Things I Almost Remember: A Selection Story

Shots

"Alright we are almost there!" Johnny said as he crunched through the snow covering the cobblestone street. It was twilight, and the snow almost sparkled from the sunlight.

"Johnny, please slow down!" Kate panted as she trailed behind him. 

Kate had considered herself to be in pretty good shape after essentially backpacking across the Illéan countryside, but Johnny in his endless energy had trailed on a few steps ahead of her as they had traversed through what seemed like all the streets of the city.

Johnny finally let up running and turned around until Kate caught up.

"I used to always beat Kerttu in races too," Johnny grinned as she stopped in front of him.

"Johnny I know you want to think I might be her, but I just don't see how it could be possible," Kate said looking down at her muddy boots.

She not only had muddy boots, but she had a patched faded trousers that had dirt along the hem, a beaten old coat, a thin scarf. She was the opposite of some grand princess who had been destined to be the future queen of a large nation. She was no one significant.

Kate looked up and saw Johnny's normally jubilant eyes had turned a little sad.

"I just don't want you to get your hopes up, just like I can't get my hopes up for France," Kate said. "It is useless to hope too hard for impossible things."

"There is no such thing as hoping too hard," Johnny said. "You just have to keep..."

Suddenly a loud shot rang out cutting off Johnny. Then another shot was fired, and a woman let out a blood curdling scream. Two men ran out of an alleyway about a block ahead and took off down the street in the opposite direction.  A few people who had been closer to the alley turned down it to investigate and see if anyone was hurt.

Johnny was about to go join them, but when he turned to grab Kate to lead her to the scene he saw she was huddled on the cold ground and holding her head into her chest as she rocked back and forth.

"Kate?," Johnny said frantically as he knelt down beside her. "Are you alright? It's okay the gunmen are gone."

"They came for us. There was so much screaming. They pointed a gun, and blood. There was blood all over the floor. All I could hear was screaming and gun shots," Kate said frantically as tears started to fall from her panicked, wide blue eyes.

"What? What do you mean? Kate no one is coming for us. This isn't the safest area of the city, but really no where is safe these days," Johnny said trying to comfort her.

Kate didn't look at him. She stared off into the distance with her eyes wide and glassy. It was if she was in some sort of trance.

"Kate!?" Johnny said as he put a hand on her shoulder. Just then, she suddenly snapped out of her state and came back to the present. She shook her head and looked up into Johnny's eyes.

"What was that?" Johnny asked. "You really had me freaked there for a second."

"I'm sorry," Kate whispered. "That has happened before, but just not for a very long time. I can't control it. It just happens."

"What is it that happens? What do you see?" Johnny asked. "It looked as though you were a trance."

"Sometimes, when I hear loud noises or gun shots, I have these flashbacks. They're like nothing I could ever imagine even in my worst nightmare," Kate said looking straight into Johnny's eyes. "Most of the memories I have are just flashes, and this is kind of like that. I don't see faces of know any of the people, but I can feel they must have been important to me. I hear the shots they fired. I was so scared. I have never felt a fear or pain like this,"

"It sounds like you really went through something," Johnny said holding out his hand to help her up.

"I wish I could remember if I did," Kate whispered. "I wish I could have control over those parts of my mind and recalling my memories and which memories I could recall."

"That is what I am here for," Johnny said.

"Really?" Kate asked skeptically. "From everything so far, I got the impression you only wanted to find out if I was Princess Kerttu."

Johnny dropped his eyes to the snow on the ground, and Kate crossed her arms.

"Kate, I want to help you. Do you remind me of Princess Kerttu? Yes. I want to help YOU though. I want to help you find where you belong, whether that is in France or somewhere else," Johnny said, still not daring to look into her eyes.

"Okay," Kate said. 

They both waited in silence for a second, waiting to see if the other would fill the air with words, but they both remained silent.

"It's getting dark," Johnny said. "We need to get home."

Johnny and Kate continued walking down the street. They didn't speak, and they moved more slowly than they had before.

When they passed the alley, there was no longer anyone down there.

"It has an effect on me too," Johnny said suddenly.

"What does?" Kate asked.

"Gun shots. Loud noises. I was there when the Royal Family was attacked. I didn't see much of anyone getting shot, but I heard the shots. I still can hear them clearly in my mind as though they are happening right around me," he said.

Kate stared at him quietly as they continued to walk.

"I saw more though. I saw fire and destruction in the city. People were revolting and fired. Bodies were lying in the street. I try to keep it to the back of my mind, but when I hear things like what just happened down that alley, my mind, well, it goes to a dark place," Johnny said solemnly.

Kate tried to reckon this new serious side of Johnny with the care-free and goofy nature he had displayed to her so far. It made her feel strange, but the strangeness she felt was not necessarily an unwanted feeling.

"Thank you," Kate whispered quietly.

"For what?" Johnny asked.

"For helping me feel less alone," Kate replied.

Johnny saw a small smile appear on her lips, and he slowly returned it.

"Partners in crime," he said.

Kate giggled and felt a genuine joy she had not felt for as long as she could remember.