She was standing right in front of me.
The same eyes.
The same scared expression.
My heartbeat grew louder.
"This is impossible…" I whispered.
She looked confused.
Like she wanted to say something.
But couldn't.
Then suddenly—
She turned and started walking away.
"Wait!" I called.
She stopped.
Slowly.
I walked toward her.
My hands slightly shaking.
"Do I… know you?" I asked carefully.
She hesitated.
Then shook her head.
"No…" she replied softly.
But her voice trembled.
Like she wasn't sure.
"I saw you," I said.
Her eyes widened.
"In… my dream."
Silence.
The hallway noise faded around us.
"You're joking…" she whispered.
I shook my head.
"You were in a corridor. You asked for help," I said.
Her face turned pale.
"How… do you know that?" she asked.
My heart dropped.
"You remember it too?" I asked.
She nodded slowly.
"I thought… it was just a nightmare," she said.
Cold chills ran through me.
This wasn't just my dream.
It was hers too.
"I'm Ritu," I said softly.
She looked at me.
"Meera," she replied.
We stood there in silence.
Two strangers.
Connected by one dream.
"What does it mean?" she asked quietly.
"I don't know," I admitted.
"But something is wrong."
She looked scared again.
"I've been having these dreams for three days," she said.
"Same corridor?"
She nodded.
"And every time… it gets darker."
My heart tightened.
"What happens at the end?" I asked.
She swallowed nervously.
"I hear footsteps… coming closer."
The exact same thing.
"We need to figure this out," I said.
She looked unsure.
"Why me?" she asked.
Because once…
I was the one trapped in dreams.
"Because I've seen this before," I said quietly.
Her eyes searched mine.
And for a moment—
She trusted me.
"Okay," she whispered.
But suddenly—
Her expression changed.
She looked behind me.
Fear spreading across her face.
"What?" I asked.
"You don't hear that?" she whispered.
"Hear what?"
She stepped back slowly.
"The footsteps…"
My blood ran cold.
Because I didn't hear anything.
But she did.