woke up chapter 6

***

Ariel made her way to the Second Plaza in the center of Oberon. She had heard that children her age gathered there, but she hadn’t been particularly interested.

I’m eight years old, what do I need friends for? However, the Second Plaza itself did pique her curiosity. It had been closed off since the discovery of ancient ruins there when she was very young, and she had never had the chance to visit.  It should be open now that I’m eight, right?

Humming a tune, Ariel strolled along the paved stone path. She had never felt so at peace. It was all thanks to her mother and grandfather. As the white pillars of the plaza came into view, Ariel quickened her pace.

The Second Plaza, dotted with the remnants of crumbling white pillars, was vast. Children were running around, their laughter echoing through the open space. The sweet scent of almond blossoms from the large tree in the center of the plaza wafted on the cool breeze. Suddenly, a child pointed at her and shouted, “It’s Ariel!”

“Ariel!” Other children joined in.

Ariel flinched, startled.

Uh, yeah, I’m Ariel…but who are you? She pointed at herself, then rolled her eyes. The children, who looked vaguely familiar, were rushing towards her. What are they doing…? Are they going to bully me?!

Bracing herself, Ariel scanned their faces. They looked familiar, but if she didn’t recognize them, they must be village children. After losing her memories, Ariel had become wary and aloof, pushing people away. As she hesitated, the children, beaming, called out to her.

“Ariel, you said you couldn’t come today!”

“Want to play hide-and-seek?”

“I hope we play Knights again today!”

“Victor won’t come if Ariel doesn’t.”

Overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught of chatter, Ariel stared at them in confusion. What’s gotten into them? Suddenly, someone tapped her shoulder. Reacting instinctively, she flipped the person over her shoulder.

“Oww!”

Ariel tilted her head, looking at the child sprawled on the ground.

Who is this? I don’t remember him.

The other children mirrored her confusion.

“Did Carlin steal your jerky?”

“Or maybe your ham?”

“Maybe it was sausage.”

Ariel’s jaw dropped.

“Ca…Carlin?”

“Yeah?”

“Carlin…Briana?”

“…Did I do something wrong?” The boy, dusting himself off, looked up at her with a tearful face. He was a cute boy with freckles and red hair. As Ariel stared at him, a faint memory flickered to life.

“No…”

She remembered now. He was the boy who had died when she was young.

***

All of Ariel’s memories began after she turned nine. Carlin had already passed away by then, yet his name remained etched in her mind. His death had led his mother, Mrs. Briana, the housekeeper of Oberon Manor, to resign. After that, Linda, that dreadful woman, had become the housekeeper. The memory made Ariel grind her teeth.

Tears streamed down Carlin’s face, and the other children, startled, took a step back. Ignoring them, Ariel turned her gaze to the other children, who were now trembling. Suddenly, a mild headache pulsed through her, followed by a rush of memories – memories of herself at eight years old.

“El?”

Hearing her nickname, Ariel looked up and her eyes widened. It was as if a veil had been lifted. She could recall details about the children.

The boy with the unusually large head was Dylan, and the large-bodied one was Aaron, known for his simplemindedness. The curious-looking girl was Angela, and the calm girl helping Carlin up was Patricia. She remembered being quite close to them when she was younger. After losing her memories, she’d drifted away from them, not even knowing their names.

Aaron stared intently at Ariel, then asked suspiciously, “…Ariel, are you crazy?”

The other children began to whisper amongst themselves. Ariel’s crazy. Should we put flowers in her hair? She’s always been crazy. True. Ariel glared at the whispering children. They quickly clapped their hands over their mouths, intimidated by her look. Ariel, meanwhile, was lost in thought. Are my memories returning now that I’m back in the past?

They were only fragments, but it was still astonishing.

Suddenly, several children’s eyes widened in alarm.

“Ariel!”

“Behind you!”

Their urgent cries made her turn around just in time to see her skirt billowing around her. As it settled, she saw the face of the village’s notorious bully, Victor Nwallin. He was smaller than she remembered him twelve years later, but his rye-bread-colored face was the same.

“What? You’re wearing pants underneath.” Victor grumbled.

Still dazed, Ariel stared at him, struggling to process what had just happened.

Wait, did he just–

“Whatever. Let’s go.”

–lift my skirt?

As Victor turned away, Ariel heard something snap. Her composure.

“You little son of a bitch.”

Grabbing one of Victor’s cronies by the head, Ariel delivered a swift kick to the back of Victor’s head.

Whack!

“Aagh!”

With a sound like a rotten pumpkin splitting open, Victor crumpled to the ground, tears welling in his eyes before he burst into loud sobs.

Ariel, however, stood frozen, completely stunned.
What was that?

A torrent of memories, far more vivid and numerous than before, flooded her mind. Thousands, tens of thousands of fragmented memories pierced her like shards of glass. And then, Ariel realized.

They were memories of her past life.