Go down the rabbit hole and out the other side

Chapter 5

Okay, so Catherine underestimated Luffy's appetite.

Like, seriously underestimated.

"How did he end three weeks' worth of rations in less than two days?" underestimated.

The funny thing was that she couldn't blame anyone else for this mishap. She packed the rations as Luffy was too busy staging his fight with Coby so that the boy could enlist. So, she took care of all the necessary things for them to set sail without a problem, that included the food and the boat.

But, at least, the choice for the boat was good since she proposed to use her own. Mainly because it was bigger and more comfortable than the dingy that Luffy and Coby used to arrive in. It was still too little for three people, but at least it had a cabin that could be used both for the kitchen and navigation and a more enormous deck where they could sleep comfortably. There was still the problem of her company's emblem on the side and the sails, but that was a problem for another day...it wasn't like someone else was on those waters anyway.

Well, that just means that we will have to fish for a while, she thought, sitting on the table and closing the lid of the empty barrels; I Might as well start getting the photos I took sorted since it doesn't seem that the weather will change.

So, with a snap of her fingers, her tick, hard-covered, leather photobook appeared on the table, next to the picture she took with her camera transponder nail. Armed with a quill, Catherine started a new page on her book, writing as much as she remembered about the town, the locals, even the food, and adding the resulting images. A small smile graced her features when she designed a small onigiri next to the shot of Rika.

From an outside look, it might look like she was writing on an ancient tome, with the extensive care she was using. Put just the minimum amount of force while writing, smoothing the pages to avoid wrinkles, and cleaning the table so it won't get dirty. But for Catherine Chessur, all those precautions were necessary: that was her treasure, just like Luffy's straw hat and Zoro wado ichimonji.

It was the first gift she ever received from Louise over twenty years ago, and ever since, every page has been filled with memories. Photos from birthdays, stories, and images from the various islands she visited (not all of them, though... but that was another story), and now, she was finally ready to start a new section for her adventures with the Future King of the Pirates.

I only hope that the remnant pages will be enough, she mused, putting away her quill and adding the last photos. She admired her work and glanced outside to see if her crewmates were close. Luckily, both were just chilling on the desk without looking at her.

With the coast clear, she closed her book and...ripped away the leather from the cover. Two carefully stashed sheets peeked out. Catherine opened the first bunch almost reverently, worried that they might break. In her eyes, it was a legitimate concern: the pages were twenty-two years old and far too much irreplaceable for her. After all, these pages were her life from before Louise, before Catherine.

Each page had a drawing and a story. Her mother, what she liked and disliked. Her father, every game they played. Her grandmother, every recipe that brought warmth to her chest. Her friends, every adventure they lived.

If someone will ever read those papers, it will look like the memories of an Alzheimer's patient. And naively, Catherine thought so, too, for a while. She was convinced that she would have been able to remember everything. But it just took a couple of months, and her memories began to fade. So, she resorted to drawing and writing, hoping that that would be enough for her brain to remember her life.

How wrong she was.

Twenty-two years later, she completely forgot her mother's laugh. Her father's warmth. Her grandmother's smile. Now, without those pictures, she couldn't remember even their hair colors.