Remnants

Chapter 5 - Ali

Ali woke up on her bed. She winced as she touched her head when she felt a dull ache. The memories came flooding back, sharp and vivid-the girl lying on the bed, a mirror image of herself.

Did I really see that right? That girl had the same face as me.

Ali sat up, trying to piece back what happened.

I fainted. Mira caught me. Did she bring me back home? Where is she?

"Mira?" Ali called out to her friend.

Maybe she's outside.

She swung her legs to the side of the bed and took a deep breath. She needed to find Mira. Everything happened so fast and she hadn't even had a chance to talk to her. Maybe she can clear things up. She steadied herself and headed out.

A cool early evening breeze greeted Ali as she stepped out of the house. The sky was painted in hues of deep orange and violet. Shadows began to stretch across the village as the sun began to dip below the horizon.

It's starting to get dark. Where is she?

Ali wandered through the village. Her eyes scanned every person she came across, looking to see if it was Mira. Not that she wouldn't easily recognize her, but it was getting dark and she didn't want to accidentally miss her.

The people in the village were already preparing for dinner. Most of them were already at the village center, waiting for the food. Miriel would usually cook with some of the other older villagers and everyone would eat around the center.

That was how it was in their little village. Every night, as long as the weather permitted, the villagers would come together in the village center and have their dinner there. They would share stories and laughter.

Ali loved this part of the day. She and Mira would eat together, most of the time by themselves but sometimes others would join in as well. Despite having no memories of her past, the villagers accepted her wholeheartedly and made her feel safe. She was thankful for the connections she was able to build.

Mira is probably in the center already. Why didn't she wake me up?

Ali decided to head for the village center. If Mira wasn't there, maybe Miriel or Cora would know where she was.

She greeted some of the other villagers who were heading there as well. Ali was really thankful for the sense of community they had in their small village. It provided her with a safe space in this broken world.

Ali's eyes lit up as she saw a figure walking towards her from the distance.

"Mira!" Ali shouted, delight flooding her senses as relief washed over her when Mira's smile broke through the darkness.

"Ali! You're awake!" Mira waved at her as she approached her. "I was just about to go home and pick you up. Miriel is almost done cooking. Everyone is getting ready to eat."

The warmth in Mira's voice drew Ali closer, banishing the worries that had been lingering on her mind.

"I thought you forgot about me. I woke up and you weren't there," Ali said, pouting her lips.

"No, I just had to take care of something. Sorry, I wasn't there when you woke up. I thought you'd still be sleeping right now." Mira apologized.

"It's alright. Let's go and join the others?" Ali smiled at Mira.

"Let's go. I'm getting hungry," Mira grabbed Ali's hand and led her towards the center.

When they got there, Ali saw that almost everyone was already there. People were already lined up to get their food. Miriel and Cora were in front, handing out bread and freshly cooked soup. Ali and Mira fell in line.