Chapter 7: Tulips and mud

Cooking a simple pan pizza for dinner, I could resist popping one of the pepperonis into my mouth. I was starving and the little nibble would keep me for now. Once the pizza was put in the oven I set up a timer and cleaned the mess I had made. Preparing the dough spread flour everywhere. While wiping down the counter I heard my phone ping. Racing to my bag I scramble to get it out. Finally finding it in the depths of my bag and bringing it out I read his response. It didn't seem like he was any more logical in their thinking by the look of the starting sentence.

Evening munch,

Looks like today was very eventful, meeting the love of your life(A gallon of ice cream can go a long way to securing your heart), getting all those books and even running into Hagrid. Did you like him in real life or did you expect something different? Besides that, we need to talk about your magic container. You're not wrong on the process of expanding it, but do be warned. If you aren't careful in practice you could damage your container. Not many people realize they have one so there might not be anyone to help if you damage it. On an ending note, I already told you that the money that you have is for LIVING. I based the amount on the longest you could possibly go on for. Think about Nicholas Flamel and his wife, they have a few centuries on you. Perhaps you'll think about experiencing life a little as they do. Remember that talking to people isn't always bad and things can always change. Adventures, after all, are always a thought away. -G

Putting down my phone I sat there, not knowing how to process this new information. The timer woke me from my stupor. I had been spending too much time in shock these days. G had given me some more things to think about. I didn't know what would really happen when I started to change things. Two words had kept me frozen from changing anything, the butterfly starting the storm. One inaction or action could cause someone harm or worse death. I had joked about saving Florescu but how did I know it wouldn't cause someone else to die. Someone who could save so many more people. A joke was good for a laugh but really should I be doing anything? No, stop thinking about it, you need to get stronger before even asking yourself that. A kid can't do or change anything.

Mechanically I took out my pepperoni and olive pizza out of the oven, placing it on the table, I let it cool before I ate. Brushing my teeth and changing into my nightgown I got ready for bed. Taking the Occlumency book from my bag I sat down on the couch and began to read. Reading the book proved tedious. Most necessary things are. To protect myself from all the things to come I needed to do this. A few hours of rigorous studying later and I wanted to cry. It felt like my brain was rebelling at the thought of going any further. Since my mind was strained I tried practicing the techniques instead.

First step, clearing the mind. Crossing my legs on the couch I closed my eyes and attempted to clear my mind of all thoughts. By no stretch of the imagination were the results unexpected. Clearing your mind was impossible for any normally functioning human beings. Little thoughts of what I still needed to do whizzed around my mind. Memories of the day floated in and out. Music played on a tab in the background.

Again and again, I attempted to clear my mind. Annoying show tune badgered through my skull. If only I could get that song out of my head. There always seems to be an annoying earworm stuck in your head when you have something important to concentrate on. Suppressing thoughts was proving even more exhausting than making sense of the book. Pushing all the thoughts down I had cleared my conscious mind of all traffic. A silent empty brain greeted me. My next step was both harder and easier in a sense. Figuring out a way to sort the jumbled mess that is my brain.

Looking down at my mind in my imagination I decided that a filing system was needed. It would be the best way to store my memories and make them secure. After all, If you can't find where everything is shelved, it becomes harder to navigate. It's best to start with what you know best. Starting with my childhood, memories flickered past. Childhood held my fondest memories. Old cherished memories came to the forefront of my mind.

My older sisters and I playing in the back yard with the other neighbor kids. Being taught how to ride my bike properly. Succeeding in riding it for the first time. The tears when it was stolen and then joy at getting a big kid bike to replace it.

Ice cream in the summer months dripping down our chins. Apartment pool parties to celebrate all the birthdays. Seeing who could swim the furthest in one breath. Racing to see who was the fastest swimmer with the best lungs. Surging out of the water when we could no longer handle the burning need for air.

Driving through the snow in the middle of winter. Far away from home to a remote cabin. All in an attempt to catch a few glimpses of stars. Only to freeze my butt off when we found we lacked a window and the room connected to the open air. Detouring on the way back to sled in a coffee shop's parking lot. Penguins, the lot of us, on our stomachs sliding about. A secret stash of soda hidden in a snowbank for all of us to enjoy.

Alive with life one of my best memories came to the forefront. Going to the tulip festival and falling in a ditch brimming with mud. All of us were holding hands and as one sister fell I pulled the other down with me. A group of giggling little girls was plastered in mud. We had to stop at Krispy Kremes on the way back because we didn't have a change of clothes. None of us wanted to sit caked in mud for the 3-hour car ride home. Eating those fresh doughnuts in novelty shirts in the back seat.

Not all childhood memories were great but focusing on the bad ones made me sad. Those kinds of memories are for a late night with friends or family, a mug of cocoa in hand. Pulling the memories together I made them into a single laptop folder. Computers had always come easy for me, and it only made sense that my mind should function much the same.

Gathering and sorting the rest of my life went rather quickly. Now that I had more practice everything slotted into place. Memories turned into files on the laptop. Passwords and encryptions came naturally on the laptop. Even backup hard drives just in case. It was probably unnecessary but making a backup was always my habit. Comparing originals and duplicates could help me find signs of tampering. These memories were important. I needed to make sure no one could access them but me.

Hiding the first laptop was simple. I created a room in my mind and hid it amongst others on a computer cart labeling it L-1994. Duplicating the look of the cart was easy as pie. Assembling a computer lab around myself I locked the carts and left the room alone. Building another room I made it into my security office. Bookshelves and a work desk on one side. A wall full of monitors dominated the other. One main keyboard controlled all the screens. As I grew better at Occlumency these would serve as my eyes. Each window would connect to a mental barrier that I would develop. That way I would know when I'm under attack.

Taking the other hard drive I walked to the other side of the room. Here lied books filled with less important things. Anime, manga, and shows I had loved to watch. These had introduced me to hundreds of new worlds but they were as alive as the one I came from or was currently in. Sitting at the end of the shelf was a hardback book. Secrets should be hidden in plain sight. Secure but anonymous. Reaching out a hand I opened the book to reveal a hollowed-out frame. Inside I placed my copied Hard Drive and wedged it behind the rest of the books. The basics of this place had been completed. Exhaustion soon overcame me. My magic had been used to cement the places in my head.

Pulling myself back to reality had used up the majority of my already scarce magic reserves. Time to call it quits for the day. Weary minds help no one. Making my way back to the bed I collapsed on top of the sheets. Building the barriers could be done another day. Needing to be fully empty to expand my magic was a chore. Casting one last spell I fell asleep.