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Chapter 4: Memories Fond and Fearful

(Aimee)

Aimee entered her old bedroom. It looked exactly as it did all those many moons ago. The desk at the foot of her bed was tidy, not a spot of dust on it. The bedsheets were made neatly and wrinkle free. Even her entertainment center beside the fireplace mantle was organized and clean. Everything was in it's place...except for a small violet phial sitting on the mantle.

"That's odd, mum must of left it." she mused out-loud. Aimee wandered over to the fireplace mantle and picked up the small bottle. A sticker on the side revealed that the substance was "Lavender Water". Aimee's body went still as a flashback overcame her............................................

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"Again. From the beginning." A woman dressed in a violet and white dress said to the young girl sitting down with a notebook propped on her lap.

"What's the point mum! I remember it all, every last bit of it. I can't forget it even if I wanted to!" The young Aimee shouted with tears marring her cheeks in steady drops.

"My darling girl, memory is just as much a burden as it is a gift. Perhaps we will need to study a different way now that you have grown." Aimee's mother mused. "Just because you know all the information, that doesn't mean you understand it. Tell me how someone could us Lavender in a situation. I told you it's uses, but not when and where it should be applied." Aimee looked down at her notebook frowning in concentration.

"That's well...not memorized. I don't 'know' it." she complained.

"I know, and what's more...I'm not telling you. This will be a good first lesson with your new found memory. Try to figure out the uses for lavender in real life situations. This will require more thought, not simply remembering something." The woman said, getting up from the floor gracefully and dancing out of the room. "I want at least a page or two written by tomorrow." Her mother's voice carried back to Aimee.

"Crazy teaching tyrant!" Aimee shouted in mild frustration.

The melodious voice of her mother drifted once again through the door. "?I heard that.? If you feel bored, I'm sure Claira has time to drill you too..."

"Eh, no! No, I'm good here!" Aime shouted with a blanched look on her face. Aimee knew that she'd have to deal with her other mother's lessons eventually, but any excuse to put-off the coming bruises was a blessing.

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*Bzzt! Crackle!* "On tonight's news, we will take you live to the scene of some very interesting animals. We will give you the chance to decide which is stronger, man or beast. Tune in at nine tonight to find out."

The t.v. jolted Aimee from her flashback. "Crap, how long was I...oh." She said while turning to apologize to Cameron for spacing out. Only silence met her reply. "Oh, crap. Oh crap...where could he be?" She asked the air while rushing to the door and out into the upstairs foyer.

The mezzanine's landing was as quiet as the floor below. No indication of where Cameron had wandered off to was visible. "I can't believe I was so wrapped up into myself that I didn't even notice my best friend was missing. Maybe he went further in?" She ranted while grabbing hold of the nearest doorknob.

Aimee looked into the upstairs hallway, her eyes instantly drawn to a cheery fireplace nestled between two comfy chairs and a small table. Cam was still nowhere to be seen.

"Arrghh! Blasted male, where the lights are you?!" Aimee shouted in frustration. All was silent for a moment, and then the sound of someone flushing a toilet could be heard nearby. "Really, this whole time he was in the bathroom? I seriously need to get a grip. Shesh. Ok, that's enough excitement for on night, I'm taking a rest." She said tiredly, walking back to her room.

Aimee entered her room and headed straight for the comfy bed. *Skritter Skret* The sound of something moving under her bed stopped the girl in her tracks. "Oh my, oh my, oh my....Wait, it's probably just a mouse or something." Aimee tried to reason with herself.

A memory of her mother standing icy cold in the foyer with her hands on her hips glaring at one of their house guests came unbidden to Aimee's mind................

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"Mice, rats, and other vermin are not welcome here. They find it unsettling, and won't stick around long. What you saw was possibly a friend of mine. So, I'll ask you kindly to keep your hands to yourself Mr. Partridge." The woman said.

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The flashback ended with Aimee not feeling any better. "Whoah, I really got to stop doing that." she said while backing away from her bed and the now constant scratching noise. She kept backing up till she hit her nearby sofa.

Aimee was so focused on the thing under her bed that she didn't notice the t.v. was still on. *Gwarghhh!* a guttural scream sounded right behind her. The scared girl turned around quickly to see that a horror movie was now playing.

The t.v. showed a dirty wet and dead looking girl dragging herself out of an old well somewhere in the woods. "Nope, not happening...Scary movie and critters? I think not." Aimee stated. She reached for the remote and pressed the power button. *click* Nothing happened...sorta. The creepy girl kept dragging and shuffling her way toward the screen. She was about a foot away from 4th wall collision. "No, no, go away, go away. Why won't this thing turn off?" The batteries must be dead." She said, continuing to panic.

*Skritter, skritter- skreet-skrat.*

"Seriously, now is when Cam wants to vanish?" Aimee asked the empty air, while watching the girl thing begin clawing It's way out of the t.v. The dirty gnarled hands reached for her, getting closer. Aimee stood there, paralyzed in fear. The memory of the girl's face kept swimming before her. *Skritter, skritter, skreet skreet!*

A flying ball of dark fluff came zooming past Aimee's shoulder and latched onto the creepy t.v. girls face. "Grawghaknh!" the child yelled as she tried to grab the quick moving fluff ball. The tiny creature carved deep gashes into the girl's skin, making *skreet skreet* noises at it did. The dirty girl decided Aimee wasn't worth the trouble and left, nay, ran back to her well she crawled out of.

Aimee sat down hard on the floor, her feet giving out under her. "What?, why?, how?" she questioned uselessly.

*Skrititter skret* The tiny creature had returned and was eying Aimee from three feet away. "Um....I guess I should be thanking you?" Aimee said uncertainly.

*Skreet!*

"Ok then...how long have you been here?..........Um, do you mind If I call you skritter?" Aimee asked the creature as it gradually got within touching distance.

*Skrittery Skret!*

"Alright then, it's settled. You shall be called skritter." Aimee reached her her hand out to pet the black fuzzily fluff ball. The creature jumped onto her arm and nuzzled against her cheek. "Hun, do you think you might want to maybe come with us Skritter?"

The fluff ball jumped up and down on Aimee head, excited to be going. *Skret, skret, skret!*

"Alright then Skritter, let's go find my Cameron." she said, leaving her room quickly. The fluffy black Skritter stayed on her head, leaving and shaking an even layer of dust all over her .

*Atchoo!*

Aimee raced down the hall, not looking in her haste to find Cam. She suddenly slammed into something hard and fell with her hands clutching her new friend to her chest.