Memory Mirage

First meeting

Date: 22/1/2020
Time: 11:30 am

The curtain swayed slightly in the breeze, and a ray of sunlight sparkled in my eyes. I blinked and slowly opened them, my hazel eyes adjusting to the light as I got up from bed. I was late, as usual, but it didn’t bother me much. Grabbing my camera and bag, I headed out of my apartment. The air was colder than expected, and the chill bit at my hands.

"Gabriella Wilson, age 76, lives in a small town with her husband..." I repeated her details to myself, trying to commit them to memory as I made my way to the hospital where she was staying. It might sound strange, but this is the first time someone has hired me to investigate themselves.

I paused as a cool breeze brushed against my skin. My gaze followed the movement until it settled on the large building in front of me.

They say to expect less so you won’t be disappointed, but it’s human nature to expect, no matter what. I had already made up my mind not to ruin my first job by overthinking. As I stepped inside, I heard a voice that sounded like a mother scolding her child. Curiosity got the better of me, so I tilted my head to peek around the corner. To my surprise, the woman speaking was the very person who had asked me to meet her.

"Please, take your medicine, Ms. Wilson," the nurse scolded the elderly woman.

Ah, apparently she’s refusing to take her meds—such a cliché...

I thought to myself before finally gathering the courage to step inside. Their eyes scanned my face until Ms. Gabriella finally recognized me.
Her brown Irish eyes shone through her glasses as if she were seeing her long-lost son. She gave me a delighted smile, and, seeing her so happy, the nurse chuckled softly before leaving the room.

"You really came...? I can’t believe it..." she exclaimed, her voice a mix of surprise and confusion.

"Yes, I’m Felix Vancouver, the paranormal investigator you were looking for," I said, trying to give her a reassuring smile.

Her smile never faded during our brief introduction. I sat down comfortably, gathering my thoughts to ask her the right questions.

"Son, you've made me so happy. I never thought you would actually come. Do you know people often call me crazy and ignore my requests?" Her voice grew quieter with each word as if she were struggling to express her joy.

"I can’t ignore people who need my help," I replied softly.
The real reason I came was because this was my first official case after joining the team. But I couldn’t let her know that.

"So, what can I do for you, Ms. Gabriella?"

"I need you to help me find my husband..."

I raised an eyebrow at her response, and a brief silence settled between us, creating an uneasy tension.

"Don’t you live with your husband? If I’m not mistaken, he’s still alive according to the letter you sent me."

The letter, which had arrived three days ago, was likely sent after she saw the article about our team in the newspaper.

"That’s not... true," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "I don’t live with him anymore, but I believe he’s still alive—in our old mansion. Could you please tell him to rest...? I hear him screaming and calling for my help. But as helpless as I am, I can’t do anything..."

My mind grew fuzzy from the weight of her words. A fleeting memory from my childhood surfaced, momentarily I snapped my eyes to run into my fantasies.

"I can hear him, I can see him. But nobody believes me... Will you do the same?" Her voice trembled, filled with both desperation and hope as she searched my face for an answer.

I understood her plea. She had the same problem I once had—nobody believed me either.

"I’ll find out what’s going on," I replied, my voice firm as it echoed through the small room. "So please, give me as much information as you can."

Her eyes spoke volumes, far more than her words could. The way she looked at me was unexplainable. I hadn’t done anything yet, but she already seemed deeply grateful.

A few minutes passed as I jotted down the information I had gathered from her. Footsteps echoed in the corridor before someone burst into the room.

"No!! I told ya, I’m not staying anywhere but here!" a girl’s voice screeched through the door.

My eyes drifted toward the entrance, where I saw a girl standing, her expression a mix of awe and confusion. She was none other than Selena Barber. This was the first time I saw her.

Four years from now, our paths would cross again, but a new fate would await us.

To be continued.