I had lost my orientation. The road looked familiar, but as hard as I tried to remember, I couldn’t.
“Julian!” it rang out again. It was the cry of a woman. But I couldn’t hear where it was coming from.
All of a sudden, it started to rain. The cold drops hit me like pinpricks, and I winced.
“Julian! Help me!”
With each cry, the voice sounded more desperate. And abruptly, I recognized its sound.
“Mum!”, I yelled into the gathering darkness. “Mum! Where are you?!”
I had to look for her. Something had happened, but I didn’t know what it was, and this uncertainty was driving me crazy.
The rain was getting heavier by the second, and I could barely see my surroundings. It whipped into my neck and forced me down off the street. I tried to find shelter under a large needle tree. In vain. The rain poured down through the thicket and poured over me.
“Julian!”
Finally, I gave it up and sprinted.
I had to find her!
My feet slithered across the slippery road. The adrenaline in my blood was driving me crazy, but I couldn’t give in to my nature now, so I pulled the serum from my pocket, took a sip, and felt the pain creeping through my veins. First in my eyes, then in my nose, and finally, the tugging moved through the rest of my body.
My mum needed me, not this dangerous beast.
“Julian! I’m here!”
My head whipped around. And finally... there she was.
A brown-haired woman lying in the middle of the road, writhing in pain.
“Mum! Get off the road!”, I yelled loudly, but she remained lying there.
Why the hell wasn’t she moving!!! There could be a car coming at any moment...
The last few meters that separated me from her, I ran as fast as I could. When I reached her, I knelt down on the wet asphalt.
The water soaked my pants, and it suddenly became colder around me. Almost painful goosebumps spread over my entire body. But I didn’t have time to pay attention to my surroundings or anything else right now.
“Mum, you have to get up! Now!”
I pulled on her arm, but she just smiled at me.
“Julian, you’re here,” she whispered. Her face was ashen, and her skin icy.
“Of course, I’m here. Where else would I be?” I gasped, still out of breath.
Again, I tried to pull my mum up, but her petite body was too heavy and no matter how hard I tugged, she stayed down.
“Mum, please get up!”
Her eyes were still on me, but there was no more movement in them.
“You have to stay with me, Mum!”
Hastily, I patted her face. It was colder than the rain.
No... It couldn’t be.
“No!”, I yelled and put my head on her chest. Nothing. Not a heartbeat.
“No! Mum! Come back!” I screamed at her as if my screams could bring her back.
“Mum!”
“Julian!”
I snapped my eyes open and sat up straight, forgetting about the shelf above my head as usual. My head crashed into the bottom wooden shelf, which shattered, and books thudded into my skull. A painful groan escaped my dry throat. Completely exhausted, I rubbed my eyes.
When I finally looked up, Mia was standing in front of me, a bucket of water in her hand. Fortunately for her, it was still full.
With a jolt, I looked around, but I couldn’t spot Mum anywhere.
“Where’s...” I stopped in mid-sentence.
Of course. A dream. A fucking dream!
Automatically, I threw back the covers and jumped up.
