Memory Mirage

Heartwarming acceptance

The breeze slowly played with the tree leaves as my eyes wandered around the branches. The long-awaited silence was finally broken by Selena's sweet voice reaching my ear.
"Tell me more about it! It seems really mysterious." She looked at me as if I had told a child about the unique existence of the universe. My lips were shut tight as I looked away from her. She kept pulling my shirt, asking for my attention like a cat. She tilted her head and looked at me as if there was nothing else around us.

"Okay, okay! Fine... I'll tell you," I accepted my defeat and sighed. She chuckled and nudged my shoulder. I took a few minutes to rethink everything. I wasn't sure where to start. My heart started to beat faster. Finally, I stopped and my voice came out a little hoarse.

"I can see souls that haven't received peace yet. I'm not sure when it started, but I used to take it naturally. My neighbors noticed, and soon did my relatives and school teachers. I talked to myself all the time as if I was crazy." I paused and thought for a few minutes.

"Then slowly I realized how unreal it was..."  A wave of flashbacks crashed over me, a torrent of haunting memories.
There I was, a small child struggling to navigate a world that seemed to exist in muted tones. My parents, the only anchors in my storm, looked at me with a mixture of concern and confusion. Why couldn't they see what I saw? Why couldn't they hear what I heard?
I wonder why I received this ability... it's a curse to me.

"I saw my dead grandfather once; he never wanted to break his old manor. So he occasionally came to me... he kept crying."
My voice hitched in my throat between lines.
"In the end, I couldn't do anything. I told everyone, but no one believed me. I saw the little light fading away slowly." With a shaky sigh, I shoved them deep into my pockets, a futile attempt to hide the vulnerability threatening to spill over.

A small hand reached out, a delicate finger brushing a strand of hair from my face. I flinched at the unexpected touch, the word "what" dying on my lips. Selena looked concerned for a minute before her usual smiley expression returned.

"It's such a beautiful gift." Her words stuck in my mind. I pushed her hand away, looking a little pissed. "Oh... I meant, the ability to see souls sure is extraordinary." Her eyes sparkled with the pink shade of the sunset sky.

"Why are you lying? I'm sure you find it creepy. Don't you think it's abnormal?" My voice was laced with disbelief, hoping for a different answer from her.

"But wouldn't it be boring if everyone was the same?" She asked innocently, stabbing my heart once again.

"I have no answer for that question," I said, my voice becoming low as my eyes drifted toward my feet.

A tug-of-war raged within me. A part of me wanted to smile, a genuine, grateful smile. The way she accepted me and my abnormality so easily made me feel a little flustered. However a cynical voice whispered that this was fleeting, that she'd forget eventually. Still, a sliver of hope flickered, a yearning for her to remember these stolen moments.

Suddenly, I noticed it was getting late. Dusk deepened around us, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. I turned to leave, but Selena stayed still, observing the tree. "What's wrong? It's getting late, so let's go home."

Selena snapped back to reality, her eyes widening upon hearing the word "home." She looked a little confused before trying to say something. "Home... where is my home?" Her words were filled with confusion.

I took a step in front of her, then slowly reached out my hand and gently held her wrist. "That's right," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "Let's go home."

An empty feeling dragged through my heart as we made our way back, the air thick with unspoken questions and a growing sense of unease. The weight of her memory loss, coupled with my own hidden burdens, cast a long shadow over us. As we walked, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning, a single step on a path shrouded in mystery.

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Time: 10:30 pm.

The empty, dark room lit up as the random slamming on the door allowed the outside light to enter this solitary space. The rolling chair was dragged out as a figure sat down on it.
A low hum fills the air as a single lamp flickers on, revealing a cluttered desk and stacks of files.

"Heyyyy bro! I have some spicy news for you," Percy announced with a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Duh, be a little serious, will you?" I spoke up in my usual annoyed tone.

"Chill, Felix. I have collected all the information on this Miss Amy Hart." His voice revealed how energetic he was.

"I see. Great, then we will meet tomorrow at the main gate," I instructed him, but a sudden thought came to my mind. Leaning back in my chair with a slight smirk, I added, "Also, don't forget to inform our gangster to come."

"Wait, you mean her...?" Percy spoke with a hint of disbelief.

"Yes, she will be really helpful in this case," I said confidently, leaving no room for argument.

"Ah, sure thing." With a little sigh, Percy included, "But if anything goes south, I'm blaming you." He cut the call as soon as he finished his statement. I chuckled and stared at the ceiling for a while.

Elise Levett, a gangster's soul living in her body, would be very helpful when it comes to tracking evidence from people. These thoughts ran through my mind as I closed the window.

Thanks for reading!!
Stay tuned for the next chapter.