2 Cerebrosian Reading

Chapter 1

Pit pat. Pit pat. The sound rings loud like a tower bell in Reza's ear. Her limbs feel heavy and sore, and her head aches to a heartbeat of its own. She groans in pain, and the hairs on Reza's arms stick up as a cold breeze dances past her.

Reza opens her eyes to a dark, concrete room. As her eyes adjust, she pushes herself into a sitting position. Gauging her surroundings, Reza makes out a large metal door on the wall to her right. She uses the closest to support her jelly legs as she waits for the room to stop spinning. Has she been thrown into prison? If so, what had she done to land herself in such a predicament? Once the spinning dies down, Reza tests her step before making her way across the room.

She stands before the pristine door. Its metallic blue coloration reflects the light that seeps through the threshold and frame. How did she end up in this room? What is waiting on the other side of the door? Would she even be able to open the door? Reza inhales, willing her heart to stop pumping and stomach to stop lurching. She only needed to turn the doorknob. Her fingers tease the knob. As if she had been shocked, Reza's hand jolts away.

Just do it already, Reza reprimands herself.

With a deep breath, she firmly grabs the doorknob and twists it. Reza pushes the door open, and, to her surprise, a burst of light hits her. She stumbles out of the room, one hand outstretched while the other shields her sight.

Reza rubs her eyes and takes in her surroundings. There's a giant tree to the north in the distance, a lavender-gray pebbled path in front of her, vibrant teal grass adjacent to the path, flying animals, and wait a minute. Reza squeezes her eyes: teal grass, purple path, and flying animals? I must be dreaming, she thinks to herself. What else could it be? She takes everything in a bit longer. Reza doesn't know why, but something about this place feels familiar.

Then she turns back to see that the door is nothing more than a door: no building, no frame, just a door. What was even stranger was that the door was metal on one side while the other appeared to be wood. "This has to be a dream," Reza mumbles to herself. Winces in pain as she pinches herself.

"Fantastic, isn't it?" Reza jumps, her stomach dropping at the sound of a new voice. She spins on her heels to see a woman holding a basket. The lady, with the skin of umber, is wearing a black dress that stops at her knee. It has fleur-de-lis designs stitched into it and complements her raven hair beautifully. "I know it must be strange to see such a thing as this contraption, but it truly is fantastic." Reza takes a step back, looking at the woman in confusion. "Oh! I'm sorry, dear, you must be new to Cerebrosus." Reza nods, the gears turning in her head.

Cerebrosus? Why does that word sound familiar?

"… What is Cerebrosus?" Reza questions the lady.

"Cerebrosus is the land far from the methodical world." The woman responds.

Methodical world? Reza thinks. "Do you mean my home?"

"Sure, if that's what you want to call it." The woman answers.

"How do I get home?" Reza asks. She starts to feel dazed.

The lady laughs in response. "Dear, there is no 'going home' you speak of. Everyone who comes to Cerebrosus stays."

Reza's face contorts in sorrow. "No, you don't understand! I have to get home. I need to take care of them. She pleads. Her chest beats fast, cheeks burn hot, and eyes start to sting and become blurry.

Regret washes over the lady's face as she bridges the gap between the two. Laughing was not the right call. She rubs Reza's shoulder. "There, there. Who do you take care of?" She looks slightly puzzled.

Reza opens her mouth, but closes it just as fast. Her mind goes blank. She can feel in her gut that she cares for someone in her world; however, Reza can't remember who they are or why she needs to care for them. "I don't remember." She swallows hard and looks at the lady. Her breath quickens.

"It's okay, you'll remember time." The lady soothes.

"How do I get home?" Reza asks in a small voice.

The woman breaks eye contact. "I'm sorry, dear, but I do not know of a way to return to the methodical world." The woman's mouth continues to move, but a buzzing sound impacts her words. Her body feels clammy, and her head feels like it's air. Her stomach wrings itself at the same time her throat becomes overwhelmed with saliva. Reza hunches over, and bile falls free onto her and the woman's shoes. "My goodness! How about you come with me? You have no idea what you're doing, so I'll take you with me. That way, you'll become accustomed here." She gives Reza a tender smile.

Reza eyes the woman up and down. "No offense," Reza starts while wiping her face with the back of her black long sleeve, "but I don't even know your name.

"Goodness! This is so improper of me. I am Alaqua Finesse. Please, come with me, Reza." Alaqua holds out her hand, and Reza slowly takes it. Dismissing the fact that she knows her name, Reza trusts her instinct and decides to go along with the strange woman. She senses no malice or ill intent from Alaqua.

Reza has always been curious since she was little. This led her to explore anything and everything. At age five, she wandered into a haunted house during a festival. At seven, she went into the forest because she thought it was from a story she had been told. When Reza was ten, she found herself in a hospital, and managed to drift away two floors from where she was supposed to be. Reza has always been curious about everything except for people.

Something in her knows whether a person is trustworthy. When she was thirteen, someone from Reza's school said hi to her. Instinctively, Reza knew not to trust her and brushed the girl off, completely. After their encounter, Reza learned that the same girl who tried to befriend her had befriended someone else and put gum in their hair. Reza has never looked into why she could tell if someone is trustworthy. She chalks it up to her having a sixth sense of sorts and moves on with her life.

"Just a moment, dear." Reza nods her head and turns her attention back to the giant, comparable to a skyscraper, tree. Despite this, Reza can see the leaves moving. They sway with the breezes' path. It appears to be alive. "Alright, let's head back to my home. I'm sure you'll love it," chirps Alaqua. She leads Reza down the pebbled path toward a village. Reza ponders what is to come next with each step toward the village.

⚘ ⚘ ⚘

The walk is quiet for a little while, as Reza tries to remember everything she sees. The homes along the path are of various sizes (some are larger than others, some have multiple stories, while others are single story, etc.), but all seem to have standard things in common: a roof consisting of stone or wood and some sort of earthy substance, a chimney, multiple windows, and walls made of masonry. Each home has its path that connects to the main purple one. At the beginning of each path leading toward a home, Reza notices what she assumes to be mailboxes. They have the appearance of lighthouses (on a much smaller scale), but are all black, and engraved vertically are names: Milton, Haywood, and Reyson. Must be their last names, thinks Reza. At the top of the structure, where a light would be, is a clear crystal.

They pass by a house with open curtains. From the corner of her eyes, Reza sees a bucket moving by itself through a window. She does a double-take, but no longer sees a bucket. "It's rude to stare into other people's houses, dear," Alaqua says, amused.

Midway through their walk, Reza asks to take a break. Nearby is a graveled path that leads to a bench overlooking a small pond. The pair takes the side path to the bench. Sitting down, Reza takes in the glistening water as the sun casts its rays onto the surface. Little ripples form from the fish beneath the surface, coming up for a breath of air. A family of ducks swims synchronously together. One fuzzy bright yellow baby duck begins to lag. The dark colored mother duck notices and waits for her baby to catch up with the rest of the family. Reza feels a pang of sadness.

Deciding to distract herself, Reza asks, "Do you guys not own a car?" She pulls her foot out of her sneaker and begins her attempt to rub the ache out.

"Well, my husband does own a cart, but we have no horse to pull it. We're currently saving up to buy one."

Reza smiles, thinking Alaqua must have misheard her. "Not a cart, but a car. You know, a four-wheeled vehicle that uses gas to move by itself?"

Alaqua laughs at Reza's remark. "Oh, you mean those metal death machines that the methodical world has thought up. No, we do not have a car. In fact, motor vehicles are banned in Sacaumenos." Responds Alaqua.

Reza's mouth falls open. Now that she thinks about it, they had not encountered a single car. "So you guys walk everywhere?" She exclaims.

"Well, if you have a horse, then you can use a wagon or cart to move around." Reza tries to make peace with the idea of not having a car to move around in. After a few minutes, Alaqua tells Reza that he should continue to her house. Reza nods in agreement.

The pair makes their way down the gravel path to its pebbled counterpart. "Mrs. Finesse, is that you?" A wobbly voice calls. A few paces away are two elderly women, the younger of the two sported a short pixie cut while the older one had long silver hair that cascaded down her back.

Alaqua smiles, "Hi, Hope," she says, the younger one who pushes the other in a wheelchair toward them. The chair, carved from wood, conveys a deep, rich color. It's shiny finish. "Patience, how are you today?"

The wrinkled woman looks at Reza and then back at Alaqua. "Dear Mershala. Where'd you find this stray?"

"Patience, don't be rude," scolds Hope. "I apologize on her behalf, miss. She tends to be a bit cranky after waking up from her nap." She gives Reza an apologetic look.

Reza smiles at the bright blue-eyed woman. "It's alright," she looks at the one sitting. Patience's deep hazel eyes give off an air of skepticism. "My name is Reza Virbury. It's nice to meet you." The two stare into each other's eyes, neither wanting to be the first to break contact.

Patience scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Well, at least you have manners." She waves her hand nonchalantly. "Come on, Hope, I'm not getting any younger,r and neither are you."

"Patience!"

Reza and Alaqua say their goodbyes. As they walk further into the village, a thought comes to Reza. "I'm guessing they're your neighbors?" Alaqua nods and checks something in her basket. "Were they always your neighbors?"

"Yes, for as long as I lived in the village, anyway."

Reza nods absentmindedly. "Have you lived in this village ever since you arrived? Did you also wake up in a cement room?"

Alaqua shifts and gives Reza a side glance. "I was born here."

Reza furrows her eyebrows. "What do you mean, how were you born here?"

"Like I said, dear. Cerebrosus is a world just like the methodical world. We've been here since the beginning of time."

Reza slows her pace. "The beginning of time?" She responds with disbelief. Surely, if Alaqua's statement is true, Reza would have heard of Cerebrosus. She sorts through her mind, trying to find any accounts of this world, but comes up empty.

"Yes, dear," Alaqua beckons, "I'm sure your world has forgotten all about dusty old Cerebrosus." Alaqua laughs. "It was pretty early when we severed ties with that world. Anyways, we have arrived!" She points to their right.

Reza faces a beautiful cottage home. At the beginning of the path is another lighthouse-shaped mailbox, and engraved on the structure is the name Finesse. The roof is constructed with wood and straw. A chimney blowing smoke sits slightly to the right. The house is made from different shades of gray masonry. Five windows can be seen: two squares on either side of the dark wooden door and one circular window above it. Flower planters with lush blue and purple petals rest below the windows, and the path leading up to the front door has small hedges lining either side. Through the lower left window, three children are seen running around. Sighing, Alaqua leads Reza up the path.

As soon as the door opens, chaos erupts from the house. Screaming, two boys chase a girl, who all look the same age, around a large plush-looking brown couch on the left side of the house. As this unfolds, a tween lounges across the couch, reading a book. Reza is impressed by the young girl's ability to tune out the noise. On the other side of the house, a man struggles to put together what Reza assumes to be dinner. Alaqua strides into the living room and shakes her head with disappointment. Reza stands awkwardly by the door. "Keranthius, can you please explain what is happening?"

The girl on the couch sighs. "Well, Darci decided it would be a good idea to provoke the boys, and Dad was impatient, so he's attempting to make dinner for us." Keranthius tries to go back to reading.

"Where's Xanderius?" Alaqua says with a look of reproach.

"I think he went upstairs when the triplets started to scream."

Rolling her eyes, Alaqua snaps her fingers. Like magic, the triplets are placed on two separate pieces of furniture- the boys on a washed-out green loveseat and Darci on a powdered pink recliner. Reza gasps, wide-eyed. How was she able to do that when they were nowhere near her, she thinks. Alaqua snaps her fingers again, and to Reza's right, the utensils in the kitchen begin to move on their own, fixing the disaster Alaqua's husband is making. A 'thanks, honey,' wafts from that direction.

Alaqua makes her way back to Reza. "I'm sorry about this," she laughs nervously. "My family tends to be rambunctious at times…" she trails off, her skin tinged a shade redder than usual.

"Oh, it's alri-"

"Mommy!" Cuts Reza off. The three children run from their seats toward their mother and hug her legs, pushing each other to get the optimal position. Alaqua laughs and ruffles their hair.

"Be nice to each other." A tender smile rests on Alaqua's face. A smile makes its way onto Reza's face. The scene feels familiar to her.

One boy, the spitting image of Alaqua, grills Reza. "Who are you, and why are you with my mommy?"

"Oh, well, my name is Reza. What's yours?"

"I'm Dimitri's," he similes proudly, "and I'm the oldest. I'm six!" Dimitrius holds up five fingers. Reza suppresses a giggle as she looks down at the boy.

Darci's face lights up with excitement when she notices Reza, and she runs up and grasps Reza's legs. "I'm Darci, but everyone calls me Darci. Will you play with me?" The young girl has dark, loose curls, deep-tanned skin, and green eyes.

"Now, Darci, Reza just got here. She needs to settle in and feel at home," Alaqua explains to her youngest child. Darci pouts and looks back at Reza.

Feeling sympathetic, Reza says, "As soon as I get settled in, I promise to play with you." Darci squeals with joy and rushes up the stairs, planning what activities she and Reza will do together, out loud. Reza sees the last triplet hiding behind Alaqua's legs. She crouches and softly speaks, "I won't bite, I promise." She keeps eye contact and gives a warm smile.

He slowly steps from behind his mother and toward Reza. Reza might've thought he and Darci were twins if it hadn't been for Keranthius' comment. "H-hi, I'm Darius. You're very pretty." He stumbles over his words due to nervousness and a lisp.

Reza grins from ear to ear. "Thank you so much, Darius. It's nice to meet you." He nods his head and bolts to the kitchen.

Alaqua claps. "Oh my! You have quite the gift with children."

"It's nothing," Reza dismisses. "I'd look after my sister a lot." She looks to Alaqua, eyes filled with bewilderment. "I have a sister! That's why I have to get home. I need to go back to my family." Alaqua smiles and nods. Tears brim in Reza's eyes, but she holds them back. She remembers that Alaqua doesn't know a way back to the methodical world. Reza clears her throat and changes the subject. "What a lovely home you have."

"Thank you, dear," Alaqua smiles and glances at the couch. "Roni, tell your siblings to go wash up. Dinner will be ready soon." The girl drags herself off and sighs dramatically. Reza finally gets a better view of her: tawny-tinged skin, big dark brown eyes, and voluminous curls. She sports a pair of reading glasses that she takes off and puts in her shirt pocket. Roni leaves the room, yelling for her siblings in the process. "No yelling, dear," Alaqua calls after her and puts a hand to her head.

She moves to the right side of the house. "Don't be a stranger," Alaqua beckons, "oh! Please remove your shoes, dear." Reza begins to take her shoes off, but pauses. She was sure that she threw up on both her and Alaqua's shoes; however, the pair on her feet looked clean. Not just clean, but brand new. Waving it off, Reza hurries to take off her shoes and pursues Alaqua.

Entering the new room, Reza breathes in the air, unlocking another memory from her life in the methodical world. After a long day, Reza would come home to the smell of someone's cooking. She can recall what the meal was: cabbage stew with bread and chicken, and she never got tired of it. Reza remembers that despite eating it almost daily, she never complained. There wasn't a reason to complain anyway. That dish made her mouth water just thinking about it. She sighs in content. Who cooked the meal, and how can she get back to them?

In the kitchen stands a man with dark brown hair, a slightly lighter complexion than Roni's and piercing green eyes. "Hello there. My name is Percy Finesse, it's a pleasure to meet you." He gives a bow.

"Reza." She stifles a giggle.

"How did you two meet? I was under the impression that my wife was strictly going to the market and back." Percy eyes Alaqua, playfully, and she gives a sheepish smile.

Reza feels her cheeks flush. "Well… I came out of a door by a path and Alaqua found me there."

Percy pushes up his circular glasses, his interest peaked. "Are you telling me that you are not from this world?" He brings his face close to Reza's, analyzing her like she is a specimen. He looks from Reza to Alaqua. "And you mean to tell me that you happened to find her at chance?"

Alaqua clears her throat uncomfortably. "Yes, it happened to appear on my way home. What are the odds?" Reza raises a brow. "Let's prepare for dinner, dear." Alaqua says with a curt voice.

Percy nods in agreement. "Of course. Reza, please stay and join us for dinner. I have a lot I want to discuss with you." He gives a grin and leads the way to a circular table made of wood. Just like Alaqua, Percy snaps his fingers and the table is set. Reza stares in amazement. It is becoming clear to her that Cerebrosus is nothing like her world at home. Object can move by themselves, people can be levitated, and vomit can disappear into thin air!

The sound of get hitting the floor can be heard from the other room, along with the chatter between siblings. In walks Roni, Darius, Dimitrius, and a new person. He is older than the rest of the group (closer in age to Reza). His hair matches that of Alaqua, his skin looks to be a mixture of his patients skin tones- reminding Reza of terracotta- but he has his father's piercing green eyes. Reza cannot help but stare. The guy wears plain jeans and a black t-shirt, paired with mismatched socks. "Who's the random girl?" His voice mellow and confused.

"SEE! I told you Mommy brought home a girl. She promised to play with me." Darci expresses, triumphant. "Isn't she pretty, Xander?"

"Uh," he and Reza make eye contact for a split second. "She's average, I guess. Darci, you can't ask me that in front of strangers." Xander turns his head, hoping no one sees his face as it turns slightly pink. Reza smiles at Darci's bluntness, ignoring the fact that Xander called her average. "Mom, can we eat?" Alaqua motions for everyone to sit. The Finesse family finds a chair.

Reza stands awkwardly to the side. "Don't be shy, sweetie," Alaqua encourages, "no one bites." Reza makes her way the last empty chair between Xander and Roni. Xander scoots his seat away from Reza. She looks at the feast before her. There is a big pot of stew and an assortment of sides. The stew's coloration was none Reza had seen before. She watches as Alaqua ladles the pink substance into a bowl for the small children. To her right, Roni takes what Reza thinks is bread form the basket and dips it into her stew. Reza serves herself, still reluctant to eat.

The dinner conversation revolves around everyone's day. Darci and the triplets painted in class. Roni finished a book and started a new one right after. Percy gave a lecture about Mershala, whatever that is. "What about you, Xander? Anything interesting happen today?" Alaqua spoons some stew into her mouth.

He shifts in his chair, avoiding her gaze. "Uh… well, Ren and I chilled at school and did our work." He tries to appear nonchalant. Taking a look at his mother's eyes, Xander realizes she knows the truth.

This is a set up.

"Chilled? That's not what the dean told me, when I stopped by your school." She takes a bite of the macaroni-and-cheese - they're purple cheese and magenta noodles. "I know I shouldn't dir dirty laundry in front of guests, but seriously, you conjured colored sparks and disrupted class?"

Xander rolls his eyes and spoons some stew. "We didn't even do anything important today because school is out tomorrow, so it wasn't even a big deal." Alaqua fires back, reprimanding her son. Reza eats quietly, watching it all. She smiles and recalls another memory. Her and her sister thought it would be fun to prank their mother by using a can of silly spray on her. Their mother turned the corner and the girls went into action. Pink and purple silly string flew in the air landing all over their mother. She jumped and dropped her phone. The two girls were scolded and apologized to their mother.

Each memory that Reza uncovers fuels her drive to return home. She doesn't understand why or how she forgot them, but she is determined to find out. She needed more information about this world.

After dinner, the Finesse children head upstairs to prepare for bed. Reza remains in the kitchen with Alaqua and Percy, watching as they clear the table and wash dishes. The walls are covered with family photos and random pictures: group photos, solo portraits, paintings of trees, houses, fruit, etc. "Percy can you hand me the towel?" Alaqua asks, and he snaps his fingers- a towel floats to her.

Reza stares at her hands. Can I do that too? She thinks to herself. A crumbled napkin lays on the table in front of her. Willing it to move with her mind, Reza snaps her fingers, quietly. The napkin sits, motionless. She makes a face at the napkin. "Do you have to be born with magic in this world, or can anyone learn it?" Reza looks at Alaqua and Percy.

The pair share a glance. "I guess we're all born with." Alaqua starts.

Percy brimming with eagerness, joins in. "Like Alaqua said, however, mastery of the Gift depends on the person. Most don't show signs until adulthood, others show them as a kid, and in rare cases, at birth. Xander is one of those rare cases." He brags.

"What about people who come from my world? You said those who come stay. Did any of them develop powers?" Reza questions.

Alaqua pays extra attention polishing a plate. "Well none of the people I know have any." She looks to Reza, being plagued by guilt. Reza nods. If that's true, she probably won't manifest any powers, being born in the methodical world. Still, Alaqua said she didn't know any, so maybe there is a chance Reza could develop powers. "Come now, Reza. I'll show you where you will stay. I'm sure you're tired."

The heaviness of Reza's body hits her. She follows Alaqua to the stairs, which is located near the archway. The upstairs hallway is long, with three rectangular wooden doors on each side and one at the end. A circular light fixture hangs overhead; the striped wallpaper is earthy green. The door at the end stands ajar with light peaking through and the sound of a running faucet- someone is brushing their teeth. Alaqua closes that door and opens the left one.

Inside is a queen-sized bed with a scarlet comforter and matching pillows. A honey-brown nightstand sits to the right, matching the bed frame; a closet stands tot the left. A window lights the room, and a desk faces it. "Wow, this is such a nice room. Thank you so much for everything, Alaqua." Reza says, sincerely.

Alaqua gives an endearing smile. "It's nothing. I'll leave you to settle in. We don't have clothes for you right now, so I'll let you borrow a pair of my pajamas tonight. Leave you clothes outside your room tonight, I'll clean them. Tomorrow, Xander can take you to the market, once he returns from school." She pauses at the door. "Oh! You must want a bath. I'll leave the pajamas in the bathroom for you. That's the door on your left. If you have any questions, my room is across the hall. Have a nice night, dear." With that, Alaqua retreats to her room for the evening.

Alone, Reza takes a seat on the bed. The events of today are catching up with her. Reza's stomach does a somersault, the realization cementing itself: she's in another world. The animals, the food, scenery, the fact that people can do magic. Maybe this is a vivid hallucination? She presses her hands to her face. What am I going to do? She has to find a way home. She twirls her hair around her finger, contemplating her next move. Pull yourself together, Reza- tomorrow you'll get some answers, one wya or another. Standing up, Reza goes to shower. The door to the bathroom is ajar, the lights off. She enters, flicking the lights on and locking the door behind. In the mirror, tired, dark-brown eyes and messy curls stare back at her. Tears begin to well up. Reza sighs in frustration. Turning her back to the mirror, she takes a shower and puts on the pajamas Alaqua left her.

On her way back to her room, Reza puts her folded clothes on the floor outside. Once again in the foreign room, she heads to the bed. Reza pulls the soft comforter over her body. As she drifts to sleep, she tries to piece together how she ended up in this strange new world.

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May 17, 02:35 AM