Thalia strolls leisurely beside Finn, the warm Vancouver sun casting a golden glow over the city streets. In her hand, she bears a melting popsicle, the sweet and nostalgic flavour of cherry on her tongue.
All of it feels eerily familiar and nostalgic, and her heart skips a beat once she realises.
She glances down at herself; she's a child again, her school bag slung over her shoulder and her hand tightly gripping the popsicle stick.
Beside her, Finn is also just a kid, his face adorned with youth, and his own popsicle leaving a trail of sticky red drips in its wake.
They're just two kids, walking home from school side by side; nothing has changed.
"Finn?"
He halts his rambling about some movie she's forgotten, shifting his gaze toward her. "Yeah?"
"Where are we going?"
"Home, idiot."
The realisation deepens as Thalia discerns that this isn't just an ordinary lucid dream-it's a memory being revisited.
While the memory isn't particularly vivid, just a routine walk home from school, it still resonates with her.
They chat animatedly about everything and nothing, their laughter mingling with the sounds of engines within reach and the birds chirping overhead.
However, as they round the corner onto their street, Thalia detects Finns pace quickening.
She furrows her brows before attempting to match his stride, finding herself falling behind.
"Hey! Wait up!"
Finn sneaks a fleeting glance over his shoulder, his expression unreadable. "Sorry, Lia. I have to go."
His voice sounds as if it's coming from miles away, muffled and distant.
Thalias heart pounds within her chest as she halts in her tracks, her popsicle long forgotten, melting into a sticky puddle in her hand.
"Finn, wait!"
Her words seem to fall on deaf ears as he continues to walk away, his figure becoming smaller and smaller until he disappears into the distance.
Awakening with a jolt, Thalia catches her breath as she sits up abruptly. After one or three heartbeats, she manages to compose herself, shutting her eyes briefly.
Sensing Finns absence beside her, she furrows her brow ever so slightly. Her attention drifts to the beside table, where a note rests beneath the lamp.
Gone out
I'll be back before you wake up ♡
Juniper
Hi.
did you just wake up
