Once I managed to get to my room, I opened my cupboard and stared at the coffee packs inside. I grabbed them and hid them in my cabinet, making sure they will be out of sight whenever I open it. I even covered them with clothes I no longer use so they’ll stay hidden.

“That's taken care of,” I muttered to myself then shrugged.

I went to the bathroom to prepare for bed. Once I was done, I received a message from Kaiden, telling me he was already home. I bid him good night and he told me to rest well.

Despite knowing I didn’t sleep well last night, I couldn’t sleep right now. Probably from passing out earlier today. I could only stare at the ceiling.

I blinked and the room turned dark. I shot up from my bed and quickly reached for my phone. Based on how dark the room was, I figured the city had a blackout. I used my phone to illuminate the room and I immediately headed to the light switch across the room. No matter how many times I flipped it, the light never returned. I sighed and went out to the hallway. Remembering the dream I had last week, I turned to my room from the doorway… no mysterious man sitting on my bed. Why did I even consider this a dream? I dashed down the hallway, towards the lobby.

I heard hoots from out the window of the lobby and I turned my phone to it. An owl with the brightest colors landed on the windowsill of the now open window.

“Hey, little guy…” I smiled as I approached the owl. “Came to give me a little visit?” I remembered what Kaiden said back at the café and gasped, “Are you Kaiden’s familiar?”

The owl only hooted and flew into the room, flying down the hallway, its figure disappearing into the darkness. Light erupted from under my feet and paved a path in front of me.

“Oh frack,” I cussed. “It’s a dream.”

I rolled my eyes and followed the path. The short hallway of the building was longer, almost endless. I didn’t know how long I was walking since my phone was suddenly gone. I managed to catch up to the owl, though. I found it sitting atop a tall bookshelf… do we even have bookshelves in the building? Where am I?

The owl hooted and jumped off the bookshelf, gliding towards the darkness once more.

“Wait!” I yelled and ran after it.

I reached a window and… probably from being preoccupied with chasing the owl, climbed it and jumped out.

I found myself in that crater once more. I looked down and saw something new. I saw a statue under the crystal clear waters below. It was of a man and woman, joined at the head, both in lotus positions. I had a feeling they were twins, for some reason. I turned to the stairs and jumped down, eventually passing the stair tread I stopped in the dream before. Confident that I probably will not fall this time, I continued down until I reached the last tread. Now that I reached the bottom, I realized the water looked deeper than usual. One by one, stone steps that lead to the statue materialized in front of me. Once I jumped onto the first step, the stone sank so fast that I fell into the water. I didn’t know how to swim so I accepted my fate and sank to the bottom.

I jerked awake and quickly checked the time when I realized it was already morning. I also realized shortly that it was Saturday so there was unnecessary panic right there. I rolled on my bed and reached for the curtains beside my bed, pushing them aside slightly so I could peer out the window. It was a cloudy day… I hoped it would rain. I was feeling a little adventurous so I rolled out of bed and took a quick shower. It was a cloudy spring day, making it an ideal walking condition for me. It was a cold morning so I grabbed my coat in case I get too cold. I got out of the apartment and headed to the nearest park. It was quite a walk but I didn’t mind. It was the closest thing to nature I can get in this city so I visit it after a stressful day or week.

I stopped by a convenience store and grabbed a steaming cup of coffee. I looked up at the sky and saw the cumulonimbus clouds getting even darker. Just when I was close to the park, it started pouring. I sprinted towards a shed and sat there for the duration of the rain. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate that… In fact, I love it when I’m outside and it’s raining. Also, this is the reason why I bought a cup of coffee from the convenience store (Don’t tell Kaiden… and the doctor). So, I spent an hour in the shed just enjoying the sound, and smell of the rain. I would constantly put out my hand to accumulate a small puddle of rainwater on my palm. I also took the opportunity to take a picture. It was the best sight I’ve seen in a while… narrowly beating that foggy afternoon in the school. You should have seen it, readers; the fog even entered the classroom. Let’s just say, whatever my cell and molecular biology teacher said about DNA extraction that day never got into my head…. Aside, of course, from the words, “DNA extraction”. If you’re reading this, Miss Sirius, I’m so sorry! I swear I did know the steps of DNA extraction during the exam. Not all of it but… enough to pass.

Once the rain subsided, I stepped out of the shed to look for a trashcan. If it weren’t for my introvert reflexes on evading people, I would have bumped into a random guy passing by. I’m pretty proud of myself for managing that, actually. As consequence, I did get a few drops of rain accumulated on his umbrella. I managed to find a trashcan and took a quick, leisurely stroll around the park. When I reached the end, I breathed in a lungful of crisp, cold air and went back home.

Upon reaching the apartment building, I saw Miss Ester leaning against the door to my apartment. Instinctively, I racked my brain, looking for any plans of meeting anyone I might have forgotten. Of course, I wouldn’t have agreed to meet in my apartment... it’s messy inside. She turned towards my direction and waved once she saw me. I smiled half-heartedly and walked to her, telling myself not to make it too obvious that I was uncomfortable with her unannounced visit. How did she know where I live, anyway? No one in my class knows where I live. I haven’t even updated Laura when I moved apartments.

“Isabella!” she smiled brightly, holding her purse with both her hands now, “Where have you been?”

“Uh, I just went out for a walk in the park,” I replied, my hands slightly shaking at my sides.

“I see,” she pouted and lightly tugged at the back of her red and white polka-dot dress. “I was actually waiting for you since yesterday but you didn’t show up. Did something happen?”

“Wh-what?” I stuttered, confused.

“In your dream… I told you to come see me.”

Seeing my even more confused expression now made her chuckle. “Ah, you still don’t see it.”

“See what?”

She took a step closer to me, and I instinctively stepped back. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

It took me a few seconds to process what she said. Once I fully grasped what she meant, I quickly reached into my pocket for my keys and nervously inserted it to the lock. I opened the door and gestured for her to enter. She smiled and entered, muttering a "thank you" while she walked past me. I followed behind her and closed the door gently. I nervously cleaned out my small coffee table at the center of the room and gestured for her to sit.

“Would you like some coffee? Anything you’d want to drink?” I asked her, thankful that I didn't just stutter.

She shook her head no as she sat. “No, thank you.”

I nodded and sat across the table. “About earlier…”

“Hmm? Oh, of course… One second.” she rummaged around her purse and brought out a small, black pouch, “Would you mind holding onto this please?”

I glanced at her then picked up the pouch. Whatever was inside felt heavy in my hands. “Why?”

“I assume you already know Miss Angeline Sirius?”

“My cell and molecular biology teacher? How is she involved in this?”

“Well, when you see her on Monday, give her that. She’ll get the message.”

“I’m sorry,” I gently placed the small bag on the table, leaving a faint ‘tac’ sound, leading me to think there was stone inside, “What does it have anything to do with me or that dream I had? How did you know about that?”

She chuckled. “All your questions will be answered in time, Miss Sinclair. All I can really say is that I am simply one of the people you’re meant to cross paths with in this life. Unfortunately, this will be the last time.”

“Meant…to?”

She smiled at me once more before she got up and left the apartment, leaving me with more questions than answers. I kept muttering what she told me over and over. While I did, I fixated on how messy my apartment had gotten so I decided to clean up. I fixed my bed, and refolded my clothes in the cabinet. I even saw the coffee packs I hid in my cabinet and had to roll my eyes. I placed them back and used a black scarf that I haven’t seen in a while to cover it.

“Sorry, mom..” I said as I closed the door. “The coffee must not speak to me..." I managed a half-hearted chuckle. "Not anymore, anyway.”

I checked my phone and saw a message from Laura. 'Do you know how to solve the 5th problem in the handouts?'

I felt panic rise from my gut when I remembered the handouts. 'Crap! I haven’t even started yet!'

'You better get started then. I started this morning and haven’t managed to answer much since then.'

'I will! Thanks! Good luck!'

I shut off my phone and rushed to my bag. I brought out my file case and took the handout I got from Professor Owens. I placed the paper on my study table, along with my pen and some used paper to try to solve the problems.