ?

That evening, I never had that much trouble getting asleep. I felt that the next day would be the last.

- 0 -

As I open my eyes, I notice a charming, younger woman looking at me. Why she is doing that, I have no idea. I was simply lying in my bed and she was there. As she saw me slowly waking up, she starts to say something.

"Dad ?"

What is she talking about ? 'Dad' ?

"I'm sorry, but who are you ?" I respond.

The woman starts crying. Did I do something wrong ? I didn't even have time to apologize, and she already got up and went to leave the room.

"Hey, wait ! Who are you ?" I try to say, in order to let her stay for a while.

The woman stops. She waits for a little while, then turns back to me.

"If you can remember my name within 4 days, I'll get you out of here. I'll see you then, Dad."

- 5 -

Opening my eyes wasn't always pleasant. Well, depending on the day. But this time,  a charming woman was looking at me. So, I would say that this day was great. Because I was quite intrigued by the woman's presence, I simply asked.

"Who are you ?"

The woman started crying. And in a hurry, like she was trying to hide her tears, she got out of the room.

After a few minutes, two women, dressed like nurses, barged into my room and came to my side. They told me to get up so that I could follow them, which I did.

I had no idea what was happening, but I started doing as advised. On my way out, I glanced at my desk. It was empty. But somehow, I expected to find something else. In the trash bin, however, I could see four balls of crumpled sheets of paper. That's curious…