Abby and Shaine marched around the school grounds searching for Elly, but unfortunately he wasn't found. Not in his classroom, not in his club room or even the library. He was absolutely nowhere.
Groaning Shaine ruffled her hair and squated on the staircase, " Where could he possibly be, he shouldn't be that far."
This was only a memory from their past, something they cherished on each passing day. Although the memory would be blurry at some spots, only the ones that they cherish are left clear to see and everything else looks like a smudge of paint.
" Let's try our neighborhood. " Abby suggested with all hopes plastered on her face.
Without hesitation they walked out the school and into the streets of their small town, the scene was like an unfinished painting of an artist, although blurry it still brings out a calm pastel-like atmosphere.
As they walks closer to their street, the scene slowly fades into a much clearer scene. The cobblestone path of each houses and the plainly painted fences up on the front loan with flowers blossoming under the warmth of the 3 o'clock sun. It was a pleasant sight.
They both stopped on their stracks and watched in awe of the sunlit afternoon on their front porch. The old swing that was taken down by their father was swaying by as the wind puffs it's soft song. Even the old bench was standing near their front door was still there.
" Could this be..."
Small giggles and chuckles lightly echoes, two perfectly dressed girls came running out the door, their smiles was shining brighter than the sun and they each had cute children hats on.
Abby couldn't help but cover her mouth from shock, the scene was enough for her to shed tears and even collapse. It was a memory of them from when they were still kids.
" But we didn't move until a few years ago how could we be here?" Shaine asked shocked at the scene playing in front of her.
The young girls happily played under the sun, they would runabout the front lawn and jump from the porch. Then a young boy came out of the house, in his hand was a tray with a plate of cookies and two cups of milk which look rather heavy for his thin arms. He gently placed the tray on a small table near the old bench. His gentle chestnut brown eyes gaze to the girls, a small smile formed onto his plum lips revealing a little dimple on one of his cheeks.
" Hey I brought snacks." the boy cheerfully said with his not yet husky voice.
The two watched in confusion, they can't remember this even occurring in the past maybe due to their young age, they look about the age of a 7 and 5 years old children.
" Hey Shaine let's take a look inside, this one's very clear." Abby gently said, her hand slowly holding on to her sister's.
With a nod from Shaine they waltz up to their actual house, the floorboards creek as they step up on the porch and the squeaking sound of the swings chain rustled through their ears. The door was lightly opened. Shaine pressed her hand onto the smooth wooden door and gently pushed it open. A staircase stand on the end of the short hall, two doors were left open on each side of the hall and another near the staircase.
" I'll check the kitchen, you check the living room and dad's study." Shaine said earning a small nod from her sister. They both walked around their house and soon laughters were echoing through the walls of the house. Memories begun playing through their eyes, each precious memory they had treasured inside this simple house, some were dark moments and some were good days they spend laughing along with their parents.
After searching around the house they found nothing, " His not at the backyard." Abby said with a disappointed smile.
They thought hard, where could Elly possibly be, they thought. As Shaine was about to speak a loud thud came from up the creeky staircase. Without giving a second thought they both rushed up, each door they opened and yet saw no one.
A thought struck both of them, they turned their gaze at each other, " The attic." they both said. They rushed back to their room and climbed up the decorated stair to the attic.
It was the same as to what it looked like back at their real home, the plastered posters on the walls, books stocked up by one side and the three bean bag at the middle sitting on a fluffy mat.
" Elly?" Abby called out but received no answer.
After a short silence a small thud echoed in the small room, " Girls?" a voice said out of the blue.
At the end of the room there's a small circle shaped window which is the only source of light of the room during the day, on the floor is a blanket that seems to be moving and small groans are coming from under it.
" Elly!" Abby yelled and run up to the moving blanket, roughly pulling it under was non-other than their cousin that seems to be in a daze. He stare at the two with sleepy eyes and a blank expression.
Shaine grab both his shoulder and started shaking him aggressively, " Wake up you idiot." she lightly slap him along with small pinches.
Elly started groaning, " Stop stop I'm awake so stop already." he said with full awareness about his surroundings.
Shaine ruffled Elly's messed up hair, " Did you really find the time to take a nap while we've been searching for you high and low at school?"
" I wasn't napping, when I got up I hit my head on something, eventually I got dizzy and decided to sleep it off I didn't expect to dozed off for a while." Elly groan, he held his face and gently rubbed a redish spot on his forehead.
" So you did took a nap." Shaine said back teasingly. Elly stared at his cousin boredly and answered, " I didn't."
Abby stomped her feet and said, " Enough of that you two, we have to get out of this spell. We're wasting precious time here."
" Did you read anything about reversing the spell on the book?" Elly asked as he stood, with a disappointed look Abby shook her head saying no.
Shaine sighed loudly and throw her body on one of their beanbags, " I guess that spell is more of a memory than a traveling kind of magic. I know little about memory magic, so I can't really say much about this."
Abby sat beside her sister and stared at her hands when a memory popped in her head, " Wait I think I can help with that." she said slightly confident.
Elly sat on the other beanbag and looked at his cousin waiting for her to say something.
" Sister Zecla actually mentioned something about memory magic once, she said " to forget the past you must return to the present and walk towards the future." "
" That doesn't make sense at all." Shaine chuckled to herself.
Elly was staring blankly at his hands, those words her cousin said run through his mind repeatedly, using everything he got to somehow figure it out. " To forget the past, you must return to the present and walk towards the future." he muttered to himself.
" How about we walk around for a bit maybe we can figure something out." Shaine calmly said and stood from her beanbag, without any other words they walked out the house.
They walked everywhere where a clear image of a memory is, it felt nostalgic looking at their memory from special events of their lives. From them being a kid visiting Stonefilia to how they moved to this town away from the city.
Shaine and Abby are both mesmerized with each memory they encountered while Elly has his head up in the clouds.
" Hey look there's the first game that Elly and I won!" Shaine screamed out of excitement and run towards a clear memory of the school field. This had got Elly out of his trance and followed behind his cousin.
The memory was as clear as a sunny day, there were crowds cheering and the whole soccer team was in the middle of the field yelling from their joy.
" Wow I can't believe I'm actually seeing this." Shaine laughed, " I was crying back then because I wasn't expecting for the team to win, we were behind by 2 points."
Shaine continued on talking about the game and Abby happily listened. Looking back on the path they walked, Elly observed the surroundings, he can somehow see the memories they've walked pass by earlier. From them being as young as they can remember to their recent memories. And that's when it hits him.
" I think I figured it out." Elly muttered under his breath, " I figured it out!" he repeated with a louder voice which instantly caught the girls attention.
" It's just a hunch though. Zecla said that to forget the past you must return to the present and walk towards the future, I just realized that the further we walk, more recent memories are playing." Elly's eyes were hopeful, with a sigh he stared far off where there's nothing to be seen but blurry image of the past.
Without hesitation he grabbed both of the girls arm and jog to an unknown direction. " Elly I do hope your hunch is as good as you think." Shaine said and jogged along with him.
The images around begun blurring more than before, almost looking like smudges of an old painting. The three stopped and stood still on an area where the memories are fading into plain white.
" Now that I think about it Zecla also said that a spell can sometimes be reversed. Looking at our situation I think we're at the edge of the past." Abby spouted out fidgeting her fingers together.
The statement made Shaine crossed her arms and closed her eyes, I habit she normally do when thinking about her math exams. " Reverse you say." she mumbled under her breath.
Shaine started mumbling to herself, repeating a word after another. Then she snapped her finger, " I got it. If reversed the spell would go like "By the blessings of the time god, we command the clock to return us. Reverse."
" Worth a try. " Elly said as he held both of the girls hand.
Positioned in a circle form, the trio all closed their eyes channeling their strengths to their mind. And when they finally got it, all exclaimed " By the blessings of the time god, we command the clock to return us. Reverse."