I manage to find a writing pad and some paper in the lab. Without a word, I slide the note into Ahaan’s hand.

  "What is this?", he asks.

  I motion for him to read it.

  His gaze shifts from Ave to me. After a brief pause, he looks at the note and starts reading.

  "Do you know me and what do you know about me?” He reads it loudly but blankly stares at me.

  His face refuses to answer any of my questions.

  “You are not from our class. I haven’t seen you sitting in our class before except for the past few days.”

  Without a word, I pass him another note.

  “The first time I saw sitting in our class is the day when I stopped having dreams. Is there any connection between those two events? How do you know so much about me? I haven't told anyone that I am not having dreams." He lowers his gaze as he reads, a bit louder than before. Then he puts it down.

  He continues after a moment of hesitation, eyes fixed at me, "It seems that you also have sensory problems like me. In your case, it is the memory that is affected, I guess”. He pauses, his gaze locked on me, then he continues, “Are you sure that was the first time you saw me? Well, don’t you remember me from that day?"

  I take down the paper pad and write, "The day I saw you in the halls when I was with my friend Isabella", I hand the note to him.

  "No, it was basically on 23rd September when you lost the race."

  My eyes widen with shock. What happened that day? I don't remember if I saw him that day or not.

  He continues, "I was there at the school that day. Everything seemed fine throughout so I decided to leave around 7:15 P.M. It was then I saw you on the school gate. At first, I thought you were just late to join the line that day. But it shook me when you walked past the gate toward the street crossing, not toward the dorm. Your backpack slung over one shoulder."

  "Why did you stop? What happened that day?", I press him to continue.

  He struggles to speak, his voice breaking. "You still cannot remember anything? You have to think hard. Try to find something familiar from that day and focus on it. The rest will follow. That's the best method to remember."

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  I press my fingers around the edges of my forehead. "I cannot think of something familiar from that day except my conversation with Isabella."

  "Think about the dream you had for that day.", Ahaan keeps repeating it, deaf to my words.

  "I don't remember the dream of that day. That was the cause of every problem from the start. I happened to have bad sleep the day before or so I thought. But because of it, my whole day was a mess and then the next day I stopped having dreams.", I cried.

  Ave silently relays every word to Ahaan.

  Ahaan sighs.

  "You had the dream that day but your subconscious mind hid it from you to protect you. Our brain has mechanisms that can influence how we remember and process painful experiences or memories. It blocks their easy retrieval. With time if we don't think about our bad memories or experiences, our brain hides them for the better. From the triggering dreams, it only stores what is enough for survival and trashes out the rest to function. But let's not forget that it’s our brain function, that subconsciously protects us from bad experiences or dreams. So, it has hidden the dream somewhere deep into your subconscious mind from where you have to retrieve it", Ahaan explains.

  He comes closer, resting a hand on my shoulder in quiet sympathy. The expression on his face unsettles me. I keep my head down, looking at the floor, not intending to meet his eyes. The mere thought of what is hidden there, sends chill to my body.

  "Do you remember crossing the street?”, he continues, stepping closer. “A truck?", His eyes flick up, searching my face to see the reaction.

  That last word stirs something in me. My mind snaps, throwing fragmented images into view.

  ******************************************************************************

  A brief from the forgotten dream of 23rd September.

  The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the sidewalk, and the gentle breeze carried the scent of freshly mowed grass. My hands have a paper showing me the direction to my home. I got the permission to visit my home that day. Unbeknownst to me, a reckless driver had been speeding through the neighborhood, ignoring the posted speed limits and the cautionary signs indicating a school zone. The driver's attention was divided, focused on the bottle stuck in the bag instead of the road ahead. The sound of tires screeching and a muffled thud shattered the tranquility of the street.

  I snap my eyes open, tears spilling down my cheeks. I tell them everything I remember from the dream.

  "It can't be", Ave’s surprised eyes speak dozen words.

  "Why is it so painful to remember?", I ask while crying.

  "I know. Let me help you to remember, I know it is painful but you have to remember. It serves no good to run from the past. Let's try to remember the rest. Allow me to put one more brick to build your wall. You were caught in an accident and you died that day."

  ******************************************************************************

  The rest of the dream.

  My world spun in an instant as I was struck by the speeding truck. My body was thrown into the air, and my backpack and belongings scattered across the pavement. The driver gasped in horror as he witnessed the accident unfold, he slammed on the brakes, bringing the truck to a shuddering halt.

  I lay unconscious, my breathing shallow and labored. I struggled for some time before giving up.

  ******************************************************************************

  follow gives me motivation to write more. Please let me know your views to this chapter.