Nothing was the same

Chapter 1

She abruptly gasped for breath and sat up in bed. Breathing heavily as she slowly shook the remnants of her dream, she glanced around her room; soon beginning to realize it wasn't her own. The blue drapes flowing like water, hanging from a canopy on her bed, the large balcony windows overlooking a vast field, as far as the eye can see, and the billowing cream curtains. And as she glanced down at her bed, she was shocked at the size of it. It could probably sleep five people!
No. Not her bed, she thought as she caressed the jewel-toned comforter with hesitancy. Someone else's.
She frantically looked down at her body to find some sense of familiarity in her haze of confusion and sighed in relief to find that her body was still the same. Her toes still painted that purple her older sister coerced her into using. The woven bracelet her mother gave her on her birthday. Argo smiled fondly as she touched the beads woven into the cloth bracelet.
She was still the same, but her surroundings were not.
"It's time for breakfast, Marie." She looked up at the sudden interruption, unaware there was anyone else in the room with her. "Marie? I'm sorry that's not my na- wait wait, who are you and what are you doing in my room?" The woman grabbed her arm and pulled her out of bed hurriedly, "I cannot, and will not play these games with you today. We're all eating breakfast and waiting for you. Get in the shower and be down 20 minutes from now."
Who is this lady? What is this woman on?
As the woman hurried out of the room after throwing a yellow dress at her, she shouted, "And I still have to wake up your brother! Damn boy hasn't been awake at this time in four years." Her brother? He had passed away four years ago. And through her sudden sadness, she sat up in bed and looked around the room in confusion. Searching, seeking, and practically begging to find something that would give her some clue as to where she was. "Oh my god," she thought. She sprang out of bed and frantically grasped a picture frame on her bedside table, almost knocking over the glass lamp beside it. As she glanced down at the photo, it was a picture that consisted of the woman that had woken her, an older man, a little girl, an older woman, and lastly, the only person she recognized and knew, her brother. She noticed in the top right corner that there was a date scribbled in black ink.
2033
She looked up in shock. 2033! There's no way! Just yesterday it was- A sudden sharp pain ran through her skull as she tried to remember. She lightly massaged her temples and shook her head. She refused to continue to dwell on this and looked back at the photo. But as she glanced at the picture her face scrunched in distaste. She couldn't remember who the people in the photo were, other than her brother, or if she had ever even met them before. She could only faintly remember some memories like her bracelet, her brother, her nail polish, but she could remember little else.
One thing she knew was that this room was not her own. She turned in a circle as she studied the room she was in. The vivid floral wallpaper that was so beautifully detailed, she felt as though she could reach out and touch the silky feel of their petals. The wood carved furniture with twists and turns and gold accents. The skillfully stitched carpet with vines weaving amongst each other. Almost as if they were alive. The room itself was beautiful, but it was not hers. She wanted to see her ikea crafted desk and dresser. Her target nightstand, and her dull metal bed frame.
But all she saw was the fine and precise details of every piece of furniture, probably hand crafted, that was not radiating warmth, as that of a home, but was radiating unfamiliarity. And as she grasped the brass doorknob, she decided with a stubbornness that could challenge a hundred lions, she was going to investigate. As she opened the door it creeped open with a deafening sound. Her resolve gone as her doubts got the best of her.
What if someone heard?
She nervously peeked her head out to search for any spying eyes. Once she was sure all she could see was the radiant red ruby carpeted hallway contrasting against the dim yellow light, she hesitantly stepped out and traveled down the hallway. As she walked, she couldn't help but let her eyes wander at the decorations on the wall. The gold plated candlesticks designed to imitate a flower blooming. Multiple paintings of individuals she has never met before, let alone seen. They looked like the old portraits you only see in museums.
Wait.
She abruptly stopped and turned to one of the last paintings in the hallway when she noticed it was a portrait of herself. There she was, sitting on top of a leather stool with a maroon and cream gold gown billowing around her. Presenting an air of elegance, her hands rested upon her lap. She peered at the small letterings underneath the portrait.
Marie Rossi Born 2015
She raised a hand to her mouth as she stumbled back and gasped at the date listed. She couldn't understand how she couldn't remember anyone painting her so elegantly, let alone being born in 2015! She knew she wasn't born in 2015. She couldn't remember her actual birth year, but she knew that that year didn't sound right. "Marie!" She snapped out of her thoughts to see the woman from before rushing over to her. Her eyes widened and her jaw went slack as the woman grabbed her arm and started pulling her down the hallway. "I thought I told you to be down for breakfast! You've kept everyone waiting and they're all likely done by now!" The woman kept muttering under her breath as she continued to yank her down the hallway towards a closed door. She could hear voices on the other side of the door and wondered who they belonged to. Her family?
The door was yanked open and light filtered into the dim hallway as she took could faintly hear whispers of light laughter. As she glanced around, she took notice of the beautiful dining room. She gasped in confusion as she saw the people from the photo all seated around an oak carved dining table.
As they all glanced up at her, she felt her eyes water with unspilled tears as she made eye contact with her brother. She dashed forward and around the table as she frantically embraced her brother. "Oh! Marie, I've only been gone for two weeks now, I was not expecting this warm of a welcome," he announced in surprise. She dismissed his calling her Marie as she wiped a stray tear from her eyes.
"T-two weeks?" She stuttered. He had been gone for 4 years! How on earth was she seeing him right now! His slight stubble the same as it looked when he walked out of their home for the last time. Hair still the same length, the only exception was it being gelled back in a slick style rather than sticking up everywhere, almost like it had a mind of its own.
"Oh don't act oblivious. You know I have been gone due to my studies. What has gotten into you?" said her brother as he grasped her face in his hands, with slight franticness.
"Uh- I'm- it's-"
"She's been putting up this facade since the morning! If you ask me, she needs to stop being treated like a child because she's resorted to acting like one!" exclaimed the woman from that morning.
"Elia, I know I've asked you to take care of Marie while we're away, but she's just a spirited child! And as her mother, I know that she's just acting, right?" The other woman stared pointedly at her, almost daring her to rebel against her answer.
"Yes! I'm only playing, sorry," Argo said, ignoring her 'mother' calling her Marie, as she hurriedly nodded her head. Elia glared and scoffed at Argo as she hurried away from the dining room. Argo prayed they wouldn't run into each other often. It was clear Elia didn't particularly like her.
The feelings mutual, she thought.
Moreover, as she sat down in the only empty seat at the table, all while staring at what she assumed was her 'family,' she couldn't help but feel as though she didn't belong here.
Staring down at her empty gold encrusted plate, she fell captive to her thoughts. As she slowly began to reflect on all she has experienced in the past few hours, she began to piece together her experience. Did she go into the future?!  No. Her brother was still the same and so was she, but she seems to be the only one out of place here. She began to feel a headache the longer she tried to figure out where she was, but was snapped out of her desperation by food abruptly smacking in the center of her plate.
"So Marie, what do you plan on doing today? You can go to the library or the art gallery in town. I heard there was a new painting displayed of the old mayor! How thrilling!" Her new mother exclaimed as she placed mashed potatoes on her plate.
"I'm sorry, um, my name is Argo."
"So that's this week's name huh?" Said the man, who she assumed was her dad, as he glanced at her amusedly. "Oh, dear, another one?" said her mother, "Last months was Sarah, then it was Lidia, then it was Jade, and now it is Argo? What am I going to do with you Mari- I'm sorry, Argo." Her mother said as she rolled her eyes; however, you could still catch the slightest hint of amusement in her eyes as she attempted to act annoyed.
"Can I change my name? Can I? Can I?!" Shouted her little sister as she frantically whipped her head from side to side to look at their parents.
"No, Nora. Your name is perfect. And Mari- Argo is just trying out new things!" Dad said.
"More like being a troublemaker, as usual," her brother mumbled.
She saw him snicker at her bewildered face. Probably thinking she was offended by his comment, but in all honesty, she was in a state of whiplash. Everything was happening so fast and these people were nothing like her family, but she also couldn't remember them at the same time. She felt so overwhelmed that she had to get out of there.
"I'm sorry- I need to- I'm gonna- um- library!" She pushed her chair back, almost knocking it over onto the marble floor as she bolted from the dining room. Marie entered the dimly lit hallway and turned sharply to the left as she saw a large, dark mahogany door that resembled an old vintage door.
She flung the door open, jogged down the white stone steps, and came to a halt as she observed her surroundings. The front lawn was beautiful! Oak trees surrounded the home with a dirt pathway leading towards a busy road. Men in fancy suits and blazers, adorned with fancy electric watches she'd never seen before. Some even projected holograms! Women in all kinds of dresses and outfits, some in flowing silk and others adorned in lace and jewels, wandered the streets of what looked to be a modern farmers market. As she began to roam the pathway, vendors of all types of merchandise shouted out at passersby in hopes of enticing potential buyers. As she spun around taking in the bright array of colors, she was in awe. The bright yellows of the mangos and pineapples, as it perfectly reflected the shining sun. The various tools and contraptions she'd never laid her eyes on a day in her life, and as she was distractedly bouncing her eyes from stand to stand, she felt her body collide with another as she stumbled back.
"Oof," she exclaimed as she lost her footing, still shaken from the abrupt collision. As she looked up, she saw a man, head bowed, hurriedly picking up the jewelry that spilled out of a box he was holding. "Damn. These better not have broken," he exclaimed. But as he reached for a bracelet, he lost his train of thought as he saw Argo on the ground. He abruptly put his box down and held out a hand to help her up. Flushed, she gingerly grasped onto his outstretched hand as he helped her up and huffed as she smoothed down her yellow dress. She glanced up at the man only to realize he didn't seem like he was much older than she was. And as she studied his attire, she couldn't help but feel he looked a bit, off? His shirt left untucked rather than tucked in like the other men, his raven colored hair messy and in a disarray, and-
She felt her eyes widen in shock as she looked at his wrist. Is that a watch?! And not just any old watch, but an actual gear turning watch! She abruptly reached out a grabbed his wrist. "Hey!" he shouted as he was pulled towards Marie. He frantically tried to cover his wrist with his sleeve as she studied the watch. "You don't belong here either," she said as she looked up at his worried face.