All Chapters of Letters from the future: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Ava barely slept.She tossed and turned until the numbers on her alarm clock blurred together. Every time she drifted close to sleep, she saw it again: thick black letters pressed into cream paper, spelling out a future she didn’t want to believe. He will never wake up.By morning, the letter might as well have been carved into her bones.She dragged herself out of bed, splashed cold water on her face, and told herself she was being ridiculous. Someone was messing with her. That was all. She’d ignore it, pretend it didn’t matter.But stuffing the letter deeper into her backpack before leaving for school didn’t help. It felt like carrying a live wire.The hallways were buzzing with the usual Monday noise: lockers slamming, sneakers squeaking, someone blasting music too loud from a phone shoved in their hoodie pocket.Ava kept her head down, weaving through the chaos until—“Morning, zombie.”Eli fell into step beside her, grinning as he shifted the straps of his backpack. His curly hai

The morning light filtered weakly through the blinds, painting thin stripes across Ava’s bedroom floor. She stayed in bed longer than usual, staring at the ceiling as if it might offer answers. The second letter lay on her desk, an ever-present weight pressing down on her chest. Someone she loved was lying to her. The words repeated in her mind, carving themselves into her thoughts. But who? And why?Her phone buzzed. A text from Eli: Meet me at the library? I need your help with a project. Ava’s fingers hovered over the screen. Could she trust him? Could she even trust herself? If you stay silent, you’ll lose yourself, the letter whispered in her memory. She had to figure this out. Somehow.By the time she arrived, the library was nearly empty. The scent of old books mingled with the faint hum of computers. Eli sat at a corner table, notes scattered around him, pencil tapping impatiently.“You okay?” he asked the second she approached.Ava swallowed. She wanted to tell him everything

Ava woke before dawn, her body restless, her mind refusing peace. The photograph lay on her nightstand, turned face-down, but she didn’t need to see it to know the image burned behind her eyelids: her mother, smiling with a man Ava didn’t recognize, holding a baby that couldn’t have been anyone but her.The letters had warned her—someone she loved was lying. Now she knew.She just didn’t know why.At breakfast, her mom moved around the kitchen with forced cheer, humming to the radio. Rick scrolled on his phone, muttering about work. Ava pushed her cereal around her bowl, appetite gone. The urge to demand answers swelled inside her, but the letters’ warnings coiled around her like chains. If you expose them, you’ll lose him.Her eyes flicked to Rick, then to her mom. Which “him” did the letter mean? Eli? Rick? Someone else entirely?She stood abruptly. “I’m leaving early.”Her mom blinked, spoon paused midair. “You’ll miss breakfast—”“I’m not hungry.” Ava grabbed her bag and slipped o

The clock’s red digits glowed 11:58 p.m. Ava sat rigid on the edge of her bed, sneakers laced, hoodie zipped, every nerve sparking.The house was silent—her mom’s door closed, Rick’s muffled snores drifting from down the hall. She’d spent the last hour rehearsing excuses in her head: if she got caught, if she got cornered, if she didn’t come back. None of them made her feel safer.She slipped her phone into her pocket, fingers brushing the newest letter folded tight. Midnight. Train yard. Come alone.Her chest ached. This was it.At exactly midnight, Ava pushed open her window. The night air slapped her awake, cool and sharp. She climbed out onto the roof, crept down the lattice by the porch, and dropped soundlessly onto the damp grass.The streets were empty. No headlights, no footsteps, just the hum of distant power lines and her own shallow breathing.She started walking.–––The old train yard sat on the edge of town, abandoned for years. Rusted tracks cut through wild weeds, frei

Ava had never hated silence more.All day, Eli’s texts had buzzed unanswered in her pocket. Where are you? Did I do something? Call me? She read them over and over, fingers twitching, stomach churning. The letters warned her: If you tell him, he will leave you.But keeping secrets was tearing her apart.By evening, she couldn’t take it anymore. She typed a shaky message: Meet me at the park. Please.His reply came in seconds: Already on my way.–––The park was nearly empty, lit only by weak streetlamps. Ava sat on the swings, rocking gently, her breath fogging in the cool night. Every creak of the chains set her teeth on edge.Then Eli appeared, jogging across the grass. Relief softened his face when he saw her. “Finally. I thought you were ghosting me.”She tried to smile, but it broke into pieces. “I’m sorry.”He dropped onto the swing beside her. “Okay, talk. What’s going on? You’ve been… I don’t know. Different. And honestly, kinda scary.”Her throat closed. She thought of the le