My Cursed Amnesia

Flying cars! The first thing I see and now the only thing I can think about. There are no roads, just tiny cones that are a designated color for a specific section: like the sidewalks are made up of yellow cones lining the area off-limit for cars. Even more extraordinary is that the cones themselves are also flying, and in my head, that seemed to be the strangest thing to see. Further back are houses, floating in the air, of which I finally note that I can't see any sort of ground, other than the porches connected to the homes.

Slowly and cautiously, I walk to the bottom of the stairs (which happened to be one of the only objects I could walk on that is outside), the concrete crunching beneath my shoes as my soles shuffle any loose rocks. Gripping the railing tightly for balance and overall safety for this daring act, I take a second to conscientiously peak over the jagged edge of the path, my curiosity unable to help itself. Unable to fully grasp what I'm seeing, I can only continue to gawk at the scene below. A gasp escapes up my esophagus and out of the slack jaw, and my eyes nearly bulge right out of my head in sheer shock, mixed with just a twinge of fear.

The whole city is flying.

We must be hundreds of thousands of feet above ground level. I can vaguely see the shapes of buildings that speckle the ground.

I almost sprained my neck from the severe jerk of a movement I make to skeptically glare at the 'sky town,' only to fall in love and admire the architecture. The people scattered throughout the neighborhood before me have strange, clunky shoes entrapping their feet, ostensibly skating around in the air where the yellow-colored cones have decided is the sidewalk. Words are scrambling around in my head, thoughts zooming past one another as I try to comprehend everything I'm seeing.

Rocket shoes? They have rocket shoes?! Are they floating, or are they flying? Are they genuinely skating, or are they hover-walking?

Soft footsteps tap-dance their way down the opposite side of me and down the steps without notice. A hand gently and lightly slides over the top of my own in what is presumptively a warm gesture. I'm not sure what's going through his head as he does this, but the sensation of his hand against mine only works to terrify the living soul out of me. I yank my hand from between his and the railing, fearful of this strange hand and its owner. The sudden, unplanned jerk causes me to lose my balance and one-foot thrusts out to counterbalance. As that one leg comes off the ground, I foolishly realize that I have the worst balance on Earth. That leg goes up, and my whole center of balance is flying out the window. My overreaction causes my entire body to skid three inches too close to the edge, where my only 'remaining' foot cramps as it twists up. It all happens too fast to react correctly or adequately balance myself out. So, I end up staring straight at the strange hands' owner, Dijack, as my plummet becomes irrepressible.

I know that the look on my face must be one of pure terror. He looks frightened but not nearly as scared as I am. My hair sways in front of my face and blurs my vision as I inevitably fall. It happens so quickly, so fluidly, that I don't have enough time to fathom what's going on or let out a yelp of fear.

The wind rushing past me, or maybe me rushing past the wind, is loud against my ear drums, and I can hear nothing but this earsplitting roar. My hair is whipping against my face with sharp, stinging whips, and I note how unattractive the hospital looks from below its base.

I don't fall.

In the next moment, I hit a somewhat solid yet liquid-like object, and I'm flung back up, past the sluggishly crumbling staircase and back into my original position. My body is vibrating from whatever I bounced off, and I peek over my shoulder to look down, quaking in confusion and horror. As I'm looking down, I locate the spot that I hit effortlessly due to the blue light swaying from it like waves.

A… force field?

Considering where we are and everything around us, it would only make sense that some sort of invisible wall is in place for anyone who was to fall… right? Although, it seems the… forcefield… isn't just there to catch any fallers. I can see that the clouds are only around the outside of this town, passing us but not entering this space; they are more of a brown color, and the land below is very dark and dirty looking. There is a thick fog amidst the ground below, hiding most of the land from my sight and giving it an almost toxic presence. My head swims with bewilderment as I grab the rail tighter than last time, straightening up.

"Why'd you do that?! And why'd you let me fall?!" I snap at Dijack in a choked voice, shuddering and glaring at him.

"Well, I know you wouldn't have fallen off, besides –." he mutters the rest silently once he catches the look on my face. I'm quivering from the lingering anxiety and staring at my feet to avoid eye contact. Dijack jumps over the railing with a tiny smile and squeezes me into his chest. He squeezes me hard, stroking the back of my neck compassionately. His firm, warm embrace snaps me out of my reverie, and I take a few deep breaths to calm myself down. He nuzzles his cheek against the side of my head and hums a minor tune to aid in relaxing me. "You're as soft as a bunny." he chuckles.

"Shut up," I whisper, jokingly. He chuckles again, and it rumbles in his chest. Giving my hair a good ruffling, he pulls back and pinches my cheeks. Trying not to let my reddening show, I puff out my cheeks in annoyance. "You're acting like my parent or something…." I grumble.

"I technically do watch over you, but that's only because you're so clumsy." he teases. Pouting, I stick my tongue out at him. I feel so comfortable with him; it feels like I can just get absorbed by him and not worry about anything else. "Plus, I'm older than you." He winks at me. Older than me, huh? How old would that make me, then?

How old…?

Amnesia….

Dijack plucks my forehead, and I zap back to the present.

"You've been daydreaming a lot lately. I mean, I know I'm good looking and all, but –."

"Woah! No! I'm not –!" I stutteringly interrupt him, and he proceeds to interrupt my interruption.

"Oh, don't lie!" He pokes my head. Before I can argue, another boy approaches us, along with an innocently sweet-looking girl. He isn't much of a boy either; must be around the same age as me… which I still don't know. They are both wearing rocket shoes, and each of them is holding an extra pair.

With a soft, airy popping sound, they land on the edge of the stair opposite Dijack and me.

Uh oh….

The boy laughs at us as he and the girl come to a stop. Their shoes give a hum that vibrates through the air.

"You guys look like you just mooched!" the boy snickers. An eyebrow raises in confusion, yet again hearing another word I don't quite recognize. I look over at Dijack, and he's blushing as clear as day, trying to stammer back a response. I glance back over the newcomers, anxiety building its home in my heart. My chest constricts, and my limbs begin to feel heavy; my thoughts fill with insecurities and paranoia about who these people might be and how much longer I can pretend to be alright. But I can't let them find out; I can't let it show. That pain in Dijack's eyes… behind all the cheeriness… that was because of me. I hurt him, and he's doing everything he can to hide it.

I hate it.

"What?" I finally ask, under my breath. The word slips off my tongue while my head gets lost in the chaos of thoughts. It suddenly became eerily quiet as they all eye me curiously. The attention both embarrasses me and makes me excessively nervous.

"Well, she isn't that far off, right?" the boy mutters to the girl beside him, not so quietly, as he looks me up and down. "Are you sure –?"

"There's no way! She's simply confused and stuff. It's not all bad…." Dijack yelps over him, restlessly trying to reassure the group. In all honesty, it felt as though he were trying to reassure himself more than anything...

"Let's just hurry up and get her home. I'm sure she's dying to get out of here." the other sighs. Truthfully, he isn't wrong. But… do they know me?

Mentally I'm facepalming myself because, of course, they know me, or they wouldn't be here. I can feel my heart-shattering in my chest as the truth lingers over my shoulder in an almost threatening gesture, reminding me that I'm not what they are expecting and I'm only going to hurt them in the end.

Why can't I just remember??

Brushing away the depressing thoughts and pretending to not have been paying attention to their conversation, I glance at the skates in their hands. A cold shiver slithers down my spine, and I quiver in its wake. I'm not afraid of the height necessarily, but I feel a twinge of doubt about my ability to use the cursed boots without hurting myself or someone else.

Of course, the only sane option would be to weasel out of it. There is no need to stupidly endanger me, especially in the situation that I'm in. I must ignore the inkling feeling that's carving itself deep within my belly, encouraging me to try unnecessary, challenging things because it'll be the only way to distract myself.

"Um, you know…. I don't think I should be handling one of those, being as clumsy as I am, and since I just got… partened. The last thing I need is to be sent back into the hospital." I look away nervously.

The boy blushes brightly, taking on the image of a little kid, as he stutters, "O-oh yeah…. M-makes sense." I peak at Dijack again.

"You uhm… think you can c-carry me?" I stammer and nibble on my lower lip. He gives me his cute, little side smirk.

"Ooooh, I think I can manage."

I smile back at him. After he shoves each foot into the tight-fitting boots, slapping the straps in place with a hard smack, I clamber onto his back, and he tucks my legs between his sides and his arms, tightly squeezing them into his sides. As I drape my arms over his shoulders, he clicks his heels together twice. Instantly, the boots begin to hum, and we quickly shoot up from the staircase. They flicker from a lovely neon purple to a deep, boiling red color as we steadily hover above the concrete steps. I shift myself around to get more comfortable.

"Hang on tight!" he chuckles before blasting off and into the air. My breath catches in my throat as my hair whips my face and dances wildly in the wind. Gripping onto him for dear life, I stare on in awe as buildings fly by us, and we zoom past other skaters. Cars drive over and under and weave their way through the nearly empty street. The others trail closely behind us as we propel ourselves home. Even if we are hovering at a certain height, we are still flying!

Soaring through the air, just about as free as a bird!

Slowly, the gut-wrenching feeling seems to fade, and it feels as though my life is piecing itself together. I must move on from here, start all over again. I will become a new woman. The idea of having to start over didn't sound so bad to me. All I must do now is convince these people to start over with me…

The wind blowing past my face lazily brings me back to the present. My blood is rushing throughout my body; adrenaline replacing my blood with electricity. This must be the craziest thing I have ever done, and it feels electrifying!

"Why are we going so fast?" I yell over the howling wind.

I sense him chuckle before he yells back, "While you were in the trap, we worked on these boots and gave them special modifications."

"This is amazing!" Before throwing my hands into the air and howling like a wolf, I squeal. I can hear the others howl after me. I hug Dijack, smiling widely. Dijack seems to be quite amused by my behavior. I press my face into the side of his neck and take it all in.

I'm still wearing what I had on during my hospital stay, which I have failed to notice until now. There are black and red, fuzzy pajama pants, something I didn't expect a hospital to allow, and a faded black tank top. Even though the air is crisp from the end of winter, I'm not cold. The excitement pulsing throughout my body is fiery and protecting me somewhat from the cold.

Following what seems like an hour, we reach their home, with me half-asleep, on the back of Dijack. My grip loosens, and eyelids grow heavy; my brain lulled to sleep from the heat of his back and the breeze onto my face.

I notice the motion of our flight stop, and I assume that he's taken off the boots. It's so quiet; only the low hum of the city is soothing me back into my sleep. It grows increasingly harder to stay conscious with each passing second. Dijack pops me up to push me further up his back, where I settle in snuggly; he walks into the house carefully. The home's heat hits me like a wave, and I stir, a bit uncomfortable from the significant change but still too sleepy to care. He walks silently into a room with a bright, bright light that mocks me and disrupts my sleep. He delicately sets me down on something soft, but it's already too late. I immediately sit up on what I register as a couch and stretch. Dijack flinches dramatically as he settles in next to me, and the other two stumbles back a little as they walk into the room and see me.

"I thought you were sleeping." he chuckles as he scoots a tiny bit closer. Our shoulders brush gingerly as the girl sits on the other side of him. The other boy squeezes in front of us and sits on a small table. He leans his arms on his knees while he slouches, staring boldly at me. I gaze around the room, trying to ignore his almost glare.

"Wh-what?" I sputter, ultimately giving in as he continued to stare at me ceaselessly.

"Do you even remember what happened to you?" he asks, his mouth stretching to a thin line.

"Wha-what?" I stutter even louder. Is it that apparent? Can he see through my façade that easily?

"Steel, I told you –!" Dijack interrupts.

"And I told you we need to address this! For her sake, but also for ours!" Steel's voice rings out loud and clear, overpowering Dijack's. The room grows restrained and tense. My stomach acknowledges the situation and begins to burn up in guilt as I become unable to stop my hands from fiddling with one another. I'm nervous, incredibly nervous. Dijack has quieted down, no longer making a fuss. He turns toward me; instead, his eyes boring into me, pleading. Pleading for what? For me to not have forgotten, for me to remember.

I must be wronging him somehow, wronging him by having amnesia and denying that undisputable fact. No… I am wronging him, wronging all of them. But would admitting the truth be better, be more manageable, be helpful? Would it…?

"You didn't answer me." Steel focuses all his attention on me. His eyes are hardened, but they are still warm and kind. He's watching my every move, scanning my reaction, face, emotions, waiting for a response but reading it on my face. I know how deep his question is, how much it means. I know I shouldn't lie, that I can't. But I can't bring myself to answer either.

"I just got out of the hospital; is this real –?"

"You're avoiding the question." Steel purses his lips in my direction.

"No, I'm not!" I try to yell, but it comes out with a raspy squeal.

"Why are you arguing with me? Just tell me the truth! Did you lose your memory or not?!" Steel wails, near to tears. I feel faint.

Memory loss?

It all comes down to that one question, doesn't it? As the silence lingers, I peer at Dijack, trying not to but hiding it poorly, pleading with my eyes. Begging for him to not hate me. He looks less and less hopeful and more so full of sadness and helplessness.

"I…I…I –."

"Yes… or no." His slow voice is monotone and whispery. I must answer. The sad look in their eyes pains me. Did I cause this? My gaze at Dijack stays unmoving as my eyes begin to water. His own eyes widen in response to my sudden drastic show of emotion.

"I'm sorry…." I whimper. His eyes get even more comprehensive as I begin to cry. Glancing back at Steel, I note how he, too, is at the brink of tears.

"How…how much?" he manages to say. Suddenly, the words start pouring from my mouth. They come hurriedly, words I didn't plan on saying, a whispery voice in my head mingling with my own and forcing the terms out.

"All of it…all of it…all of it." My voice breaks three times. "I… I don't know who you are. I don't know where I am. I don't even know how old I am! I don't know who I am!! I don't know…who I am." I choke out in hysteria. My voice grows quiet in the end after the outburst. The girl begins to cry, her soft, breathy sobs punching me right in the gut, and I can hear her sniffling as she tries to hold it in.

Dijack's eyes are full of tears, refusing to allow even a single tear to escape down his cheeks

I'm already regretting opening my mouth. But… this is something I must do. I owe it to these people who have shown such a commitment to me.

"Wha –?"

I interrupt Dijack. "But…." I move my hand over his and grip it tightly. "I'm really thankful for everything you've done for me. You're very friendly, and I feel at ease next to you, next to all of you." My brain goes silent, and I know that my words are gone too. The room grows stuffy again, the sniffling of stuffy noses being the only sound. Even though he's crying, he still looks stunned. Everyone does. "I'm… really sorry. For everything." I smile slightly, past the pain and heartbreak, not knowing what else I can do. Steel beams back at me, his eyes comforting.

"We-well, I guess we should tell you some important things, so you can attempt to catch up," he murmurs. I look at him and then turn my head toward Dijack. It's tense, but I can feel them trying. Trying to move on, move past this bump. It's as if there is this fear in their hearts, fear for me… for themselves?

"Well, as you probably caught on, I am Dijack. Shorty over there is Steel –."

"Hey!"

"And that is Clementine." he continues over Steel, his voice cracking against his will, nodding toward the girl on the other side of him. "You're Sylvia." I nod, a giggle catching in my throat. Having to be told my own name is silly to me.

"Clementine here doesn't talk as often as big mouth over there. She's a great listener, though!" Steel intervenes, his need to help taking over. I nod my head, trying my best to absorb the information. "The year is 4012, and as you have hopefully come to realize, we are a floating state. We live in a bubble of sorts, a force-field that keeps us in and everything else out. We run on solar power and Nanogenic power, incredibly environment friendly. The month is…October, and I'm sure it's the 12th or Friday." He continues.

That explains why Dijack wasn't so worried when I fell… I wasn't going to go far.

Dijack chips in as well. "We are what they like to call 'the outcasted' that live on the bottom. They live on the top half of the force field. There's almost no way of getting up unless you're authorized to… None of us bottom dwellers are given permission." He spits this last sentence with such ferocity that even a child could see the hatred he harbors in his heart for these people. "I can honestly say that they are nothing like us. Anyway, anyone born here stays here. The only thing people think we have going for us is our street smart." Dijack taps his chin in thought.

"And our brains, we aren't stupid…." Clementine's weak and tired voice almost scares me.

"The force-field…." I mutter. They all wait for me to speak. "What is the force-field keeping out?" I question, concerned as to why Steel had worded it that way. Steel answers.

"The air is poisonous. Highly dangerous. And… the mutants. The ones who were left behind…." He glances away. He looks guilty, and it's strange. To mutate would have to take centuries, right? How could he feel guilty or in the least bit responsible?

"So, you… or we…polluted the Earth to this point?" I probably look horrified because Dijack places his hand firmly on my shoulder.

"You say that like you…lived through it. We've never known what the Earth was like before." Dijack seems more confuddled than I am.

"I don't know why, but I feel like I know…." My eyebrows knit together in bemusement.

"You probably watched a documentary or something. Before the accident, you mentioned finding some old thing." Steel cuts in expeditiously, his excuse sounding a bit too coincidental. He doesn't give me a chance to reply. "There are other sky states like this one scattered everywhere. Sadly, not all countries made it up here in time. We can communicate to one another, but only the rich of the rich, or the Royals as we call them, can travel from one to the other. Well, the only people allowed to, from what I've heard" His face turns sour as he says that. Seems that our equal rights were left behind as well. "Everyone is acquired to go to school, though. You don't have to pay for it because it's run by whatever is left of the government. I've heard so many stories of school in the old days…."

Everything seems so different, and I can't pinpoint a reason as to why it feels that way. Like Dijack said, this is all I've ever known… so why do I feel like it's not?

The government is unquestioned in its rules, and no one seems to dare to disagree with them. It's a curious thing.

"So, uhm… how long have I been out?" I can't care to ask what happened. I feel like it's the most insensible thing to do. I know that I have a right to know, but… I don't think that even I'm ready to hear it. I need more time to collect myself and figure out what's going on. Life just feels like a long dream, and I don't like it.

"Six months…" Clementine answers this time. No one seems too upset with my question.

"And…well… school starts next week." Steel murmurs. There's a short pause as I register what this means.

"Oh jeez. This is going to be awful!" I groan. Clementine manages to giggle, which makes Dijack and Steel grin. Everyone appears to be close, and it warms my heart just a bit. I sit up straighter, looking at Steel quite intently. He blushes red and grows increasingly flustered as he shifts away from me.

"You guys won't mind if I…uh… check myself in a mirror?" My voice is angelic and sweet, covering up the strain.

"Check? What do you mean?" Steel continuously shifts his eyes away. I can see his face heat up more.

"You know… I haven't really gotten to see myself and… uh… I don't really know what I look like? I also sort of want to—" I let out a short cough, "maybe change my clothes?"

A fresh start….

I really can't shake this feeling of…of something. I don't know what it is or whether it's good or not.

"O-oh… Of course! S-sorry, yeah, we've got a mirror. It's not a problem." Even though he's saying that his eyes aren't, his eyes are sad. It's such a deep, throbbing sadness that I'm surprised he can hold it in. It's the kind of sadness that bordered anger and insanity. "Actually, we have the perfect thing for you!" Dijack chuckles to himself. I raise my eyebrows. "Don't ask, just come." He says as he stands up and holds his hand out to me.

I smile at him and place my hand in his. Squeezing my hand, he tugs me to my feet and pulls me out of the room. I glance over my shoulder to see Clementine smiling sweetly as she trails behind us at a slower pace. Steel looks like his face is going to crack at any moment from the big, cheesy grin he's wearing.

We end up going to the upstairs bathroom, passing through a metallic, automated door, almost identical to the one I saw at the hospital. Once we walk in, the door closes behind us with a hiss, and the scanner pad beside it turns red. I assume the door has locked. The pad isn't much bigger than my hand, so I conclude that you press your hand to it to unlock the door.

Looks like I don't have to worry about someone walking in on me.

That bathroom isn't too tiny, so we all manage to fit and not be in each other's personal space. I stand in front of a plain, white sink on a simple, white cabinet. There is a shelf embedded into the wall to the right of the sink. Dijack starts rummaging through the junk cluttering the self.

"That's a cool-looking shelf," I mumble aloud as I continue to examine it. Steel clears his throat loudly, and I look over at him.

"AHEM…! …thanks..." He chirps shyly while trying to seem cool and collected. I giggle at him, and he blushes, turning to stare at the wall.

"Aha!" Dijack yells, popping out from the shelf so suddenly that I flinch, tripping over my own feet and ramming into Steel, who is standing directly behind me. Steel squishes Clementine against the metal door, and we just stand there, jumbled together like a box of Legos. He merely laughs and yanks me by the arm toward him, freeing Steel and Clementine. Clementine snickers, and Steel laughs anxiously. Dijack herds me to the sink, smiling widely.

"Here!" He yips, handing me two pen-like objects. He is so excited that he is practically bouncing in his spot. Seeing him like this, it's hard to keep from pinching his cheeks like a grandma would do to a grandchild and coo at him. It helps me feel more at home, being surrounded by them in such a way. At the same time, everything is clouded. My uneasiness grows more and more.

"What are these?" I ask as I hold the pens closer to my face for inspection. Both sticks have four buttons, each a different color.

"This one…" He points to the right most one, "Is for your hair. This one is for your eyes." He points to the remaining one. I nod my head without thinking, not exactly comprehending what he means.

"What are they used for?" I question.

"Technically, they dye your hair and eyes. It's a MeTroid Lazer used for dying quickly and permanently. You can always re-dye it, but your colors won't fade with these. They are hard to control, though, and if you don't use them properly, you could dye something you didn't mean to…like your face." Steel explains happily. I'm so dumbfounded, I don't think to reply

"Yeah, these things are tough to get ahold of," Dijack adds, plucking one from my hand and holding it up to the light.

"You…know how to use these, right?" I can't help but ask. Of course, they would know how to use them! …Right?

"Don't worry! We've done this many times! I mean, look at Clementine! Isn't her hair great?" Dijack chirps, slapping me on the back. I look at Clementine, her dark green hair gleaming in the light. She shy's away from my curious eyes and hides slightly behind Steel. Steel gives her a goofy grin. I glance into the mirror, examining Dijack while I have the opportunity. Since I'm not exactly looking straight at him, it doesn't feel distressing.

His dark purple hair goes nicely with his deep, wine-colored eyes. I bet if he glares at you, it'd feel like he's penetrating your soul. His eyes are gentle now, though. They have a soft, liquid feel to them. It's as though they hold a whole other world in them, a magical one, one full of freedom and love and happiness.

His eyes really compliment his face. It makes him seem sweet yet mysterious while he holds the pleased expression on his face. It's like a feral beast, tamed yet still maintaining that wild and enchanting look. It's a trait I sort of admire.

"You look so captivated by Dijack!" I hear someone chuckle loud enough to break my never-ending gaze. I snap back to reality, only to realize that I have been staring at Dijack through to mirror the entire time. What's worse… is that he caught me staring. Steel snickers to himself, and I blush brightly as a look of embarrassment replaces my dream-like daze. I can't believe I've been staring at him for this long! Djiack smiles shyly at me, continuing to watch me through the reflection.

"Uhg! Stop with the googly eyes so we can finish what we were doing! You can stare at each other all you want later!" Steel groans in agitation, indulging everyone in his complaint. Dijack quickly looks away, scratching the back of his head and grinning.

"Sorry, I can't help but look good!"

"HA! Who told you that lie?!" I laugh as I elbow him, and he grabs at his chest, looking offended. Steel and Clementine laugh in the background.

"Anyway!" Dijack interrupts. He flicks the pen he's holding past my face to catch my attention. I wait for Dijack to speak, watching him spin the pen … well, the MeTroid Lazer pen. "So, what color?" he finally asks. "We have blue, green, white, and purple."

"That's an odd array of colors… Is that one for my hair?" I tilt my head to the side in confusion. I can hear Steel talking even though no one is listening to him. I suppose he would be talking to Clementine as she is the 'better listener.'

"Ding, ding, ding! Correct, this one's for your hair!" He wiggles the pen in my face for a second time as he cheers.

"Oh, so… I guess we are doing this, huh?" I smile to myself. If this is their way to help me settle back into my life, who am I to refuse that? "Well… what about white?"

"Hmm…." he hums in response. He looks me up and down, and I can't help the movements of my body that have me in a pose by the time he's done his examination. "I think it'll be perfect."

"Yay!"

"Close your eyes!" he urges placidly. I do so obediently and can't help but bounce up and down in elation. "Stay still, you silly goose!"

"Fine!" I scoff sarcastically. The lull flourishes within these few moments as I try to contain my thrill, the sparse breathing from the bodies around me resound in my ears. A buzzing noise then kicks in and echoes loudly in the still atmosphere. It's like a…printer but very, very delicate—the buzzing of a busy fly perhaps. A bright flash obstructs the darkness behind the skin of my eyelids and helps to sprout deep orange circles that blur and disorientate me. Closely following behind is a boisterous pop that rings around the room. It's hard not to squirm in anticipation.

"Open them and take a good, long look!" Dijack speaks suddenly. I open them as he says and hastily turn to look at my reflection. My eyes swell as I gawk at my new, long, flowing white hair. My hair glistens from the streams of sunlight breaking through the blinds of the window behind us. It sparkles like fresh snow on a winter's day.

No longer questioning myself about the weird feelings I have, I let this strange feeling of familiarity take over my body. White hair… I can't explain why I am so happy and pleased, but I decide it's best not to question it. The bright-colored hair makes me stand out in the room of darker, more mysterious colors. It also brings out my complexion and thin body frame.

"Do you have purple for the eyes?" I request, momentarily distracted by the beauty of it all—my dark, almost black orbs gleaming back at me.

"Haha! Yes, we do." he snickers as he plucks the other pen from my hand. I had altogether forgotten that I was still holding it. A big, happy grin spreads across my face as my excitement builds up again. There is just something exciting about changing on a whim, hoping that everything comes out perfectly. "You're so weird…" Dijack mutters as he pinches my cheek and tugs on it. He's smiling so ardently at me…

"That's a good thing, right?" I inquire as I swirl around to gander at him. My hair twirls past my face and sways in the air slightly from the movement. Dijack stops messing with the pens to observe me, his eyes somewhat clouded. I wave a hand past his face, my grin strained as I attempt to contain my laughter. If Dijack doesn't speak, I know I won't be able to curb myself any longer.

"You're genuinely dazzling… Th-the hair, I mean!" Dijack corrects himself, louder than need be. He casts his eyes away from me as his cheeks bloom a rosy red. I'll admit, it was adorable.

"Thanks, I like it, too." I don't voice out my thoughts completely. He's embarrassed enough already. He also seems like the type of guy that would run out of a room to hide how flustered he is. "Let's hurry up; I'm kind of hungry!" He snorts again. Snorting seems like a weird concept to me, how it's thought to be compared to that of what a pig would make, but when Dijack does it, it's sort of cute in this geeky; I want to squeeze you until you pop kind of way. His red eyes as well are so mysterious and profound. "Did you color your eyes, too?" I sputter out without meaning to.

He gives a small smile. "No, I was born like this. It's kind of scary, huh?" His smile twitches upward in an almost sarcastic manner. It looks like more of a smirk now.

"Mmm, not really. I like them." I state confidently, a smug grin laid out on my lips. My hand was reaching toward his face as I said that, and I must quickly pull it back before he notices the strange movement. I don't know what I was reaching for, but I need to restrain myself a bit better than that.

"Anyway…" His palm cups my chin, and his fingers squeeze my cheeks so that my lips puff out.

"You guys are taking too long! Me and Clementine are hungry!" Steel groans into the silence.

"Clementine and I…." I correct, my voice muggles from the grip of Dijack's fingers against my cheeks. Steel huffs in annoyance but keeps his mouth shut after that. Dijack begins to snicker, so I slap his arm.

"Okay! Okay!" he snickers some more. "Keep very still and try not to focus on anything." I can feel my stomach churning. I can't tell if it's nerves or panic or even bubbling excitement. He clicks the pen in his hand, something out of my field of vision, and I hear some slight popping. A soft, purple light faintly blinds my sight for a few moments as it shines into my iris.

It's hard, but I manage to keep myself from focusing on it, blurring my eyesight and causing the burning sensation to begin. "Breath slowly. In and out; in and out. Keep calm." Dijack whispers soothingly, not that I necessarily needed to be soothed. I listen and take his advice, though, calming my breathing and letting the butterflies in my stomach settle. Like a sudden jerk, the light flashes and flickers off quickly.

The flash causes my eyesight to blur more, and my eyes water from the strain. Colors begin to dot the edges of my vision, and I try not to worry too much. There's a pop that echoes off the walls of the tiny bathroom, and I can see clearly once again. Dijack gives me a final grunt of satisfaction before spitting out, "Okay, finished!" I repeatedly blink as I try to wash away the tears and the burning sensation from my eyes drying up. "Just don't rub them," he warns, just as I reach a hand toward my face.

"But –"

"No."

I grumble under my breath but comply, either way, leaving the comments inside of my head. "Fine!" I snap, causing Dijack to chuckle at my furious outburst.

"Finally!" Steel yells, cutting into our slowly growing argument.

"You could have left… a long time ago." Dijack remarks.

Steel blushes and scratches the back of his head. "But… I wanted to see…."

"Well, you saw. Now go make us some lunch."

"But –"

"But what?"

Now Steel starts grumbling unhappily. He nods at Clementine, and they exit the room together. Now that it's quiet, I take the opportunity to look in the mirror. Deep purple eyes stare back at me. I giggle like a child, even though there isn't really anything funny about this situation, and slap my hands against my cheeks with slightly more force than intended. My excitement is building up to new heights, and I can hardly contain myself. "Ow…" I mutter, my plumps of flesh giving a stinging throb from the slap.

Dijack pats the top of my head. "You really are something." he sighs.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I turn to look at him quizzically. His cheeks tent cherry red as he leans away from my intent stare. Laughing slightly to myself as he struggles to respond, I turn back to the mirror to examine myself, muttering under my breath. "It feels nice…" I murmur as I watch Dijack finally give up and run out of the room, the door sliding shut with an electric hum. "To start over…."

Start over on my fragile surface of life.