I woke up again.
The rain was still there. Same soft tapping. Same gray light slipping through the curtain. My body felt heavy, like I had not rested at all. I sat up slowly this time. I was afraid to move too fast, afraid the day would shatter again.
I whispered the date. I checked my phone. Same morning. Same hour.
But something was different.
My heart did not race right away. Instead, a strange calm settled in me. Not peace. Just knowing. Like when you already expect bad news, so it hurts less when it comes.
I remembered everything.
The clock.The crosswalk.The white nothing.
My hands trembled as I held them up in front of my face. I squeezed them into fists. I felt the pressure. The pain was real. I let out a shaky breath.
So it was not a dream.
I stood and walked to the mirror. My reflection stared back. Same tired eyes. Same face. But something inside those eyes had changed. They looked older. Not by years. By fear.
I touched the sink. Cold. Solid.
Everything looked the same. But I was not.
At the bakery, the bell rang again. Warm air wrapped around me. The woman smiled. She said the same words as before. I answered without thinking.
But this time, I watched her mouth.
I knew what she would say before she said it.
My stomach twisted. I almost dropped my coffee.
Outside, the rain stopped. All at once.
I laughed. Not because it was funny. Because I felt like crying. Because the world was proving me right.
I walked slower than yesterday. I counted steps again. Not by choice. My mind did it on its own. One. Two. Three. Everything felt like it was being read from a script.
At work, I did not sit right away. I stood by the wall and stared at the clock.
Nine fifteen.
I waited.
The clock stopped.
My breath caught in my throat.
This time, I looked around. I watched people closely. No one reacted. No gasps. No fear. Just typing. Talking. Living.
I felt alone. So alone it hurt.
I pressed my nails into my palm to make sure I was still here.
Then the clock moved again.
I sat down, but my hands would not stop shaking. I tried to read. The words swam on the page. History felt wrong now. The past was not safe anymore. If time could break here, it could break anywhere.
At noon, I did not wait.
I left early again. My heart told me to run, but my legs felt weak. Outside, the sky was too blue. Too clean.
I stood across from the crosswalk.
The light was green.
I stared at it like it was a wild animal.
It turned red.
Cars slowed. The same man stood beside me. Same humming. Same tune.
My chest burned. Tears filled my eyes.
I shook my head. I stepped back.
Nothing happened.
No white. No pull.
I gasped. A small sound escaped my mouth.
I stepped forward again.
The light stayed red. The man hummed. The world waited.
I stepped back once more.
Still nothing.
My knees felt soft. I leaned against the pole and laughed quietly. A broken sound. Relief mixed with fear.
So it could change.
I crossed the street when the light turned green. My heart beat fast, but the world stayed solid beneath my feet.
That night, I sat on my bed and stared at my hands for a long time. I replayed the day in my head. Same start. Same signs. But not the same ending.
Something was listening.
Something was adjusting.
I lay down slowly, afraid to sleep, afraid not to. When I closed my eyes, the white tried to creep back into my thoughts.
I whispered to the dark.
If you are doing this to me, why are you changing things?
The rain answered with silence.
As sleep pulled me under, one thought stayed bright in my mind.
The day was repeating.
But it was no longer the same.
And that meant I was not as powerless as I thought.