Kita looks in her hand, holding a basket with a few veg and eggs. A little confused, she reaches for her head and feels a hair band wrapped around it as her hair drapes freely over her shoulders.

What was I doin'-

“Here you go, Kita”.

She spins in a panic, raising her hands to guard.

“Oh”, she responds as her eyes come upon the vast plantations and animal kraals, tightly surrounded by a luscious forest.

“You’re too young to be going crazy, my sweet,” says an old lady as she puts a few slices of ham into the basket. “A’jem offered a generous cow recently, so there is a little extra for everybody today”.

Kita Smiles, “Thanks, Ami. Did you do something with your hair? It's pretty,”

“Thank you, my sweet”, Ami giggles as she pushes her grey hair behind her ear.

“Today is the recurrence of me and A’jem. When the dots of Yeo appear in the night sky, we are reminded of our bond.”

“Yeo?” asks Kita.

“I won’t be able to give you the full story today, my sweet- But according to the scripts, Yeo is the spirit of provision, and due to our bond matching on this day- we are tasked with the provision of the crops,"

“I didn’t know the spirits provided our tasks?”

Ami makes her way to the nearby pile of greens that have been plucked.

“They once did… Today, they seem to be dealing with other matters,”

“What matters?”

Ami chuckles, Carefully rooting some of the nearby crops and placing them into a basket beside her.

“I’m sure your Mother would like those recipes to make breakfast, Kita. We can explore your curiosity at another time”.

“Oh... Of course. Thanks for the extra slices, Ami.” She says, turning to make her way back up the hill.

“M’pai Yeo Ket’p prauvhishk,” Ami calls out to Kita.

May Yeo continue to provide.

On her way up the hill, she can see above all the trees surrounding the farm, with the sol casting a warm, orange light against the pinnacle of the whisping greenery. The village resides atop a flat hill, making the walk up quite steep and more suited for the youth of the village. At the peak of the trail, you can see the entire surrounding area with the green extending far beyond what she initially thought. She walks this path every day. Why does it seem so unfamiliar now?

The town reaches from the North, round to the East and South. To the west is a stretch of mountains leading straight up north. Apparently, the sea resides to the South, but it can’t be seen from here.

Ta’ah and I should try finding it sometime.

She arrives on the Eastern side of the village and walks up to two large, interconnected tipis. She steps through the entrance draped with beads that clatter like a soft rain as she steps through them. Her heartbeat rises as she steps through this uncannily familiar place.

She knows she lives here, why does it feel like she hasn't been here in a while?

There's wooden art on every countertop and suspended from the ceiling of every room. Some are much bigger than others, occupying a space on the floor but standing as tall as the shelves and cupboards. In the centre of the ceiling is a chandelier, with dozens of fireflies circling around its nest in the centre.

As Kita steps into the hall of the connected tipis, she can see a lady seated in the other room, before a small fire in the middle. Kita can only see the back of her head, and hear the sound of chopping emanating from the lady's lap… she's preparing a meal.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Is she?-

Kita's eyes widen in shock as she recognizes the back of her lady’s head. Sitting in the chair she always sits in when she chops vegetables for breakfast or dinner. Kita stumbles backwards, and the basket of meats and vegetables slips out of her hand, crashing to the floor as a plethora of coin spills out.

Surprised by the coin in her basket, she looks back up to see if the lady noticed, but is met with the face of a man, looking at her with concern as he mouths some words she can't make out.

What is this?

She realizes something is off. She's not really here… is she? The fabrics of the tipi around her slowly dissipate to reveal the bodies of shoppers and residents all around her. She tries to glance past the man's head, at her lady still sitting in the chair- But all these tables and people start to get in the way.

"Mom?" Kita asks, catching the ladies' attention before she disappears.

"Perfect timing, Ki," Her soft, loving voice responds as she slowly turns her head. Kita's heart races, as the lady slowly turns around to see her- But before Kita gets the chance, she is back in the cave.

Everything comes back to her like a vortex as she hears the man's panicked voice.

"Miss, are you okay?"

What just happened? Kita tries to recall why the shopkeeper is so concerned but only remembers a moment of blackness. Noticing that her hand is trembling uncontrollably- She quickly puts her hand behind her back, hoping the man didn't notice.

Faint images dissipate in her mind as the feeling of an unfamiliar memory fades away.

She’s tired.

That's all.

"I'm fine," Kita steps away from him. Tilting her head to see past him, only to see shoppers and passersby. She feels disappointed, as if something is incomplete. But what? What did she see? The experience slips away from her like a forgettable name, leaving her with questions and vague ideas.

She crouches down to pick up all the coin she'd dropped, then stands back up with her arm outstretched. Hoping the man just takes the coin and goes on with his day without trying to get all religious about what just happened.

He squints in confusion. Taken aback by her strange behaviour. Then he looks down at her hand, back up at her, and reaches his hand out.

"Thank you for your business, Miss,"

Kita nods her head, without saying a word. Anything she'd try to say would slur out of her mouth and make things more awkward. Now pacing away from the man's stall with haste, she massages her temple; it strains under the weight of her worrying and thinking.

Something just happened. For a brief moment, she wasn't here. Where was she?

Why can't I remember?

She doesn't want to lose it.

She sits on the floor, amongst the busy shoppers. Takes a deep breath before closing her eyes, and concentrates on the brief period of darkness. Thinking of the most immediate difference between that world and her own.

The greenery.

Air that was so… different. Every breath felt rich with substance.

"A farm?" Kita inquires, vaguely envisioning an unfamiliar old lady who accompanied it.

She tries to recall further. Who is the lady?

It is lost to her… But, a word comes to mind.

"Yeo," she says to herself. The meaning doesn't accompany the sound as it rolls from her lips.

And after that…

A numbness trickles in her stomach- Giving her the urge to throw up in discomfort. There’s something inside of her that she desperately needs to eject.

"Mother?" She whispers to herself. Her eyes whip open when she recalls what came next, and the numbness grows- a good and bad sign.

I saw my Mother.

What did she look like? She cannot place a face or even a hair colour on it. She is certain she saw her, but she also knows she didn't. This may all be fabricated.

A daydream.

This hollow feeling is irrational. Why does she miss someone she can't remember? She knows nothing about her Mother, yet the thought of whoever that might be makes Kita feel… Sad?

Is this sadness?

The distance between herself and her emotions is larger than she was aware of. She should know what sadness feels like- She should know why she’s sad… Right?

Kita stands to her feet, all the more confused by the details she barely recalls. It's unnecessarily frustrating. She'd rather go about her day than continue straining her mind over nonsense. All these thoughts of family life, religion and her past are a part of her mind she can’t deal with all at once.

It’s overwhelming.

She’s not built for that life anyway. Someone who has no grasp of their own emotions or sense of self isn’t fit for a 'regular' life. No, most people in this world haven’t had theirs taken from them. They haven’t had their entire sense of being wiped clean, as if it’s a dirty rag. Nobody could truly understand what she’s going through. Nor would they understand what she will have to do to get it all back.

She’s a monster.

A killer.

It’s the only way for her to get her soul back...

She must get it back.