Maturinus: School Days

Pursuing My True Self

When Katie awoke, it was within a void. There was no up or down, only a vast, eternal stretch of white as far as she could see. She wasn't sure she liked the implications of such a void. She was many terrible things, but empty-headed was not one of them.

"How funny, that's what I thought as well. I guess I indulge in self-deprecation with or without my memories."

The voice was hers, and yet she had not spoken. Katie swallowed heavily as she rose on shaking legs, knowing exactly what was to come. She was not to be disappointed, finding a perfect copy waiting behind her. She had her face, but kept it high and forward, never looking at her feet. She had the same sensible chestnut hair and pale skin, but so much better kept than her daily efforts ever could achieve. The same slight chest and thin limbs, but she could see the boundless potential there, instead of endless disappointment. The other Katie's smile faded as their eyes met, only for Katie's to drop down.

"I swear I'm going to kill that man when I get out of here. Locking me up was bad enough, but what he's done to you? Irredeemable, and I don't just say that because it's my head he's messed with. But I guess you already know who I am, right?"

Katie nodded. Just seeing this girl was enough.

"You're m-me. Before I l-lost my m-m-memories."

"Indeed. Catherine Holmes, nice to meet you."

"K-K-Katie."

"Obviously. It's been a while I went by that moniker though. I haven't really had a reason too, not since..."

The other Katie- Catherine pursed her lips and tapped her knuckles against her forehead, her face screwed up in frustration as she tried to grasp at the memory.

"No, it's gone. There used to be someone who called me that, someone important. But I can't find them at all. Seriously, I'm not the violent type, but Alexander King's going to get what's coming to him."

"A-A-Alexander? W-w-why?"

Had Gemma been right? Was he just as bad as the academy or worse? Strangely, Catherine smiled as Katie took a nervous step back.

"Now that I remember. Hang on; let's make this place a little more liveable, and I'll show you."

The white void began to fill up with all the trappings of a library, curving shelves filled with more books than anyone could ever hope to read in one lifetime springing out from the void's newly installed carpet. As desks and ladders began to form around the pair the other Katie placed one hand on her chest and pushed, leaving Katie flailing as she fell into a bean bag, only to be pushed up again as Catherine flopped down next to her. A projector and screen were already set up as she started talking.

"I know he isn't lying, not completely, but there's definitely something being hidden from us. Like he said, I woke up in that room without knowing how I got there, but he's the one who sealed me up and created you. Let's see, I think it went like... yes, here we go."

Despite a lack of light fixtures, the room darkened around them as the screen lit up.

Catherine didn't know where she was. The last she remembered, she was running away, but now? She certainly hadn't been anywhere near the sea when she'd turned tail, but that didn't exactly help her now. The doors at each end of the corridor were locked, and even if she'd felt inclined to escape out the window it wasn't worth testing the breaking point of her legs, if she survived the drop at all. And so she was left to puzzle things over, even if the conclusion was obvious. She'd been kidnapped. Someone must have grabbed her off the street and brought her here. But that said, it was rather nice for a kidnapper's den. Unless this was just a mental safe zone her mind had created to shut her away from the horrors that were happening in the real world. She pinched the back of her hand to make sure. The dull throb that resulted only raised even more questions.