Times of the Immortals

Chapter 4 Aurora

 I didn't want to stop reading, of course, but this way I could save it for tomorrow.

It's 5:05 p.m., and it's time to start cooking. Today I want to please my father with seafood; I throw shrimp into boiling water, then put another pot on the stove to make soup with calamari and octopus. I deliberately leave the hood open, I want to smell all these smells, and I have the strange feeling that my family will gather in the evening and I will make them a delicious dinner. Following this fantasy, memories seep into my head. They are dear to me, but my heart clenches with pain.

I still remember the smell of my mother's hair when she came out of the shower and walked into the room with my brother and me before she had time to dry her head. She must have used a shampoo that smelled like wild berries, because it smelled like strawberries and fresh grass... She would ask me, "What are you reading?" And for some reason I was always shy and put my e-book under my pillow.

She smiled... What a beautiful smile my mother had... I'm not kidding myself: without hesitation, I would have given up my immortality for the chance to see her face light up with a smile! I wish I could feel her soft hand running through my hair, touching my cheek...

My chest tightened as if I had been kicked. My head was still full of memories.

Dio was a tomboy. Always mischievous, asking a lot of questions. I remember how he always dreamed of driving a magnemobile, he was no more than thirteen at the time and I was just a little girl... Without a doubt, the mobile is one of the safest vehicles of our time, but my father still wouldn't let him drive it. And then, one night, he snuck onto the platform and stole my father's cell phone. And I followed him and asked him for a ride.

There's a warmth somewhere in my stomach, but it's tinged with longing. The heaviest. It's hard to breathe, and I cling to the countertop as hard as I can, where the food is laid out for cooking, but it doesn't seem to help. I remember everything, I remember...

He squealed with delight, poked his fingers all over the dashboard, and even managed to lower the roof of the magnemobile, sending a stream of warm summer wind into the cabin. I think we were driving at a ridiculous speed, but at the time it felt like we were racing like dogs on an adventure, leaving my parents at home...

It was wonderful because my older brother was in the next seat, he was beaming with excitement and I knew everything was going to be okay.

He was in for a real treat when we started to go down the rings and we were stopped by the guards. I was stupidly afraid that my parents would get mad at me and take away my e-book (The Treasure of the Treasure) as punishment, but they thought my brother had taken me with him by choice. I kept silent.

What an adult he would be now! I bet he'd be as handsome as Dorian Black. Immortal. Always by my side, protecting his stupid little sister...

Something booms, followed by a loud alarm.

I find myself curled up on the floor and my dinner, long since burned, which is why the home security system went off. For a few minutes, everything around me stopped working, even the emergency light behind the picture window went out. I feel like I've had a serious illness - weakness prevents me from getting to my feet. I am still sitting on the floor, slowly erasing the faces of my two loved ones from my mind. I can't believe I'm starting to forget them! Forget what they looked like in reality: the shape of their chins, the lines of their cheekbones... Such simple things.

Almost completely recovered from this unexpected silent hysteria, I look at my watch and realize that a whole hour has passed. Athena is picking me up in forty minutes and we're going to Neon, and dinner for my father is still not ready. I panic and start rushing from room to room, looking for the dress my friend mentioned, remembering where my makeup bag was (I hadn't used it yet, so I had no idea where I'd put it), and wiping my crying face dry at the same time.