You wake up on the bank of a river, seeing nothing but a purple backpack besides you. You remember nothing. When you pull out the photos in your backpack, you suddenly start getting memories of you with your love. Where are the places you will go?
We are pleased to inform you that you are the winner of the 24th Annual National Geographic Photography Contest. Attached to this letter are the hotels you will be staying at for your Snapshot Journey Around the World® as well as the activities you will be able to enjoy on your trip. We hope to see some of your amazing shots soon!
Best wishes,
~National Geographic Photography Judges
If you have any problems with these arrangements, please call our number (123)-456-7890"
Drip, drop, drip, drop. The faint pattering of rain sank into my consciousness. I could feel the soft grass supporting me and my damp clothes. "Where am I?" I wondered. I didn't want to get up, this feeling of peace was so unknown yet calming. I turned over to inspect my surroundings and a wet clump of brown hair with purple highlights fell over my face. I was on the bank of a river and my only comrades were ducks and geese. The rain had ceased by now and left only damp grass and...me?
"How did I end up here?" I wondered. I felt empty, like a well on a hot midsummer's day, all dried up with nothing inside me. Suddenly, my stomach growled. "I've been lying here long enough," I decided. I tried to get up, the mushy mud sinking below my hands, but as soon as I stood up, I felt a wave of nausea overcome me. I hunched over and threw up the remainders of my last lunch.
I heaved a sigh and was about to leave when I saw a dark purple backpack lying in the grass not far away from me. "Who might've forgotten their backpack way out here," I wondered. I plopped back down to take a look at the backpack in hope of finding an I.D. so I could return it to its owner.
Fortunately, the backpack was waterproof and nothing was wet inside. I dug around, carefully avoiding the giant Canon and Polaroid camera. After dodging some granola bars, I finally saw a faded brown leather wallet and pinched it out. The first thing I saw when I opened the wallet was a driver's license.
I saw the name Y/n and then my eyes flicked over to the photo. I gasped and immediately dropped the wallet.
"No, how would I not have recognized the bag? Is this why I feel so empty? What in the world is happening?" I thought. I bent down and picked the wallet back up, my hands trembling.
The girl with brown hair and purple highlights stared back at me. I sloppily crawled to the edge of the river to see my reflection. It matched up exactly with the image on the I.D. Then why didn't I recognize my own name?
I try and remember what happened before I landed here. My mind was a blank slate. I couldn't even remember how I got here. My heart sped up. What in the world is going on? I peek inside the wallet pockets and alongside some cards and cash, I find a stack of Polaroids, undoubtedly taken by the camera in the backpack.
I looked at the first photo. It was a selfie of myself with a man on an airplane, whom I felt a small familiar attachment to. The feeling in my chest told me it was my love.
Immediately, I felt myself becoming faint. "What is happening?" I thought. My heart beat faster and my breath shortened. I tried to shake my head to get his strange faintness out of my head. The scene in front of me steadily turned black...
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Sorry if the chapters are too short, I wanted to upload smaller sections at a time
