The Strange Case of the Jackson Building

Chapter 2 - Premonition

Chapter Two

Premonition

 
“Miss, are you sleeping?”

She heard the grave voice in the distance and had plain conscience that she had to open her eyes, but something kept her stuck in the nightmare, something heavy kept her lids shut, almost like they were sewed to her skin. Petra was lost in a limbo between dream and reality, something she was getting quite used to. She was also quickly realizing how much she hated it.

When he lightly shook her, she was finally free from her sleepy prison. She immediately opened her eyes, feeling relief at the confirmation that it had all been a dream. Her first vision was that of the bearded man that drove the bus, as he straightened up and mumbled, “We have arrived, Miss. Better get going before they run out of cabs.” That said, he left, not knowing just how grateful the girl he had woken really was.

Petra took a few moments to massage her tired eyes, yawn and stretch. It had been a five hour bus trip and her whole body was sore. She felt tired and uncomfortable, like she had actually walked the long distance.

She estimated she had managed at least two hours of sleep, but they were all but restful. Apparently, even in such a short period of time, her mind was still more than capable to produce the weirdest, most terrifying and realistic nightmares. It was becoming another unfortunate habit, one she couldn’t really control. The most frustrating thing was that she could never quite recall them. Petra only knew they were unnaturally scary and realistic, she could only remember feeling trapped and lonely, running away from something as if her life depended on it and being very, very afraid.

She assumed it was all due to her stress levels being higher than usual lately, with the move, the changing of scenery, the fear of the unknown that was becoming her life. Still, it frustrated her that the pills weren’t making their job as they should.

Finally getting out of the bus, she went for her massive bag and heavy backpack which were quite lonely, waiting for her in the bag compartment of the bus. Travelling by plane or even taking a train would’ve been much quicker and, without a doubt, more comfortable, but Petra had never been on a plane and she didn’t fancy her first experience to be a solitary one and, quite frankly, she was scared of trains. Not sure why, but alas, she was also becoming used to understanding as little about herself as she understood everybody else.

She dragged the baggage out of the station and was quick to realize the driver had been right – there were no cabs available at the moment. She would have to wait.

It was already late at night, way past dinner time and it was chilly. Clutching her jacket closer to her skin and trying to ignore the cold shivers that ran through her, Petra examined the city that would soon become her home.

The bus station was located in the outskirts of the city, right next to the river that conveniently marked its border. It was a quiet and silent neighborhood, far away from the busy and commercial center. The buildings were old and smudged with decades of smoke, rain and use. There was a small bar still open on the other side of the road, its inviting lights promising her a warm drink and a cozy atmosphere, but she couldn’t risk losing an available cab. She just wanted to get home, neglect her bags and dinner and go to bed.

At last, after a few more minutes of cold and inner battle (the bar was looking more and more appealing by the second), a solitary cab finally came to her rescue. Ten minutes later, the cab driver was unceremoniously parking and helping her drag her baggage out of the car.

As the cab was leaving, Petra took a few moments to analyze her new neighborhood. It was a quiet street, although she suspected it was only so at late night hours since one of the city’s main roads cut right through it, leading to the busy center and the loud downtown. That road was flanked by a row of humble houses, all looking equally spent and old but all drastically different in shapes and sizes. At the end of the row, she could spot a small Chinese restaurant, which she made a mental note to try, that appeared to be empty at the moment and, right next to it, a bridal shop, whose large windows were illustrated by expressionless mannequins dressed in exuberant white gowns.