Prologue

March 8

When the music began to fade and the club's vibrant lights matched the birds' abrupt chirping, a little sparrow flew into my field of vision. I can easily make out the characteristics of the sparrow despite all the varied and colorful lights swirling across the bar.

But soon after, a raven appeared in the picture. The sparrow and the raven eventually grew to be the size of a man as they clutched their feathery hands.

huh

The raven tore off the sparrow's arms—or, maybe I should say, wings—after barely a brief moment of unexpected calm. That doesn't matter, the sparrow began to turn blue, and the raven and wingless sparrow both began to chuckle.

"Ha," I grinned as I watched everything unfold. My muscles were too relaxed to laugh properly, even though I wanted to laugh as loudly as the birds.

"This shit is magical,"

The minute I uttered that, the birds vanished; the effects have now totally dissipated.

Whenever someone inhales this, the lights become excessively brilliant, and the seemingly monotonous environment becomes colorful. Heck, it even temporarily fixes my colorblindness.

Who said happiness couldn't be bought?

"Aren't you tired of this shit yet, how about you inhale some extra powerful stuff?"

I cast a strange look toward the source of the voice. After all, I'm high, but I imagine he doesn't mind; he must be high as well.

But who is he exactly?

My eyesight is a little foggy right now, and although I can't fully recall the name of the person who came before me, I can infer that he is a colleague of mine.

The majority of us frequently visit this location after work to vent off some steam.

"Hey, Freddy — - "

When the effects of the amount I took wear off, my eyesight returns to normal, and the colleague with the glasses—whose name I still can't remember—held a card in his hands. A ringing in my ears prevented me from hearing what he was saying clearly.

While I don't know him, I'm presuming he is a colleague of mine because I responded with a sick-sounding, "Yes." and he didn't mind at all.

But soon enough, my paranoia kicks in, my breathing becomes deeper, and my chest feels heavy. I didn't like this sensation, and the solution was in my immediate vicinity. I thus snort another line.

"Hey, dude, you dropped your ID card."

The card I was using to construct my lines was handed to me by the possible colleague; I must have dropped it at that moment.

A quick check of the card reveals the name of it's owner. 'Frederick Elrod'

That's probably me.

Now, I wonder why this seems so familiar. As though it were déjà vu. It's like I'm reliving the same night again.

Certainly, I'm high.

March 9

I should quit using drugs because my head hurts. I do, however, wind up taking them despite how frequently I claim I won't.

I awoke with a minor headache; I must have passed out the night before. After seeing the state of my room, I definitely ended up inhaling more than usual last night

It's simple to detect that my living situation is disorganized, but I just don't have the time to clean my apartment. But given that there are a few spiders here and there in my room, perhaps I should.

I gave my alarm a second snooze and got out of bed to prepare for another workday. Even though it is the height of summer, today's weather seemed out of character because it was wet and a little cool.

I did all I could to clean up my extremely dirty room before leaving for work. The busy street in front of my apartment building was as crowded as usual; despite the heavy rain; the water from the storm had made it messier.

I was in a post-drug lucidity and was waiting to cross the street at the end of the crosswalk when something similar to last night's experience struck me again.

The lights above the crossing went green, signaling that we might proceed. A vague remembrance suddenly snuck its way into my consciousness as the young woman next to me hurried to cross the street.

This incident reminds me of a black vehicle striking the same girl at a crossing on a rainy day. It's unlike the déjà vu I experienced yesterday.

Yesterday seemed like it had already occurred after the incident, but today seems like it will happen.

I moved forward instinctively to save the girl from her impending demise.

"What the hell?"

When the girl yelled, I realized I had instinctively grabbed her hand in an attempt to stop her. The individuals around me halted in their tracks and gave me strange stares.

"Roads are slick; proceed with caution." I disguised the circumstances so that I did not appear to be a sex offender. My wide eyes returned to normal after surveying the road, and I quietly sighed in relief, realizing that my vision was only an illusion created by drugs in my head. The crosswalk is still clean and there is no black vehicle in sight.

"Whatever...Retard"

The young woman shrugged off my hand while cursing at me and walking away. I began to squint and thought, ‘I should really quit doing drugs.’

I inhaled deeply and started to cross the street, but before I could take a step, I saw a black vehicle traveling at high-speed strike the girl in the center of the street.

"Fuck"

Was all I could utter in disbelief after seeing the scene in front of me. The surrounding people began yelling and frantically fleeing, and the automobiles halted, bringing an abrupt end to the chaos. My ears instantly stopped working and just slightly rang, the busy street became silent, and I was unable to take my eyes off the scene in front of me.

I witnessed her getting run over by the automobile as it squeezed the life out of her as the blood streamed in the air mingled with the rainfall. The cruel motorist continued on without stopping, leaving a decapitated body on the road with bloody fleas that were being carried away by the rain.

It's difficult for me to put into words the range of feelings I was experiencing, but I was shocked—shocked that I couldn't save her—and perplexed about how I had known what would happen.

*****

After dealing with the crazy events of my day—a seemingly bizarre mishap in the morning and the demanding job at the office—I eventually collapsed on my bed and began the book I was reading.

Nevertheless, before I could open the book, my phone rang; although it is not rare for someone to contact me this late, but the caller is peculiar.

"Hello"

[Frederick...]

I was stunned by her voice since it sounded like she was sobbing. She would never expose such a vulnerable side of herself to anyone.

"Yeah?"

[Frederick...Your dad, his condition had worsened]

My father had been hospitalized for three years before I moved out of town for this work; I suppose it was unavoidable given his disease.

[He would much appreciate you if you could come to see him.]

She was a dependable and strong woman in front of us, but I think even the strongest one's falter when it comes to their loved ones. I've never heard her speak with such sadness in her voice.

"I understand. I'll be there by tomorrow's flight."

[Thank you. I'm grateful.]

I was unable to adequately express my current feelings. When your parents become older, you kind of anticipate them to abandon you at any minute. I suppose there is no use in attempting to comprehend how I was feeling at the moment.

I use my phone to schedule a trip back home for tomorrow morning, then I just go to pack the things I'll need as I have to leave for home straight away.

The Next Day

Despite the alarm going off earlier than usual, I awoke without incident. While I had trouble sleeping the night before, there was no time to waste today as I had a flight to catch.

I got out of bed and prepared myself until I noticed something unusual. There was nothing I packed. I swear I packed everything last night unless I was once again intoxicated. I have no recollection of doing drugs the night before.

"Oh, fuck"

There was no time to waste on figuring this out since I have to pack everything again. Unlike last night, I swiftly pack what I need and get ready to leave.

"Where the fuck is the ticket?"

I was looking through my phone for the e-ticket I had purchased the night before, but it was missing from it. Although I can redownload it from the app even after I had deleted it, there is no information about me having booked any flights at all.

"Hold the fuck on"

I just realized what it was after extensively checking the app. It's March 9, according to a quick date check.

"Wait, what the heck is going on?"

Is it drugs again? Is it possible that I overdosed on narcotics yesterday night, and that I am experiencing March 9 again?

Or was the whole incident regarding the girl's accident a nightmare I experienced after overdosing on drugs?

My breathing becomes irregular; my chest is once again heavy. I need drugs.

"FUCCCCK"

I had to hit the wall to stop my urge to snort, but as I do, my body starts to feel cold. Is this because I'm not doing drugs, or is it because it's cold outside?

It's not the time to be paranoid; I need to check on my father's health first. I called him right away as a result.

"Um...Hey"

The call was successfully connected.

[Freddy? It's unusual for you to call here.]

"Anna? What exactly are you doing there?"

My younger sister, Anna, attends a university hundreds of miles from our house, so I was taken aback when she answered the phone.

[I was visiting home during my semester breaks] I had forgotten about her semester breaks, but now is not the time to recollect all that; I have a lot more vital issues to check.

"I see. How is Dad doing?"

[That's even more unusual]

"Yeah, just answer it."

[He is the same as always]

"Has his condition deteriorated?"

[NO, why do you even ask that]

Indeed, it was an unexpected question to ask, especially after I had phoned after such a long period.

"Just tell me"

[No, he is good. Anything else?]

"Thanks"

She was obviously annoyed by how I behaved on the phone, but now that I know my father is okay, my paranoia is vanquished, and I could unpack my belongings and get ready to resume my regular work days at my workplace.

But, as soon as I left my apartment complex, I was met with the typical sight of the busy road and the torrential downpour.

I was immediately brought back to the fatality I saw on March 9. I'm still unable to determine whether or not anything I experienced was a dream brought on by a drug overdose.

The same girl fled from just alongside me as the light turned green. I automatically reached out to grasp her to stop her from traveling in the direction of certain doom, but I stopped.

I remembered the embarrassing moment the previous time when the SUV arrived late, and I was the one who kept her engaged in the middle of the street.

I kept an eye on the girl's back as she crossed the street, and just as she got to the center of the road, a fast black Vehicle appeared out of nowhere, stomping over the girl.

This time, I wasn't as surprised as I was the prior time, and my ears weren't ringing. I was just perplexed by what was happening in my life. This goes much beyond what typical drugs are capable of.

When I turned back, I observed everyone scurrying away hysterically, the street appeared to be empty, and among all the rushing people, I noticed a man gazing at the girl's lifeless corpse while donning a blue hat.

The habit of individuals gawking at the scene of accidents is common, although...

He held an odd expression on his face. I suppose I'm just being overly suspicious, however.

"Damn it,"

I leave the area and make my way to my office, but I can't seem to get it out of my head. The temperature dropped and I shivered visibly.

I returned to my typical routine at the office, but I realized at this point that my life would no longer be normal.

*****

There was nothing out of the ordinary at work, but the start of my day was strange; I declined to go to the club today because I am afraid of taking any more drugs.

I lay down on the bed, since my head is beginning to hurt a little, and prepare to fall asleep.

But my phone rang, and I snatched it up with exhausted arms.

"Hello"

I responded groggily.

[F-Fred...]

I jerked back up when I heard Anna's weeping voice.

"Anna. What's wrong?"

I questioned, but I already knew what she was going to answer

[It's dad...His health has suddenly gotten worse]

All of my exhaustion vanished, and I couldn't say a single thing to console her; I am stunned. I'm convinced I'm living the same day twice, but why? How?

She invited me to see our father at home throughout the remainder of the conversation, which was quite similar to what had happened previously.

I wonder whether I'm dreaming since it seems so genuine. I shouldn't be conscious that it's a dream.

Will committing suicide wake me up?

I had this concept, but I soon dismissed it since I couldn't take the chance at this time; instead, I needed to come up with a more practical answer.

"Fucking hell."

I groan and collapse into my couch. Being unaware of your surroundings and having your memory play games on you is irritating.

With a sigh of defeat, I purchased another airline ticket back home, confident that I would finally discover all of the answers.

March 10

I checked the dates as soon as I woke up and confirmed that it was really March 10. It appears that I am not stuck in a loop.

I felt a wave of relaxation, but the fear quickly returned. The bags I packed last night aren't packed anymore, and the tidy space I made over is back to being a mess.

The biggest shock of them all was that there was no flight ticket; I had booked last night, but the app still said that I hadn't made any bookings. I'd had enough of these startling incidents.

I made another urgent call to my house, but...

[Hello...]

A middle-aged man's voice with a deep tone was audible over the phone. It was my father who answered the phone.

"Hey..."

[Fred? Is that you?]

I smiled shakily.

"Yeah.."

[How are you doing, my son? So, what makes you call this old man]

Dad was unbelievably upbeat with me, and I was relieved to speak to him at all, given that I hadn't done so for three years following his hospitalization.

"I was just...you know...I wanted to check on your health "

Dad sounded well, but the dad I know shouldn't be able to answer the phone.

He seemed enthusiastic as he said, [I'm doing well, how about you?]

Dad's voice made him sound 10 years younger than he actually was, so I realized something was amiss. I quickly stopped the discussion after ensuring his health, but what about myself? Something is clearly wrong with me.

My mind is playing tricks on me; my days have been strange, and I'm at a loss for words. Yet, sitting here taxing my brain cells won't help me; I need to learn everything I can about my circumstances.

I got up to get dressed since it feels colder today than it did yesterday. As I checked out my window, I discovered that it was snowing.

"What?"

How could it be snowing this season, yet the folks below were behaving normally is as perplexing to me as it ever was. Moving out, I put on a coat.

The same bustling roadway where the girl had died was the first thing to greet my eyes. As if nothing had happened, life continued as normal. It's possible that nothing at all had occurred and everything was only a dream.

I scanned the surroundings, and the same man with the blue hat caught my attention. But this time, he was staring at me. He didn't even try to look away; instead, he just gazed directly into my eye, which made me uncomfortable.

I slid my hands into my pocket, securely gripping the knife I had taken. My nervousness got the best of me, and I ended up grabbing a knife, which I am now pleased I did.

As soon as I started moving along the sidewalk, the man started following me, as I had expected.

After a while of walking, I stopped, made it as though I had forgotten something, and then turned around. I started moving in the direction of the man who was following me.

I considered the possibility that he was armed, or at least had some weapons that he might use against me, such as a knife, but I wasn't willing to pass up this opportunity to obtain an answer to the unusualness of my life.

I didn't know whether he had anything to do with any of it, but at this point, I would be suspicious of anything that seemed out of the ordinary in my life.

The man abruptly turned around and began to move when he saw that I was approaching him. The man is now being followed by me, although it appeared more like he was guiding me.

I kept an eye on him to make sure he didn't get lost in the mob, but it turns out he had no intention of fleeing in the first place.

The man entered the alleyway opposite to my apartment building, which is not an ideal spot to fight but is adequate in this scenario because the lane has multiple dumpsters to hide most of its portions.

As the man in question entered the alleyway, I had kept a safe distance from him, so the instant he was out of sight, I quickened my speed and began sprinting towards the alley.

When I turned into the alley, I braced myself for an attack because I expected it, but all I saw was another dead body.

I looked around the entire lane with no one in sight, while the man I was chasing lay there, motionless with blood pouring from his skull. How on earth could he pass away so suddenly? A suicide, perhaps?

I wanted to flee since I was starting to feel paranoid once more, but my first indication was right there. I drew out my handkerchief to protect my hands and carefully examined his pockets.

Along with that, I was on the watch for potential assassins who may attempt to kill me in a similar manner to how they had slain this man.

I discovered a photograph of an old building inside his outer pocket, and below the photograph was an address, most likely of the building.

As time passed, my chest felt heavier and heavier, so I quickly exited the alleyway after grabbing the photo.

*****

Everyone stepped off the metro car one by one. Eventually, the packed train was empty, and I was the only passenger left.

My arms were crossed, and I was gripping my gun securely in the interior pocket of my coat with one of them. I ended up purchasing one because I felt a threat to my safety. Thanks to my country's lax gun restrictions, it was simple to get.

While it’s quite a way from my house, I was making my way to the address of the old building in the picture because I need to know the answers and I can't allow my anxiety to stop me from doing so.

The most sensible course of action, in this case, would be to call the police, but how would I even begin to explain to them my bizarre circumstances—not to mention the fact that they include drugs?

As more and more passengers left the train, my fear of being killed reduced; but as soon as it was completely empty, a foreboding atmosphere pervaded the whole subway system. I had been on high alert the entire time I was traveling.

The thought that something horrible was about to happen to me sent a shiver down my spine, making me even more on edge for no apparent reason.

I sensed the approach of something familiar.

*Creak*

I quickly turned to face the door as I heard it open. It was another individual.

He had a strong build, was dressed in jeans and a black hoodie, had a light beard, and from the look of his face, appeared to be relatively young—likely a university student.

I maintained an eye on him while trying not to seem creepy as he continued to walk straight, then the young man halted in front of me.

He was smiling wryly down at me as I turned to face him.

"You need something?"

I began by breaking the ice. He paused for three seconds before continuing.

"Hello, Mr. Frederick Elrod."

He extended his hand for a handshake, and I carefully rose from my seat, matching our eye levels, one of my arms remaining in my inner coat pocket, carrying the revolver.

"So who are you? How did you find out my name?"

I didn't stop asking him questions as I went along.

"Be calm, Mr. Elrod. I'm only here to give you a warning."

"What are you talking about?"

The young man drew nearer and stared intently into my eyes as I was visibly trembling yet prepared to fight.

"To keep your nose out of what you're investigating. Just enjoy the time you have left in your peaceful life"

What time have I left in life? What does that mean?

"You call all this peaceful? I have no idea what the fuck is going on in my life."

My fury was obvious, but it was more of a façade I put up to conceal my fear. I yelled at him and pulled out my revolver, pointing at him.

I was terrified of this unexpected circumstance. Yet, contrary to my expectations, the young man smiled amusingly once again.

"I suppose ignorance is bliss."

I moved a few steps back out of reflex as he groaned and came closer to me with a menacing face.

"Stop or I'll shoot alright"

I warned him, but to no avail.

With a disinterested tone, he said,

"Then shoot,"

And he continued to approach me as I took steps back in the deserted train.

The lights began to flicker, and my back was met with the door at the opposite end of the boxcar.

"What's wrong, Shoot"

His words had a sterner tone, and his face appeared more menacing. As a result, my dread of dying overcame me, and I ended up firing the gun.

"Huh?"

What the heck? I couldn't squeeze the trigger because the gun was jammed. Fuck, Fuck. With a startled expression, I stared at the gun in my hands and lifted my head to confront the approaching guy when he abruptly seized my neck.

"Ugggh" He pressed me against the wall, staring right into my eyes, the agony in my throat intensifying by the second, making it difficult to breathe.

I struggled to escape his grasp, but his might was too much for me. His pitch-black iris appeared menacing.

It was difficult for me to stay conscious at this point, but I could clearly hear what he was saying:

"Take this as a lesson Freddy and stay out of my way."

The entire train shook as he finished speaking; the lights flickered more than before, and the glasses shattered.

I felt as though I was floating but it was simply the train rotating in the air as the metal fragments flowed, and a sting went through my legs as my eyes were slowly shutting, but I could still watch the train being destroyed. By the time I finally closed my eyes, the young man was still holding me in his grasp. I'm quite sure I died there.

March 11

I gently opened my eyes, feeling a discomfort in my throat. Oh yeah, I choked to death last night. Wait.....

I opened my eyes with a jolt, and the pain in my throat intensified until I realized I was hanging from a noose.

I rapidly reached for the noose and slipped two of my fingers between it with the other arm while I tried to scream.

"Ummm."

I attempted to speak but quickly realized that my mouth had been sewed shut.

Shit.

I tried to loosen the noose with one hand, but it was attached to a wooden ornament over a window, thus making it difficult to get free.

I tried to yell despite having my mouth stitched shut.

"Ummmmm."

I grabbed the rope with one hand and attempted to loosen it with the other, but it was impossible, so I began striking the wooden ornament.

The impact of my palm against the wood caused blood to stream from it, but the amount of adrenaline racing through my body prevented me from feeling any pain.

I was eventually saved from death when the plaster on the wall peeled off and the wooden ornament fell.

After being saved from certain death once again I realized this is my own apartment, I was hung inside my own apartment.

There were too many mysteries to uncover but right now I exhaled a breath of relief and quickly reached for a box cutter. I examined my face in the mirror. My entire face, as well as my clothes, were covered in blood.

When I slowly took out the sutures, the adrenaline subsided. While I anticipated a stinging agony in my hands, I felt an even worse discomfort in my gut.

I carefully took off my T-shirt to examine the cause, but I now regret doing so. On my tummy, a phrase was etched that said,

'DEATH IS COMING.'