Endless Hallway to the High School Parking Lot

Endless Hallway to the High School Parking Lot

I was late for my shift at the grocery store, sprinting down the hallway of my apartment building, but the hallway kept stretching forever. I finally burst out the front door, only to find the street turned into the parking lot of my old high school. A familiar teacher was standing by a locker that looked exactly like the one I used in sophomore year, except it was painted bright teal. He handed me a stack of flyers for a school fundraiser, and I tried to hand them back, but the flyers turned into my work schedule for the week. I looked down and realized I was still wearing the pajamas I fell asleep in, and the store manager was waiting at the entrance, frowning. I tried to explain, but my voice sounded like a whisper in a crowded cafeteria. I could feel the panic rising, then the hallway reappeared behind me, endless and quiet, and I woke up just as the manager's hand reached out to tap my shoulder.