CTRL

II

ɴᴇᴡ ᴏʀʟᴇᴀɴꜱ
ᴀᴘʀɪʟ 2018

The next morning, Onika awoke to the golden light streaming through her window, but a sense of unease lingered in the back of her mind. The fleeting glimpse of her mother's silhouette from the night before replayed in her thoughts like a haunting melody. She brushed it off as a trick of her imagination, but the excitement and anxiety danced together, weaving an intricate tapestry of doubt.

As she prepared for her parapsychology class, she felt a strange mix of determination and apprehension. Could her abilities really allow her to connect with her mother? Or was it just a manifestation of her unresolved grief?

"Hey, O!" Lauren called out as Onika stepped into the cafeteria, her vibrant energy cutting through the haze of uncertainty. "Ready for another day of mind-bending theories?"

"Yeah, totally," Onika replied, forcing a smile as she joined her friend at their usual table. "I just hope we dive deeper into the supernatural today."

Lauren raised her eyebrows playfully. "Let's not scare the freshman too much. You know how they get when you start talking about ghosts and spirits."

"Right? They'll think we're crazy," Onika laughed, but her thoughts drifted back to Nasir. The way he had reacted to her visions nagged at her.

"Speaking of crazy," Lauren said, lowering her voice, "have you heard from Nasir since last night?"

"Not yet," Onika admitted, trying to brush off the flutter of disappointment in her stomach. "He probably just slept in."

Lauren gave her a knowing look. "You two had a pretty intense talk, huh? You okay with that?"

Onika hesitated. "Yeah, I mean... it's just complicated. I shared some stuff about my mom, and I don't know if he took it seriously."

"Why wouldn't he? You're not crazy, O. Your experiences matter," Lauren reassured her, but doubts began to seep into Onika's mind.

As the morning dragged on, Onika tried to focus on her class, but the chatter of her classmates faded into background noise. She scribbled notes about apparitions and the various ways cultures perceive the afterlife, but her mind kept wandering back to Nasir's skepticism.

The moment she spotted him across the lecture hall, her heart leapt. He was engaged in conversation with a group of friends, laughing effortlessly. She felt a pang of longing mixed with unease. Would he still support her when he found out the extent of her beliefs?

After class, she approached him with a smile. "Hey! Ready for another thrilling day of our not-so-normal college lives?"

Nasir turned, his face brightening momentarily before settling back into his usual cool demeanor. "Hey, Onika! Yeah, just finished catching up with some friends. What about you?"

"Oh, just trying to keep my sanity intact," she joked, though the lightness in her voice felt forced. "I was thinking about what we talked about last night. You know, my visions."

He chuckled lightly, but there was an edge to it. "Right, the visions. Are you still set on investigating your mom's disappearance?"

Onika felt the heat rising in her cheeks. "Yeah, I mean, it's important to me. I just have this feeling like she's out there, trying to connect with me."

"Okay, but do you really think it's a good idea to chase after ghosts?" he asked, a teasing lilt in his voice that felt dismissive. "What if it's all just in your head?"

Her heart sank, but she fought back the urge to show her hurt. "It's not just in my head, Nasir. I've felt things, seen things. I know it sounds strange, but I just know it."