OFM Lit: Diary of the Forgotten

The following entries were taken from a diary found six months after the infamous New Varashire collider explosion on June 15, 2501. The diary was found next to a burned, unidentified body in downtown New Varashire, New York

Editorial Note: All attempts possible were made to verify the statements  in the diary entries. The North American Post was unable to locate the writer of the entries but was able to locate the people mentioned, though they have no recollection of these events. These entries are being presented to you exactly as they were found… No corrections or clarifications have been made. 

February 1

It snowed today. It snowed so hard, and so much, that not only did the schools close, but the grocery stores were forced to send their workers home for safety. The empty roads, drowned in a sea of white, made the medium-sized city of New Varashire look like a ghost town. Drops of brown, deadened leaves dotted the landscape. Normally this would be my favorite kind of weather, but seeing as I’m recently unemployed, it just makes me feel hopeless. It makes me feel like one of those trees outside my window as they’re being snowed on—weighed down and unable to move. Still, I have a dream to achieve, so I will press on, existing in a world that seems to have forgotten all about me. 

February 19

Today was a good day. After months of sending out resumes and interviewing to only receive the news that some other lucky soul was chosen for the job, I received that very call. Stagecoach Media reached out to me regarding an interview I did weeks ago. I feared that they were calling to tell me that they’d chosen someone else to be the science news writer. Luckily, I was wrong. 

March 12

It was my first day today, and everything went well. I wasn’t the only one who was beginning their career as a journalist. I met a woman named Armida. She’s young, talented, and if her introduction to me is anything to go by, she’s a go-getter. At only 24 years old, she’s produced holo-casts, written several novels, and has been widely acclaimed as a short story writer, something I’ve always aspired to. 

April 5

Armida has been acting strangely toward me lately. When I first met her, she was friendly, forthcoming, and seemed like a fun person to work with. In the past couple of days, though, she’s seemed distant and measured in her conversations with me. I don’t know what I could have possibly done, as I typically focus on my own work and take cues when necessary. I hope she can quickly get over whatever it is she thinks I did. 

April 16

I got a news assignment today that kind of freaked me out. A massively-funded particle collider project headquartered right here in New Varashire was just completed. The physicists there hope to have its inaugural collision scheduled in June. What’s scary about it, though, is the absolute uncertainty of what will happen. A theoretical physicist here that I interviewed for the story said that anything could happen, from the complete annihilation of the city to absolutely nothing. He also said that the theoretical possibilities are nearly endless. I’m not sure how to feel, but when he told me that, a chill went down my spine, and a wave of thoughts about the vastness of the universe and possible impossibilities of the collider came over me. I hope that everything will be fine, but as with most things, nothing can be assured. 

May 1

It’s been a few weeks since Armida spoke candidly with me, and then suddenly, she initiated a one-on-one video call with me… OUTSIDE of the work channels. Of course, I answered. I tried to play it casual, as if nothing had been weird with us these past few weeks. She started off the call talking about work. She asked me how things were going, how I was feeling. I told her all was well, and I was settling into my role well. Throughout most of the call, she kept running her pale fingers through her baby blue pixie haircut. She kept looking away from the camera as if something was wrong, and then, almost out of the blue, she stared directly into the camera and asked me on a date. I was shocked. At first, I said nothing and simply stared at her. I’m sure I looked ridiculous just staring at her. I guess embarrassment got the best of her, though, because she ended the call before I even had a chance to respond. 

May 2

I texted Armida today. I told her how sorry I was that I didn’t give her an answer, and that of course, I would love to go on a date with her. I was just shocked after weeks of virtual silence from her. She told me that she just didn’t know how to act around me after realizing that she liked me as more than a coworker and friend. We set a date for this weekend. I. Can’t. Wait. 

May 9

Armida and I had our date today. She took me to this really cute breakfast place in downtown New Varashire. It was funny, though, only halfway through our date did I realize how special it was. I mentioned to her sometime back in casual conversation just how much I loved breakfast, so there we were. As expected, I felt a bit awkward. Armida’s the first woman that I’ve ever dated. I wasn’t sure how she’d want me to behave. I decided to just be myself and hoped that she’d still like me after seeing just how weird and wacky I can be sometimes. We ended the date with not even the suggestion of a kiss.

May 13

The date of the inaugural collider collision was announced today, and New Varashire has decided to invite a crowd. Surprisingly, I got a text from Armida today inviting me to go with her. She was able to snag a couple of tickets to go. Despite her lack of communication over the past few days, I accepted. I do like her, and hopefully, this invite meant the date went well. 

May 26

An anonymous source reached out to me today. I have no idea where from, but from the details they gave me, it seems like they’re from the team working on the collider. They told me that something is wrong, but they can’t afford to tell their investors. So, they’re going to go ahead with the collision. This makes me nervous. If the collision will work, what kind of things could possibly be going wrong? I don’t fully understand what they were trying to tell me, but I’m hoping this is either someone trying to rile up the public or just a complete fiction. Either way, I can’t verify it, so it won’t be published. In other, spicier news, Armida pulled me aside today to the supply closet. She just wanted to apologize for being a bit distant. She explained to me that she’s ace and didn’t know if that was a deal-breaker for me, so she’s been keeping her distance. I told her I would need some time to contemplate what that meant for a future with us. 

May 27

I texted Armida today and told her that her being asexual didn’t mean the end for us. I liked her for her mind. She’s brilliant, and I genuinely love her company. I gave it a lot of thought, and I truly believe she’s the right person for me. 

June 15

Collision Day happened, and I can barely comprehend what went down. Armida and I went to the event dressing in matching crop tops and thighless jeans. I thought we were cute. Everyone counted down, and suddenly everything went dark. Armida was gone, as were most of the people there. I wandered around screaming for her, screaming for anyone. I got no answer. I can see the city and find my way around, but I don’t know where I am. This place is gray and familiar, but not recognizable. Wherever I am, it looks suspiciously like New Varashire, but there’s places missing, and it’s not as full as it was yesterday. There seem to be screams coming from the edges of the city. 

July 4

In this strange place that I’ve learned to call home, today seems to be a particularly tumultuous day. The screams are louder than usual, and the creatures that I’ve seen have been more active. They’ve been circling my apartment for hours now, like they’re searching for a way in. I’ve been wanting to leave to see if I can find Armida, but I’m scared. I saw someone ripped apart, then disintegrated yesterday. I don’t want that to happen to me. 

August 3

It’s Armida’s birthday today. It’s been two months since the collider explosion. I thought I would go and try to find her. Surprisingly, she was exactly where she would be at this hour of the day, if my clock is even right. She was in the Stagecoach Media building, sitting at her desk, editing the latest podcast. I tried to speak to her, and as expected, I received no response. I spent the day in her space. I realize this makes me sound like an obsessive, but I’m not. I just want to know how she’s coping with me just disappearing. It seems she’s barely noticed, in fact, it seems like no one’s noticed at all. There’ve been no news stories about me. In fact, everything I saw said that there were no casualties, and everyone has been accounted for. I still can’t get over the fact that I get TV in this place. 

August 20

I met someone today. They’re the first person I’ve seen since the explosion who could see me as well. We talked briefly, and he told me he’s been wandering around the country since the explosion. He said he finally made his way back home, and in that entire time has not met anyone else that could see him. He introduced himself to me as Casper, which I assume is a fake name because… c’mon, really?

October 3

Fall here is weird. The tree leaves fall to the ground and immediately disintegrate as if they never existed. Casper says he thinks when they fall, they go back to the “real” world. I’m not sure if I believe him. He also says he misses the world. He misses his husband. He said he’s thinking of ending things. When I asked him what he meant, he just said nothing. I’m worried about him. 

November 27

I haven’t seen Casper in almost a month, and I’m worried. He’s the only person I know here… or at least the only person who recognized that I’m here. 

December 25

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to realize it, but I haven’t eaten. The idea of food hasn’t even crossed my mind. Maybe I’ll try to turn on a stove in someone’s apartment and cook something for myself. 

January 6

Well, my food experiment didn’t go quite as expected. I entered the apartment of this lovely couple and tried to cook some of what was in their fridge. A simple breakfast, bacon, and eggs, nothing too complicated. But, when I turned on their gas stove, they jumped up from the couch and lost their minds. They started arguing with each other about who possibly could have left the stove on. Could that be the key to getting back to the real world?

February 1

It’s snowing today. It’s a heavy snow, the kind that shuts the city down. I’ve made a decision, and I don’t know if it’s a good one, but it seems like it’s my only shot at going back to New Varashire, to Armida, to let her know that I didn’t leave her. I’m going to burn this diary in hopes that if I don’t survive, somehow it will, and the world will know what happened to us. The forgotten.