The Missing Chronicle

While Garth was on his way to school, his attention was caught as he noticed that through the strong gust of wind, a piece of what appeared to be paper, flew across from his face and into a bush. Normally there shouldn't be any sort of reason or concern to check on what exactly it is but nonetheless he was intrigued. He goes over to the bush and takes out the paper between the leaves.

To his surprise it looked to be a photo. There was something strange with this item though. Garth tried his best to rationalize that the photo he had picked up could not be an actual photo, because it looked way too grandiose to anything the earth had to offer. The photo depicted a massive city with towering skyscrapers and structures. It was almost mythical looking. It could only be compared to the story legends of Atlantis. Could this be drawn? No, not even the best artist on the planet could replicate something to look this realistic. It would impossible for this place to possibly exist on earth.

Without thinking too much about it, Garth slips the photo into his binder. He goes through his usual day of school until arriving back home seven hours later. He had forgotten about the photo he had found and was reminded of it as soon as he rested his backpack. He reaches into his binder to grab the photo again until something strange happens. "What the...? It's changed?" The photo from when he initially found it has just changed to a different scenary from what was depicted before. This time, it depicted a family, and among the family he noticed that one of them looked like him. The only reaction that was appropriate for Garth in that moment was by being a little freaked out.

"Why does this person look like me? And this world...why does it seem so familiar to me?" While the photo did change it's depiction, it does seem to depict the same world as it displayed back then. Without thinking too much about it once more, Garth tucked it back into his binder. He sought to clear his mind over this and to watch his favorite sports soccer team on the TV. Every once in a while, he decides to rewatch a match of his favorite team that he had recorded ever since he was little growing up. He always likes to tell himself how he has probably watched it over a hundred times. That is how much he enjoys it.

This particular soccer match that he has watched multiple times goes simple. His favorite team wins by a score of four to one against the enemy team. First the enemy scores, and then his favorite team wins in an epic comeback. As he is watching however, the recording replays a different scenario, where somehow the enemy team ends up winning the game, enacting the exact opposite of what he ha always seen. In a confused panic, Garth rewinds the recording to make sure he is not hallucinating. No matter how many times he rewinds the match, it reveals the opposite result of the enemy team winning every time.

"What's going on? It's like if reality is changing somehow..." Garth's parents are not currently home. He tries dialing them on his phone but they won't answer; he is home alone. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Garth is met with a knock on his door. Could this be mom or dad? He opens the door and is met with a woman. She is dressed in beautiful clothed as if it were out of a fantasy story. Her aura emitted elegance and beauty. The woman replies with tears in her eyes as Garth stares in shock. "My son, it has been many years, but I have finally found you again?"

Garth is going through a lot on his mind at the moment. Too many strange things are happening all at once and it all began to spiral out of control the moment he found the photo on his way to school. "Who is this woman?" he thought, and "Why is she referring to me as son even when I have never seen her in my life?" Garth pauses for a moment as he goes for his backpack once more. "Hold on, I will be right back, I just want to check something really quick".

Garth reaches for the photo in his binder to look at it for the third time, and this time it depicts the woman he just met outside with a person once again looking like him. They are side to side as they are facing the photo with a big smile on their face. They appear to be family.

"This is no longer just any photo. I refuse to be delusional any longer and pretend like everything's normal. Reality is starting to distort, and it all began ever since I found this photo. I will get to the bottom of this...if it's the last thing I do!"

Garth returns to the woman at his front door with the photo in hand. "My sweet Gaias, how long as it been. Garth is confused. "Who's Gaias?" "My name is Garth?" The woman refers to him by a name which makes no sense, at least from the start. The woman notices the photo that Garth is holding in his hand. "May I see what you have there?" Garth is a little hesitant but gives the photo up anyway for her to look at it. She emits a warm soft smile at the sight of her and her son which appears to be Garth.

"We look lovely here together".

With that answer, Garth brings up the question he needs answering the most. "Hey...lady, why does that person look like me in the photo and why do you keep calling me son?" "Maybe you have the wrong guy and I probably just look like your son". The woman softly shakes her head while still keeping her soft smile expression. "No, you are mistaken. You are surely my son, that I am very sure. You are merely just asleep and need to be awakened at once. This response surprises Garth. Maybe the photo he found was a mistake to stumble across, or maybe it became a blessing to help him embark to explain the mysteries thar has been happening. What is the photo and who is this woman that calls him son?