Immortal Memory (Iris' Atlantis 1)

14: Please the Blind Man

Lavender:

I woke up to a new day late. For a moment everything seemed as it had always been. I heard Dew's fingers hitting a keyboard, the clicking of a mouse. I had rolled the sheet into a tangle. A bright spot of sunlight spilled through a gap in the heavy curtains.

"Do you believe in reincarnation?"

"You must have heard of Alfonso Moura"

"How does that make you feel?"

I sat up as the memory of the previous day penetrated through. Dazed, I walked to stand right in front of the mirror opposite the bed. The girl (I couldn't quite even call myself a woman yet) looked very young. Her long fair hair was tousled and tangled into a voluminous mess. She had slept naked and looked small. There was little muscle to talk of, but otherwise she looked just fine. Well, there were some impurities for sure, but nothing evil. No traces of centuries lived.

I suppressed an odd impulse to touch my own face.

In my own thoughts, I went about treasure hunting through the pile of abandoned clothes I had left in a corner last night. Most seemed usable. Though I did go through the trouble of swapping the black t-shirt from the day before for a blue one.

If I was... If I would become...

What would I wear?

It seemed like such a superficial thing to trouble one's mind with. Yet there it was.

Was I really buying into this?

I wasn't sure.

Hellebore had implied I had spent some time with Timothy when I hadn't been myself. Maybe I could ask him, meet with him? Timothy was my friend. Even if the topic was a bit unusual, I could at least give it a try.

Yes. I would start with Timothy and see if he was in the same plot with Hellebore.

On my way to the bathroom I tripped over a school bag that wasn't mine. I cursed as my elbow hit a door handle just at the right angle and the pain flared through.

And I would probably have to return Clover's bag, for sure. I had stormed out of Hellebore's last evening feeling somewhat upset. Clover's bag hadn't been a top priority. But she'd probably want it back. Maybe I could leave it here and tell her to come fetch it herself, as Dew probably wouldn't leave the house on his day off. He could open the door for her.

I gave the man a light kiss on the cheek on my way to the kitchen.

"Are you going somewhere?"

I looked over my shoulder. He had actually taken off the headset and paused the game.

"I was thinking of going to see a friend. I hope he could explain something to me that I don't fully understand."

"Oh. This Timothy guy, right?"

I frowned. Was it, by any stretch of imagination, possible Dew was jealous for some reason? It wasn't like him.

I retraced my steps back to the living room.

"Yes... Why?"

"Does he... He doesn't happen to have a sister, does he? A big sister called Mimosa?"

I was taken aback by the sudden interest.

"Well..." I started unsure. "I do know he has a sister. Valentina has mentioned her. But was it a big sister? No idea. I have only known him for a few months after all."