8 Paper Strands

Resting my head under the familiar ceiling, my head spun out of control as flashes of memories over the last couple of nights had surfaced unexpectedly. Sweating through my clothes, I lay with my arms and legs bare beside the sheets. My body was burning as the maids cared for around the clock.

Filo rushed his meeting with his mother when he got word about my condition. Dropping everything and using his every possible connections, a full team of doctors rushed to the estate. When they examined me, they all spoke the se words..,

"'She is dehydrated and weary from lack of energy... She should be better after a nights rest. '" His agner filled expression was twisted at the sight of my painful gaze.

It was even enough for me tl question which one of us was on deeper pain. As it was, I moved the many hands over my body as Filo was pushed out while the maids worked worth the doctors to dry me off.

Even as the sedatives they gave me entered my body, I still didn't feel any better. It was then assumed that, I was causing my symptoms psychologically. Even as I headed them, I had half a mind to yell as my pain cerotanly didnt feel lile I was thinking to afflict myself with.

Regardless, hours passed and my condition did not break. Having it been a fever or somthing else, Filo couldn't wait until sunrise and instead, had me sent to a hospital. There, I was laid down in a large room and was surrounded with nurses and doctors working to ease my aching body.

~

Afternoon soon came and I had calmed down by then. The burning feeling all over my body had died down as I was steadily recovering my strength. An hour passed and my pain abruptly returned with intensity as I clenched the plastic bars on the side of the bed.

As I caughty breath at certain times, I watched Filo out in the hall as he paced and made heated arguments with foreign doctors and any other possible way to cure me. His sudden brush with the wall caused his hand to bleed as he threw his hand up to his head and quivered as he looked towards my direction.

~

Days soon passed and my condition came and went mysteriously. They put me throigh all sorts of tests and each time, I was found healthy as can be without nothing wrong being found.

Trying all possible scientific methods, Filo ultimately resorted to calling am elderly preistest. Having cleared the room, I looked down past my feet to see her shut the door. Turning to meet my gaze, her sudden shiver made me feel terrible as she held the se tormented look Filo had.

Walling over to me and opening her large bag, she took out bells and threw over my blanket. She then set a talisman over my chest and held her hands over my eyes. As sound began to play, I suddenly felt I was being ripped apart when she began to speak in some foreign dialect.

Clenching the sheets and biting down my teeth hard, I endured the treatment until her voice began to fade away.

Suddenly, I opened my eyes and found myself in a dark space somewhere cold. Looking around and then down at myself, I felt no pain. Looking into the vast milesnof emptiness, I turned and saw a light beginning to luminate into a picture frame over a wooden dresser.

Looking around in curiosity, I took a step and walked over to the dresser where I examined the picture frame.

Upon looking closely, I saw a small girl NP more than ten years old, wearing an expensive yellow-white dress. Turning the frame, I saw words inscribed on the corner that read out a name and date.

"Alice... Flame... 87." The words made no sense as I did find the little girl familiar.

Turning with the picture frame, I stared at a round kitchen table with a set of sealed documents overhead. Walking and glaring at the floating closed documents, I picked the one on the right and opened it. Turning my gaze for less than a second, the other file disappeared.

Looking aorund to see of I was truly alone, I faced forward and opens the folder. As I read through the material, I gulped at what I was reading. Covering my mouth with my hand as I collapsed to my knees, tears began to fall down my face as I couldn't accept what was on the pages.

It was a well written police report over the arrest of my Father as well as the time of death while on his way to a prison transfer after he was arrested. On the bottom of the page, I read the cursive writing signed as witness to the accusation and testimony that lead to his arrest...

Throwing the folder intot he darkenss as it slid away, I shook my head as it couldn't have been true.

The name in the dotted line was none other than my own mothers full name.

"N-no... M-Mother wouldn't betray Father... She loved him... Father told me he... No. This is a trick... " Glaring into the darkenss, I stood up and wiped my eyes as I closed off my mind.

Suddenly, I found myself in a brightly lit field of trees and tall grass that went back for endless miles. Turning around abruptly as I shared a soft gasp, my confusion and surprise froze me in place as I saw a woman who held the same teary look I had.

"Mistela..? " Her cheeks suddenly streamed with tears.

"W-who are you?! " Startled as her sudden appearance made me lose control of my composure. "No... No, stay back! Y-You can't... You can't be her... S-shes dead. "

Her saddened face turned soft as she tiltead her head with a gentle smile. Walking closer as I reluctantly shook my head, I froze as she held my hand and gently hugged me intimantly in her arms.

Collapsing the moment we hugged, she sobbed ove rmy shoulder as her tears landed on my cheek. The weight of the streams resembled a sense of relief and genuine emotion. Her hands held me tightly as if letting me go was the farthest thing on her mind.

"W-who... are you? " Releasing me after several sorrowful minutes, she pulled me back and smiled as she asled how big I had grown.

"I'm sorry, Misty... Its been forever since I last saw you in my arms... Truthfully, I am beyond happy with you coming here. "

Turning my head hesitantly, I then asled here where we were.

"Hmm... Of course, you should know... Well, we are both inside your mind... Subconscious might I add. " Staring at her with confusion, she suddenly delivered an explanation.

"You see... I am... Or rather, was a Neurological scientist on the verge of achieving complete control over the subconscious. That is, until I married your father for his fortune, don't judge until the end of my explanation, honey... Hmm.

In the course of seven years, I worked tirelessly to develop the perfect way to transform the human mind into an essential basis for unlocking the complete human capacity for the brain. In simpler terms, I succeed with unlocking the problem that held is back from using the mind to its fullest.

However, it was only for a brief period... Of one second in real time... " Taken back as her fave showed no signs of lies or deceit, I pieced the rest togheter.

"In my ambition, I had incidently killed myself with the experiment... Yet! Before I passed, you were yet, to be born in three days. In that single second, I used my access to my mind and concluded that you will inherit all my reaserch to carry on my work... Little did I know that your Father was actually a crook and a thief. Regardless, my work was sized and stripped away. This eventuality was valued out on my mind umong multiple realities I ran in my head.

So, as a last ditch effort, I reversed my own consciousness into yours and sealed myself away until you were ready to use the method. However, there were complications as I witnessed and monitored your psychy. Imagine how baffled I was when you inadvertently entered into parallel universes where you did not die regardless the outcome. I was, I am inside your head and with it, I saw a spectacle the likes of which were... enlightening. "

"W-what does that mean for me... " Hesitant as I found it hard to believe, she held my hand and assured me she was being honest.

"Misty... You have the power to project your consciousness into multiple universes. The burning sensation in your body is just the preparation of the next travel jump you wilp soon make... " Turning her gaze to the air, she suddenly spoke faster. "You'll be waking up soon... I'll hold back the event for as long as I can, however, the next time you rest. You will be transported to an alternate reality. Show no fear honey! Stay strong until our next chat! "

The entire world began to be stripped away by a swirling storm. As the gust of air roared, I was suddenly swept into the air as I didn't wamt to let my mothers hand go. Smiling with tears in her eyes, she pulped e close and kissed me in my cheek as she said she lived me right before letting my hand go.

Falling through the air, her small green patch grew smaller as I ultimately lost sight of her. Turning, I suddenly found myself passing a current of lights that rang off abruptly in the thousands as if they were lightning strokes happening all at once. The sudden cloids Alla round as I gently floated by, I felt asbif I had seen the heavens as it was insanely awe inspiring.

Suddenly, I began to be pulled into a single point where the lights ended as of it was a void or black hole. Once I was pulled through the swirling colorful tunnel, everything faded into nothingness.

Waking up, I opened my eyes and met Filo as he held fallen asleep while holding my hand. Turning my head softly, I no longer felt any pain as I found myself with Filo in the room. Everyone else was gone and I was scared to wake him, otherwise, I would lose this precious opportunity to burn his sleeping face into my mind.

Shifting my head, I held his hand softly while touching his head as I rested my eyes for a few minutes.

Before long, I opened my eyes again and traced his features on his face as we face eachother. As he woke up soon after, we remained still as we both held the same glint in our eyes. He then looked down and saw hands as a soft smile formed on his face.

"Hey... " I woke worth a low and groggy voice.

His sudden surprise when I spoke made him realize he wasn't dreaming and bursted into action. Hugging me tightly, he sobbed while on my arms.

"Your okay.. Your okay. " He close dhos eyes and rested ober my shoulder.

We then remained in eachothers embrace for a while... That is, until I could find whether or not to tell him what I dreamt about.

For now at least, I'll keep that secret until regardless if it was real or not... Whether meeting my mothers conscience was real.

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