Sitting in the diner, having breakfast I had realized my world began to revolve around Helena.
Everything around me reminded me of her.
The food trolley, the carpet on the floor, the diner itself, the Hotel, the hangover; it all screamed Helena. I couldn’t wait until she finished her shift and we could spend some more time together.
I finished the breakfast and decided I’d take a walk around town. After all, that marvelous town square I saw only a glimpse of yesterday remained a mystery still.
I went back to the lobby first to talk some more to Helena and when we said our goodbyes, she said something that caught my attention.
”Just don’t let the aliens kidnap you, okay?” She called behind me and giggled as I was already walking away.
I froze in place when she finished her sentence.
Did she know about us Oolkins? Did she know I wasn’t actually human? How much did she know? Should I be happy if she knows but likes me still? Or should I be afraid she is using me? Does she know we keep human slaves? Is she trying to enslave me?
The questions were racing through my head and I could feel my palms and forehead begin to sweat.
I couldn’t ignore what I had heard so I backtracked back to the counter and asked her about it.
”Aliens? What do you mean aliens?” I tried to sound as neutral as possible, though I could feel my voice shake.
”Relax, silly. It’s just a phrase. It’s not like aliens actually exist. And if they did; I sure as hell really don’t want them to kidnap you,” she laughed in response.
I felt my body relax from all the tension that had built up in the past few seconds and my forehead felt cold again instead of in flames.
”Oh, right. That’s actually real sweet of you. Thanks!” I smiled back as pristine as I could then left for the exit. ”I’ll see you in the evening! If, you know, the aliens don’t get me first!” I laughed to make it all seem like a good joke.
”See you!” She yelled after me.
When I left the hotel I caught myself thinking;
”Maybe all this Oolkin stuff was just a dream and they don’t even exist. Or wait; maybe I’m dreaming right now?” I pinched myself in my arm. ”Nope. Definitely not dreaming right now. But how is this possible? One moment I was on planet Oolkana, living an ordinary life as an Oolkin, next moment I’m on Earth as a human. No, no, no. Something doesn’t add up here. Something has to be wrong. I either never was an Oolkin, or I’m not human now. I can’t just… be both.”
I saw a bench at the edge of the road and decided to take a seat to clear my mind before I got lost wandering the streets I never walked before all by myself.
”But this is real. Right now is real. Who cares about the past? Maybe I forgot my real past and made some stuff up. Maybe I hit my head. And even if it was true; the past is the past. So why bother? I’m no less a human whether I believe I am or if I don’t. Might as well go with it and see where it goes. I remember the past very vaguely anyway.”
I decided to put an end to my internal monologue and consciously chose to fully believe I was human and that the past, whatever it was, didn’t matter.
I got up from the bench at the side of the road and continued toward the town square.
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- #23 - School trip
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