Time heals all wounds they said. In a year whatever you are sad about won't matter. That didn’t seem to be the case. Everything hurt. A memory plagued her from two years and three months ago. They came back every now and again. Like songs stuck in your head. Except usually painful. Like the current one. Which was when her toe hit the corner of the table. Agony lingered on her pinky toe despite it being years afterwards. The simple act of remembering things could cause discomfort. Like that one time she fell down the stairs back at home… The pain in her foot went away and was replaced by a growing phantom pain in her back. As much as she didn’t want it to be, this was a normal occurrence, and she had learned to endure the pain. There was nothing that anyone could do for this.
Finn figured her mind was very pessimistic. It always seemed to want to bring up the negative things in her life. Which she figured was kind of hard. Her life was rather good. Middle class family, never really struggling for food. She got all she wanted for her birthday and other holiday events. Finn had two great friends who supported her even with her gift. But small things would come up. The sad events just as fresh in her mind as the time it happened. The thought of her dog that died when she was five could still bring her to tears. A child’s wild emotions from her memories coming back to her teen years to haunt her.
Let’s not even get her started on her child years. It was a struggle to walk, to try and form words with her mouth...The diapers were the worst. Walking around in her own filth. A shiver coursed through her, nose wrinkling up at the thought of diapers.
”What are you thinking about now, Andi?” Her father’s voice asked from the driver’s seat, giving her a glance out of the side of his eye. He didn’t have her ability. Or any really. Finn had gotten her power from her mother. Who was a stay at home mom. Not because she wanted to, but because the memory of childbirth came back around every now and again. It crippled her to the point where she had to stop what she was doing. With her job as an investigator it wasn’t something that could be done every other few weeks. She had to keep moving. So her mother quit.
Finn let out a sigh and shifted in the passenger seat. ”Diapers.” Laughter caused the girl to look over at her father. ”It’s not funny! Those things were disgusting.” Well, that was as she looked back. As a baby she didn’t have much thoughts on anything. Except carrots. Carrots were nasty. That’s all her baby self knew and cared about. So when her younger self had no opinion on something, it was her current self that filled in the gaps.
”Okay, but imagine having to change those.” Well, Finn couldn’t argue with that.
The girl looked out the window. A small town passed by. Rosebury. That’s what the sign said when they entered. It was quaint. All of it within walking distance of the school. Now the school left her with her mouth open. It was very beautiful. A red brick building stood tall against the bare winter trees. The only trees full were cherry blossoms that were in full bloom. Which was odd because back in 2nd grade, she had to do a report on a type of tree and had picked a cherry blossom tree. They blossomed around the springtime. Usually April, she remembered. Perhaps the weather at Beata had influenced it?
The rental car slowed to a stop in front of the gates and Finn hurried to get out of the car, excitement coursing through her. Is was going to be one memory that would get her in a giddy mood. Slamming the door shut, she practically sprinted to the trunk of the car where her suitcase was stowed.
The trunk slowly opened, giving her father enough time to walk to the back and pull the baggage out. Once it hit the pavement, Finn reached for the handle and yanked it up. The satisfying click of the handle snapping into place. Her father noticing her excitement hurried and gave her a tight hug, knowing she’d be off in an instant.
She gave him a grin and turned to walk away when he called out for her.
”Wait! Remember what you promised?”
A confused look crossed her face before the memory resurfaced. ”Make good memories.” Finn responded, a determined look on her face. A nod from her father and the newest student to Beata turned away and passed through the gates. A minute or so later the car slowly drove away, most likely heading back to the airport. New Hampshire was too far away to drive.
A new start, a new chance to make some joyful memories.
