When will I FIND YOU?

Chapter 3- A Weekend Escape

“Hey Jen! Did you complete yesterday’s assignment?” Rim texted me on WhatsApp. Normally, I reply instantly to my close friends, but today, I wasn’t feeling up to it. It was finally the weekend, and I had been waiting for it for days. After the overload of work and assignments from college, it was the perfect time to sleep for hours undisturbed. Today was Friday, and I managed to come back an hour early from our college. The day had been boring and excruciatingly hot. I wished I could teleport myself to the cool climes of Ladakh. My head was throbbing, and all I wanted was to retreat to my room. Oh yes, I never mentioned that I live in the girls’ hostel on the main campus. I adore my room because it has the best bed, the best wardrobe, the best desk—everything about my space is perfect. It’s my sanctuary. I’m an organized person, and I like to keep my things sorted and clean. However, I often forget where I place them, resulting in a good mess as I search for them. My tendency to stay in rather than go out makes me lazy, and at this moment, I desperately wanted to go into hibernation mode. As soon as I entered my room, I threw my electronics far from me, texted my mother to let her know I was back and going to sleep, and then quickly put my phone on Do Not Disturb mode. I changed into a T-shirt and shorts, got comfortable, and picked up the book I had been reading two days before. “All Your Perfects” by Colleen Hoover was a captivating read, and I was only a few chapters away from finishing it. I’m a slow reader, so it took me two to three weeks to reach this point. Today, I vowed to finish it, no matter what. With my roommates out, I had the room all to myself. I made myself comfortable, diving into the book. Four to five hours later, I finished it. Let me tell you, the last three chapters had me sobbing uncontrollably. I cried so hard, I was lucky my roommates didn’t return before curfew. After a good cry, I decided to wash up, as I looked like someone who had just suffered a terrible heartbreak. After a refreshing wash, I returned to my room only to be greeted by the growling of my stomach. I started searching for my electric kettle, grabbed a packet of Maggi, and two tetra packs of milk. I prepared the Maggi and paired it with milk. I know it’s not a good combination, but I didn’t have any other options. In hostel life, I survive on Maggi and milk, as the mess food is horrendous and often leads to food poisoning. I couldn’t risk that. With my hunger sated, I settled back into bed, feeling a strange mix of contentment and melancholy from the book’s ending. The room was quiet, the only sound being the hum of the ceiling fan. I lay down, pulling the covers over me, hoping for a peaceful sleep.

But peace was elusive that night. As soon as I drifted off, I found myself in a disorienting dream. I was in a dark, endless corridor. The walls were cold, rough stone, and the air was thick with an unsettling silence. I felt a growing sense of dread as I walked, each step echoing ominously. The corridor seemed to stretch infinitely, with no end in sight. Suddenly, I heard a whisper behind me. I turned around, but no one was there. The whispering grew louder, a chorus of indistinct voices merging into an eerie chant. Panic surged through me, and I started to run, desperate to escape the unseen threat. The corridor walls began to close in, narrowing and twisting, making it harder to navigate. Just as the walls seemed about to crush me, I stumbled into a room. The atmosphere shifted from oppressive to outright horrifying. The room was filled with mirrors, each reflecting a different, distorted version of myself. Some images looked sad, others angry, and a few appeared terrified. My heart pounded as I tried to find a way out, but every direction seemed to lead to more mirrors. In the center of the room stood a figure shrouded in darkness. Its eyes glowed a malevolent red, and it raised a skeletal hand, pointing directly at me. A chilling voice echoed through the room, "You cannot escape." I tried to scream, but no sound came out. My feet felt glued to the floor as the figure approached, its presence overwhelming and suffocating. I awoke with a start, my heart pounding, the room dark and silent. The vividness of the nightmare left me shaken. I sat up, trying to calm myself. The soft glow of the streetlights outside cast eerie shadows in the room, making it difficult to shake off the lingering fear. Unable to sleep, I reached for my phone, switching off Do Not Disturb. Messages from Rim and other friends popped up, but I ignored them. I needed a distraction, something to pull me out of the nightmare’s grasp. I put on a calming playlist, hoping the soft music would soothe my frayed nerves. Lying back down, I closed my eyes and focused on the music, willing myself to find a peaceful place in my mind. Slowly, the tension eased, and I began to drift off again, this time determined to dream of something happier.