The Ledger

Lonnie lived his life believing he was utterly forgettable. Painfully dull, average grades, ordinary jobs, invisible in every crowd.  

When he retired at 65, he quickly got bored and volunteered at the city police station, cataloging old records. 

One day, he found a crumbling ledger that contained dozens of signed confessions from local criminals. Each ended the same way: Lonnie made me do it. 

What the devil?

Tucked behind the last page was a faded photograph of himself, smiling next to strangers he didn’t know. On the back was a handwritten note:

“You only forget the life you’ve already lived.”

*****

100-word micro-fiction