Amnesia

Chapter 19

"Yeah? What about your parents?" He leans closer to me and tucks a hair behind my ear.

"I don't...recognize them..."

A serious look washes over his face and he nods slowly in acknowledgement.

"I know I have amnesia, I know nothing about me. But I had a dream about my mother and I remembered what she looks like." 

I leave him with that information only. I'm not going to tell him I don't recognize this place either.

I want to see how he'll react.

"You know... I have actually been meaning to talk to you about that. But I didn't know if it would upset you too much..."

Not the reaction I was expecting.

"What do you mean?" 

"Those people...aren't your parents." 

Of course I know that. But I had no idea he knew that. I thought he was in on it.

I signal for him to go on.

"I thought we were actually being taken to you real family. But when we got here I was so confused. Of course, I couldn't let on that I knew your mother was a fake. I want to find out the truth of why people keep lying to you and hiding you from your family." He warmly smiles and kisses my hand.

A relief falls over me. A weight removed from my shoulders.

I laugh a little, "Oh I am so glad. I thought you were in on it and against me. And that I had no one to trust anymore."

"Aw, Avy. I could never lie to you. I love you too much."

I smile in return. But something still bothers me.

"Can I ask, then...Why have you been so cold and angry recently..."

The smile on his face fades momentarily, but returns at the speed of light.

"That was only because I was so angry at them for lying to you again. I swear, if Anthony is behind this I will make him pay. I'll make sure the world can't touch you, or harm you ever again." 

I give him a kiss on the cheek and thank him. Maybe eventually I could love Ahren. I just don't feel like I can right now. 

"Listen, I have to go somewhere. I've had a lovely time at our little picnic. But can I meet you in the lounge later? We can watch a movie" He says.

"Sure." 

We head down the stairs from the roof together, then part ways. Me to my bedroom, and him to...wherever he's going.

I sit in my bedroom for a while and make a little mind map of my thoughts. Noting down things I remember and things I hope to remember. It can be very confusing but I am trying to make at least some progress. 

My brain feels fried, so I lie on my bed and stare at the ceiling for a while.

"wait a minute..." I say to myself, "Ahren never told me when to meet him in the lounge."

I decide to go find him and ask him. It is probably just my excuse to get out of that room but I will not admit that.

Wandering through the house, I hear someone stomping up a set of stairs.

But there are no stairs around me right now. Where...

Abruptly, to my left, the wall  opens outwards.

I hide around the corner so I will not be seen.

Ahren appears from the curious passage. His jaw is set, he looks tense and almost about to boil over. 

He slams the wall passage shut and hurries away muttering things.

Once I am sure he is gone, I examine the area where the wall had opened.

The curiosity eats away at me. 

I suddenly remember what I used to hear people say  if they were unsure about doing something: "Curiosity killed the cat." Not a very inspiring quote.

But my mother used to say to me: "Ah but they always leave out the crucial part of the expression; 'but satisfaction brought it back'." 

I take it as a lesson today. I have to know what's in this passage.

I have no idea how to open it. There is no lip to pull, nor a hidden lever. Which means it could be a push...

I press my hand to the wall, and without warning it springs out toward me. Thankfully I held on to it to stop it hitting me. 

I look down the stairs which are behind the opening. It looks like a cellar. 

Light shines from the bottom. So I head towards it.

I notice on my way down the stairs that the walls are lined with a spongy material. Typically used for absorbing noise. 

I reach the bottom of the stairs. A simple room, with empty wine racks along the wall next to me all piled up. It must be an old wine cellar.

As I look around, my eyes fall upon something that takes my breath away. I am half frightened and half confused. But when I come to my senses I realize What-who I am looking at.

"Kaius" I say quietly.

His head shoots round to face me. 

Now that I see him in full view, I gasp. He has a black eye and a bleeding nose; he is clutching his stomach and his limbs are on chains to the wall. 

"What happened to you..." I croak.