The woman with her hair in a bun standing in front of Ayla smiled. “You have a cat, kiddo? Since when? How come I didn’t know?” she asked excitedly, the complete opposite of Ayla, whose face was slowly turning pale.
“You don’t know Blue either?” Ayla asked uncertainly, her heart pounding hard as she hoped everyone was just messing with her.
“Oh, sorry. Did you introduce your cat to me before? I don’t remember,” the woman said with an awkward smile.
Ayla slowly shook her head. “Then I’ll look for Blue around here. Maybe he’s playing somewhere else. Sorry to interrupt your break, Sis.”
The girl bowed politely before turning and quickly leaving the yard of the house where she and Blue usually played.
They’d played together just yesterday afternoon. So why was the woman acting as if Blue had never existed?
Ayla didn’t understand, and she didn’t want to think about the “jokes” her parents and neighbors had made about Blue. She decided to walk farther toward the front of the complex and talk to the security guards, who she knew also knew Blue.
“Miss Ayla has a cat?” one of the guards asked with a friendly smile.
Ayla froze, on the verge of tears as she heard the same question again. Blue was a cat who liked to roam around the complex, and he was well-known because he was so friendly with people.
“You really don’t know Blue?” Ayla asked again, her voice catching as she began to fear the strange gaps in the memories of those around her.
The two adult men in black uniforms exchanged glances before shaking their heads. “No, Miss. We don’t know your cat.”
Their answer struck Ayla all over again, leaving her with even more questions. The cold wind felt increasingly sharp against her skin. Her chest felt tight and strange, and her thoughts grew more and more jumbled. This couldn’t be happening.
How could everyone suddenly forget Blue?
“All right. Thank you, sir,” Ayla said softly before turning and walking away, dejected. She even forgot to bow like she usually did.
Her steps carried her to the small park at the far end of the complex. It was one of Blue’s favorite places to play, where he would chase butterflies or simply curl up on a wooden bench. But this time, the park felt empty—too quiet.
Ayla sat on the cold wooden bench, trying to steady her racing breath. She looked around, hoping—even if only for a moment—to see Blue’s shadow emerge from the bushes or watch him scamper over from one of the trees.
But all she could hear was the rustle of the wind and the faint footsteps of pedestrians in the distance.
“What’s really going on? Am I losing my mind and remembering something that isn’t there, or is everyone around me wrong?” Ayla asked, mostly to herself.
The girl bit her lower lip to hold back the tears welling in her eyes. But no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that everyone was just joking, all this strangeness felt so real.
“Blue, where are you?” Ayla whispered.
Deep down, Ayla was starting to feel afraid. Not just because she’d lost Blue, but because of the strange reality slowly closing in around her.
The people around her hadn’t just forgotten Blue—they seemed sincere, as if they’d never known he existed. Even the neighbors who often played with him, and the guards who used to give him treats while making their rounds around the complex, couldn’t remember him.
They’d all… forgotten.
Suddenly, Ayla heard footsteps approaching. She quickly turned, a small glimmer of hope passing through her heart. But it wasn’t Blue. It was a little boy carrying a plastic ball. He stopped in front of Ayla for a moment and tilted his head.
“Why are you spacing out here, Ayla? Are you upset about something?” he asked innocently.
Ayla looked at the boy, whose name was Raihan. He was one of the kids from the complex who often played with Blue in this park. She wanted to ask him, but could only shake her head weakly, too afraid to hear the same answer again. “It’s nothing. I’m just looking for something.”
The boy looked like he wanted to ask more, but his mother called to him from a distance. He ran off, leaving Ayla alone in the park. “Mom says to hurry home, Ayla! It’s dangerous to be out alone at night!” he shouted before disappearing.
Ayla let out a long sigh, trying to drive the negative thoughts from her mind.
“Maybe Blue just went a little farther this time,” she murmured after a while.
She must have just been panicking. She needed to look for Blue in the neighboring complex, where her best friend Elzira lived. There was no way Elzira would say something so nonsensical when they’d just promised that afternoon to play with Blue and Namu, Elzira’s cat, tomorrow.