It was a strange feeling of familiarity. Usually when people get that feeling from something, it's because of something they generally like. Going over to a friends house to discover you both have the same curtains, or hearing your favourite song at a party. This was different. This was more akin to smelling your mother's delicious homemade cookies at the scene of a murder, or some other equally jarring disconnect. When he opened his eyes, he saw a familiar ceiling. A familiar pattern on the floor. The whole room was familiar, overwhelmingly so. All of his memories leading up to this moment pointed away from him being here, in this kitchen.
Feeling suspicious, he darted his eyes back and forth. The room was decidedly empty. He slowly walked out of the kitchen, then through the pantry, then into the main room. All the while he was making sure not to leave himself open to attack. Everything seemed normal, but that just made it stranger. It couldn't be the real Lor. It simply couldn't be. It would make no sense. He reluctantly slid open the front door. Outside were beautiful red, orange, yellow, and a few brown leaves. Trees. Nature. Fresh air. Most of what he was seeing felt like something that he'd never see again.
Realizing that the situation wasn't dangerous, he settled somewhat and examined the thing he had stepped out of. All signs pointed to it being the one and only Lor Starcutter. A few things seemed out of place, like she had been modified. Frazzled, he stepped back inside. After messing with the console a bit, he realized she was shut down. He tried reactivating her, but the authentication said it would take a while. I suppose it would make sense here to look around and see what's changed. He stepped back into the living space. His first destination was the study. There was a strange scent hanging in the air. Blood. There were some dark red stains on the couch. Clearly, something has gone terribly wrong here.
He investigated the bookshelf. Between things that he recognized, there were a lot of things he didn't. Namely, drawings and several big notebooks. The drawings showed things like the Lor Starcutter, one of those damned sphere doomers, a strange jester creature, and Landia. He didn't quite feel up to reading the notebook yet.
Next, he made for the Captain's Quarters. Hearing the clicking of his shoes on the floor was becoming ever more normal in his mind. He lay his hand on the doorknob. It was warm. It was warm? Someone opened this door recently. He twisted the knob and the door opened.The inside was vastly different than he remembered it. It became readily apparent that he was essentially trespassing in someone else's home. However, no amount of moral hang-ups were enough to deter him from wanting to know what happened to the Starcutter and why he was currently on it.
The new decorations in the Captain's Quarters, as well as the drawings in the study, made it clear that whoever had been living here was either a child when they moved in, or currently is a child. He couldn't help but feel sympathy for whoever that was, given the Lor's general lack of tolerance for most things that children do, say, and are. He stepped inside, feeling light chills from the comfortably dim lights. It felt like home, even though it was clear it was no longer his.
Suddenly, he heard a noise. It had come from the closet. He turned on his heels, walking slowly, yet loudly, toward the closet door. He threw the door open, and inside was a sight to behold. There were four people. The one on the left was small, light brown, and fuzzy, with a white hat. They took one at him and passed out from what was likely fright. The one on the right had a deeply concerned expression, white hair, green clothes, and six hands. The one in the back was mouselike, with a red hat and a blue raincoat. They had a protective hand around the one in the middle. The one in the middle was the most immediately striking. For one thing, they were the only one that wasn't visibly injured, and for another, their clothes bore a striking resemblance to... people he wished he didn't remember.
YOU ARE READING
The Arrow of Time
Mystery / ThrillerThe Star Allies have been kidnapped. As they try to sort out their situation, someone among their ranks is making them disappear, slowly but surely. Who is behind this, and why?
