The Beginning of Us
In the soft morning light, Chloe Anderson lay on her bed, her beautiful face twisted in fear.
In her nightmare, she found herself in a chilling, empty room. The air was thick with an icy dread that seemed to pulse with every beat of her heart. “Where is this?” She mumbled.
A shadowy figure stood in the center, holding a gun with a steady hand. Chloe’s eyes widened as she saw someone lying on the floor, blood pooling around them.
“Oh my God!” she gasped in terror. It was her. It was her own body, lifeless and cold. Her heart raced, a cold sweat forming on her brow.
“No! Please, don’t!” Chloe screamed, her voice echoing in the void, but the shadow paid her no mind. The figure’s voice was chillingly calm as it uttered, “You deserve to die.”
“No! Stop” Chloe tried to move toward her fallen self, her limbs feeling heavy and unresponsive.
Suddenly, a loud gunshot echoed, and Chloe’s eyes flew open. She was back in her room, heart racing, sweat dampening her forehead.
“Ugh, what a nightmare!” she muttered, her voice trembling. She grabbed her phone to check the time and her eyes widened in panic.
“No, no, no!” she muttered in panic, “I’m getting late!”
In her rush to get up, Chloe’s foot tangled in the bed sheets, sending her crashing to the floor with a painful thud.
“Ouch! This is exactly what I needed!” she groaned, rubbing her sore knee. Frustrated and flustered, she pushed herself up, muttering, “Perfect. Just Perfect.”
Determined to get ready quickly, Chloe stumbled into the bathroom, her movements hurried and disjointed.
After a rushed shower, she dressed in her college outfit, light-wash skinny jeans, a crisp white blouse, and a pastel pink cardigan that added a splash of color.
She slipped on her white sneakers and gave her hair a quick brush, letting it fall in loose waves.
Grabbing her bag, she dashed downstairs, her mother’s voice called out from the kitchen, “Chloe, breakfast is ready! Come have something before you leave.”
“Can’t, Mom! I’m already late!” Chloe shouted back, and bolted out the door.
The cool morning air greeted her as she sprinted toward the college gates, still reeling from the unsettling dream.
As she entered the college grounds, she accidentally bumped into someone. The collision nearly sent her sprawling again.
“Sorry!” she blurted, her voice tinged with panic. Without pausing to look at the person she’d run into, she hurriedly continued toward the entrance.
The guy she bumped into momentarily stunned, watched the girl hurry away. His heart pounded with an unfamiliar intensity, the impact of the brief encounter lingering in his chest.
He turned to follow her with his gaze until his friend’s hand clapped him on the shoulder.
“Ethan, man, you okay?” his friend asked, noticing Ethan’s distracted expression.
Ethan blinked, snapping out of his daze. “Yeah... yeah, I’m fine.” he replied, though he couldn’t help but glance back once more before starting to walk away.
Meanwhile, Chloe walked into the classroom, the lingering fear from her nightmare still in her mind.
The room buzzed with the usual morning chatter as students settled into their seats. Chloe spotted her best friend, Emma, waving excitedly from the back of the room.
Emma’s face lit up as Chloe approached. “Finally, the late queen arrives!” she teased, giving Chloe a playful smack on the head.
“Ow! Hey, I had a tough battle with my bed this morning, and it won.” Chloe responded, rubbing her head and grinning sheepishly.
Emma laughed, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “You and your bed are always at war. Maybe one day you’ll finally win.”
Chloe shook her head, her smile widening. “I doubt it. It’s like a never-ending saga. But I promise, I’ll try to win the next round.”
Emma’s laughter was infectious, and Chloe found herself laughing along, the tension from her nightmare slowly melting away.
Emma nudged Chloe playfully. “Now, sit down before our professor decides to make us do extra homework for tardiness!”
As Chloe and Emma settled into their seats, the classroom door creaked open, and the professor, Mr. Thompson, walked in. With a stern expression and a stack of papers in hand, he surveyed the room before speaking.
“Good morning, everyone!” Mr. Thompson said, his voice commanding attention. “Please open your textbooks to page 32. We’ll be starting a new chapter today.”
The students quickly rustled through their bags, pulling out their textbooks and flipping to the designated page. Chloe exchanged a quick glance with Emma, who gave her a playful wink before both turned their focus to the front of the room.
Mr. Thompson began his lecture, and the classroom fell into a quiet, attentive hum as he explained the day’s lesson.
