Something Left Behind
Amanda Fitzgerald has been running from life for three years, hiding behind the counter of an all-night diner where nothing ever changes and no one stays long enough to matter. After a student's suicide shattered her world, she chose safety over risk, numbness over connection, existence over living.
Then, during one impossible shift, four strangers arrive with stories that pierce through her carefully constructed walls. An elderly woman seeking chamomile tea and offering wisdom about love. A dying clockmaker carrying his grief in a stopped pocket watch. A young bride in a wedding dress she'll never wear down the aisle. And a writer clutching a notebook filled with dreams that lasted only minutes.
Each leaves something behind. Each knows exactly what Amanda needs to hear.
As dawn approaches and the truth about her mysterious visitors becomes undeniable, Amanda must choose: return to the safety of emotional exile, or risk everything to truly live again.
A haunting novella about grief, transformation, and the courage it takes to choose life over mere survival.
Approximately 20,000 words
