Memory Walker

Aurora is a girl with an unusual gift. Whenever she touches someone for the first time, she can see one memory from them.

            "Aurora Simms, report to the office immediately." The very annoyed voice on the intercom said. I sighed and stood up from the cafeteria table. Maddie and I exchange glances, and she draws her finger across her throat like a blade. I cover my mouth with my hand to stifle the urge of giggles, and I march to the headmistress's office. This better not be about my gift, but that's impossible, because only Maddie and I know about it.
            The headmistress, Mrs.Hunt, glares at me. If looks could kill. I had no idea how she got the surname Mrs., because I don't think any man is sane enough to marry her. I stay clam and casual, sliding into the over sized seat facing her. Her gray hair is wrapped in a tight bun, showing off her wrinkled face. The bright red lipstick does no justice for her lips, and those large purple glasses make her look like a bug. She puts down her cup of tea, and speaks.
             "Aurora, you know why you are here." she says. I gulp surreptitiously. Crap. She found out. I decide to play dumb.
              "Whatever do you mean Mrs.Hunt?" I ask in my angelic voice. She frowns. 
               "What I mean is that for the past three weeks, you have not been showing up for physical education. Your teachers have told me what excuses you used to get out of it." she ticked each excuse on her finger. "For running on the first week, you said you had a sprained ankle. For the second, swimming. You said you had started your menstruation. The third, archery, and you said you had the flu." she looks up at me. "And yet, during these sicknesses," she puts air quotes around 'sicknesses'. "A student has been reporting you eating snacks in your room."
                  I knew exactly which student was reporting me. Laura, that b***h. She has it out for me ever since I threw her Barbie doll out the window on the first day of school. Five years ago. My fists clench. Mrs. Hunt doesn't notice, so she continues,"And we both know that snacks are forbidden in the dormitories." I nod, feigning shame.
                  "I am so sorry Mrs. Hunt. It will never happen again. I feel so bad." Mrs. Hunts frown grows deeper.
                  "You won't get away with that. You need punishment. Well back in my day, we used meter sticks to give a good whack, but nooo, abusing children is illegal now. So I guess no free time for two weeks sounds reasonable." I nod again, then turn to leave. "Wait!" she calls after me, and touches my shoulder. I groan, and know I'm doomed. My body gets sucked in, and I am forced to watch her memory. Its probably her burning live kittens. But its not.
        
                       Mrs. Hunt is a young girl, around seven, in a garden picking flowers. She sniffs each one  before putting it in a woven basket. I watch from a distance, invisible. I wonder what this memory will bring, but suddenly a middle aged woman come running up to Mrs. Hunt, and smacks her hand.
                        "No Lily, your nice dress will be ruined.Its time for your lessons." she says, and pulls Mrs. Hunt away, causing her to drop her basket.
                          "But mommy!" Mrs. Hunt, or Lily,  cries. "I don't want to go to my lesson. Mr.Teacher is mean and makes me feel uncomfortable. He touches me where you said young ladies should never show or talk about." I gasp, for I know what she means. Her mother keeps pulling her.
                            "You speak nonsense!" her mother scolds. "Mr. Hart is the best tutor we could afford to teach you while me and daddy are away." Lily starts to sniffle, then nods. Then the memory fades.
    
             I am sucked back to reality. Mrs. Hunt is still touching my shoulder, and time is back where it was. So that was a memory from Mrs. Hunt. How awful. No wonder she's so uptight.   Looking at her face, I try to stop the tears from trickling down my face. I succeed.
             "Miss Aurora," she says. "I trust that this will never happen again. You may return to your dinner." I stumble out the door, and return to the cafeteria table across from Maddie.
               "What happened?" she demands.
               "I was sucked into Mrs.Hunt's memory." I whisper. She gasps.
               "Was it dreadful? Was it her torturing a dog?" she asks. I shake my head.
               "She was a young girl. And I now why she's so awful."
               "Tell me!" Maddie is getting antsy.
               "She was raped." I whisper.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

           Later that night, Maddie and I are in our dorms. Luckily, I got her as a roommate, so we could discuss matters late in the night. At Riverbrooks Boarding School For Girls, there were two girls per room, and it was lights out at eight thirty for the younger girls, nine thirty for the older. It was ten fourty-two, and Maddie and I were just now getting ready for bed. I changed out of my horrid uniform, pleated skirt, brown old lady shoes, for my comfortable pjs. Maddie collapses on her bed, opening a book.
            "So how long are you gonna keep this up?" she asks.
            "Keep what up? Ditching P.E?" I ask, and she playfully smacks my head with a book.
             "Nooooo, I mean keep up seeing people's memories through touch. I mean, everytime you touch someone for the first time, you get sucked into a memory of theirs." I sigh, and she continues, "  You can't keep avoiding people your whole life, not touching a soul, not ever coming in physical contact of them. Your good at running, but you won't try out for sports because your too afraid of people touching you too much."
              "But remember when you hugged me for the first time?" I ask, and she nods gravely. I still  remember her awful memory that I witnessed. When Maddie was nine, she saw her father get shot by a robber. I watched the whole thing from a distance.  I still shudder at the sight to this very day. Its why I don't want to touch anyone, because memories are for the person who remembers them, and no one else. Its like I'm invading their privacy.
                "Yeah, but not everyone has had a fucked up life like mine, Aurora." she whispers, and I hug her. I can touch her now that I've seen her memory. "Just remember what I said, okay?" she says. I nod.
                 "I'll remember, it'll be a memory I hope someone will see."
 
              
              
                     

Author's Note

This MIGHT be continued. I don't want to make another book I won't finish because it doesn't get enough reviews, but if I do, I might consider pasting this into another book as the first chapter, then continuing. If I do continue, the plot will get much more exciting. Enjoy, though.

Reviews

[Becca Bishop]

I really liked the concept of the story so far, how Aurora can see people's memories. That's so cool! However, if you are going to turn it into a book (which I totally hope you do) I'd consider making your dialogue a little less stiff and more believable. The way they talk sounds scripted (which, in a way, it is) but the whole point of writing is to make it seem real, like the characters are actually alive. If you know what I mean. I love it so far though besides the dialogue (and the swearing). Write more!!!

[momo hina]

you should make more its awesome

[Bella-Marie]

Oh goodness. I get the feeling Aurora only sees bad memories of people. Is that what is supposed to happen?
Overall, I loved it. In fact, keep writing about this great character, she has potential!