"I'm an idiot. I didn't even ask her for her last name."

Dreams can be a tricky thing to interpret. They can often feel so vivid and real, yet the details can be hazy and indistinct. Usually didn't make a lot of sense either. But damn! At least I could have asked for her last name!

Trying to locate her was like looking for a needle in a haystack, probably worse. I had scoured the internet and social media for several hours, but to no avail. I realized that the name Chiara was much more common than I had anticipated, which made my search even more difficult.

I felt like like a retired detective from an old black and white movie, the one that goes insane because there's a case he can never get over with. My mind was consumed with the impossible task before me, piecing together a puzzle with only the tiniest crumbs of information to work with.

I poured over every detail, examining each word she had said with the utmost care.

What did I have?

The general area where she lived, the bus route for number 12, and her first name. It was a seemingly impossible and daunting task, one that I had promised her I would undertake

Despite the odds, I was determined to find her and fulfill my promise.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by my online search and the lack of progress I was making, I decided to take a break and clear my head. I thought a change of scenery might help me come up with a new strategy. So, I put on my some sneakers and headed out into the city.

As I strolled along, I found myself replaying our conversation over and over again in my head, retracing our steps all the way back to the first day we met. Dreams, I knew, were often a manifestation of our subconscious desires, and it occurred to me that there might be more clues hidden within ours than I had originally thought. While I walked, I tried to connect the dots between all the little details I remembered, hoping to unravel the mystery of her existence in my world.

But it was futile and I felt like crying.

It was so nonsensical how someone I hadn't even met in real life could mean so much to me, but at that moment it was the only thing that was fueling me.

Eventually went to a gas station to get something to drink. Almost hoped, for a split second, to find any of the things we had seen in our dream. Part of my heart was waiting for her to come out from behind one of the shelves and surprise attack me.

It was totally something she would do.

The guy in the register was busy, so I started scrolling on my phone again, trying to desperately find her in social media. Then I found something that almost made me throw it to the ground. A piece of the song that had been stuck on my head, the one in Chiara's headphones.

"Don't forget to pre-order. We release it this friday!" A girl with pink hair told the camera, smiling.

It just didn't make any sense. I had listened to the whole song over and over again, just like Chiara had, something wasn't quite adding up. I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

And then there was the matter of the new metro line that was supposed to be opened in just a couple of days. It was all so confusing. I couldn't help but wonder if there was some sort of connection between the two.

Wednesday.

I checked my calendar: it was Monday.

It suddenly dawned on me that there was a pattern emerging. All the pieces of the puzzle seemed to be interconnecting and forming a coherent picture. It was as if the universe was trying to convey a message to me. Was it trying to lead me to Chiara's location? Or was it something more profound? Despite the clarity that seemed to be emerging, I couldn't shake off the feeling that there was still something I was missing. Perhaps there was a hidden clue that I had overlooked, or maybe the puzzle was much more complex than I had initially thought.

I knew that finding her was going to be a difficult task. I would need to put all of my determination and perseverance into it. I knew that I would need to take it one step at a time. Even if it meant starting by scouring every inch of the city, combing through every neighborhood, and talking to anyone who may have seen her.

I promised myself that I would not give up until I found her, no matter how long it took.

So I made my way to the area where she lived, in the hopes of finding some more clues that could lead me to her. Perhaps it was a futile attempt, but I was still holding onto the possibility of a miracle that would bring us together once again.

As I walked around the unfamiliar streets, my mind was racing with thoughts of Chiara and our conversations, and what she had told me about herself. And this must have been stupid but, noting how desperate I was, I didn't have another option.

So there I was, in a part of town I didn't frequent that much, waiting for the bus 12, waiting for the girl I was falling for but hadn't even met yet. Had all of that even been real?

Of course it was, it had to be.

As I sat there waiting, my mind raced with thoughts. What if she actually showed up? How should I approach her? I couldn't just blurt out "Hi, I'm the guy from your dreams." That would be too forward. I needed a more subtle approach, something that wouldn't scare her away.

What if everything had been in my mind after all?

No, I wasn't going to let myself even consider that.

I couldn't help but wonder if fate would bring us together once again. Maybe this was our destiny, to meet again. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part.

Aldo, what if she was telling the truth? What if she really couldn't wake up? I tried to shake off the feeling of dread that was creeping up on me, but it was no use. My mind was racing with questions. Was she still lying in bed, completely still, like Sleeping Beauty? The idea was terrifying, to see her frozen in time like that.

But then the reality of the situation hit me. What if I found her? What if I couldn't? Life wasn't a Disney movie, and I knew that it would probably take more than the kiss of a prince to break that distorted spell. A wave of helplessness washed over me. I wasn't even too much of a prince, after all.

Despite not having a solid plan in mind, I felt compelled to take action and do something that might be helpful. So I took a bus to the main station. I brought along with me a few essentials including a book, a notebook, some pens, my headphones, and a power bank.

That was it, the rest of my day was going to be spent on wheels, next to sweaty weird people. It was crazy, but for her I was willing to do it regardless.

So it began.

Every single time we stopped I looked up to check who would come in, who would get out. I lost track of time, ran out of ideas on what to doodle, and got carsick when trying to read more than 50 pages of the book.

Even though I felt I had spent an eternity on that bus, I knew I had to keep going. We came and went, and the driver was starting to grow suspicious. He kept eyeing me, probably wondering why I was still on it and looking at people so much. I just hoped he wouldn't kick me out. Despite the fear of being stranded in an unfamiliar place, I still had a glimmer of hope that everything would turn out fine.

And maybe it was by sheer will, maybe we were truly destined to one another, but I finally saw that red hair that had become so important to me in such a small amount of time.

Chiara looked exhausted, with deep bags under her eyes and her makeup smudged. It was like she had lost her spark, and her once prominent freckles were now barely visible. As she walked towards me, I could tell something was wrong.

When our eyes met, she mustered up a courteous smile and sat down in the row in front of me.

But something was wrong, she wasn't excited to see me.

I leaned towards her nervously, taking off my headphones. She turned around, looking startled and confused. I could feel my heart racing, my palms getting sweaty. This was it, the moment of truth.

"Hey," I said, my voice shaking a little.

"Hi?" She responded, frowning, confused. Something was extremely wrong.

"Do you... recognize me?" My heart almost stopped beating, the entire world started to crumble. She frowned, the spark in her eyes gone.

"Should I?" she asked in a flat tone that sent a shiver down my spine. I took a deep breath, feeling like I was about to confess something truly embarrassing.

"We've met before," I said, hoping she wouldn't think I was crazy. "My name is Jasper."

The silence that followed was deafening. I could feel my face burning, my hands trembling. I wanted to disappear into thin air. What was I supposed to say next? That we had met in a dream? That we had kissed and fallen in love in a world that didn't even exist?

"Oh...sorry," she said, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "My memory is trash." I wanted to scream. "Did we go to school together?"

The awkwardness of the situation was suffocating. I wanted to sink into the ground and never come out. Had I made everything up in my head? Was I going insane?

Everything was a disaster.

"Yeah but I was a couple of years ahead of you," I lied. "No worries. I just recognized you and thought I could say hi."

"Well, hi!" She was polite, yes. Nice even. But something was wrong, very wrong. "Do you take this bus often? I do but I haven't seen you here before."

"This was a one time thing," I said, feeling completely defeated.

I was left paralyzed, not knowing what to do or say. The smile that Chiara had given me wasn't the same as the one I had seen in my dreams. It lacked the warmth and affection that I had imagined, and left me feeling confused and hurt. I couldn't help but wonder if our connection was real or if it was all in my head.

As I tried to process what had just happened, my mind began to play tricks on me. What if this was just a figment of my imagination? But if that was the case, how had I managed to find her in real life? Was it just a coincidence? Or was there something more to it? These thoughts kept running through my mind, and I couldn't help but feel that something was not adding up.

With a heavy heart and a clouded mind, I stepped off the bus and made my way back home. As I walked, the sky above me opened up and raindrops began to pelt my skin, a cliché moment straight out of some silly romantic comedy. I felt as though the universe was mocking me, taunting me with its cruel sense of humor. With each step I took, my heartache only seemed to deepen, a physical pain that I never imagined possible.

As I walked, I couldn't help but think about what went wrong, replaying the events of the day over and over in my mind, searching for some sort of explanation, some kind of closure.

All the things that we clearly lived through, the ones that had been so real to me, kept repeating in my head. The clues that I was going through earlier didn't mean sense. The song that wasn't released yet, the metro line soon to be opened. Later that same week.

Later.

Later.

And yet, she had remembered them.

I finally arrived at my apartment building, a tall, gray structure that loomed over the deserted streets. Inside, the lobby was small and unremarkable. The walls were painted a dull shade of beige, and there was a small reception desk in the corner. It was a far cry from the luxurious lobbies I had seen in movies and on TV. It was then that I realized the resemblance with the other buildings in the city I had found Chiara in. How couldn't I have realized that before?

As I approached the door, an eerie feeling crept over me, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. It was that sensation that I had experienced before, but couldn't quite place. My heart began to race as I fumbled for my keys, finally managing to unlock the door just in time. Once inside, I quickly turned the lock and leaned against the door, trying to calm my racing heart. The sense of dread only grew stronger, and I was left with the overwhelming feeling that something was not right. I couldn't shake the feeling that danger was lurking just outside, waiting for the right moment to strike.

That night was a particularly difficult time for me. My emotions were running high, and I felt like I had lost all my appetite. I remember staring blankly at my untouched dinner, barely able to make myself eat a bite. I didn't have the energy to shave or brush my teeth before bed, and I just barely managed to change out of my clothes.

Despite all this, I knew deep down that I couldn't give up. Something within me refused to accept defeat. And maybe, just maybe, I would find some answers in my dreams.

As I climbed into bed and closed my eyes, I couldn't help but hope that I would find Chiara once again.

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