The boy in my dream

Chapter 2 -The interview

what I couldn't remember

You were there that night.

I couldn't take my eyes off the words.

For several seconds, I forgot I was sitting in a classroom.

The voices around me faded into the background, and all I could hear was the sound of my own heartbeat.

I looked down at the drawing again.

The abandoned house.

The trees.

The red door.

I had seen all of it before.

In my dreams.

But there was something else.

Something that made my stomach twist.

The handwriting.

It was mine.

I knew my handwriting better than anyone.

I had spent years filling notebooks with it, writing assignments, taking notes, signing my name.

There was no mistake.

I had drawn this.

But I didn't remember doing it.

“Lena?”

I looked up.

My best friend, Maya, was standing beside my desk.

“You okay?”

I quickly folded the drawing and slipped it into my notebook.

“Yeah. I'm fine.”

Maya gave me a doubtful look.

“You've been staring at that thing for ages.”

“It's nothing.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“You always say that when something is definitely not nothing.”

I almost laughed.

Almost.

“Just give me a minute.”

Before she could answer, Mrs. Carter clapped her hands.

“Alright, everyone. Bring your projects forward for submission.”

The classroom immediately became noisy.

Students began gathering their work.

Maya picked up hers.

“You coming?”

“In a minute.”

She nodded and joined the others.

I waited until she was a few steps away before looking at the drawing one more time.

I couldn't explain it.

I knew I had drawn it.

But I couldn't remember when.

I placed it carefully inside my notebook and carried my project to the front.

After submitting it, I returned to my friends.

Maya was waiting for me.

“We're going to the cafeteria,” she said. “Are you coming?”

I shook my head.

“I'll come back. I just want to check something in the library.”

“What?”

“I don't know yet.”

She stared at me.

“That's suspicious.”

“I promise I'll be back.”

She sighed.

“Fine. Don't disappear on me.”

“I won't.”

I smiled at her and walked away.

The library was quieter than the rest of the school.

That was exactly what I needed.

I found an empty table near the back and took out my notebook.

I placed the drawing in front of me.

Then I opened my laptop.

If I had drawn the house, there had to be a reason.

Maybe I had seen it somewhere.

Maybe it was an old photograph.

Maybe my mind had simply created it.

I searched the university's digital archives first.

Nothing.

Then I searched old photographs of the town.

Still nothing.

I tried different descriptions.

Abandoned house.

Red door.

Forest.

Old farmhouse.

Nothing.

I leaned back in my chair.

Maybe I was searching for the wrong thing.

I looked at the drawing again.

There was something strange about it.

The details were too specific.

The broken fence.

The tree beside the window.

The small c***k in the wall.

I had drawn things I couldn't possibly have known.

Unless—

I had been there.

The thought made my chest tighten.

“No.”

I whispered the word to myself.

I couldn't have been.

I would remember.

Wouldn't I?

I turned the paper over.

There was nothing on the back.

Then I noticed the corner.

A tiny mark.

I moved closer.

It was my signature.

My breath caught.

I stared at it.

This wasn't someone else's drawing.

It was mine.

I had drawn the house.

But why couldn't I remember?

I pulled out my phone and took a picture.

Then I noticed something else.

There was a date written faintly beneath the signature.

14/10/2016.

My hands went cold.

I knew that date.

I didn't know why.

But something inside me did.

I closed my eyes.

For a moment, I saw rain.

Heavy rain.

I heard a little girl's laughter.

Then a boy's voice.

Close to my ear.

“Don't open the door.”

My eyes snapped open.

I looked around the library.

Nobody was near me.

My breathing became uneven.

I tried to remember his face.

Nothing.

Only his voice.

Only the feeling that I had known him for a very long time.

I looked at the clock.

I had been in the library longer than I thought.

Maya was probably wondering where I was.

I gathered my things and stood.

Then I stopped.

Something had caught my attention.

A book on the shelf behind me was slightly pulled out.

I don't know why, but I reached for it.

The moment I touched the spine, another memory flashed through my mind.

A little girl.

Me.

Standing in front of the same red door.

And beside me—

The boy.

This time, I saw his face.

Only for a second.

Then the memory disappeared.

I pulled my hand away from the book.

My heart was pounding.

I didn't know who he was.

I didn't know what happened on October 14, 2016.

But I knew one thing.

Whatever I had forgotten—

Someone had made sure I would never remember it.

I left the library with more questions than I had answers.

The drawing was still inside my notebook, safely tucked between two pages.

I didn't want Maya or Daniel to see it.

Not yet.

I wasn't even sure what I would tell them if they asked.

I walked back toward the lecture hall and found them waiting outside.

Maya looked at her phone and frowned.

“You took forever.”

“I know. Sorry.”

Daniel adjusted the strap of his backpack.

“What were you actually doing in there?”

“Looking for something.”

“And did you find it?”

I hesitated.

“No.”

It was the easiest answer.

Maya looked at me for a moment, but she eventually shrugged.

“Come on. We're leaving.”

We started walking toward the school gate.

The three of us talked about our assignments, complained about the amount of work our lecturers kept giving us, and argued about where we should eat.

For the first time since finding the drawing, I almost forgot about it.

Almost.

Then my phone rang.

Mom.

I answered immediately.

“Hello?”

“I'm outside the gate.”

“I'll be there now.”

I ended the call.

“My mom's here,” I told them.

Maya smiled.

“Okay. See you tomorrow.”

Daniel waved.

“Don't spend the whole night studying.”

“I won't.”

Maya laughed.

“You definitely will.”

I shook my head and walked toward my mother's car.

“Hi, sweetheart.”

“Hi, Mom.”

I got into the passenger seat.

She waited until I had fastened my seat belt before pulling away.

“How was school?”

“Good.”

She glanced at me.

“Just good?”

I smiled.

“It was fine.”

She seemed satisfied with that answer.

We drove through the afternoon traffic while I watched the city move past the window.

Then Mom suddenly asked, “Did you hear about the internship?”

I looked at her.

“What internship?”

“The one your university announced.”

“Oh.”

I remembered seeing something about it on the student portal.

She smiled.

“You should apply.”

“I was already thinking about it.”

“Good.”

She glanced at me again.

“You've always wanted to work with a big design company.”

“I know.”

I looked down at my hands.

There was one company I had dreamed about for years.

Aurelia House.

It was one of the biggest fashion and design companies in the country.

Their collections were everywhere.

Fashion magazines.

Major events.

International campaigns.

Even some of the designers I admired had worked there.

Getting an internship with Aurelia House would be a huge opportunity.

But I wasn't sure I was good enough.

“I don't know if they'll accept me,” I admitted.

Mom smiled.

“You won't know unless you try.”

I looked out the window.

Maybe she was right.

“I'll apply.”

“That's my girl.”

I smiled.

For a few minutes, the conversation made me forget about the strange drawing.

Then my eyes caught something outside the window.

An old red door.

My heart skipped.

I turned to look again.

It was gone.

Just another building.

I frowned.

Maybe I was imagining things.

“Everything okay?” Mom asked.

“Yeah.”

I forced myself to look away.

When we got home, I went straight to my room.

I dropped my bag onto the chair and changed into something comfortable.

I was about to start my assignment when Maya sent a message in our group chat.

Maya: Guys, are you applying for Aurelia House?

Daniel replied almost immediately.

Daniel: Obviously.

I smiled.

Me: I think so.

Maya sent another message.

Maya: “Think so”? Lena, we're applying.

Daniel added:

Daniel: Imagine all three of us getting accepted.

I laughed.

Me: That would actually be amazing.

Maya: It WILL happen.

I stared at her message.

I wished I had her confidence.

A few minutes later, Daniel sent a picture of the internship requirements.

Portfolio.

Academic records.

Personal statement.

Design samples.

And an interview would be required for shortlisted applicants.

I stared at the list.

An interview.

That part made me nervous.

Still, I opened my laptop.

If I wanted the opportunity, I had to try.

I spent the next two hours working on my portfolio.

For once, I wasn't thinking about the strange house.

I was thinking about my future.

About becoming a designer.

About seeing one of my own creations displayed somewhere bigger than my bedroom desk.

When I finally finished for the night, I closed my laptop.

Then I noticed the notebook beside it.

The drawing.

I stared at it.

I didn't want to open it.

But I did.

The house looked exactly the same.

Except something bothered me.

I had drawn the window on the second floor completely black.

I didn't remember doing that.

I picked up a pencil.

Without thinking, I added a tiny figure standing behind the window.

I stopped.

I stared at what I had done.

Why had I drawn him?

I quickly closed the notebook.

I didn't want to think about it anymore.

Tomorrow was another day.

And somehow, I had a feeling it was going to be different.

The Next Morning

The second day of school started better than the first.

At least, I wanted to believe it did.

Maya and Daniel were waiting for me near the entrance.

Maya was holding two cups of coffee.

She handed one to me.

“You look tired.”

“I am tired.”

Daniel laughed.

“You spent the whole night working on your portfolio, didn't you?”

“How did you know?”

“Because I know you.”

Maya smiled.

“Same.”

We walked into the building together.

Everyone seemed to be talking about the Aurelia House internship.

Some students were already comparing portfolios.

Others were discussing the application deadline.

It suddenly felt much more serious.

This wasn't just another school assignment.

This could actually change our lives.

Our first lecture was with Mrs. Carter.

She spent most of the class discussing our projects and giving feedback.

When she reached mine, she paused for a moment.

“You have a strong sense of composition, Lena.”

“Thank you.”

“You should consider applying for the Aurelia House internship.”

I looked at her in surprise.

“You think I have a chance?”

“If I didn't, I wouldn't suggest it.”

Her words gave me a little confidence.

After the lecture, we had another class with a different lecturer, Mr. Adrian Cole, who taught advanced design development.

He was known for being strict.

Very strict.

He walked into the classroom without saying much and placed a stack of papers on the desk.

“This semester,” he said, “I'm not interested in seeing designs that simply look pretty.”

The room became quiet.

“I want ideas. I want purpose. I want to know what you're trying to say.”

He looked around the room.

“And if you want to work for a company like Aurelia House, you need to understand that talent alone won't be enough.”

Maya leaned toward me.

“He's already frightening me.”

I tried not to laugh.

Mr. Cole continued.

“You'll each create a complete concept over the next few weeks. Those who impress me will receive a recommendation for external internships.”

Daniel whispered,

“Okay. Now I definitely want to impress him.”

I smiled.

For the first time, I felt excited about school again.

Maybe this was what I needed.

Something new.

Something that belonged to the future instead of the past.

After class, the three of us sat together in the courtyard.

Maya opened her laptop.

“I'm submitting my application tonight.”

Daniel nodded.

“Same.”

They both looked at me.

I smiled.

“Then I'm applying tonight too.”

Maya held out her hand.

“To Aurelia House.”

Daniel placed his hand over hers.

“To Aurelia House.”

They both looked at me.

I placed my hand on theirs.

“To Aurelia House.”

We laughed.

For a moment, everything felt possible.

Then I looked across the courtyard.

Someone was standing near the entrance.

A boy.

I couldn't see his face clearly from where I was sitting.

He turned away before I could get a proper look.

I frowned.

Something about him felt strangely familiar.

I shook the feeling away.

There were more important things to think about.

My future.

My portfolio.

The internship.

And getting accepted into Aurelia House.

I didn't know it yet, but the future I was so determined to build was about to collide with a past I couldn't remember.

And somewhere nearby, someone was watching me.

That evening, the three of us were online at the same time.

Maya had created a group video call because, according to her, “none of us was going to submit the application alone.”

Daniel laughed.

“You're acting like we're launching a rocket.”

“For me, it feels like it.”

I smiled as I looked at my laptop.

My Aurelia House application was open on the screen.

My portfolio was attached.

My design samples were ready.

My personal statement was complete.

Everything was finally in place.

All I had to do was submit it.

Maya's voice came through my laptop.

“Everyone ready?”

Daniel answered first.

“Ready.”

I looked at the screen.

“Ready.”

“Okay,” Maya said. “On three.”

Daniel laughed.

“You're actually counting?”

“Yes.”

“Fine.”

Maya took a breath.

“One…”

I placed my finger over the button.

“Two…”

My heart began beating faster.

“Three!”

We all clicked.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then Maya shouted.

“IT'S DONE!”

Daniel started laughing.

“We actually submitted it.”

I looked at my screen.

Your application has been successfully submitted.

I smiled.

“We did it.”

Maya leaned back in her chair.

“Now we wait.”

Daniel sighed dramatically.

“I hate waiting.”

“You've been waiting for two seconds,” I said.

“And it's already painful.”

We laughed.

For the first time in days, I felt relieved.

Whatever happened next, at least I had tried

After the call ended, I closed my laptop.

My room was quiet.

Downstairs, I could hear my mother moving around in the kitchen.

I got up and walked downstairs.

“Mom?”

“I'm here.”

She was preparing dinner.

“How did your application go?”

I smiled.

“I submitted it.”

She looked pleased.

“Good. I'm proud of you.”

“Thanks.”

She turned back to what she was doing.

“You've worked hard for this.”

I leaned against the kitchen counter.

“I really hope they accept me.”

“They will at least see how talented you are.”

I smiled.

“I hope so.”

For a while, we talked about ordinary things.

Dinner.

School.

My assignments.

Nothing strange.

Nothing frightening.

It felt good.

Normal.

But later that night, when I returned to my room, I noticed my sketchbook sitting on my desk.

I was certain I had left it inside my bag.

I walked toward it slowly.

I opened it.

The first few pages contained my usual designs.

Dresses.

Patterns.

Fashion concepts.

Then I reached the page I had drawn the night before.

The house.

The forest.

The red door.

I stared at it.

Something was different.

I was sure of it.

The door had been closed before.

Now it was open.

I turned the page.

Another drawing.

The same house.

But this time, there was a figure standing inside the doorway.

A boy.

I stared at him.

My chest tightened.

I hadn't drawn him.

At least, I didn't remember drawing him.

I closed the sketchbook and pushed it away.

I didn't want another nightmare.

I didn't want another memory.

I wanted to focus on my future.

Aurelia House.

My career.

My dreams.

But when I finally went to bed, sleep came with a warning.

I dreamed of the house again.

Only this time, I wasn't standing outside.

I was inside.

Rain hammered against the windows.

The hallway was dark.

I could hear footsteps somewhere upstairs.

Slowly, I climbed the stairs.

One step.

Then another.

At the end of the hallway was the red door.

I reached for the handle.

Before I could touch it, someone grabbed my wrist.

I turned.

The boy was standing behind me.

For the first time, I could see his face clearly.

He looked terrified.

“Lena,” he whispered.

I stared at him.

“Who are you?”

His eyes filled with sadness.

“You really don't remember me.”

I opened my mouth.

Then I woke up.

I sat upright in bed, breathing heavily.

The room was dark.

I looked at the clock.

3:17 a.m.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead.

It had only been a dream.

Just another dream.

I reached for my phone.

One new email.

My heart jumped.

I opened it immediately.

But it wasn't from Aurelia House.

It was from the university.

I sighed and put the phone down.

Then I noticed something beside my bed.

A sheet of paper.

I hadn't put it there.

I slowly picked it up.

My blood ran cold.

It was a drawing of the red door.

And beneath it, in my handwriting, were four words:

I didn't sleep again that night.

I kept staring at the drawing beside my bed.

YOU'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE.

I knew the handwriting.

Mine.

That was the part that frightened me the most.

I finally got out of bed and put the paper inside my desk drawer.

I didn't want to see it anymore.

By morning, I had almost convinced myself that everything was happening because I was tired.

Maybe the nightmares were affecting me.

Maybe I had drawn the house without realizing it.

Maybe there was a perfectly normal explanation for everything.

I just hadn't found it yet.

I got dressed and went downstairs.

My mother was already in the kitchen.

“You look exhausted.”

“I didn't sleep well.”

She turned toward me.

“Nightmares?”

I paused.

“Something like that.”

Her expression changed for a second.

Then she looked away.

“Try to get some rest tonight.”

I watched her carefully.

There was something about the way she had reacted.

Like she knew exactly what I meant.

But before I could ask, she placed breakfast in front of me.

“Eat.”

I did.

And I decided not to say anything about the drawing.

Not yet.

When I arrived at school, Maya and Daniel were already waiting.

Maya immediately noticed my face.

“You look terrible.”

“Good morning to you too.”

Daniel laughed.

“She means you look tired.”

“I know what she means.”

Maya handed me a bottle of water.

“Did you sleep at all?”

“Not really.”

“Why?”

I hesitated.

“Nothing important.”

Daniel gave me a look.

“You've been saying that a lot lately.”

I smiled.

“Maybe I'm becoming mysterious.”

Maya laughed.

“You? Never.”

We walked toward our lecture hall together.

For a few minutes, everything felt normal.

Then Maya suddenly grabbed my arm.

“Wait.”

“What?”

She pointed toward the notice board.

There was a large poster pinned to it.

AURELIA HOUSE — STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Underneath was a list of participating universities.

Our university was there.

Students had already started gathering around it.

Daniel walked closer.

“They're announcing the shortlisted students soon.”

My stomach tightened.

“Already?”

“It says within two weeks.”

Maya smiled.

“Imagine seeing all three of our names.”

“I'd probably faint,” Daniel said.

I laughed.

“Don't faint before the interview.”

“That's exactly what I'm worried about.”

We laughed together.

For a moment, I forgot about everything else.

I wanted this.

I wanted Aurelia House.

I wanted to prove to myself that I was good enough.

Our first class was with Mrs. Carter.

She returned some of our previous work and spent the lesson discussing what we could improve.

When she reached me, she placed my project on the desk.

“You have potential, Lena.”

“Thank you.”

“But you're holding yourself back.”

I frowned.

“How?”

“You keep designing what you think people