Today started out as any other, but like yesterday, little things began to catch my eye. It’s almost as if once I started noticing the strange, I couldn’t stop. I woke up early, grabbed my usual cup of coffee, and headed out. The air had that crisp, fresh feeling that always reminds me fall is in full swing. But there was something different in the neighborhood today.
On my walk to work, I passed by the old bookstore again, the same one Jake found that weird book in yesterday. Normally, the store is closed this early, but today, the door was slightly ajar. The “closed” sign still hung in the window, but I swear I saw a faint light flickering inside, like candlelight. I stood there for a moment, debating whether to peek in, but something told me to just keep moving. I couldn’t help but think of that book Jake was looking at. What did he mean by “more than just a book”? I made a mental note to ask him about it later.
The rest of the morning was pretty standard. Work was uneventful, but during lunch, things got a bit weird again. I met up with Emily—she’s always been a bit quirky, but today she seemed almost distracted. We were sitting at a table by the window, and she kept glancing outside, like she was waiting for something or someone. At first, I thought she was just zoned out, but then she asked me the strangest question: “Do you ever get the feeling like… things around you aren’t real?”
I laughed it off, but inside, I was startled. I hadn’t mentioned any of the odd things I’d noticed recently, but now, here she was, talking about the exact same feeling. When I asked her what she meant, she just shrugged and said, “It’s probably nothing. Just a feeling.” But it didn’t feel like nothing. It felt like she knew something.
After lunch, I headed back to the office, but my mind was still on Emily’s question. I couldn’t shake it. What if the world around us isn’t what it seems? Yesterday I would’ve dismissed the idea, but after everything I’ve seen, I can’t help but wonder if there’s more to this. It’s not just Emily. It’s the guy with the shimmering cloak, the woman in the park, the blank phone screen. These things don’t fit into the world I thought I knew.
Later in the afternoon, I took a walk down to the park again. The green oak tree was still there, as vibrant as ever, even though the rest of the trees had deepened into autumn hues. And guess what? The same woman from yesterday was sitting beneath it again, but this time, her eyes were open, and she was staring directly at me. Not in a threatening way, but like she was expecting me. It was unnerving. I pretended not to notice and kept walking, but I could feel her gaze on my back long after I passed.
What is happening? Are these people aware of something I’m not? The idea that they might all be connected somehow keeps buzzing in my head. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with all of this, but the pieces are starting to feel like a puzzle.
By the time I got home, I was exhausted. But just as I was about to relax, I got a text from Jake. It was simple, just a single sentence: “Meet me at the bookstore tomorrow morning.”
Something tells me tomorrow’s going to be far from ordinary.
