Chapter 1: Chapter 1 – Confusion

Abruptly gaining memories from another life is like eating the wild fruit you found on the ground then immediately worrying about bacteria since the fruit you just ate was definitely very dirty but you don't even know what bacteria is and you're not sure why you're suddenly worried about it in the first place?

It's like trying to walk away but falling over because your legs are now too short and your arms don't reach as high and you try to scream for help because you don't know where you are but the language in your head doesn't match the sounds coming from your mouth and you feel cold because the fact that you're basically naked just registered in your brain- what the fuck?

I look around my surroundings with widened eyes. Behind me, in a small grassy clearing five patched tents circle a big firepit and in front of me is a forest looking straight out of a horror movie with its evil-looking ugly trees and the loud symphony of sounds from wild animals promising absolute death the moment I dare to wander in.

Then I look back down at the half-eaten fruit in my hand and wonder what a horror movie is and why I even know the word when I don't remember ever hearing anyone else use it. I have fragmented memories of laughing at a girl crying on a large screen and feeling frustrated when she walks into the suspicious basement out of curiosity since anyone with common sense would know better.

But at the same time, I've never seen that human before. So where did that come from and what's a TV?

Feeling confused, I walked back to the clearing and the names of the two faces lit up by the orange flames immediately appeared in my mind.

The pretty lady with cat ears stirring a cauldron with full concentration is mama. She's dressed in a short patched tunic made from rabbit fur and her long black hair was pushed behind her shoulders in two thick braids.

The other pretty lady randomly adding junk to the bubbling cauldron was also called mama. But with an accent. So mama, not mama. I it makes a difference?

..I'll call her mom.

Mom has the same black stripes on her cheeks and forehead as mama but her hair is ginger and she only has one long braid. Her equally ginger-furred tail swings languidly behind her and she holds up another suspicious brown fruit from the thatch basket before moving her attention to me as I move closer.

"You're hungry already?" Mom asks with a menacing expression and I hesitate whether to nod yes or no.

On one hand, I'm so hungry my past self was eating random fruits he found on the ground but on the other hand, the goop bubbling in the cauldron didn't smell good. At all.

"Have this for now." She hands me the brown fruit in her hand, before glancing at the tent where all the kids usually slept. "But you it from your siblings. If you're hungry I imagine they're starving."

Memories of foraging during the day show up at her words and I take it with a wide grin.

"Thank mom." I glance down at the brown sludge in the cauldron, seeing chucks of half-melted fruits, nuts, and grass resurface with every vigorous stir ."It looks delicious." I say with practiced ease, moving the fruit up to take a big bite.

A move I immediately regret as my face scrunched up for the sourness. God, what the fuck is this?

Blerg.

"Good." Mama smiles back with relief and her heat-flushed cheeks dimple. "We ran out of salt so I thought I could substitute it with the nuts you foraged earlier," She says.

"Smart." I take a final bite because the memory of the tree I almost fell from to pick this godawful fruit resurfaces and I did not almost get bitten by a snake for nothing.

"Oh," Mama chuckles bashfully, earning a playful eye roll from Mom.

She bends to grab a small bowl from the basket before glancing back at the tents conspiratorially, "I'll let you have a taste but you have to remain-'' Mama mimics the universal sign for quiet and I nod gravelly in understanding.

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"As quiet as a rat." I stage-whispered.

Mom huffs amusedly. "If rats were that loud I'm afraid they would've gone extinct."

"Not if they hid their holes." I defend. Rats were perfectly alright in my book.

They're small, harmless, and pretty tasty if they're non-diseased. If you also take the time to skin their fur and internal organs and drain their foul-smelling blood then rats were basically forest delicacies. It's a fact.

Our conversation dissolves into a comparison of rats and rabbits before I'm convinced from their sound logical reasoning and admit that rabbits were a much superior species to rats.

Sometime later, after keeping a certain distance from the children's tent, I take a bite of the goop and it's…it's salty alright.

Extremely bitter too, with a thick consistency and unknown chunks getting stuck at the back of my throat as I try to swallow. Mixed with the unpleasant texture and the overwhelming undertones of cooked grass my taste buds struggle desperately to keep it down.

Ugh.

It's like eating herbal medicine with a spoon, It's so fucking bad.

"How is it?"

"It's so good!" I gobble up another spoon excitedly before almost retching and forcing it down with a smile.

Mama looks relieved, "I'm so glad you like it. I'll make sure to keep a big bowl just for you. Growing cats need more food, after all." She says kindly.

"Really?" My eyes widened in horror before automatically mellowing down into elated surprise.
My brain helpfully conjures up a picture of me dying from food poisoning and I grin brightly,

"Thanks a lot, Mama."

Her warm smile slightly relives the painful acne of my internal organs wallowing in misery.

Not entirely, but I do feel better.

I also think I understand why my past self was risking his life to consume unknown fruits immediately before dinner.

Sadly, my peacefully napping siblings were spared from my generosity today since I had no excuse for why I couldn't finish my food and pass it on to them.

Hopefully, breakfast is better.

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