The Night Before II

I was walking straight, and he was walking backwards. Staring at me, drenched in the smell of beer and sweat he asked "why was I gloomy?"', Was I? This was an adjective which I don't relate to. All I ever related to is the frustration of being born and living.

Not getting an answer from me he turned around with a face and increased his pace, probably to get away from me. I cross questioned him, asked why he left early to which he replied with a cracking voice, "Today I wasn't feeling well, guess nostalgia got me early". God he was gonna cry, but he was right. Everyone was crying or at least tears formed in the line of their eyes and it wasn't even the last day of school. Was it a "before effect" of something bad that was about to happen?

Smirkingly, I asked him what if the last day of school never ends, it goes on for eternity, like a dream of angels- He interrupted me saying, "it will be a nightmare of devils, you know I hate school"

I laughed and so did he, at least I wasn't mean this time.

The streets were empty, in a way it would remind someone that it is a remnant of something that was there a long time ago. Darkness filled the space with street light acting as a waypoint for us. It isn't supposed to be this dark at this hour of the time. We walked for some time and the school was still in view.

I turned around to see Vivaan but he wasn't there. I shouted for him but to my dismay no reply came, only a white noise, screeching, its volume was increasing as I was making my way towards the gate of school. I tasted blood, I smelled blood, my nose is bleeding with it, something rotten and banging of doors everywhere as if someone was trying to get in.

The gate of the school was just a few inches away from me but I wasn't able to get in, I realized I wasn't even moving. I was exhausted, at the edge of passing out, I don't know what is happening, everything was fine a moment ago.

I found myself gasping for breath now, my senses have gone numb, I wanted to shout and cry for help but I wasn't able to move, it was like paralysis, sleep paralysis. I have read about it; all I need to do is stay calm, focus on my breathing and shut everything out. So, I did, one last time, gain enough momentum to make a leap and cross the school gate.

As soon as I dashed for a second, I felt everything, the building and the road moving backwards as we see from a moving train.

Everything changed transformed, wasn't gasping anymore nor was I bleeding. Everything seemed fresh as day. It was day, it's supposed to be night, the school premises was filled with students. The sun is shining bright as red firefly in sky, and I was standing straight as a tree, watching everyone rushing at the sound of bell. I did the same, to not feel left out. My memories were getting fuzzy as I was making my way to class and a bad headache caught me.

At least I made my way to the class and was now sitting head down on a bench, trying to rest, Vivaan was still not here. Something was happening and it was bad like a nightmare but I wasn't able to separate it.

Now the homeroom teacher whose face has been blurred out was roll calling, all his facial features were distorted and those who replied to his call there features were also getting distorted and those who didn't answer, they were just gone, I wasn't able to remember, my brain was hurting, the heat, is it the summer heat everything was moving so fast, before my roll call came, I rushed out of the classroom ad ran across the corridor, now everyone's faces were blurred out except mine, they were moving their heads 360 degree as I crossed them. I jumped down the stairs and ran towards the gate.

Now the sky was blood red with no sun in the sky. Only an eerie sound followed me as soon as I crossed the main gate again, I passed out, everything started going blank, with one last thought pondering, why would Vivaan text me? He didn't even know I was at the badminton court. Who was I with?

The last sound I heard was a breaking of the door and a flood of warm water flashing all over me. I was seeing things in black, color slowly returning to my eyes with my senses, I saw Vivaan standing tall in front of me in his jersey, him coming in the shower stall and turning the knobs to cold.

He was shouting something like, "why would you take a hot shower in summer?"

I wasn't saying anything, just lying down there naked, with the cold shower flowing on both of us. He helped me get up and left the stall so that I could cover myself.

It was past 10 o'clock now, everyone was gone and I was only able to remember pieces of what had happened. It was a nightmare, a bad one. I don't get nightmares; I don't get anything.

When I came out, he was sitting on the bench listening to songs, I poked him and asked, "can we do a cab?", to which he replied, "sure".

The ride back was filled with silence but at least there were no empty streets anymore. I realized Vivaan was stealing glances at me to make sure I am Okay. I was happy but scared as if something bad was gonna happen. You can call it a premonition.