Thrills.

I was hit with the soft rays of the sun when I walked of the dormhouse, swinging my arms back and forth as my shoes clicked on the cobblestone. I flagged down a cab and got it. 

As it drove by, I unlocked my phone and ordered a large burger, a shawarma roll, a large soda and some fries through Uber Eats and had it delivered to the dormhouse. I texted Harmony the delivery details and venmoed her 80$ for the bill.

I walked in the mall, and was conflicted about where to begin. The spa? Or the clothing section? What store was I even going to shop from? Definitely not the thrift store today. If I'm going to be having dreams about the money I stole, I might have well used it. I brushed through people, slightly rubbing shoulders with them and unintentionally slipping into the minds of strangers. Some thoughts were funny, some dull, some inspiring, but nothing too…dramatic. Or pathetic, even.

I chose to go into the spa and salon first. 

I walked in and was greeted with a smile by the receptionist. I'm handed a spa 'menu' and I choose a three-hour full body treatment worth $550, which included a massage, facials, pedicure and manicure. Nothing too excessive to avoid suspicions. After that I got my hair done into a 12 inch bob, Cruella style—two colors, black and white. I never felt more bold in my life.

Next, I was the clothing store.

Here, I wasn't just upgrading my wardrobe. I was upgrading my entire existence.

I'd always loved designer clothings, and was very much obsessed with fashion and trendy styles, so I picked out the best of the best. I could not resist the colorful reflections of the luxury jewelry on their showglasses, so I grabbed a gold earring and necklace set. 

"It compliments your eyes," the attendant said, looking over my shoulder as I looked into the mirror, beaming with approval. I got a few out the best perfumes and mists they had in their collection, fragrances that I knew would make people turn—fragrances that I also adored.

As for gadgets, I stepped into the iPhone store and selected a 16 pro max, a VR headset and a regular MacBook.

It was 5pm when I walked out of the mall, done with my shopping. I had ordered an Uber and got into the cab when it parked at the front of the mall. As it drove back to the dorm, I looked out the window, smiling at my dull reflection in the glass, when I notice a small house at the corner of the street. For some reason I was intrigued and it suddenly felt like home, this house that I had never seen before, feeling like home. It was like nostalgia, except I have never been here before. 

To let. 

I didn't see the words, but I knew.

"Could you drop me off here?" I tell the driver, he smiles and nods through the rear mirror and parks. 

"Thank you," I smiled after tipping him and he drove off. 

"Excuse me," I asked the tall dark man who was talking to a woman at the front of the house, "Can I take a tour of the room to let?"

Not like I needed the tour because I already saw the interior in my mind. 

"Of course," he said—then to the woman, "I'll see you later?"—then back to me, "follow me, please."

We walked up the stairs and he was very chatty, "It's a modern house, a lot of the folks here prefer a modest home, I wonder why."

"Cause they're students? The rent is a bit high, you know," I replied.

"You know how much the rent is?" he asked.

"Yeah. A friend of mine asked a while back," I lied. 

He opened the door to the room and I felt warm instantly.

It was sleek, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a balcony that overlooked the city.

The floors were polished marble, the walls a soft, muted gray. The living room was open-concept, with a spacious kitchen that looked like it belonged in a cooking show. I could swear that I heard laughter in there, but not the kind you hear in a haunted house—something that seemed like someone was down the memory lane.

There was a master bedroom with a walk-in closet, a bathroom with a rainfall showerhead, and a view that stretched for miles. The guest rooms, equally spacious and comfortable.

The house was luxurious, but not flashy. 

Home.

"Could I pay for the entire year?"

"At once?" he looked at my wide-eyed.

"But,I can get a discount, can't I?" I smiled and folded my arms.

"Uh, I'll call the landlord right away," he pulled out his phone, "give me a minute."

I looked around, bubbling, knowing that I was going to be here for a while, and that I was going to get a good discount on the place.

I pull out my phone and text Harmony, "you're not going to believe this."