Artificial Memory (DISCONT'D BUT WILL UPLOAD UNEDITED CHAPTERS)

Chapter 1: I Get My Ass Handed To Me By High School Kids

He advised us before we started to eat, which I appreciated. He was usually an excellent cook, but sometimes he made something that tasted nasty because of a new recipe.

I took a bite of the bacon, expecting a revolting taste. However, I blinked and almost exclaimed that it was amazing, but shrugged and mumbled,

"I guess its not bad."

"Are you kidding me, Distance?! Its amazing!! Well done, Memory!"

My mother laughed incredulously.

That was when Memory tried his own cooking and nodded.

"Turned out better than I expected."

He admitted.

From then, we continued to eat while we engaged in idle conversation.

Once we had finished eating, my mom stood up and gathered the dishes. As she began washing them, she murmured,

"Distance?"

I looked up at her, meeting her violet eyes identical to my own.

"Could you run to the grocery store and pick up some eggs and fruit? We seem to be running low."

She asked me with a smile.

I shrugged, standing up and walking towards the closet near the front door. Pulling on my signature cadet blue parka with the silvery fur around the hood, I called a goodbye, then rushed out the door.

"Be careful!"

Memory called after me cheerily.

I walked down the narrow sidewalk leading to our house from the road. Glancing up at the sky, I could see how a normal human would be roasting in my current attire.

We lived in what used to be the southern states: Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. The capital city of Lost Echo is what used to be Dallas--its Dillion now--and as such, the weather is scorching to the average human.

However, Dreamwalkers aren't as easily affected by the weather as humans are. Which is why I am wearing a parka in 46-degree-Celsius weather.

I'm also using the term "Celsius" because after the war broke out a hundred years ago, we started using the Metric system of measurement. Something about trying to be more like Canada because nothing bad ever happens there was the reason. It recovered quickly from the fallouts as well, so they've regained a fairly normal lifestyle...other than Quebec, which had been struggling once it became its own country.

I headed down the sidewalk, hands in my pockets, and only felt comfortably warmed by the temperature. I stepped on a tar-sealed crack and muttered in disgust when a bit of melting tar stuck to the underside of my grey Osiris high tops.

Continuing down the street, I paused at a crosswalk. Once the humming vehicles shot by, I walked across and down the route I usually took to get to the nearby Albertson's grocery store.

I was stopped short when I rounded a corner and came face-to-face with the annoyance of construction. I groaned, backtracking and heading down a side alley to get to the store without having to make the trek around another cluster of streets.

I paused when I felt another presence, and steeled myself. Continuing forward, I saw a group of teens my age smoking and laughing as they chucked rocks at another student. Usually, I just do what I want and leave the scene as is.

Yet this time I stopped and snapped,

"Cut that shit out."

The group stopped and all their eyes locked on me.