My brain skids to a full standstill, and something cracks wide open. I can almost hear the sound of glass shattering. A part of my brain that’s been blurry is now completely in focus. Like when Remy breaks into a gallop and the wind hits my face, sweeping away the clutter from my brain.

Click. When I open my eyes, a 3-D map floats in front of me. It’s the exact route we took here, right down to the parking spot on the other side of the mall. I blink, but it stays put. I almost ask Max if he sees it too, but then he smirks at me and I know he doesn’t. It’s as if my vision is divided into a split screen, with one side playing the memory of our van parking three hours ago and the other side showing what’s happening this very second here in Mr. Rodriguez’s truck.

I know the memory is not really in front of me, but it may as well be. I can see every street, every sign, every car we passed before Gram finally parked earlier this morning.

This is different from anything I’ve experienced. It’s one thing to close my eyes and remember a date or what someone wore, but this is every single thing. It’s like I have a remote control that changes the channel of my memories. Click. Driving to the mall and every turn. Click. Every brick, every tree, every store. Click. Exactly where we parked, down to the pole two spots to the right of our car. Vivid pictures snap into place; memories line up to wait their turn.

I read somewhere that our brains are like computers. After trying to ignore my memory for so long, did the act of forcing it to work give mine an upgrade? Supersonic Memory Plus, downloaded and complete. Everything is crystal clear, like I’m seeing it all for the first time. And I don’t just remember the details. I also remember the feelings that went along with each memory, right down to how I felt when we parked—my excitement at shopping for new boots, my impatience with Clay’s whining, my happiness that Gram seemed to be her old self mixed with my worry about her growing forgetfulness. The accompanying sensations wash over me, the blast of heat hitting us as we got out of the car, the smell of popcorn from the movie theater next door, the faint whiffs of cinnamon buns, and the chill of the air-conditioning when we first walked in. It’s as vivid as if it were happening to me now.