My head slumped, and shoulders sagged, leaning against the table. Fog obstructed my view of the mirrors, and it was way too early to be in class. A sigh left my lungs, as my eyes drifted across the room, scanning over each and every one of my classmates. By some miracle, I had managed to finish the project in time. Unfortunately, this also left me in quite the predicament.
A lack of sleep had left my mind tired, strained by both the last day and night. Not a wink of sleep, and we were expected to answer a quiz today to go along with it. My head shook as I remained rooted to my desk, my hand placing itself on my forehead as I groaned. Today just wasn’t going to be my day. Then again, did I expect anything less?
This time, a groan exited my lips, as a multitude of pops and cracks rattling from my bones. Sweet release, one of the few things I can rely on to relieve stress nowadays, if only for a moment. Pangs of satisfaction washed over me like the waves on a bathtub, slowly and gently rocking me into a sense of calm. For a short while, I could delude myself in this little corner of heaven, my eyes gradually closing, as the deafening noise of the class tuned out. Finally, peace at las-
“You know we have exams next week, right? Or did that fly past your head as well?” Perhaps my forgetfulness was starting to become more of a detriment. “Also, please stop voicing out your thoughts, it just makes you look like an idiot trying to become the protagonist to a nonexistent story. Besides, Walt, should really try to look at the bright side more often. When the exams are over, there’s nothing else to worry about for the next week or so.”’
My eye squinted, looking up from their low position, lazily staring at the person who disturbed me. A head of raven black hair and donning the girl’s uniform of our high school, with a jacket barely hanging on her shoulders. She shot me an unimpressed gaze, her arms crossing. “It helps me relax, these due dates got me fucked up for the past week or so, haven’t even been able to get a solid eight hours of sleep-.”
“Eight… Hours?” Her face contorted into a look of perplexation, brows furrowing as the words rolled off her tongue. The tone of her voice rose, but instead of shouting like my mind had thought, she merely giggled, a hand covering her mouth. “Lucky you, really. I don’t even remember the last time I got a moment to relax.”
A ring blasted in my ears, booming with the force of an explosion, as a weight pressed against my back. “Whoops.” Was all I could say, her bout of laughter only growing louder. “Sucks to be you, I suppose.” A pit welled in my chest, the cycles of my breaths becoming rougher, haggard. “Hey, Lorelei?
“Hm? Need anything?” She recomposed herself, taking a seat on my desk.
“Say, once all of this is over,” My mind froze, stuttering with uncertainty. Now or never. Steeling my resolve, my teeth grit against one another, as I stood from the chair, meeting her eye to eye. “Do you wanna go ou-.”
“Quiet down, quiet down.” Cutting through all the noise as though it were butter. Our Homeroom, and Chemistry, teacher made her presence known, slamming the book that she was carrying down at her desk a number of times to get our attention. “I want all of you to return to your seats. While there won’t be any lectures taking place, I hope you use this time to go over the topics we have discussed this quarter.”
Slowly, everyone returned to their respective chairs, Lorelei looking at me sheepishly before nodding, mouthing out a few words I couldn’t understand. For the rest of everyone else though, they just groaned, collectively rolling their eyes. Then again, it was better to mindlessly listen to a lecture than to be forced to read for hours on end. Gradually, cries of protest were aroused from the sea of downtrodden souls, asking- no- begging to do something else in the long seven hours that were ahead of them.
Even I joined in as well, mostly out of amusement. However, the masses were swiftly quelled when a sudden sound rung louder than the rest, taking center stage as the door creaked for what felt like an eternity. “This one.” A feminine voice uttered, blue light flashing beneath our feet, the door shutting just as quickly as opened
The clock’s ticks suddenly became louder, to the point where they were deafening. Most of us tried to play it off like a joke. All an elaborate prank by either the teachers or an upperclassman to ease the mood. Though, the idea quickly died when none of us could get rid of the supposed LEDs on the ground.
The incandescence soon dimmed, forming into a circle as people ran for the doors, our teacher trying her damnedest to calm us all down. But it was all for naught, as the doors locked themselves shut. The handles morphed with the consistency of liquid, falling to the ground, and hardening just as quickly, stapling some guy’s foot to the floor. He cried out, blaring enough for everyone to stop.
A crimson river trickled down, the light below shifting to a dark yellow. My eyes darted from wall to wall, tunneling for the window. I had to get out of here, through any means. We were on the fourth floor, so a drop like that would certainly kill me, but I needed to at least try.
Sucking in a deep breath, I ran to the other side of the room, shuffling in between the crowd to get there. Fortunately, I wasn’t the only one to have that idea. “Open!” Someone harshly grunted, pulling at its handles. “Open you piece of shit!” Alas, it wouldn’t budge, not even an inch. It felt as though we had been locked in here, trapped for the foreseeable future. Coming to a stop, my footsteps drew me ever-closer, a fist balling up.
“David, move aside.” I told the man, a pair of startled eyes turning to me like snapshot. “Get out of the way, broken glass is very dangerous for a reason. Stripping off my vest, I wrapped the cloth around my hand, tightening it up to the best of my ability. And within a breath’s time, my shoulder wound back, left foot stomping down on the floor. One… Two…
Twisting my heel, hips, the entirety of my body shot forward, as pain shook me back into reality just as quickly. It was like a damn steel wall, impenetrable, no matter how many times I struck. Gnashing my teeth, I bore through the pain, a sickening crunch resounding along with it each repetition. Time passed like this, desperation clouding my mind, disregarding everything else. That was, until a set of fingers ripped me out, tapping at my back. “Hey Walter?”
I froze in place, shaking as dread rooted me to the floor. “Yeah?”
“If we don’t make it out of here, I just wanted to tell you that,” Fleeting seconds passed like cascading rapids. If only I had a camera I could bring out at a time like this. To capture this single instance in history. A shaky smile breaking on my lip as she continued. “Whatever happens, we’ll always be friends…” A flashbang rang, the shining light below us reaching its peak, a few select words reaching my ears, characters writing themselves in my vision. “I- …-ou”
Fragmented, shattered like crystal, a void soon overcame me, chills running up and down my spine. Darkness touched my skin, a cold licking at my toes. Sweat poured off my body despite the temperature, a twitch buzzing throughout my being. Was I going crazy? Did I make all of this up as some manic dream? Various questions shot one after another in my head, vainly trying to get my mind off what she said.
My heart pounded, palpitating far faster than when I drank six cups of coffee, fingers jittery. Not a moment of reprieve was spared, not like I could. All alone, without a single soul in sight. For all intents and purposes, I had been kidnapped, at the worse fucking time. Could it really not have waited a second later? The fuck was this, a fantasy romcom?
Denial ran rife, my figure crouching down in the endless darkness. I needed to get out, but how? Twitching, my brow shook as a sharp pain shot through my eye, piercing into my brain. My breaths hastened, body completely collapsing onto the floor. “Fuck, fuck fuck.” I cursed, a lump forming in my throat.
Air was barred from entry, as a script passed through my mind, images flashing before my eyes as everything melted, drowsiness wafting over me like a dense fog, utterly impenetrable. Stay awake… please. I need to… I need to get back to her. “Wake up, you dumbass! Can’t just leave her like that, there’s no way. There’s no way you could abandon someone else like that.”
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“Please, hang in…” Words passed between my lips, barely trailing off. “I can’t stop here, not now, dammit! Not after all of that bullshit-.” My jaw unhinged, a loud snap booming. Survive, stay conscious for a little bit longer. One more second. One step at a time. Left…. Right…. Left…. Ri- The walls of the abyss caved, dinking as though it were made of glass, crumbling one shard after the other. Then, my heart sunk, skipping several beats, as my vision gradually dimmed.
Coldness brushed against my fingertips like ice, an odd sense of “detachment” pricking at my head, as my eyes begrudgingly shut, the weight becoming far too much to handle. Better luck next time?
…
Warm, so very warm.
Snuggling closer into the heat, my body shuffled around, finding the perfect position to lay in and continuing my rest. Only for the thought to lap around my head once more. Was I…. My eyes snapped open, darting from one corner to the next. A forest green room with various pieces of furniture, each of the same color. It was foreign, entirely different to anything I was used to. There was no fan or air-con to speak of despite being mid-day, neither was there anyone here to observe me. So where was I taken to…?
Pondering the question, I cupped my chin, staring up at the ceiling as my frame collapsed back onto the bed. Without a single clue as to where I was, my sight sharpened as it keenly watched whatever they could find for even an answer. Clearly, I was in some poor sod’s guest bedroom, and if I had to guess, they’ve been nursing me for quite some time, if the towel at the bedside was of any consideration. But, that could also mean.
The knob of a nearby door spun into life, the wooden mechanism clicking into place as I returned to the soft mattress of the bed. It didn't see me, right? Unless they didn't have more than two brain cells, then it wouldn't be the case. Wasn't exactly the picture of subtlety, was I?
"Oh, so you're finally awake." The person on the other end merrily exclaimed. "I was wondering why you suddenly fell unconscious. The temperature wasn’t that hot outside, not that I could remember. Nor were you sick, it was quite puzzling to diagnose, I'll tell you."
Its voice was indiscernible, sounding neither male nor female. Unease settled into my bones, as my curiosity and nervousness piqued. Was it safe to get out of the sheets? Likely, it hasn't killed me yet, so why wait? Anxiety pricked my spine like sharp needles, touching each disc with pin point precision.
You only lived once, and if I wanted to see Lorelei again, I had to take the risk. Peeking through squinted eyes, I stared at the figure that stood by the door, mouth parting as each detail revealed more and more.
With a slim and graceful figure, it appeared to be a girl, however, something felt off enough for me to dismiss that notion. Her skin was matte cerulean, uncanny in comparison to mine or anyone else's. Though it was a dark shade of blue, her hair looked the most natural of her body, but that fact only made it stand out even more.
Furthermore, she simply looked like an oversized doll. And if that wasn’t enough to tip me off, then the four arms were, a pair folded in front of her as another pair held a tray of fruits. Was I dreaming right now? Some overblown fantasy to ease the boredom of class? I mean, it did make sense, there was no way Lore would do something like that out of the blue, not unless all of this was just a dream. “Are you going to keep staring? I know my figure may be stunning to some, but it’s still rude to stare. Besides, I’m not interested in little kids.”
“You’re one to talk.” I shot back, lifting myself off the bed and planting my feet on the carpeted ground. “If I am to assume you’re a full-grown woman, then you’re quite short, aren’t you? Barely even four feet. If I’m young, then what does that make you?”
“And you happen to take offense to what I said?” Her hand hovered just above her mouth, recoiling backwards as her height diminished. “It would seem as though we’ve come to a bit of a misunderstanding, haven’t we?” Her tone adjusted itself, centering once more as the sound of her light steps echoed in my ears. “Now, if I remember correctly, you came here under the pretense of working under me. While your personal ability would be of quite some use, I don’t think this relationship would work out well if your behavior can just suddenly change in the flip of a switch.”
Once more, a set of quarries bust into the scene without warning, most intriguing of which being: “Why?” I asked, moving my right foot forward. “Sorry miss, but I happen to be a bit confused. What’s going on? Where am I? And why do you look an over-sized toy a little girl- or boy- would play with?”
She giggled into her palm, moving closer and closer to me, casting a shadow over my figure. Towering, if I had to describe, especially since I was around five foot eight… unless… “Amnesia? Well, it would somewhat explain your circumstance. Do you remember your name, parents and where you live?”
She questioned me as though she were reading off a script, the lines sounding like they were practiced. Uh-huh, this didn’t look particularly well. My jaw hung, not a response leaving my lips as my brows furrowed. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, I looked for a way out, coming up short at every turn. “It’s alright, you don’t have to answer me. Your silence should already be enough of an answer, though, it would help out more, trust me.”
“Walter.” That. That was all I needed to answer the question. “I don’t know anything else beyond that, however. Parents are a mystery, and where I slept last night, I haven’t the slightest clue.” The doll-like woman’s lips pursed, nodding to all the information I brought to her. “It feels like I just woke up from a very long dream.”
“At least you got one thing right, so there’s that.” She shrugged placing down the food on the nearby bed. “There’s been a rare phenomenon that has been occurring every few years. The rate of which has only gone up as the years gone on. Little girls and boys spontaneously suffering bouts of confusion and memory loss. Always random and nobody has been able to link it to a cause, unfortunately. But, for now, I suggest you eat something. Surely you must be hungry after a full day of rest, right?”
Naturally, my head nodded, eagerly looking up at her. With a single hand, she picked up a slice of what looked to be a pink apple. Hesitantly, I slipped it inside of my mouth, allowing it to linger on my tongue for a minute before swallowing. Sour, but also sweet, it tasted like a mix between an orange and a pear, but without being too overbearing.
The caution that brought down my mind gradually eased. I wanted all of pieces on the plate, and then some more. A smile tugged at my lips as I stuffed myself full, legs kicking the air merrily. “That sure had you changing your tune.” The lady next to me commented, a burp bellowing from my gut. “If you’re now in a more amicable mood, I don’t suppose we can talk about the circumstances that led you here? Having lost your memories, and all.”
A spike jabbed at my head, red flashing before my eyes as seedlings of discomfort spilled like a leaking glass. It was like something was eating at my brain, rough details scattering, thoughts shredded as though they were nothing more than thin pieces of paper, ripped right out of my hands. For a while, I stared, mind buzzing, not moving a single inch.
I knew something happened. That an event occurred for me to be in my current predicament, no way I was just kidnapped into this place for shits and giggles. Though I might have the information in my head, everything was simply vague, a passing dream, almost. Haze wafted all across, with no end in sight.
Squeezing all that I had, still, nothing came up. Empty-handed, a pair of arms pat my right shoulder, comforting, in a way. Then again, anything was better than… confronting this mess. “You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to, or can’t. For all intents and purposes, it merely helps me pinpoint the cause. Though, you are quite the unique case.”
“How so?” I jumped, swallowing down a wad of saliva. “What makes me more special than the rest?” Fingers moved sporadically, a nervousness hindering my movements as the world blurred, a wetness dotting across my cheek.
“Firstly, it happened while I was talking to you.” Mirth brimmed in her voice, droplets spilling over as she continued. “Quite the experience, that was. For someone to be fine one moment, and suddenly fall over in the next. Frankly, I was miffed by the whole incident. But, in the end, I still have to continue with standard procedure." She amusing said, pulling out a small notepad from a hidden pocket on her dress. "So, how are you currently holding up? New revelations excite you?"
Options, many of them, laid themselves before me. The invisible tension in the air loosened its grip, allowing me a sigh of relief, or maybe it was something else? My entire life had been uprooted out of nowhere, and now I had to decide which road I went. Funny really. Not a week ago I was contemplating which college to enter, and now, I was entering an even tougher crosswalk.
Whether my decision was utterly stupid or the epitome of my intelligence would be up for debate by my future self and the companions that I may come across along this long road. With a heavy heart, and with a tremble in my voice, I gave the woman a clear answer, voice devoid of its previous stiltedness. “I want to work with you.” Looking up at the odd woman, a thin smile tugged across her face, another set of hands placing themselves on my shoulder. “However, I would like to know one thing. If you could do that for me.”
“Of course. Anything in particular?”
“What’s your name?”
A look of thoughtfulness overcame her face, or perhaps something else entirely. Her head tilted towards the ceiling, as a clock ticked in my mind. The air’s temperature soon dropped, gently tickling at my skin. “I am a person that goes by many titles. A teacher, doctor, alchemist, and even an emissary sent by the God of Life. Alas, I see myself as only one of those things. Instead, you shall know me by the name Renna.”