They started when Alex was a teenager. The studies say that most paranormal activity surrounds someone in their teen years, normally when they begin puberty. The dreams were in align with what the "professionals" called premonitions, which were paranormal to many. To Alex, they were annoyances. Her first dream wasn't anything out of the ordinary; a regular dream, where she did regular things, nothing spectacular.
However, in the weeks following the dream, she kept having a feeling of deja vu, which was ridiculous, because she didn't believe in that crap. When she had the dream of her friend in the car accident, a year before the accident, she knew there was something up. How did she know it was the same dream? She saw what happened exactly, through the eyes of someone there. That someone turned out to be her dad, who saw the whole thing, and was the first on the scene when Shelly made the left turn from the right lane on the bypass, in her rush to get to work. She lived, but Alex's dreams didn't get any better.
She predicted too many things; her high school friend's pregnancy, the car accidents that killed her friends while she was in college with no way to warn anyone. The big problem was that the premonitions were coming so close to the events, that she had almost no time to tell anyone that she had a bad feeling about something, until it was too late. Her closest friends knew she had these dreams, and they supported her. Her best friend, Anna, also had the dreams, but they weren't as vivid, or real as Alex's. Anna did call Alex one night, very late, to warn her of a bad dream.
The phone didn't wake Alex out of sleep, but it did startle her enough that she had to start that portion of her drawing again. No one called after midnight, unless it was an emergency, so she knew she needed to answer the phone.
"Hello," Alex spoke into the plastic receiver of the mauve phone her parents got her when she left for college.
"Hey, it's me." Anna started. "Whatcha doin'?"
Alex looked down at the schematic of the building she was creating a new facade for her design class. "Architorture. Not fun." She replied. "What's up?" Anna never started a conversation on a serious note unless something was wrong.
"Are you still planning on coming down for Thanksgiving this year?" Anna asked.
"That was the plan," Alex responded. "I've got a ride this year, so I figured I'd save some money and drive. It takes as much time to fly, since I have to change planes at least once, then drive another 45 minutes to get home. Why?"
Anna responded, "When were you planning to leave?"
"I was think the group is heading out early Wednesday morning. We've got to stop along the way and drop people off so I could be home in time to hang out with friends before the big Thursday events. Why?"
"Do you think you could manage to hold off driving out too early Wednesday morning, and wait until at least 9 or 10?"
Alex thought this was odd. The drive was a 7 to 8 hour trip down the lone Texas highways, and she would prefer to leave when it was dark, and arrive early, as opposed to driving during the daylight, and the traffic. She trusted Anna though.
"I'm not in control of the scheduling, since I'm going with three other people. I'd like to save my own gas money, and was really lucky to get this ride. What's the problem?"
"Just promise me that you won't take that ride. For that matter, see if your friends will wait to leave." Anna pleaded over the wires.
"Honey, I'll do the best I can, but I cannot guarantee anything. I've got a couple of more paychecks coming, so I'll see what I can do about making other arrangements, is that sufficient?"
"That would be great," Anna let out a sigh of relief. "I'll tell you more about it when I see you next."
"OK," Alex replied, "You sure everything is ok?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. Just make sure you don't leave until after 9am on Wednesday."
"Promise!" Alex responded. She knew it would make her friend feel better if she made that commitment.