It was 5:00 a.m. in the morning, but the drea I had that night was still vividly playing in my mind. I couldn't shake it off just get . My heart was racing by the thoughts of it, and my hands were trembling as I reached for my blanket. Without further ado, I ran towards Fei's room.
"Fei! Wake up! I have something important to tell you!" I exclaimed, shaking her shoulders drastically.
She sat up halfway, rubbing her eyes and struggling to keep them open.
"You better have a reason for this, or I'll… I'll…" she mumbled, before flopping back onto her pillow.
"Fei!" I shouted again.
"What? Where am I? What am I?" she stuttered groggily.
"You're literally in my house, can't you recall last night? ," I said flatly.
"Yeah, I am… why am I here… and why are you here…" she asked, crossing her arms, clearly unimpressed. It was still dark outside.
Then it hit me. The dream it was so vivid just a minute ago. But now… nothing. Why couldn't I remember? Am I suffering from amnesia?There ain't no way this is dementia too. No way. I was fit as a fiddle! Maybe if I kept talking, something might come back. Please… anything!
"Well, I had a dream," I said with a strained smile. This is gonna be awkward.
Fei blinked. "And? Was it a nightmare? Did a goose chase you again?" she muttered sarcastically, still half-awake but as snarky as ever.
"Well… I guess you can go back to sleep. It's not that important anyway," I said quickly, avoiding her gaze as I slowly backed toward the door.
Her eyes narrowed. She knew I was hiding something.
"There's no backing out, Eri," she said sternly, her tone suddenly serious. "You should've thought twice before waking me up this early especially after what happened yesterday."
I froze. I wanted to tell her so badly I really did but I couldn't. It wasn't that I didn't want to. It was that… I'd already forgotten everything about it. Completely. The fact that the feeling was the only thing I remembered was insane.
"Well, the thing is… I just happen to, um… we… hmm… forgot?" I said, avoiding eye contact.
Her disbelief was instant. "You woke me up for this, and now you're telling me you forgot!?" she shouted, clearly fuming.
"Bye, Fei. Sorry to disturb you on this lovely morning. Sadly and unfortunately, I must leave," I said dramatically, slamming the door behind me.
"ERIN! Come back here! ERIN!" she screamed, but I just waved and walked away.
I didn't know why I forgot. But then, all of a sudden, everything came back as soon as I got away from her. Like magic. Clear as day. The dream. Every single detail.
But why now? Why not before? Was it because I tried telling Fei? Was this… magic or something?
Then it hit me. Maybe this was a sign. Maybe the dream was real. Maybe if I had told her, it would've changed everything the storyline, the outcome.
I decided to follow my intuition. I'd do everything exactly as in that dream.
I went back to my room and grabbed my phone. "Hopefully everything goes well," I whispered as I turned it on.
I opened Instagram and there it was. The exact picture. The same one from my dream. The same one I'd seen that night. Even though I'd come across it before, it still felt strange. Still shocked, I threw my phone onto the carpet.
"This can't be real… I must be imagining things," I whispered.
I slapped my own cheek. "Ouch! It hurts… It's true. It really is true," I muttered, panicking.
I grabbed my phone again thank God it wasn't broken and scrolled to the post to confirm what I already knew. It was the picture, the quote… but this time, something was different.
Posted three minutes ago.
"How…?" I whispered.
I zoomed in. The username wasn't D.A. anymore. It was similar in a way, but there were sight differences
It was @D.A.1.
Slightly different, but it had to be the same person. I was sure of it.
Without hesitation, I followed him. He had no followers, no following just an empty, eerie profile, like it had been created moments ago. Suspicious. Almost too clean.
I typed the same message from my dream, word for word, and hit send.
Then again, he started typing.
Then, just like before… he stopped.
And left me on seen.
I smiled. "Guess now I have to buy a ticket."
That evening, I booked a flight. It didn't take long I already knew what to do. I packed my backpack, grabbed my stuff, and stepped out of my room. Everything all over again, just like in the dream.
"Where in the world are you going?" Fei asked groggily, sipping her morning coffee.
"Well, I'm going somewhere far away an adventure of a lifetime, at least in this life," I said, winking as I tossed her my spare car keys.
"Wait, what? I don't understand. Why are you giving me your keys? This is all too sudden! What's going on with you today? Are you ill or something?" she asked, her tone turning serious.
"To answer your question, I'm perfectly fine. And if you're wondering I'm going to the airport. I need you to pick up my car later; don't want to leave it there. I won't be gone long, trust me. Try not to miss me too much," I said with a smirk as I passed by.
"You're leaving? Seriously!? Does Dr. Heiri know about this? You've never gone anywhere alone! Isn't this dangerous? Are you even ready?" she panicked.
"That is precisely why I need to do this," I said, slipping on my shoes. "We've got to try something new in life at some point, don't you think?"
Her voice softened. "Why didn't you tell me earlier, my friend? Don't you trust me at all?"
Her disappointment was apparent, and it hurt. I wanted to tell her everything but I just couldn't. And it's not like I have a choice here right now
"I want to, Fei. I really do. But I can't. I'll catch up with you later, okay? Wish me luck."
And before she could say another word, I left. I started the car engine and drove towards the airport.
Was I even doing the right thing? Was I on the right track? Maybe not. But for the first time in forever, I felt alive. My heart told me this was something I needed to do something that was meant to happen.
Half an hour later, there was still an hour before my flight. I suddenly had cold feet. Where had that fiery spirit gone? Whose idea was this, anyway?
What if I didn't find him?
What if I did?
What would I even say?
What if he thought I was a creep?
Why didn't I think this through?
I kept overthinking every possible scenario until I felt a sudden urge to check his account again.
A new post was there. The words written on it were....
"Overthinking can be stressful. So avoid it, if you want a peaceful life."
I smiled.
How ironic.
He really did know what to say, even when I didn't ask. It's like he's always there at the perfect time.
(You liked D.A.1.'s post)