Destroyer of Time: Pyrokinesis

Chapter Eighteen: Memory of a dream

When I opened my eyes, I found myself sitting alone in our living room. Groggily, I glanced around the room, trying to see if there would be anyone else in the vicinity. I was distracted quickly by the object standing erect in the corner of the living room beside our fireplace. I was sure that Christmas was still months away last I checked, but right there in front of me was a fully decorated massive Christmas tree. I couldn't recall seeing any Christmas tree in our living room before I left the house earlier. We also hadn't put up a tree since I was a little kid, which made it even more strange. 

I was about to stand to get a closer look at the decorated tree when I looked down and froze in shock. 

       Why the f**k are my hands so small? My arms too! What the f**k is going on?

I was still panicking, flailing my short little arms around in disbelief. I was so absorbed with my small crisis that I didn't notice someone was sitting on the right edge of the couch, watching me. The only thing that took off my attention from my arms was a familiar smell drifting in the air. My eyes involuntarily closed as I sniffed the air to get more whiff of the scent. It was a smell I'd encountered before, but I somehow couldn't place it well. 

     "Hunter, are you okay, sweetheart?" 

My heart stopped while my eyes opened wide. That voice was something I would never forget. Even though it had been many years since I last heard the actual sound of her voice, when I closed my eyes at night, I could hear her whispering to me in my head. The voice had become fainter as the years passed, and I didn't want to admit it even to myself, but I feared the day that I would completely forget it. It might be a little irrational to think that the sound of her voice was my last real piece of her since we had a bunch of albums with pictures of her at home, but that was how I saw it. I wanted to hold on to it cause I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to hear it again in this lifetime. 

However, as I turned my head to the direction of that clear and familiar voice I'd longed to hear, I shivered slightly. Excitement, yearning, hope, and so many other emotions ran rampant inside me, fighting to surpass each other's intensity. Then my eyes met hers.

There she was. Just as vibrant and beautiful as I remembered. The ends of her light brown hair were knotted in a single full braid, hanging in front of her shoulder the way she used to wear it. Her emerald green eyes seemed to glitter brightly as she stared at me. I used to think that her eyes were identical to mine, but looking at it meticulously, I could see the difference between them that I had never noticed when I was younger. I probably would've noticed it sooner, but I hadn't seen her picture since she left us. 

However, it was her smile that took my breath away. It always had. She had the brightest smile among all the people I had met in my life. It was full of warmth and joy. No one would be able to deny her anything if she smiled at them the way she used to. I figured that after all the years I hadn't seen her, its effect on me would be less, but I was fooling myself. It was the same. 

She was the same. 

       She's mom. 

Her youthful and carefree expression shifted into a concerned one, followed by a frown marring her face. "What's wrong, honey?"

       Besides the fact that I haven't seen you or talked to you in years? Uh. Not much. Just having a regular day.

I was unable to respond once more, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that my mom, who I hadn't seen for more than a decade, was suddenly in front of me. My eyes widened when she circled the couch and sat beside me. She placed the tray that I didn't even notice she was holding on top of the table and tried to put her hand on my shoulder, but I scrambled far away or at least as far as my little body would take me. Even in my haste to put a gap between the woman I wasn't entirely convinced yet to be my mother and me, I noticed it wasn't just my arms that turned childlike. It was also applied to the rest of my body. I had become a kid again. 

I could hear Uncle Road's annoying voice poking fun at me. I bet he'd say something like, "You're a kid now, kiddo." 

Back to my little crisis, I hurried back as fast as I could until I hit the couch's arm. She stayed at the other side of the seat, looking at me confusedly. I was confused myself and not entirely sure what was happening, but my "adult" mind inside the child's body was telling me to get away. I was huffing from the small adrenaline rush I experienced as I continued to stare at this stranger.   

       "What's going on, Hunter? You're starting to scare me a little."

The fear and concern in her voice were real; I could tell that much. But my overwhelming emotions were making it difficult to sympathize with her. In her head, she was probably thinking, "There is something wrong with this kid. Look at those big eyes and those chubby legs." In my head, I sounded more like, "Holy s**t! What the f**k is happening? What am I a child right now? Look at these chubby legs!"

Many questions were flying inside my head, and I wasn't even sure which to address first. All I could do was gaped at her, not saying anything back still. She leaned forward, her hand pressing on the couch as she darted forward. 

       "Tell me what's wrong. Pip?"

That one word settled my spiraling world. Just hearing that nickname she used to call me wiped everything in my mind until I could only think of one thing. 

       Holy s**t! It's Mom!

Uncertainty and confusion still lived inside me, but I knew one thing for sure, the person in front of me was my mother. She was there, looking at me and sitting so close. I did the only thing my brain was telling me to do. I lunged forward with my arms outstretched ahead. She seemed surprised by my sudden action, but she reacted fast enough to catch me with her waiting arms. 

I wasn't sure if it was the pain or the loneliness that broke the dam inside me. Maybe both. I just started bawling out, hugging her tight, burrowing deeper to her comfort and familiarity. Even the smell that I had forgotten already came rushing in. She smelled and felt like home. 

       I miss you! I miss you so much!

I kept chanting those words inside me as I continued to cry. I felt her hand caress my back, and I could hear her melodic voice whispering to my ears, trying to console me. That made me even cry harder. I had a lot of pent-up emotions trying to get out for so long, and then, the new situation with my dad happened, and now this. They had become the catalyst for my breakdown. I had cried for my dad already, and we had reached a specific agreement. However, my case with my mom was different. 

I wasn't sure how long I wept, but eventually, my eyes dried out. I suddenly felt so drained. Hiccuping, I pulled back from her gentle embrace, a bit embarrassed for the mess I made on her shirt, and sat back with my head down. I wiped the streaks with my sweater and sniffled, trying to look dignified even though I was sure she could see through me well. I could feel her warm presence just beside me, and I stifled another set of tears. 

I fidgeted with my fingers, crossing and uncrossing them to distract my mind from my tumultuous thoughts. I had so many things to say to her, but I wasn't sure where to begin. She disappeared for years, but suddenly, she was back looking the same way she did when she left? Then, there was the fact that I was pretty much a baby. 

       Sure cried a lot like one. 

I could feel her staring at me and mentally cringed when she spoke. "What's going on, Pip? Tell me."

I wasn't sure what to tell her, so I kept my mouth shut. She shook her head. "I guess I'll just have to use my superpowers on you to make you talk."

My eyes widened, and I tried to grab my sides to stop the incoming onslaught, but she was merciless when she started tickling me. A few seconds later, I was giggling like a lunatic with tears in my eyes. She was relentless in her assault, and I was helpless to stop her. "I surrender!" I yelled in desperation. 

She stopped in response to my submission and straightened. "Tell me what's wrong then." 

At first, I hesitated to say anything, but when I saw her wiggling her fingers and inched it closer towards me, I blurted out. "I had a bad dream."

She seemed surprised by my admission before she recovered, and understanding dawned on her face. She placed an arm around me and pulled me towards for a brief hug. "I'm sorry that you had a bad dream, Pip. Do you wanna talk about it?"

There was no way she would understand even if I told her anything, so I just shook my head. She sighed. "You know what would make you feel better?" I gazed at her. "This." 

Then, she picked up the tray she put down on the table earlier and brought it towards me. I finally noticed its content, and I couldn't stop the excitement from rushing to my veins. She had a plate of cookies and milk on the tray. It used to be my favorite food. She used to make these homemade cookies that were to die for. The recipe for it was passed down from her family, and it was a well-guarded secret. She never told me how to make it, but it was very delicious. 

It had been years since I last tasted it, and my mouth watered just thinking of eating them. She signaled me with a nod, and slowly, I grabbed one cookie and bit it. The flavor was overwhelmingly delicious and divine. Before I knew it, I already finished the plate off with the help of the glass of milk.

I fell back on the couch again, satisfied. I never expected to eat those cookies again. Thinking about that, my heart sank once more. My mother being the sensitive type that she was, immediately picked up on it. However, instead of making me confess, she wrapped her around me and made me lean towards her. For a moment, I felt a sense of peace and happiness. Just having her around again made me feel safe.

There were so many questions running through my head, and I wanted to ask but lack the will to do it. I realized that if I didn't, I would never be able to find the closure I'd been looking for. So I pushed myself to do it. 

       "Mom, I want to ask you something."

I felt her eyes on me as she continued to rub soothing circles over my arm. "What is it, honey?" 

       "What if one day, you leave? What should I do?"

She looked at me with a frown. "What do you mean? Why would I leave?"

       "I just want to know what I should do if that ever happens."

She smiled at me. "That's never going to happen, sweetheart."

       "Just humor me, mom."

       "Well, if that ever happens and I'm certain that it will never happen, it probably would be for a good reason, and I would definitely come back." 

My mouth tightened, but I kept it shut. Hearing her say those words made me want to scream. I wanted to say, "But you never came back! You promised, and you didn't!" 

I stifled those words inside me instead and nodded, so she thought that I was satisfied with her answer. Earlier, while I was devouring the plate of cookies, I came to a conclusion. I was dreaming. She wasn't back, and we weren't here. I wasn't sure how I knew that, but I just felt it. That was the only explanation that made sense to me. So, there was no point in asking her any questions because she wouldn't be able to provide me an actual answer. However, I was desperate for them. I wanted the questions I'd been asking myself for years to be resolved finally. I hated not knowing. 

She probably sensed my inner turmoil because she broke the silence. "How about this?" I looked at her in question. "You can open one of your gifts." 

At first, I wasn't sure what gifts she was referring to, but when she stood and walked towards the tree, I finally noticed the items varying in size, piled together underneath it. She took one of the small boxes and went back to sit beside me. She handed me the present, and with a bit of hesitation, I reached out and accepted it. The gift was wrapped in a fancy blue cover, and I stopped myself from shaking it. 

I glanced at her, and she gave me a nod, signaling me to unwrap it. With eagerness, I tore the packaging off with haste. I stared at the box in my hand with awe. It had intricate carvings intertwining around the box, and at the center, it read, "In Tempus, Nos Ortrum." 

Before I opened it, I turned towards her and found that she wasn't sitting beside me anymore. I straightened, trying to tamp down the panic rising within me. I glanced around, but I didn't see her anywhere in the room. I quickly stood up and was about to go search for her when the world suddenly tilted. I landed back on the couch, grasping it hard as the world spun fast and stopped myself from releasing the content of my stomach out because of the nauseating ride I was experiencing. 

My eyes closed, and I could feel the darkness pulling me under once again. There was no point in fighting it, but before I lost consciousness, I heard my mother whisper.   

       "Take good care of it, Pip. One day, you will understand its value."