Eternal Recurrence: The Calendar Conundrum

CHAPTER 07 : Parallel Paths

Faith sat on the edge of her bed, engulfed in the turmoil of her mind, while her sister Mary entered the room, a warm ray of kindness illuminating her benevolent face.

Mary's perceptive eyes immediately caught the troubled expression on Faith's face. With a solicitous step, she approached her sister, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Is everything okay, Faith? You seem troubled."

Faith's gaze, clouded by uncertainty, timidly lifted towards her sister as she tried in vain to conceal her turmoil under a veil of feigned serenity. "Oh, it's nothing, Mary. Just a bad dream that bothered me, that's all."

A perceptible furrow creased Mary's brow. "You know you can confide in me, right? Something is bothering you, I can sense it."

Faith hesitated for a brief moment, struggling internally about whether to share her strange experience with her sister. Then, realizing the urgency of unraveling the threads of this enigmatic mystery surrounding her, she resolved to break the silence. "Mary, you won't believe it, but... I experienced something extraordinary last night," she began, her voice trembling slightly betraying her turmoil.

Sitting beside her sister with focused attention, Mary gently encouraged her. "What happened, Faith? You can tell me everything."

Faith swallowed hard, gathering her thoughts in hopes of finding the right words to describe her inexplicable encounter. "I dreamed... or at least, I think it was a dream. I was in this calendar store, and then there was this man... so strange. He said disturbing things to me, Mary, things that seemed so real."

A soft hand delicately rested on Faith's, offering silent support as she recalled the details of this supernatural encounter. "What did he say?" Mary asked with a solicitous inflection.

Faith closed her eyes, trying to grasp the fragments of this strange experience that haunted her. "He said... that he was me. Or at least, a part of me. And then there were these calendars... and this feeling of being watched, even hunted," she articulated with palpable emotion.

Mary listened attentively, her gaze oscillating between compassion and concern. "It sounds deeply unsettling, Faith. But you know, sometimes our dreams are just reflections of our fears and concerns."

Faith remained silent, absorbing her sister's comforting words. Then, suddenly, a thought illuminated her mind. "No, Mary. I know I initially called this experience a dream, but I'm convinced I traveled to a parallel world. Yes, that's it, the reason why no one believes me! There's a parallel boundary between our reality and that store," she declared with newfound conviction.

Concerned by the utterance of these words, Mary stood up, ready to leave the room. Before crossing the threshold, she addressed Faith one last time. "Don't forget the day, Faith. You know, today," she reminded before disappearing.

Faith remained frozen for a moment, her sister's words echoing in her mind like mysterious echoes. Confused and somewhat troubled by the certainty with which Mary had spoken, Faith tried to unravel the threads of this unsolvable mystery.

For a moment, she wondered if Mary knew something she didn't, if her words contained a crucial clue that could shed light on the mystery that had led her to this parallel world. But this thought seemed too extravagant, too disconnected from reality.

Shaking her head slightly to dispel the confusing thoughts that overwhelmed her, Faith got up from her bed, feeling an urgent need to clarify her thoughts by taking in the fresh air outside.

She walked to the window of her room, observing the sunlight streaming through the curtains, illuminating the room with a soft, soothing glow. But even the apparent tranquility of this morning couldn't completely dispel the sense of urgency that inhabited her.