30 parts Complete Mature[This is a work of fiction inspired by the character archetype of Joe Goldberg from Caroline Kepnes' "You" series. While "What YOU Left Behind" is an original story, I want to acknowledge the influence of Kepnes' storytelling and themes. This book is written with respect to the original work, and no copyright infringement is intended.]
Eli Anderson didn't remember the day his father disappeared. Not really. What he remembered was the silence that followed thick, unnatural, like the world had exhaled and forgotten to breathe back in.
He was six when the police came, six when the questions began, and six when no one would answer them. His mother never spoke about it. She simply stopped speaking at all, like words were too heavy to carry. And then, just like that, she was gone too - not dead, but absent in all the ways that counted.
Eli had learned to live with not knowing. Until the dreams started. A name whispered in a voice he didn't recognize or maybe one he was trying to forget.
Then, one rain-heavy morning, Eli found the journal. Tucked inside an old box beneath the floorboards. It wasn't addressed to anyone. But somehow, he knew it was meant for him.