Scattered Puzzles
1202 Words
She hears thunders that echoed in her dreams. Her closed eyes reflected the lightning dancing outside her window. She could barely identify if she was sleeping or if her nightmares were getting the best out of her little sanity.
'I won't forget now. I won't forget this time.' "Alba, Alba", she keeps murmuring in her sleep. The surrounding healers are watching her closely. They're traumatized by her sudden angst whenever she wakes. They fear that she may drain her blood and drag herself to death.
"Madam, shall we wake her up slowly this time?" The apprentice whispers while her eyes are darting at Luna.
"We may be thinking the same thing," she answered worriedly.
"You know what, I think we should do that."
Luna was in the midst of remembering her last hours back home. "The downloads should be here somewhere."
It was the same scenario as when she was asleep. Only lightnings lit up her room and thunders escalated her anxiousness.
'Did I just delete it? I need to work on it now. I hate this! I don't really have much time. I wish Alba's here. She's a scavenger.'
'Haahhh. Had I been too dependent on her? I'm at peace whenever she's around. This girl. You're driving me crazy!'
She slumped on her chair and glanced at the far end of her keyboard. It was the drive.
'Aha! I found it! The anatomy of consciousness!' She reads through the files and studies the images. Somehow, she remembers some diagrams from when she was a kid. 'I know dad has that book. Where did I last see it?'
Memories of her grandfather flash back to her as he did some rituals and recites some kind of prayer in an unfamiliar tongue.
'They really did something to me when I was a child, but what is it?'
She went through a loop of the images from her father's book, her grandfather's rituals, and the pile of documents she was reading.
"I'm homeee.." She hears a familiar voice. "Alba?" She unconsciously says her name.
"Luna, you here?"
Luna stiffens as the thought of Alba washes over her delusional state. "Yes, Alba."
The healers hear her say that name once more. "Wait for a moment", the madam insists.
Hurrying steps approaches Luna's room, then Alba suddenly barges in.
"What are you doing?" She asks merrily and time stops as Luna sees lightning reflecting in Alba's eyes.
"A goddess..." she murmurs to herself.
None of them are scared of lightning as it has been a normality from where they're from. If anything, they find it comforting.
"A what again?"
'Shut it! Did I just say that out loud?!'
"Hey!? What's up?" Alba tilts her head as she reads Luna's expression. "Do you even see me?"
"Huh?" Luna broke from her delusional state.
Alba's face started to blur. "Wait! What's happening?"
Alba, looking so confused as to what was going on with her. She walks slowly towards her and pulls her arm to her chest.
"Look at me!" She demanded.
"Luna, look here!" She said, almost screaming.
Luna snaps back and clearly sees her again.
"What happened?"
" You, tell me."
"What was that?"
"What the what?"
Luna asks her as she finds herself dumbstruck about what just happened. She brushes it off thinking that she was just tired.
"Haaah. Nevermind. How many times should I tell you to keep your lights on? See what happens if you don't?"
"Yeah..." Luna resigned.
"You maybe right about that."
"Well duh! I'm obviously right! What's that you got there? That looks weird..."
"Yeah, don't stare at it. It'll mess you up."
"Now that explains it."
"Alba... I'm fine. I was just not seeing things clearly because it's dark here."
"I hope that's the only darkness going on here. 'Cause if you'll ask me, it looks like you're about to faint. And that's darker."
Alba preaches in the darkest tone.
"Knock it off. Don't make up stories."
"Fineeee..." "But you know, I kinda' remember that thing from somewhere."
"You do?!"
Lightning strikes sharper this time and closer to her window. Alba glanced outside the window, looking surprised.
"That was too close!"
"What's with your skin?"
Alba slowly turned to meet her eyes. "What?"
"Seems like you're glowing in the dark."
"Oh yeah? That's kinda been a thing since I was younger."
"Wow! Talk about an angel."
Luna finds herself more amused as lightning strikes outside their window every time.
"Thank you!"
"Haaaahhhh," she said in exasperation.
"Yeah, you're an angel, and I'm a creep. Happy?"
"Want me to sing that for you?"
"Oh, now you're a singer?"
"Oh, come on! I always sing you something. It's a privilege!"
"Wow..."
"Hmph!"
"Going back to this. What do you remember about the diagram?"
"Not much, but it makes me uncomfortable the longer I look at it."
"Anatomy of consciousness, that's how I can explain it. This is some infinite consciousness and how our body is built to achieve that impossibility."
"It sounds hardcore to me."
"I concur."
Each of them had thoughts running through their heads and mostly from their childhood. "You know what?" Luna stared at her in anticipation. Alba smiles. "Dinner sounds nice. You can't think with an empty stomach."
"Great plan! I'll help you."
Alba exits her room and Luna tails her obediently.
"Hold up, we're meeting them later. Why'd you get home? You can just go straight to the bar."
Alba was caught off guard. She tried to come up with an excuse as she couldn't admit that she unconsciously wanted to see her. It has been like this for the longest she can remember. 'To tell a perfect lie, it has to be 99% true', she remembers the words Luna always said.
"I guess it's a habit. I almost forgot we had plans."
"Yeah, you light-headed!"
"Excuse me!"
"I remember stuff more clearly than you do?"
Remnants of their unfinished conversation this morning raced to Luna's head. She can still remember how she was trying to confess to her what she felt without really telling her. 'This maybe the best time to do it.'
"Oh yeah? So, you remember our conversation this morning?"
Alba flinches and remembers how her heart has been a mess since then. But she had to divert their attention because she would look too obvious. She can't even tell how Luna might feel about it.
"Didn't I just tell you that you cannot think with an empty stomach? Forget about remembering and let's eat before we head out."
Luna resigned as she couldn't counter that banter.
This memory kept Luna's heart in a calm state, and she soon started to breathe normally while she was dreaming.
"I think she's doing fine now, madam."
"You're right. We can leave her for now. Watch her closely. She's on the brink of death. I don't even know how she's holding on. Those wounds are too much even for demis."
"I could not agree with you more, madam."
The Healer is about to head out of the premise and instructs her apprentices, "Watch them closely, especially that lost child. If anything gets out of hand, you know how to call me."
"Yes, madam." everyone responds in unison.
- Writer
