𝓦𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓛𝓲𝓯𝓮 𝓕𝓸𝓻𝓰𝓮𝓽𝓼 𝓐𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓨𝓸𝓾

Chapter II

The autumn sun bathed the street in a gentle golden light as Paul walked slowly, hands in his pockets, lost in thought. The fresh air seemed to give him some clarity, dissipating the clouds of confusion that had accumulated in his mind lately. Suddenly, the world around him seemed to warp. The ambient sounds faded, replaced by sharp, piercing screams. Faces of young girls appeared before his eyes, their expressions ranging from ecstasy to pure frenzy. They screamed, reaching out to him, their eyes glistening with tears of excitement. Policemen tried to hold them back, but they struggled, the girls were desperately trying to touch him, to reach him. Paul's heart pounded furiously. He wanted to run, to escape, but his feet seemed glued to the spot. The girls were getting closer and closer, their screams becoming deafening. In a surge of adrenaline, he turned around and began to run at full speed, the screams amplifying in his ears. But as he ran, a blaring horn sounded, startling him. He turned abruptly, breathless, and saw a car stop just inches from him.

The screams had faded, replaced by the murmur of the city. The young girls had disappeared, as had the policemen. The street was back to normal, with passersby casting worried glances in his direction. Paul stood there, trembling, trying to catch his breath. The events had unfolded so quickly, so intensely, that he struggled to believe they were unreal. Completely upset, he headed towards the sidewalk, looking for a place to sit down and gather his thoughts. He felt that something huge was eluding him, something fundamental that he absolutely had to discover. But for now, he needed time to digest these strange and disturbing visions. As Paul tried to gather his thoughts, leaning against a wall, a new shout startled him.

"Paul McCartney! Paul! PAUL!"

He jerked his head up, and his heart skipped a beat. A horde of girls, their faces lit up with recognition and excitement, rushed towards him. Without thinking, Paul screamed, panic overtaking him. He quickly got up and launched into a desperate run to escape the frenzied crowd.
In his haste, he didn't see the man standing in front of him and brutally collided with him. They both fell on the ground. Paul quickly got up, ready to apologise, when he recognised the man's features. It was the person he had seen in his dream.

"John?!" he exclaimed, breathlessly, eyes wide.

But as he stared intensely at the man, searching for a sign of recognition, the latter's face transformed before his eyes. The familiar features of John Lennon faded to be replaced by those of a policeman, stern-looking, his cap firmly on his head.

"You should watch where you're going," the policeman grumbled, getting up with difficulty.

Paul blinked several times, completely disoriented. He looked around him. The girls had disappeared, as had the hysterical crowd. Everything had returned to calm, as if none of it had ever happened.

"I... I'm sorry," he stammered, still in shock.

Without waiting for a response, Paul quickly walked away, seeking refuge far from this street that seemed to be the theater of increasingly strange events. Reality and illusion were blending, leaving him lost and disoriented.
***
Paul slumped on the couch, trying to lose himself in the entertainment the television could offer. The screen was broadcasting a music show, and he thought it might be the perfect remedy for his hectic day. But to his great surprise, it was his own face he suddenly saw on screen. There, on stage, he was playing, next to that man, John, and two others he had never seen before. The melody was catchy, captivating, but totally unfamiliar to him. The audience, visibly in a trance, waved banners. 'Beatles!' they proclaimed, or 'We love you!'. The realisation struck Paul like a thunderbolt. People thought he was part of this band, that he was a superstar. But as he tried to focus on the performance, a strange transformation began to occur on screen. The faces started to blur, to change. The familiar features of John and the others faded, and soon Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones appeared, playing their own music.

Paul shook his head, completely disoriented. What's happening to me? he questioned himself mentally, the remote control falling from his hands.
His reality seemed to be slipping away from under his feet, each moment bringing its share of surprises and disillusionments.