In the dead of night, a symphony of whimpers pierced the otherwise silent air, emanating from a dimly lit room. William lay on his bed, enveloped in a cocoon of sweat-soaked blankets, his eyes tightly shut in the grip of a haunting nightmare.
In the depths of his subconscious, William found himself transported to a familiar yet agonizing scene. His younger self stood at the edge of a pedestrian lane, clutching his phone as he desperately dialed the number of his beloved, longing for reassurance. Each unanswered ring echoed through the street, amplifying his sense of dread.
As the traffic light stubbornly displayed its red warning, a chilling sense of foreboding enveloped William. His gaze lifted, and in the dim glow of the streetlights, he spotted Irene. Her countenance, once radiant, now bore the weight of sorrow as she began her solitary walk across the road.
