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Chapter 6

  The entire time that I'm telling her about everything that happened, including my dreams, she remains quiet. Listening to every word I'm telling her.

  At the end she asks me the questions I feared: "Are you sure? All you saw, are you really, really sure?"

  I nod: "Yes, I'm certain, I even wrote them down after I had them."

  Nova says something to me, but I am already rushing to my room. I take my diary and take it back to her.

  "Here, I wrote this a little while ago. See the date?! I wrote this last night yesterday, Sunday November 8th!"

  Her eyes widen, but only for a millisecond. I know she wouldn't believe me without evidence, she is just that kind of person.

  "I..."

  "Yes, is something wrong?" I ask her.

  "No, but I don't think..."

  "I remember the murders exactly the way they were, is this really just a coincidence."

  She remains quiet for a second, but then it seems like I made her angry: "Edith, This." She points at my diary: "This is NOT evidence!"

  "But maybe I can help the police with what I saw in my dreams."

  "You will not, don't get involved with the police!"

  Why would she say that? I know it might be a rash idea, but her reaction is way too extreme.

  "Why not? I have never been in trouble with them and I am not planning on it."

  Nova sighs, clearly trying to calm herself down.

  "Do you want to be known as crazy? Think about it logically, they will suspect you and you will get in trouble. They will try to find out everything about you."

  "But I haven't done anything. I have never broken a single rule."

  I look at her, I thought she was a lot different. Did something happen at her job? If so, why is she acting so differently?

  "I'm going to bed Edith, I'm sorry."

  And she leaves me alone.

  As I leave to go to my own room, I can hear her talking on the phone.

  It sounds like she is trying to keep it quiet, but she herself seems to be rather emotional.

  I listen a bit and look down as Misty meows at me.

  "Don't worry girl, it's okay. Nova is just a bit upset." I whisper to her as I pick her up.

  She purrs softly as I pet her.

  "Want to sleep in my room tonight?"

  I go to bed and leave the door to my room a little bit open, so that Misty can still go to the litter box or eat.

  When I open my eyes, I notice that I'm having another strange dream.

  I'm back in the room with all the doors, but this time is different.

  There is a door open.

  I carefully approach it, preparing myself to be scared by something.

  As I walk through the door, I see that there is a church inside.

  The church seems to be inside some kind of underground place. There is a ceiling above it, made from rock.

  The old building's door creaks loudly as I open it.

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  Inside it looks almost abandoned, the benches are broken, there are holes in the glass and dust on the floor.

  But it is not abandoned, someone is standing by the altar. Quietly, their only movement is that of their breathing.

  "Hello?" I ask the person, while I get closer.

  Somehow the person seems familiar, but I don't know what it is that makes me feel that way.

  I walk closer, with each step dust flies up gently and the sound echoes softly throughout the building.

  Are they praying?

  Their back is turned towards me.

  "Hello?" I try again.

  Now I'm almost a meter away from them.

  "Don't trust them." The person before me suddenly says, their words echo through the room as they turn around.

  "Do I know you?"

  The face that turns to me is wearing a mask and blocks the few of their eyes.

  The mask is white with many cracks in it, but not enough to get a good look at the face beneath it.

  Their voice sounds digital, like that of a computer, but not like that of the killer. This has to be someone else. Or at least I hope so...

  I take a step closer and repeat my question: "Do I know you?"

  "You're what I was, I am what you will be."

  That doesn't make any sense, the cryptic speaking person before me moves back to facing the window again: "You may call me system... And I am no one."

  "Are you the one giving me these dreams? The ones with those horrible killings in them as well?"

  I can sense them smiling mysteriously even though I can't see their face.

  "You have to wake up now."

  The sound of my beeping alarm suddenly enters the church, coming closer and closer. Taking with it the church.

  "Wait!" I reach out my hand to the masked person, but my hand goes right through.

  And then the sound takes me with it, into the white void.

  As I wake up I'm back in my dark room, Misty is sleeping on my feet.

  I turn off my alarm and get ready for work.

  Just before I can leave, Nova walks by.

  "G-good morning, why are you up this early?"

  She ignores my greeting and question.

  "Have you had one of those dreams again? One of those or just any weird dream."

  The voice of the one who calls themself 'System' echoes in my mind: Don't trust them.

  Of course this might not apply to Nova, but she has been behaving strangely lately.

  "No, I haven't. I haven't really dreamed last night, so just like usual." I give her a short smile.

  "Good."

  She still seems a bit moody.

  "I'll see you before dinner. Good luck at work today." I tell her cheerfully.

  "Sure, see ya." Nova mutters, making it clear that she hadn't slept really well.

  I close the door and leave for the station.

  As I walk I can feel people looking at me, staring. But each time I look for the prying eyes, I can't find them.

  I'm more conscious of the footsteps of others as well. Not even the heavy rain can mask them.

  Some seem to follow me longer than others.

  What is this? Gang stalking?

  Well.. they haven't done anything yet, but I should get something to defend myself just in case.

  As I arrive at my work I'm completely soaked by the rain. I really should have taken an umbrella with me.

  I go to my workplace, but get stopped by a concerned Myla: "Girl, you're completely soaked! Did you not bring any rain clothing?"

  "No, my coat is, but it's leaking, so..."

  "Come with me, we have something here to help you get dry before getting to work."

  She takes me out of the room, a floor up and into a room with extra clothes and dryers.

  "I know you might not want to wear something that looks like a uniform, but if you want something dry, this is your best option."

  She points at all the different things in the room

  "Wow, I didn't know about this place."

  She hands me a towel: "I heard you stayed here past midnight last night, just to do work for the others. Did they force you?"

  "No, everyone just seemed a little out of it and I wanted to be of help."

  She sighs: "Thanks. You made it so we don't have to do extra from what we didn't finish. You've done a lot too."

  "I wasn't able to do the last couple of files unfortunately."

  "Are you serious? You finished work for more than half of the office. We do those files per person per day! Are you secretly some kind of machine or something."

  I laugh: "I'm pretty sure that we aren't allowed to work with AI."

  Myla smiles at me, it seems that I was able to make her feel a little better after all.

  "It's good to have you here, now get dressed and come back."

  Myla leaves the room.

  I search for something in my size and I find a white blouse, sweater and a black skirt.

  This should do for today.

  When I'm dressed I put my clothes in one of the dryers and ask it to dry it.

  "Okay! It will be finished before lunch and a message will be sent to your phone when its finished!" The dryer happily answers.

  I thank it, I know it's a robot, but I'm so used to being polite to everyone that I'm thanking objects and machines now. Or so it seems.

  It wishes me a 'see you soon' and 'good luck with work'.

  As I notice that yesterday's work is not on my table, I go to David.

  "Have you seen the files on my desk? It isn't aren't where I left them."

  He looks up from his work and smiles sadly: "Some of the others decided to take it on, you have already done so much. Please don't stay so long at work though, we would rather have a good work environment for our employees than let them work themselves into a burnout."

  "Thank you." I give a little bow and smile.

  "Here, this is your work for today."

  "Thank you." I say again as he gives me another pile of files, a lot smaller than usual though.

  His hands seem to shake a little, he must have it difficult.

  Before I turn around to go back to my desk I offer him something: "Hey, if you ever need to vent about something, or anything really. I would be happy to listen."

  David gives me another sad smile: "Thanks..."

  I give him a nod and go back.

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