CHAPTER 2: SYMPTOMS

After hours or doing research and writing, while also listening how my parents got drunk while fighting, and then passed out at some point, I was finally ready in the early hours of the Friday morning. It would have been stupid to sleep anymore, so I just headed out of my room to wash my face with cold water. As I was rinsing my face, I could see the water changing red. I looked at the mirror and for my misfortune, there was a strand of blood going down from my nose. This hadn’t happened in a while. The fatigue and exhaustion must’ve really gotten to my body even if I hadn’t noticed. I let out a deep sigh and after I finished washing my face, I spent good ten minutes sitting down and waiting for the nosebleed to stop. When it finally stopped, I finished rest of my morning chores in a trance-like state.

It had been like this for years. I felt refreshed when I washed my face, but then I just sank into a trance and did my chores like a robot. I prepared the same breakfast I always did, I ate it in a hurry and then went on to pack my bag and to dress up. Today seemed like a particularly cold day, so I decided to play it safe and even wore a tank top under a big, fluffy and warm turtleneck sweater. I yawned while tying my hair up into a messy bun – I didn’t have any energy to actually concentrate on doing my hair or more makeup than was necessary.

After I made sure I had everything I needed in my backpack, I left my room and quietly went to the vestibule to put on my shoes. I heard someone getting up and lifted my head just to see my father who looked very hungover and still quite sleepy.

“Morning”, he said quietly, squinting his eyes at the sunlight that came into the apartment through the living room’s windows.

“Good morning”, I greeted him with a tired smile and waved at him. “I’m going to school. See you later.”

“Have a good day”, he wished me and waved back at me with a smile as I closed the door behind me.

I wasn’t in hurry, but I walked with quick, short steps to reach the bus stop faster. The weather was freezing cold even when I had my warmest coat and a big scarf warming me up. The only good thing about the cold weather was the fact I couldn’t feel sleepy because I was trembling from the cold.

I arrived at the university a bit too early so I thought I wouldn’t go to the auditorium yet – what would I do there for extra 20 minutes without falling asleep? I decided to just take a walk around the campus, having a wish to actually wake up and feel better after it. I was going through the important stuff I had in mind. The assignment I had to return today was with me, yet I felt like I had forgotten something. I felt a wrinkle forming between my eyes and shook my head a little bit before returning to the building my lecture would be in. As I walked past the campus cafeteria, something drew me in and forced me to stop. I tilted my head and turned around to look through the cafeteria’s window. I felt doubtful, but then again, I had a feeling my instinct was right. I thought I had seen someone who just couldn’t have been there. But my instinct said it was my boyfriend, so I couldn’t leave before gazing over every single student in the cafeteria. After a while of eye squinting and sighs, I turned around and headed towards the auditorium.

What was wrong with me? It was clear Wonwoo couldn’t be here. He only appeared in my dreams, and it had been three years yet I hadn’t found him. Him suddenly appearing at my university was just too unlikely. Shaking my head, I left the assignment on the teacher’s desk and sat down.

As the lecture started, I tried my best to concentrate and to not fall asleep despite the all-nighter I had pulled last night. I had fallen asleep yesterday; I just couldn’t repeat that today. At first I succeeded very well, but at some point I couldn’t help but to notice myself feeling dizzy. I closed my eyes tightly and hoped the feeling would go away when I’d open my eyes – but it didn’t. Towards the end of the lecture, it just got worse, and to add to ne dizziness, my head started aching and I felt nauseous. Letting out a sigh, I started thinking what could be the cause of this… had I eaten something bad? Was this a migraine?

When the lecture finally ended, I rushed out of the auditorium after clumsily throwing everything into my backpack. I hurried straight to the restroom. For my luck, the whole restroom was empty, all for me to use. I put down my backpack and splashed some cold water to my face. It didn’t help at all, my condition just seemed to get worse. I felt a gag in my throat and with my eyes tightly shut, rushed to the stall, ready to throw up. Nothing, however, came out, and I just collapsed on my knees onto the floor, panting and sweating like crazy. If I'd had a tad more energy, I’d have been scared. But since all of my energy had been strained, I just could rest my head against the stall’s wall and close my eyes.

“Dami.”

My eyes spread wide at the familiar voice and I tried to look around me, but the dizziness limited my actions and I ended up falling on my stomach to the floor.

“Wonwoo?” I whispered, trying to open my eyes.

“Are you alright?” the voice asked me.

I wanted to reply, I wanted him to help me. But I couldn’t even open my eyes. My headache felt like someone was banging my head against a brick wall and I couldn’t stand the light in my eyes. I tried to reach out my hand, wishing that someone would grab it. I was in a weird state – I had no idea what was happening to me. I was afraid.

And just as I thought I saw someone kneeling in front of me, everything went black.

What I noticed first was that even though things went black… they stayed that way. I didn’t see Wonwoo. Usually, whenever I fell asleep or went unconscious I would see him. But not this time. After a time that felt like eternity, the black space retreated and I could slowly part my eyes. The first thing I could see was a grey piece of sky. Then my ears decided to start working and I could hear people gasping, whispering, asking if I was alright. Of course I was alright. Why wouldn’t I be? I blinked once, twice, before I could actually see. I saw multiple people’s heads hoovering over me. Many worried faces – but none of them were familiar. I quickly sat up. I realized I had been lying down in the middle of a street. Why was I there? I shook my head. I didn’t feel the headache, nor the dizziness, anymore. I tilted my head and looked at the people around me. The first thing that caught my eye was that their clothing was somewhat… futuristic? They were simple in their way, but still there were sharp edges and fine details. But no colours. Only black, white, grey and shades of brown.

“Are you alright, miss?” someone asked and offered me a hand to grab.

I looked at the friendly-looking old man and reached out for his hand. He helped me stand up and I continued looking around me, confused. Nothing looked familiar. Where in the world was I? I slowly felt myself starting to panic. I was in a completely strange place, surrounded by strangers.

“W- Where am I?” I whispered.

“Are you lost?” the old man asked. “What can you remember?”

“I… I was at school. I passed out. And now I woke up here”, I spoke quietly, trying to figure out the situation. I looked around me in the crowd, and I could see some of the people whispering, asking if they should call an ambulance or take me to the hospital themselves. It made me feel even more scared.

“Did you say you passed out?” I heard someone asking. A low-toned male voice. I turned around to locate the source of the voice and saw a young man, dressed completely in black from head to toes. He almost looked like a ghost in the middle of the crowd. I nodded hesitantly.

“I think I know what happened to you”, he stated and offered me his hand. “You should come with me.”

I unintentionally glared at the young man. The thought of a stranger telling me to go with him triggered me on some level. I wasn’t a child; I was pretty much a grown up woman. I could take care of myself if he would try something. Besides, he was asking me to go with him in the middle of this huge crowd – someone probably would have their eyes on us for a while. Hesitantly I reached out my hand for the young man and he grabbed it. His hold was warm and firm, but not forceful. He flashed me a friendly smile which changed the whole look on his face. For some reason, I got the feeling I could trust him.

“Let’s go somewhere more quiet”, he said and still holding my hand, walked me out of the crowd. The words he said were straight out of an abduction thriller, yet I still followed him. We walked in a slow pace, and just far enough so that we could talk in peace. He sat me down on a bench in what seemed to be a park and stood in front of me with his hands on his waist.

“What year?” he asked, flashing me a smile again.

“Excuse me?” I asked, frowning slightly.

“What year did you drift from?” he asked, leaning a little bit closer and speaking in a quieter voice.

My eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“Oh”, he simply let out and the smile withered off his face. “It must be your first time. Well, welcome to the year 2157.”

I blinked multiple times, trying to comprehend the words I had just heard. Year what? I had travelled in time? Did that even make sense? I closed my eyes and tilted my head, getting up from the bench. As I opened my eyes, I took a few steps around, viewing my surroundings. The buildings around me, the streets, everything, indeed did look very futuristic. I couldn’t see anything green, no sign of grass or trees. To add the people’s clothes to this, it really did seem like I had jumped almost 150 years into the future. But how? I couldn’t believe it.

I took a few more steps, looking around. The buildings I saw were almost all completely made of glass and metal, the sky was covered in clouds, the streets were very clean and everything was so… quiet. Or maybe it was just the buzzing in my ears that made me deaf.

Suddenly something flew beside me so quickly the wind scared me pushed me aside. I was about to fall on the ground but the young man was there to grab me by my waist and hold me on my feet. He smiled at me again, his eyes twinkling at me from behind his long eyelashes.

“What was that?” I asked, out of breath.

“A car”, he stated and nodded towards the flying machine that would soon disappear behind a corner. It looked relatively similar to the 21st century cars, it just didn’t have tires and it flew in the air. I gasped in disbelief and backed away from the young man.

“I think you really should follow me”, he stated. “My dad can help you. I’ll explain you everything on the way.”

I glared at him. I was hesitant. Could I really follow this person? Would he really help me, or would he hurt me? But more than I was hesitant, I was scared of my surroundings – the completely strange city around me, with the scary flying cars and whatever else there could be. It was probably the best option to follow this young man.

“Can I really trust you?” I asked quietly.

“Yes, you can”, he answered right away. “Besides, I’m probably the only one who can help you.”