Memorize (Book One)

Prologue

"What's going on, little Jay bird ? Well... I'll be damned if I don't bring joy back in these beautiful eyes of yours!"

As she says this, Gran turns her back to me to pick something on the sturdy old wooden table, and I hear a chopping sound. Even though I don't see her face, I can tell she's smiling. She grabs something next to her. She seems really busy, her right arm now dancing up and down, making wide, sweeping movements.

"Tada! Now you run off little bandit, and don't you come back before you've eaten it all!"

She thrusts into my hands a huge slice of something whose name I can't recall. It's pretty thick, with a golden brown crust and a soft center. On top of it, there's a mellow substance sprinkled with shiny little white grains. It is way bigger than my two hands, and it smells delicious.

She looks down at me. I love her beautiful benevolent expression, her shiny white hair and her big black eyes. Everybody says that we look the same... Her wrinkles always get deeper when she smiles, and she never fails to find me amazing. In the little room where I sit, bright sunlight flows through the window and cascades on the table, the chairs, and the food laid on the work space. I know I'm lucky, because this place looks like heaven. It means comfort and security. Gran rules over this little universe, and I'm at home here.

Walking slowly, her back a little hunched, she resumes her work.

So I get up and run towards the garden, carefully holding her present. No need to go far, I really am in heaven. I sit down on the worn-out stone steps of the venerable house, under the huge wisteria. Wisteria Floribunda, says Gran, twines clockwise when viewed from above. When you sit under them, you can follow the lianas upward, until your eyes reach the pink and violet flowers. Above, there's the sky, but you can't see it through the thick foliage. And oh, the wisteria's fragrance is so powerful... But Gran also says that the plant pods are poisonous. It must be true if she says so. Still, nothing compares to this sweet-smelling hiding spot.

Delicately, I start biting into the wondrous treat. My teeth sink into the salty substance, then I notice the crisp little grains of sugar, followed by the tasty soft center. And it all explodes in a whirl of savors, backed up by the golden crust's strong aroma. At my feet, little wall lizards are scuttling back and forth, and above me, the bees are happily buzzing in the blooming canopy. With every mouthful I take, my body unwinds and my sorrows disappear. Beyond the little garden, I can see the meadow orchard in all its glory, in a feast of fruits and birds. Small, plump brown sparrows fly about. Long-tailed magpies hop along, picking at fallen apples.

Reveling in this scrumptious snack, nothing worries me anymore. In all her quiet wisdom, Gran always finds a solution to my concerns. I'm warm. I'm still. And in the wisteria's shade, I'm m not scared anymore.

I'm...safe.

I throw the remaining crumbs to the birds. And I close my eyes. I'm feeling so, so good. So drowsy too. Soon the ambient sounds around me dissolve into gentle silence. Only a light breeze keeps me awake as I'm slowly letting go...

Ooh, it's so quiet. If I could just sleep for a little while...

"HEY! Hey man, wake up! What the hell..."

My eyes snap open on a stranger's anxious face. A cold wind hits me. My legs are numb and I feel nauseous.

"Hey, darling, next time you want to have a nap, let me know and I'll keep you awake alright!" says a mischievous-looking girl on my right, nudging me with her elbow.

Oh, where am I? Gran? Help me... I want to go back.

Back before it all started.

I get up and mechanically brush my suit. We all start marching towards the runway in the dead of the night, following the red dots of light. I hear the whirring sound of the ship. Any minute now, our troops will leave Earth.

That's right... The exploration mission...

I feel like an empty shell tossed away on a cold desolate shore.

What's the matter with me, dozing off when I'm about to embark? Getting delusional... Who dreams of the Old Days anyway?

Quickly the dream dissolves into a faint, unpleasant sensation. There is more important business to look into anyway.

But the weirdest thing is that this dream feels more real than anything else right now...