The Forest of Memories

Time passed in a dizzy haze, and I couldn’t distinguish the realm between dreams and reality. I feel trapped, yet afloat, and there was nothing but darkness. I tried to wiggle my body, but I had no control. 

I feel so numb and I don’t want to feel numb. I can’t tell if I’m positioned upright or downright. I attempt to look up and down, but it was hard to separate the two. I looked to the side, and there was no resistance in my neck as my entire head spun around back to. The creepy thing is, I didn’t feel the strain of my flesh or bones. 

My eye caught on something that wasn’t there before. Off in the distance, I could see a hazy band of speckled light growing larger. As it grew and grew, I could make out two figures approaching me.

      The bigger one was lanky and dark. The smaller one was white and four-legged. The dark one swayed like a shadow and glided as it moved. The white one walked with a bounce.

      Within moments, they stopped moving and stared. I realized the white one was a cat. The darker one, however, was something I couldn’t quite comprehend.

      “Hello?” I stammered, being slightly intimated by their strong auras.

      “Follow us.” The shadow’s voice resonated, but it was also toneless. They both turned back towards the milky light.

      “I can’t move.”

      They didn’t turn back despite my plea of panic. I tried to walk forward, and I still couldn’t move. They continued and I felt a pull. As the shadow and the cat trudged on, I felt myself being pulled with their every step. I tried to shimmy my body out of their pull, but I didn’t budge.

      My efforts were futile. “What’s happening?” 

      They didn’t bother to acknowledge my question.

      “I am Eon, and this is Cosmo,” Eon whispered.

      “I’m-” I paused. My mind nearly began to implode. Who am I? Where am I? Why am I here?

      “Good questions,” Eon stopped, and Cosmo obeyed. “I’m glad to hear you finally snapped. Most humans usually right away, but you did not. I was beginning to think we would have to travel forever.” 

      “You can hear my thoughts?” I deadpanned.

      Eon bent over but paused and ignored me as if the answer were obvious. Which it was, but it was all too surprising. They continued and reached towards Cosmo with a wispy limb that mimicked a human hand. They pinched a small orb from Cosmo’s collar and lifted it to inspect it.

      Eon glided towards me and I stared at the orb with piqued curiosity. The orb was magnificent. It had swirling colours that breathed—each inhale shone with vivid colours and each exhale dulled with pastel colours. It was almost like it was alive. Its shell was pearlescent, and the longer I stared at it, the more captivated I was. Eon and I didn’t move. Nor did Cosmo.

      “What is this?” I breathed, half-distracted.

      “You.” 

      I froze. Me? But I’m right here. Aren’t I? 

      Moments passed, and I began to realize that Eon’s limb was slowly retracting. Cosmo hissed and leaped up at Eon. The orb flew out of their wisps and Eon’s body partially disintegrated into black smoke. Time slowed. All three of us turned our attention towards the orb, and within a second, it fell. The ground rippled like waves on water.

      It remained intact. I relaxed with relief. It buoyed until Cosmo walked over to pick it up. Cosmo faced Eon and snarled. I could tell there was something between them. Eon gave in and hunkered over to Cosmo. Eon had the orb again, and Cosmo watched their every movement.

      Eon swiftly plunged the orb into me. I stumbled back. 

      A flash of memories washed over me. There was a large, protruding metal object. My telescope. A couple was dancing and they resembled day and night. One had bright hair and bright eyes. The other had dark hair and dark skin. My parents. 

There was a girl in a wheelchair, gazing up at the night sky. My identity. My name was Estella Fermi. I aspired to be an astronomer. I was only fifteen.

Then, there was a room. Shrill screams and rushing footsteps, and then—there was darkness. 

      I fell back. My hands planted into the liquid surface. Ripples of disturbed waves reverberated throughout. I looked down and I saw a terrified girl staring back. I raised a hand to my face and gaped at my transparent hand. 

      I’m dead.

      I feel different from before. I feel a heaviness in my chest. And wetness cascading down my cheeks. I have a body now. I have functioning legs now, at least. That’s a plus. Yet, I feel that something is missing. But I can’t place a finger on it.

      “I died, huh?” I uttered. Cosmo sauntered over and nuzzled against me. I gazed into Cosmo’s ethereal purplish eyes. They were equally as beautiful as the orb.

      Eon started. “Yes. We have seen this a billion times before. It’s time to go now.” Eon was hunched and faced the opposite of us.

      Cosmo sauntered over and nuzzled against me. I gazed into Cosmo’s ethereal purplish eyes. They were equally as beautiful as the orb.

      I jumped to my feet. “Wait—why did you try to take my orb?”

     Eon stopped and paused. Their wisps wavered.

I will never know when I can rest. And I will never know which orb will be the last. . . I wish to become human,” Eon stood taller, their words echoing with pride. “I apologize for trying to steal your orb, but it’s rare to come across such an opportunity.”

      “Oh. It’s alright. But isn’t an orb just a dead human? Like me?” I shuffled in my spot, watching every ripple that was created from my movements. “Besides, the world I come from isn’t as pleasant as you think it is.” 

Eon knew an orb was a dead human, so why would they try and absorb it? Could there be a way to resurrect or reincarnate someone? I froze and tried to blank my mind. But judging by Eon and Cosmo’s relaxed movements, they could no longer hear my thoughts.

“Your world was created equal. Ours was created from pure chaos and chance. It’s uniquely different.” Eon slowly glided, stopped and hunched over, as if they were looking at their reflection. Though there was nothing on the watery surface. 

“I know it was created equal. Until many humans decided they were better.” I stared back at my reflection. Caramel-brown skin, round brown eyes, and ebony black hair stared back. I smirked. “Also, I could say the same for your world too.”

Eon turned to move, and Cosmo and I followed. I examined my surroundings, and it truly was different from Earth. It was peaceful. There was nothing to worry about. There was no agony, anxiety, or routine. There seemed to be an abundance of apathy and emptiness though. 

“Where are we going?” 

“To put you to rest,” Eon replied.

“So, like dying a second time?” I questioned.

Eon pondered my question for a moment. “Not exactly.” 

I scrutinized the reflective surface. Each step I took was like a drop in calm water. Cosmo’s paws caused tinier waves than mine. It was odd that only Cosmo and I had reflections and not Eon. 

Cosmo scurried past us with the elegance of a ballerina. My eyes followed Cosmo’s steps.

I squinted my eyes. My breath hitched at the distant sight of hundreds of bizarre trees. An assortment of colourful and uniquely shaped branches and leaves shone brightly against the reflective surface.

      “Can we go to those other trees?” I stepped forward. “They look so exotic.”

      “We cannot.”

      I faced Eon. “Why?”

     “Those trees are for different beings.”

     I gaped at the distant trees. That’s why they look so peculiar. 

“We have arrived,” Eon announced.

When we arrived at the nearest tree, my jaw hung open.

      This tree had glowing roots that pulsated. The stem was the colour of an ocean full of coral and fish. With each pulse, the roots absorbed the surrounding matter and carried the energy up toward the stem and orb-like leaves. 

Despite the reflective surface, it was easy to discern the roots from the branches and leaves. There were orbs in place of leaves and each orb was hypnotic and enticing. Some sparkled with warm colours, while others glimmered with cool colours. Each had different hues and intensities. 

      Cosmo circled the tree and was equally captivated as me. 

      Eon neared me, and I struggled to form words. “I. . .so. . . this is my end, isn’t it?” 

      Eon nodded. “Most humans ask a lot of questions. Why is it that you’re so compliant?”

      “Well, I already knew my fate before I came here. I was sick and there was no hope for me.” I muttered.

     "You weren’t sick,” Eon whispered. I raised an eyebrow. 

“I killed you.”

My eyes widened. “What?” 

“I killed every human. Every time I do, I desperately wish I were one of them. Some have it rough, some have it easy. Despite that, I want to live a life on Earth. As a human. It’s pointless here, there’s nothing to look forward to. Orb by orb, I have to say goodbye to countless humans. It’s torment. I want to feel, like you.”

My surprise was dampened, and Eon’s wish hit me harder than their confession. When I was alive, I knew I was going to die. I didn’t want to leave my parents, but I knew death was inevitable. 

Eon and I are profoundly different, yet we both have dreams. Well, I had a dream. I couldn’t find my purpose as a human, but Eon was here for centuries, so hope may not be out of reach for them.

I grinned. “Maybe you’re here for a reason.” 

    With one brisk motion, I was absorbed into a leaf orb, and Eon put me to eternal rest.