The Garden of Heathen

Past Life

"Are you sure you're alright? We're not going to have any repeats of the last few days?" Gally asked her, blocking her path as she tried to leave the kitchen.

"Yeah, yeah, no, no, no, I'm good. I'm good, I promise," she assured him, jumping back a little. "I'm not going to overreact, I'm gonna keep my head on straight. No drama."

He quirked one tired brow as she gave him some sort of a salute before side stepping him like he had the plague and scampering out of the kitchen. Did he smell that bad from exercising? He lifted his arm and sniffed. Oh, that was a yes, but still.

"BYLH?" He questioned himself with a shake of his head.

Aussie careened down the path to the house, deciding now was the time to go see Gertie. She doubted the younger girl would have anything useful to say about what all just went on, but that was fine because Aussie wasn't even going to mention it. She was going to get her mind off of it.

The house felt stuffy when she got inside, everywhere being entirely too hot today. She made it up the stairs and ran smack into Gertie as she came flying out the door.

"Oof!" Aussie grunted as she fell on her backside.

"Ow! .. Oh! Aussie!" Gertie cried excitedly as she hauled her to her feet again. "Rani just woke up! And she asked for you."

"What? Me!" Aussie asked as she rubbed her backside.

Gertie towed her into the room where a pale and gaunt, but otherwise healthy looking Rani sat on the edge of the bed, sipping soup.

"Rani, how are you?" Aussie asked as she took a seat, Gertie perching on the arm of the chair.

"Hungry," She chuckled with a rueful grin.

Aussie felt her heart turn heavy with guilt again. Before anything else she needed to apologize.
"Rani, I am so sorry about what happened- what you went through. I nev-"

"What I went through," Rani cut in with a glint in her eye. "Might have been worth it."

Aussie's brows furrowed deeply.
"What are you talking about?"

Rani reached out and grasped Aussie's hands tightly.
"I remember," she whispered.

"You remember... what?" Aussie asked, trying to ignore the painful grip.

"I remember some things from before they wiped my memory," Rani clarified. "I remember you."

"What?" Aussie's eyes were wide now.

"Yes! I remember you! You sat and talked with me and went over questionnaires with me... I think you helped people find what they were the best at," Rani explained.

A lump formed in Aussie's throat and she had a sour feeling in her stomach.

"What people?" Aussie asked quietly, fearing what the answer might be.

"All of us... all the girls here. Some didn't come though, I don't know why. And there were boys too."

"What was I doing that for, do you remember?"

Rani blinked a few times.
"That's where it gets a little fuzzy," she admitted. "But I think from there we went to some kind of school? We were all happy to go, we thought we would be going someplace... better..."

"Better than what?" Aussie prompted when Rani trailed off with a far off look in her eyes.

She looked more troubled now, as if remembering something else.
"The world- it isn't how it's supposed to be, something is wrong! I can't remember what... but it's bad," she looked as if she were on the verge of tears.