College Roommate Mark and the Silver Compact Car

College Roommate Mark and the Silver Compact Car

I was riding the city bus home from my office like any Tuesday, but when I stepped off at my usual stop, the street was just slightly off. The houses were laid out the same, but my front porch had a different coat of paint, and there was a silver compact car parked in my driveway that I'd never seen before. I used my key, and it opened the front door with no issue, but my college roommate Mark was sitting on my couch watching TV. In real life we haven't spoken in six years, but in the dream he greeted me like we still lived together, casually asking if I had stopped at the pharmacy. On the fridge, there was a calendar marked with an upcoming vacation I had zero memory of booking. I felt this creeping dread, trying to check my phone to see what year it was, but the screen only showed unfamiliar contact names and apps I couldn't open. I kept trying to ask Mark what happened to my cat, but I couldn't get the words out.