The forgotten diary

1. story

Title: The Forgotten Diary 

The rain was pouring heavily as Emily explored her grandmother’s attic. She had always been curious about the old house, but her parents rarely visited. Dust-covered boxes surrounded her, and the faint smell of aged wood filled the air. While she was sorting through a pile of old books, a small leather-bound diary caught her eye. Its pages were yellowed, and the initials “M.R.” were engraved on the cover—her grandmother’s maiden name.  

Emily sat on the floor, hesitating for a moment before opening it. The first entry was dated June 12, 1947. Her grandmother had written about her life as a young nurse during the war. As Emily turned the pages, the entries grew more urgent. One passage described a hidden locket containing a secret message. “I buried it under the oak tree,” the faded ink read. “No one must find it until the time is right.”  

Emily’s heart raced. She had played under that oak tree as a child. Just as she was about to close the diary, she heard a creak behind her. The attic door slowly swung open, though no one was there. She froze, clutching the diary tightly. The wind outside howled, and the single lightbulb flickered.  

Suddenly, she remembered her grandmother’s stories about the house being “alive with memories.” Trying to stay calm, Emily grabbed a flashlight and rushed downstairs. The storm had stopped, and moonlight lit the garden. She ran to the oak tree, her hands trembling as she dug into the damp soil. After a few minutes, her fingers touched something cold—a tarnished silver locket.  

When she opened it, a small folded paper fell out. The message inside was written in code, but at the bottom, her grandmother had added: *“Forgive me. I had no choice.”*  

Emily never discovered what the code meant. Years later, she would tell her own children about that stormy night—how the past had reached out to her, and how some secrets, once buried, refuse to stay hidden.