Nebulous (adjective): hazy, vague, uncertain

Head down, ears covered, and teeth clenched, he let the tears fall. Fat droplets of salt and hurt rained down, turning the papers into a mess of inky rivulets.

This was what his parents wanted. This was what he wanted. Where did everything go wrong? He once joked that if a decision was terrible enough, his future self would travel back in time to stop him. Well, where was he?

Through the curtain of tears, he cast his eyes to the empty window, hopelessly praying for a hint, a sign from whatever god that was willing to listen.

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Then, a shadow flashed across the glass.

It was vaguely human-shaped. Another form, smaller and rounder, bounced back and forth between the legs of the little silhouette. A ball?

He watched in stunned amazement.

A second later, the human figure was alone. It was running. Jumping. Spinning. It seemed to gallop through an imaginary field of fresh grass and blooming flowers, stretching across the entire window into an abyss that was at once hazy, mysterious, and comforting.

It took him a moment, but the epiphany hit him—the mirage in the mirror was his past self, reminding him of what he’d forgotten.