COMPLETED ☽༓☾ STARTED DECEMBER 2022
Many say your life flashes before your eyes at death.
Unfortunately, that's not how it was for me.
* * *
Who would've thought a once-in-a-lifetime class trip could become a never-ending nightmare? Well, t...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
* * *
I dart my eyes around my bedroom again. I'm sweating heavily, and my heart is pounding. My bedroom walls look as though they're convulsing with the vibrations of my racing heart. What the fuck was that!? Why am I back here!?
It's all still so engrained into my mind that I'm afraid that at any moment, I could wake up back in the crashing jet. All of it felt so real and terrifying. The passengers' screams, the whine of the failing engines... The sounds still echoed in my head.
I could still feel the flames hitting me, burning away my hair, melting my skin, and fusing my clothing to my disfigured flesh. It was my worst nightmare, and I had just lived it.
I tremble as I stand from my bed. Everything was normal. I wasn't dead. What the fuck just happened!?
Was it a dream? A hallucination?
I don't know!
Sweat runs down my face as I try to calm myself down. It was a dream... But... Why did it feel so real..? I take a few deep breaths to ease my nerves from whatever I just saw before I nervously pick up my clothes and get dressed again. I grab my duffel bag and head downstairs.
"Morning, Claire," Elizabeth says from the kitchen, holding a plate of pancakes. Déjà vu washes over me. This is just like in the dream. It almost feels as if the day has reset itself...
"So, today's your big trip. London... For my senior year trip, we just went to the Six Flags nearby." Elizabeth says condescendingly, taking a bite from her pancakes. Why is everything repeating itself? What is going on!?
I freeze next to the staircase, staring fearfully into space as if I had just seen a ghost. My mind goes blank as I still try to process everything.
"Claire, are you okay? You look pale." Elizabeth remarks, putting down her plate of pancakes before she rushes towards me and places the back of her hand on my forehead, checking for a fever.
"Mom, it's fine. I just had a weird dream earlier." I quietly exclaim, swiping her hand away from my forehead. "I don't want to miss the bus shuttle. I'll get going," I mumble, walking towards the door. However, Elizabeth stopped me.
"Oh, the bus to the airport broke down. I'll drive you." Elizabeth explains. I get hit with more déjà vu. This is exactly like my dream. I try to dismiss it as one big coincidence, but I can't shake the feeling that the nightmare meant something.
Elizabeth and I gather everything we need, and we leave the apartment building. I enter Elizabeth's car, which sputters to a start. We're on our way to the airport... Again.
