The Lost One

Chapter 5

"Melissa! You're going to be late to school, again!" A familiar voice shouts. I stir and immediately sit up as I recognize the voice. Mother?! I throw the blanket off me and run to the source of the voice.

I stop cold in my tracks when I see mother drinking coffee. She notices me and frowns. "Why are you still in pajamas?" She asks. Tears threatens to fall but I clear my throat and cough. "I'm sick today, can I not go to school." I tell her.

My mom is not supposed to here, I must be hallucinating. I was strapped to a chair just a moment ago and then I'm in my bed while my mother is drinking coffee. Something is definitely wrong.

"You know better not to fake being sick Melissa. Scarlet looks up to you, so if you're faking sick then she is going to also. Be ready and I'll tell your father to teleport you behind the school." My mom says with a calm voice.

Scarlet? Who's scarlet and teleport? What is going on?! Unsure of what's going on, I nod and walk back to my room. I open my closet only to find it empty. It is literally empty, confused I enter the closet. "What would you like to wear today?" A computer voice ask.

I jumped up in terror and look around. There is no one around and the closet looks normal. "You aren't responding, pick a number then." It spoke again.

I must be imagining things I think to myself. "7?" I say unsure. I should just go along with whatever is happening.

"Decision heard. Outfit number 7 is commencing." It said. A bright light flash appears in the closet making me close my eyes. I feel some kind of change happening to me. I open my eyes and look down at my outfit.

I was not wearing pajamas anymore and instead I was wearing a black jacket with the words 'cat' on the front. I'm wearing striped leggings and black high heels boots. Woah, this is freaky and creepy.

How did the closet do this?! Is this what the future is going to be like?! I wonder. I step away from the closet and walk back to the kitchen. My dad is leaning on the doorway. He notices me and smiles.

"You're wearing the cat outfit today. What's the special occasion?" He asks. Hm. It feels like I've stepped into a parallel universe. "Nothing, this is my favorite outfit and I wanted to wear it today." I say with a smile.

I should go along with whatever happens today, I don't want to think what will happen if someone finds out that I am someone else.

Wait! Why should I care what happens? Isn't this a hallucination caused by the medicine that the scientist gave me?

"Your mother convinced me to teleport you behind the school, but this has to be the last time. It's a prototype and remember it's supposed to be a secret until it's revealed in a couple of months." My dad tells me.

"I understand, thank you." I say. He walks away and I follow after him. He opens a door and there's a sliver platform on the floor. "You know what to do." He says.

There's a strange feeling in my stomach it's like I got butterflies in my stomach. I step onto the platform and think about school. Behind the school. I close my eyes and then I feel queasy.

This feels familiar and yet new at the same time. This is supposed to be a parallel universe or a hallucination but I'm not so sure anymore. I opened my eyes to see the back of the school and it is the exact same school that I used to go before my parents had disappeared.

I walk around the school, to get to the front. This is just a hallucination and it's not real. It's not real. I walk inside and a smile appears on my face. My best friend Avery is standing in the middle of the cafeteria and it looks like she is looking for someone.

I begin to walk towards her but then Pete appears behind Avery and says something. Avery smiles and laughs. She talks to him and I feel happy for her. I'm happy to see her, but I feel guilty for not saying anything before I left.

I remembered that this is not real. The scientist is trying to trick me. He knows my weakness. I shake my head and snap myself out of a dream like state. I walk to my first period class. Hopefully, in this 'hallucination' I'll have the same classes as real life.