✓ Memory 1
Even in winter, Rosalind found it pleasant to walk through the park on her way to the bazaar after work-though she did walk a little faster, since it was chilly out. This island was more familiar now, months after the fire that had changed everything she'd only just managed to memorize at the time.
Thinking about that day still hurt, deep inside, and she slowed her pace as she remembered how things had appeared directly after the fire. Rubble and scorch marks superimposed themselves over the real world in her mind, and then faded. She didn't need to worry now. Things weren't perfect, but they were better, and-
Huh? She squinted at a small, shiny thing that had caught the light as she moved. Walking closer, she realized it was a tiny crystal in wire framework, stuck between a couple of rocks. A memory crystal! She'd heard of them, but never seen one with her own eyes. Maybe it was time she finally discovered something about herself, like so many others had; reaching out to touch it, she willed her fingers to be steady.
She was in an office. A really nice one, furnished with hardwood flooring and nice furniture. She couldn't hear or feel anything, only see. No, wait; just as she had that thought, she realized she could smell. Not much, but there was a hint of flowers in the air, probably from a plant that sat across the room. There was tea, too, and some cleaning product-some kind of polish? And books. She recognized that smell immediately from the time she'd spent at Mr. Crow's bookshop and the store in the Wilderness when it had been a mall.
In the background, a strange trophy with a giant 'K' on it caught her attention briefly before her past-self's eyes fell upon a gray-haired man in a red suit and frilly cravat sitting at the desk that dominated at the room. In Rosalind's mind, she gasped-it was Mr. Justice, the housekeeping and clinic administrator! She glanced to the side and found that she was with someone, a spiky-haired man in a bright blue suit. Blue...could he be one of the people I saw in my dream?
Justice saw them, and tossed the paper he'd been writing on to the floor. He looked surprised and said something, not appearing happy to see them, but not angry, either. He looked right at her for a few moments-maybe she'd said something. She strained to read his lips, but found to her disappointment that she wasn't very good at it.
Turning to the man in blue, she must have said something, because he listened briefly before saying something back, then turned to Justice as he gestured flamboyantly at something happening outside the window. Rosalind dove under the desk and snatched up the letter. When she looked up, the two men were standing side by side, staring at her-the blue man sheepishly, and Justice with a certain resigned annoyance.
Well, maybe it hadn't been so stealthy, if that was what she'd tried before. Getting to her feet, her eyes went a little wider as she stared hard at a few words. Letter of Resignation.
Was that bad? The man in blue started to look distressed, and opened his mouth to argue with Justice, who appeared unmoved. I don't understand. Why does he want to quit his job? And why does this person care if he does?
After a minute or so, the man in blue stopped arguing-he looked disappointed, and...sad. She wanted to much to know what was going on, but all she could do was watch as he slid the letter into his pocket and the memory faded.
When she opened her eyes, Rosalind found herself sitting on the ground in the park, her fingers curled around the darkened crystal. What had she seen? She didn't really know, but she did know one thing: this meant that she had known Mr. Justice. And that meant she should let him know.
A chill breeze interrupted her, and her teeth began to chatter as she realized she was much colder-and when she looked down, she saw why. Her clothes had been replaced by some kind of sleeveless hoochie dress!
She got up to run home. The bazaar and Mr. Justice could wait.
Thinking about that day still hurt, deep inside, and she slowed her pace as she remembered how things had appeared directly after the fire. Rubble and scorch marks superimposed themselves over the real world in her mind, and then faded. She didn't need to worry now. Things weren't perfect, but they were better, and-
Huh? She squinted at a small, shiny thing that had caught the light as she moved. Walking closer, she realized it was a tiny crystal in wire framework, stuck between a couple of rocks. A memory crystal! She'd heard of them, but never seen one with her own eyes. Maybe it was time she finally discovered something about herself, like so many others had; reaching out to touch it, she willed her fingers to be steady.
She was in an office. A really nice one, furnished with hardwood flooring and nice furniture. She couldn't hear or feel anything, only see. No, wait; just as she had that thought, she realized she could smell. Not much, but there was a hint of flowers in the air, probably from a plant that sat across the room. There was tea, too, and some cleaning product-some kind of polish? And books. She recognized that smell immediately from the time she'd spent at Mr. Crow's bookshop and the store in the Wilderness when it had been a mall.
In the background, a strange trophy with a giant 'K' on it caught her attention briefly before her past-self's eyes fell upon a gray-haired man in a red suit and frilly cravat sitting at the desk that dominated at the room. In Rosalind's mind, she gasped-it was Mr. Justice, the housekeeping and clinic administrator! She glanced to the side and found that she was with someone, a spiky-haired man in a bright blue suit. Blue...could he be one of the people I saw in my dream?
Justice saw them, and tossed the paper he'd been writing on to the floor. He looked surprised and said something, not appearing happy to see them, but not angry, either. He looked right at her for a few moments-maybe she'd said something. She strained to read his lips, but found to her disappointment that she wasn't very good at it.
Turning to the man in blue, she must have said something, because he listened briefly before saying something back, then turned to Justice as he gestured flamboyantly at something happening outside the window. Rosalind dove under the desk and snatched up the letter. When she looked up, the two men were standing side by side, staring at her-the blue man sheepishly, and Justice with a certain resigned annoyance.
Well, maybe it hadn't been so stealthy, if that was what she'd tried before. Getting to her feet, her eyes went a little wider as she stared hard at a few words. Letter of Resignation.
Was that bad? The man in blue started to look distressed, and opened his mouth to argue with Justice, who appeared unmoved. I don't understand. Why does he want to quit his job? And why does this person care if he does?
After a minute or so, the man in blue stopped arguing-he looked disappointed, and...sad. She wanted to much to know what was going on, but all she could do was watch as he slid the letter into his pocket and the memory faded.
When she opened her eyes, Rosalind found herself sitting on the ground in the park, her fingers curled around the darkened crystal. What had she seen? She didn't really know, but she did know one thing: this meant that she had known Mr. Justice. And that meant she should let him know.
A chill breeze interrupted her, and her teeth began to chatter as she realized she was much colder-and when she looked down, she saw why. Her clothes had been replaced by some kind of sleeveless hoochie dress!
She got up to run home. The bazaar and Mr. Justice could wait.