same old story, same old song | the umbrella academy

October 1.2, 1999

Beep, beep, beep, beep!

Maya quickly shuts off the alarm and jumps off the bed.

What was that?

She gets no time to question anything before her parents are calling out for her to get downstairs.

Car, school, hang out. Nothing is different from her dream from last night. The same ticks are present, and she reacts to them the same way, and it's like it's her first time living the day except it isn't.

When she goes to grab her bike to leave the park, she realizes maybe it wasn't a dream. Maybe it's her intuition. Maybe when she grabs the bike she will be killed in a hit and run, after being too stuck in her thoughts. Or maybe it was just a dream. A realistic one, that is. A prophetic one.

Tick!

—It's your birthday, isn't it? —

She turns around, finding the man from the bench in front of her.

Tick, tick, tick, tick-

It's constant again, and there's no way it isn't triggered by the man himself. Maya acts oblivious, starting to get on her bike, and using her classic line, —Lo siento, no hablo inglés. —

—No mientas. —don't lie? Maya frowns at the man, and his suit too formal for a park, and his briefcase too big for a weirdo, —Don't bike to your home, people get crazy driving at this time. —

-tick, tick, tick, tick-

She squints at him. —I will be okay, thank you. —her curiosity then speaks, —Who are you? —

—Call me Hazel. —the man smiles, —You have no idea of what's out there. If you're gonna be very distracted biking, don't do it. You'll get hit, or something. You can even get hit by the mayor himself! He's crazy, kid. —

Does he know about her dream?

—I will be okay. —she repeats, —Thank you. —

He nods. —Okay, then. Don't say I didn't warn you. —

Thriink!

Without any more words, she starts pedaling away. A loud bang from the man's direction makes her flinch and again, a flash blinds her momentarily.