The strange feeling

The Strange Feeling Episode 1 — The Stranger in the Rain The rain started at exactly 7:43 p.m. Amara Bennett remembered the time because she had checked her phone twice before leaving the university library. She hated rainy nights. There was something about the sound of rain hitting the windows, the cold wind brushing against her skin, and the empty streets beneath the pale glow of streetlights that always made her uncomfortable. Tonight, however, the feeling was stronger. Amara stepped out of the library and immediately pulled her bag closer to her chest. “Great,” she muttered. She looked through her bag, hoping she had somehow brought an umbrella. Nothing. She sighed. Most of the students had already left campus. The few who remained were hurrying toward the parking lot or hiding underneath umbrellas. Amara could have called her roommate, but her phone battery was almost dead. Besides, she didn't want to bother anyone. She decided to wait beneath the roof of the old administration building until the rain became lighter. She stood there quietly, watching the water pour onto the pavement. Then it happened. That feeling. Amara froze. Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag. She knew this feeling. She had experienced it many times before. Sometimes it happened when she heard a particular song. Sometimes when she walked past a certain street. Sometimes she woke up in the middle of the night with her heart racing and tears on her cheeks without knowing why. It always felt like she was remembering something. Something important. Something that had happened a long time ago. She looked around. The empty walkway. The old building. The flickering streetlight. The rain. Everything suddenly seemed familiar. Too familiar. Amara closed her eyes. For a brief moment, an image appeared in her mind. A little girl. A woman kneeling in front of her. A silver necklace hanging around the woman's neck. Then— A loud crash. Amara's eyes flew open. Her heart was pounding. “What was that?” She looked around. Nothing. Just rain. She shook her head. “I'm imagining things again.” She had been having strange dreams and memories since she was a child. Her mother used to tell her that nightmares were normal. But her mother had been gone for years. Amara rarely allowed herself to think about that. Her mother, Elena, had disappeared when Amara was young. Everyone said Elena had left. Amara had spent years believing that. At least, she tried to. Headlights suddenly appeared through the rain. Amara looked up. A black car slowly approached the university entrance. It stopped several meters away. The driver's door opened. A man stepped out. He was tall and dressed in a dark jacket over a black shirt. His hair was slightly wet from the rain, and his expression was calm. But there was something about him that immediately made Amara uncomfortable. He looked directly at her. Not casually. Not like a stranger noticing another stranger. He looked at her as though he had been searching for her. For several seconds, neither of them moved. Then the man walked toward her. Amara instinctively took a step backward. He stopped a few feet away. “Amara.” Her heart skipped. She stared at him. “How do you know my name?” The man's expression changed slightly. “I've heard about you.” “From who?” He didn't answer. Amara crossed her arms. “That isn't an answer.” The man reached into his car and returned with an umbrella. “Take this.” Amara looked at the umbrella but didn't take it. “I don't need it.” “You'll need it.” “I can wait until the rain stops.” His eyes moved toward the road. “You shouldn't.” Something about his voice made her uneasy. “Why?” He looked back at her. “Don't take the eastern road tonight.” Amara frowned. “That is the road I normally use.” “I know.” Her eyes narrowed. “How do you know that?” Silence. Amara took another step backward. “Who are you?” “Adrian.” “Adrian what?” “Cole.” The moment he said his surname, something strange happened. Amara's chest tightened. Cole. The name felt familiar. She didn't know why. She had never heard it before. At least, she didn't think she had. Adrian watched her carefully. “You recognize it.” “No.” The answer came too quickly. His eyes narrowed slightly. “You're sure?” “Yes.” Amara turned away. “This conversation is getting weird.” “Amara.” She stopped. “You need to listen to me.” She slowly turned around. “Why should I listen to a stranger who somehow knows my name and the road I take home?” Adrian stared at her. “Because I'm trying to keep you safe.” “From what?” Before he could answer, a siren sounded somewhere in the distance. Adrian looked toward the road. Amara followed his gaze. “What is happening?” “There has been an accident.” “Where?” “The eastern road.” Amara's stomach dropped. “That doesn't make sense.” “What doesn't?” “I was about to take that road.” “I know.” Again. Those words. I know. Amara felt a chill run down her spine. “How?” Adrian didn't answer. Instead, he held out the umbrella again. “Take it.” She hesitated. Then she accepted it. Their fingers touched. A strange sensation shot through her. Amara immediately pulled her hand away. Adrian looked startled too. For one second, they simply stared at each other. And then Amara saw something. A little girl running through a hallway. A woman crying. A silver necklace. A door opening. A man's shadow. Then everything disappeared. Amara blinked rapidly. “Are you okay?” Adrian asked. She stepped backward. “I'm fine.” “You're pale.” “I said I'm fine.” She didn't wait for his response. She turned and began walking toward the campus gate. Behind her, Adrian called her name. “Amara.” She stopped. “Don't ignore the feeling.” She slowly turned around. “What feeling?” But Adrian was already walking back toward his car. “Wait!” He didn't stop. The black car disappeared into the rain. Amara stood there, confused. Her phone suddenly vibrated. She looked down. A message from her roommate. Are you still on campus? Amara quickly typed. Yes. Why? The reply came almost immediately. Don't use the eastern road. There was a terrible accident there. Amara stared at the screen. Her heart began beating faster. She looked toward the road. Adrian had known. He had known before anyone else told her. But how? She looked at the umbrella in her hand. A small silver symbol was engraved on its handle. A circle surrounding the letter C. Cole. Amara's fingers tightened around it. For some reason, the symbol made her uncomfortable. She suddenly remembered something her mother had told her when she was a child. “Never trust people who hide behind beautiful things.” Amara frowned. She couldn't remember when her mother had said it. Or what she had meant. The rain continued falling. And somewhere beyond the university gates, Adrian sat inside his car, watching Amara through the rain-covered window. He took out his phone. There was an old photograph saved on the screen. A young woman stood beside a little girl. The little girl was Amara. Adrian stared at the photograph. Then he whispered, “I finally found you.” He locked his phone. But before starting the car, he looked toward the university one last time. There was fear in his eyes now. Because finding Amara had been the easy part. Keeping her alive would be much harder. And neither of them knew that the moment they met beneath the rain had awakened a secret that had been buried for more than twenty years.