By: Matt Handle.

Dear John,

That’s your name now, but this isn’t a traditional goodbye letter. One cannot truly leave oneself. However, I’ve chosen the next best thing. I’m heading to an appointment at Fresh Start, and if you’re reading this, it means it worked and they delivered you back home as guaranteed in the contract. You have forgotten me. Forgotten yourself. That’s a good thing. I promise. I left dinner in the fridge and a help wanted page up on the computer. There’s enough cash in the nightstand to last a month or two. Start again. Don’t worry, you won’t be missed.

© 2026. Matt Handle

Matt Handle lives and writes in Atlanta, Georgia. His short stories can be found at Cosmic Horror Monthly, Dark Recesses Press, and Daily Science Fiction.