4

“Oh my word, look at that!” Olivia squealed, stopping so suddenly I almost bumped into her. I followed her gaze to the side, where she was staring at something across the street. It was a new bar, or at least it looked new. The building had always been there, this old brick place we’d passed a million times, but it had never officially opened. Now, it was lit up with disco lights lining the outside, flashing in patterns that made the whole place look alive. You could feel the heavy beating of speakers coming from inside, a low thump that vibrated through the ground, even though we couldn’t hear any actual music. I figured the doors must be soundproof or something, keeping all the noise contained.

“Wow,” Ethan said, his eyes wide as he took in the sight. “That place looks awesome.”

“Let’s check it out,” he suggested, already starting to walk toward it. His excitement was infectious, and for the first time all day, I felt a spark of interest. I couldn’t even argue. I mean, I needed something to draw me back to reality, to keep me from spacing out and sinking back into thoughts of that stupid dream. Smoothies were great, but they weren’t going to cut it today.

“Sounds great,” Olivia said, her voice bright as she adjusted the shopping bags in her hands. “Even though we’re holding shopping bags like travelers.” She laughed, glancing at the pile of bags we were all carrying, hers the heaviest by far.

“It’s not a big deal,” Ethan said, shrugging. “We can just go in, check it out, and leave. No one’s gonna care about a few bags.”

He started walking toward the bar, and I followed with Olivia beside me. As we got closer, I noticed something odd about the entrance. The two big pillars on either side of the double doors were covered in those shiny, blinking disco lights, but at the center of each pillar, there was a word carved into the stone, written backwards. It took me a second to make it out, but when I did, it read “District 6.” The letters were reversed, like you’d see them in a mirror, and it gave me a weird feeling in my stomach, like I’d seen something I wasn’t supposed to. I didn’t say anything, though, just kept walking, my bags bumping against my legs as we headed for the doors.

Olivia was practically bouncing with excitement, her curls swinging as she walked. “This place looks so cool,” she said, craning her neck to get a better look at the lights. “I bet it’s got, like, a dance floor and everything. We have to come back here for your birthday, Bella.”

I forced a laugh, trying to match her energy. “Yeah, maybe,” I said, but my mind was still half somewhere else. Those backwards words—District 6—kept nagging at me. Why write them like that? It didn’t make sense. I shook my head, telling myself it was just some artsy design choice, nothing to overthink. But with the dreams I’d been having, anything strange felt like a sign, even if I didn’t believe in that kind of thing.

“What is that?” I said, my voice barely above a whisper, directed at no one in particular. My eyes were locked on the pillar, on those backwards words—District 6—etched into the stone, glowing faintly under the disco lights. It was like they were calling to me, pulling my attention even though I didn’t want to look.

“What is what?” Ethan said, his head turning to follow my gaze. His brows furrowed, like he was trying to figure out what I was staring at.

“Yeah, what are you talking about?” Olivia chimed in, her voice curious but with a hint of impatience. She was squinting at the same spot, but the way she said it made me doubt myself. I looked at them both, my heart racing, trying to make sure they were really looking at the same pillar I was.

“That,” I said, pointing directly at the words. My finger was shaking a little, and I hated how unsteady I felt. “The words on the pillar. You see them, right?”

Before either of them could answer, a guard I hadn’t noticed before moved in front of us, his big frame blocking the entrance. His face was set in a scowl, and his voice came out gruff and annoyed. “There’s nothing there, and this place isn’t for people like you. So leave.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but someone else’s voice cut through the tension. “Wait,” a guy called out from behind the guard. I turned to look at him, my stomach twisting. He was tall, maybe a little older than us, with dark hair and an easy confidence, like he belonged here. His eyes met mine for a second, and I felt a chill, like he knew something I didn’t.

“Look, can’t you see the word written on that pillar?” I said, pointing again, my voice a little louder now, desperate for someone to back me up. “It says District—”

“Let them in,” the guy said, cutting me off before I could finish. His tone was calm but firm, like he wasn’t asking. The guard didn’t argue. He just moved aside, gesturing for us to go through, his scowl still in place but his eyes darting to the stranger.

Olivia raised an eyebrow at me, her expression full of questions, but I looked away, my head spinning. Ethan was already moving, chuckling as he walked through the doors. “Well, that was dramatic,” he said, his voice light, like this was all just a funny little moment.

I followed him, Olivia close behind, but my mind was a mess. Am I going crazy? I thought, my chest tight. What did they mean they couldn’t see the words? I saw them, didn’t I? The letters were right there, carved into the pillar, backwards but clear as day. And who was that guy? The way he’d cut me off, the way he’d looked at me—it was like he knew exactly what I was talking about but didn’t want me to say it out loud. Why hadn’t he let me finish?