Déjà Vu

The Perfect Beginning

DARKNESS.

The faint sound of breathing. Uneven and restless. Then―
A WOMAN'S EYES snap open.
LENA CARTER lays in bed staring at the ceiling in darkness as sweat lightly coats her skin. Her breathing slowly settles.The digital clock beside her bed reads:
3:33 AM.
She looks unsettled but strangely calm ―Like waking up anxious is normal for her. She rubs her eyes trying to remember something.
A dream..
But it's already slipping away.
Only fragments of yellow roses, broken glass, and a man standing far away. Something about that dream left her with the feeling of being watched. Lena exhales sharply, annoyed. Not terrified, Just exhausted.
She reaches toward the nightstand where several sleep aid bottles sit untouched beside camera equipment and unfinished photo edits on her laptop.
Her apartment is clean but emotionally empty.
Minimal decoration, Muted colors.
A place that feels temporary.
She grabs her phone and glances at her notifications, No messages.
She tosses it aside as silence fills the apartment.
Then somewhere outside―a distant siren.
Lena closes her eyes again trying to sleep but After a moment she sits up frustrated.
The city is barely awake as the Cold early-morning light reflects across empty sidewalks.
Lena walks alone wearing headphones and carrying her camera bag.
The streets feel peaceful at this hour.
Almost dreamlike.
She passes tired workers opening stores.
A homeless man sleeping beneath newspaper, A couple arguing quietly outside a café. Just Little glimpses of other lives.
Lena notices details most people ignore. She observes everything But emotionally keeps herself detached from it.
As she walks past a florist shop, she suddenly slows.
Something catches her attention.

Yellow roses.

Exactly like the ones from her dream.

She stares through the glass for a moment uncomfortable.
Not scared, Just... weirdly drawn to them.
A soft voice behind her:
"Most people hate those."
Lena turns.
A man stands beside the outdoor flower display.

Early 30s.
Relaxed posture.
Dark coat.
Warm smile.

Not movie-star handsome but definitely approachable handsome.
The kind of face that feels familiar immediately.
Lena glances back toward the roses.
"The flowers?"
Adrian nods.
"Yellow roses."
"People think they're romantic, but they usually symbolize endings."
Lena raises an eyebrow.
"That's a horrible sales pitch."
Adrian laughs softly.
"Good thing I don't work here."
Small silence fills the air quickly but Comfortable somehow.
Lena notices he's holding coffee in one hand and a book tucked under his arm.
Something about seeing a man holding a book grounds her.
"So you just stand outside flower shops ruining flowers for strangers?"
"Only the yellow ones."
She smirks despite herself which catches her off guard.
Like she forgot she could naturally laugh around someone.
Adrian notices.
Not in a creepy way, Just observant.
"Long night?"
Lena lets out a tired breath.
"That obvious?"
"You've got the 'haven't slept properly in three days' look."
"Damn."

"I thought I was hiding it well."

"You're hiding it confidently."

"Different thing."

She laughs again.

Already too comfortable.

The bell above the door softly rings as they step inside together. Warm lighting, Soft jazz playing quietly, The shop feels disconnected from the rest of the city.

Almost frozen in time.

Lena wanders toward the flowers while Adrian casually follows nearby.

"So what do you do?" he asks.

"Photography mostly."

"Some graphic design work."

"Whatever pays consistently enough to survive."