Carol Of The Bells

It is December 24th, 2025, Christmas Day. I, Elara Blackwood, a 28-year-old office worker, am currently at the coffee shop, spending the holidays with my most precious friends: the quiet, smart, and strict Janice Fontaine, and the bubbly, talkative, and mischievous Alice Fenrir.

"Hey, what if you have the ability to relive a single day every single time you wake up?" Alice says, her eyes gleaming with an enthusiastic spark.

"Here we go again with your random thoughts," Janice said, her usual reserved tone laced with a sigh.

"But seriously, if I had an ability like that... sounds hella boring, right? Like every time you wake up, you need to relive that day every single time, that means you also have to experience things that you have experienced that day, every single time. Kinda boring and useless ability to have, what a bore, so lame" I said sarcastically, my voice laced with a touch of annoyance.

"You guys...What a killjoy!" She said, and then pouts while Janice and I chuckled.

I glanced at my watch. 5:30 PM. "Ugh, I still need to prepare for tomorrow's Noche Buena," I groaned, my stomach twisting with a mixture of excitement and dread.

"Hey guys, I gotta go! See you tomorrow at the fireworks display," I said, offering a quick smile. We exchanged hugs, the warmth of their presence momentarily chasing away the underlying anxiety. Then, I turned and walked away, my footsteps echoing the ticking clock in my head, a metronome counting down the hours until the dreaded day.

My walk back home was peaceful, a familiar rhythm of friendly faces and brief conversations. The Christmas lights strung across the neighborhood seemed to twinkle with a comforting warmth. But as I reached my doorstep, a sudden chill snaked down my spine. Something wasn't right. A bad feeling, a prickle of unease, settled in my gut. I brushed it off, telling myself it was just my imagination, and unlocked the door.

The familiar scent of home washed over me as I stepped inside, pulling the door shut behind me. I was about to head straight for the kitchen, eager to start prepping for tomorrow's Noche Buena, when a movement in the periphery caught my eye. A dark silhouette emerged from the shadows, growing larger and more menacing with each passing moment.

My heart leaped into my throat, a tremor of fear running through my limbs. Taking a step back, I froze, my eyes fixed on the unknown figure. A white mask, obscuring any semblance of a face, a gray hoodie pulled low, and jeans — the only things visible were a pair of cold, steady eyes and a gleaming knife, held with an unsettling calm.

"W-W-W-Who are You?! Don't come any closer!" I yelled, my voice a shaky plea that echoed in the quiet apartment.

The figure continued to approach me, their movements deliberate and slow, a chilling calmness radiating from their presence.

"God fucking damn it! I said, DON'T COME ANY CLO-"

My words were cut short as the figure lunged. I felt the sharp, searing pain of the knife piercing my chest, the cold metal tearing through my flesh. The world spun, a dizzying vortex of pain and disbelief. all i can hear is the carol of the bells, before finally collapsing into darkness.

Then, I woke up, jolted from sleep by a surge of anxiety. My chest ached, a phantom pain that lingered from the dream.

"W-what was that? A nightmare... it all felt too realistic," I whispered, my voice still trembling. It was like the dream had seeped into my very being, leaving behind a lingering sense of dread.

"Right, that must be a nightmare," I said, forcing a chuckle to dispel the lingering fear. But even my laughter sounded strained, my voice still shaky.

I glanced at the clock. It was 1:30 PM, December 24th, 2025. The date, a looming specter, sent a fresh wave of unease washing over me. The same eerie feeling of familiarity, that undeniable sense of déjà vu, reappeared, as if my subconscious was whispering a warning.

I shook my head, trying to dismiss these unsettling thoughts. "It's just a dream, Elara. It's just a dream," I muttered to myself. "I shall prepare for my rendezvous with Janice and Alice." I needed to focus on the present, on the real, on the upcoming Christmas Eve celebration. But the lingering fear remained, a dark shadow lurking at the edge of my consciousness.

I was done preparing for our meeting. It was 2:30 PM, and I was finally ready to leave. But as I stepped out of my door, a gnawing sense of uneasiness remained. Why did that dream feel so real? Was it simply a random nightmare, or was there something more to it? A shiver ran down my spine, a whisper of doubt echoing in my mind.

Lost in my thoughts, I bumped into two figures, their laughter cutting through my internal turmoil. I looked up, my eyes widening in surprise. Yumi Mortiz and Jack Aiden! My childhood friends, my long-lost companions. They were cousins, their families intertwined in a tapestry of shared memories and laughter.

"Yumi? Jack? Is that you guys?" I asked, a mixture of surprise and curiosity coloring my voice.

"Oh, Elara?!" They said in unison, their faces etched with a mirrored surprise. We all laughed, a shared joy that momentarily quelled the lingering anxiety.

"Actually, we were just about to go to your house to surprise you," Yumi said, her enthusiasm momentarily dampened. "But it seems like you have some plans today."

"Yes, unfortunately, I have some plans today," I replied, "I have to meet some friends of mine. Wait, what if you two go with us tomorrow at 8 PM? We'll watch the fireworks display!" My voice, infused with excitement, welled with a sense of possibility.

"That sounds like a good idea, alright, we're on! We'll bring lots of food made by Mom, too, like old times," Jack smiled. A warmth, a comforting familiarity, enveloped me as I pictured the hearty dishes from his mother's kitchen, a treasure trove of shared memories.

"Yes, I miss Auntie's cooking, especially you two! Anyways, unfortunately, I have to go now. See you guys tomorrow!"

We exchanged hugs, a familiar embrace that brought a bittersweet comfort. Then, I ran, my footsteps echoing the urgency in my heart. But that unsettling feeling lingered. The meeting, the conversation, the laughter – it all felt so familiar, as if I had lived it all before. The dread, the sense of impending doom, threatened to overshadow my joy. Yet, I pushed it aside, choosing to focus on the present. The dream... it had to be just a dream.

Finally, after minutes of running, I arrived at our rendezvous point, my breath catching in my throat. Janice and Alice were already there, their faces lit with anticipation.

"Sorry, I'm late," I chuckled, brushing the stray strands of hair from my forehead.

"That's alright. What matters is that you are finally here, amiga," Janice said, her voice a soothing balm amidst the whirlwind of uncertainty swirling within me.

"I miss ya, Elara!" Alice exclaimed, engulfing me in a warm embrace.

I hugged her back, her energy a welcome distraction from the lingering dread that clung to me. We launched into our plans for the day, the laughter and chatter a shield against the encroaching shadows of doubt. But even as we walked, even as the city lights glittered around us, a sense of familiarity and dread persisted. It was a whisper in the back of my mind, a constant reminder that something wasn't right. It was as though the dream, the nightmare, had painted a dark undercurrent to the joy of the day, a premonition that cast a long shadow over my heart.

The time has come it's 4:45 P.M and we entered the coffee shop it is somehow familiar perhaps related to that "dream" again...i have the memories of that dream so i am certain that we entered the same coffee shop is that coincidence...i hope so.

We sat down, ordered our coffees, and conversed.

"Hey, what if you have the ability to relive a single day every single time you wake up?" Alice says, her eyes gleaming with an enthusiastic spark.

"Here we go again with your random thoughts," Janice said, her usual reserved tone laced with a sigh.

What...i know those lines all too well is this really a coincidence anymore? I started to sweat and shake.

"Are you alright?" Janice asked with her usual reserved tone but you can sense worry into her words.

"Uhm...Yes, I am. No worries..." I said my voice shaking forcing myself to be enthusiastic.

"Are you really sure?" Alice says with worrying tone.

"I do" I said with a reassuring smile.

A moment of silence occurs within the three of us for a while. Then, I checked my watch and the time is already 5:30 P.M my heart beated so fast that it can come out any moment. So far, everything that happened in that "dream" came true...what if that part will also... I shook my head and ignored my thoughts.

"Hey guys, I gotta go! See you tomorrow at the fireworks display," I said, offering a quick smile. We exchanged hugs, the warmth of their presence momentarily chasing away the underlying anxiety. Then, I turned and walked away, my footsteps echoing the ticking clock in my head, a metronome counting down the minutes until the dreaded day.

"SHIT, SHIT!" I said my pace is growing faster, ignoring everyone i've come across.

After some time, I have finally arrived at my doorsteps when suddenly i felt the familiar feeling that something is not right, the same feeling i have felt perhaps in that "dream" for sure.

I saw a shovel nearby and picked it up just in case some bastard appeared in my house.

I entered my house and closed the door armed with the shovel. When suddenly, someone stabbed me in the neck from behind.

Internal Monologue: No fucking way in hell...it's the same masked figure from that fucking "dream"...it really is true it's not just any mere dream now i see...

The world spun for the second time, a dizzying vortex of pain and disbelief. all i can hear is the carol of the bells, before finally collapsing into darkness.