Project Eliora

84,819

-WAKE UP-

My eyes slowly opened, squinting against the morning light peeking through my curtains. I slowly pushed myself off the bed and sat on it, as I was heavily disoriented.

"Yesterday"

My memories began flooding in, but they were jumbled and confused; it felt like I was putting a puzzle together in my mind, trying to separate the fake from the old.

I went to school yesterday and participated in a competition, taking the third spot. To celebrate, my dad took us all out to a fancy restaurant somewhere in town. That was the fake memory I had. It felt so real, though, as I seemed to know about these events in great detail, even remembering so many of the emotions I felt. This phenomenon was powerful.

I got out of bed and approached the window, looking at the world before me. It was quiet and still, and the sky was coloured in shades of pink and orange. A sense of calm washed over me as I stood here, which was exactly what I needed. I had to approach this situation carefully and pay attention to the events and details surrounding it. If I received a new memory, it probably meant everyone else did too, so they would have no recollection of the day before.

My destination was the school, which was my best chance of encountering that person since that is where the monster supposedly spawns. Time to prepare.

—

As I came out of my room, I was greeted by the sound of crying. The source was obvious and clear; the question, however, was what he was complaining about this time. Despite being 6 years old, Omar was such a crybaby. My mom has told me that I was never like that when I was his age.

I came downstairs to see my mom cooking up something in the kitchen while Omar was seated at the dining table, wailing continuously.

"Good morning, mom."

"Good morning, Elisa. Did you sleep well?"

She said this as she turned towards me, holding a bowl, into which she began to whisk something.

"I did, but all that does not matter because his crying ruined my mood."

"Sorry about that. I told him he could not take brownies to school, and he burst into tears."

So he was crying over something so mundane. A true nuisance of a brother.

"Anyways, you are dressed up nicely."

"Thanks, I do try to look my best."

Today's outfit was a black and white-coloured cropped shirt jacket with a black top on the inside and a pair of deep blue jeans. Honestly, it was nothing too crazy, but I liked what I wore, and it seems my mom did as well. I walked over to the counter where the loaf of bread was and took out three slices, which were going to be my breakfast.

"That restaurant we went to yesterday was really nice, wasn't it?"

"It was average at best."

My mom responded, as she was still focused on what she was whisking.

"Average? Come on, mom, you know that is a lie. You don't just want to admit it."

She set the bowl down and turned to me with her arms crossed. I took a large bite of my bread as she did this.

"I am not lying, okay? I am just giving my only valid criticism. Plus, remember we were served cold chilli?"

"Chilli con carne tastes amazing, hot or cold, so I did not really care about that."

I was very passionate when it came to chilli, and she knew this. In a sign of defeat, she turned back to her bowl.

"I guess you prefer their food more than my cooking then; it truly is sad."