AMNESIA'S TYRANNY

Chapter 2 | A Grandmother's Kindness

The door to the home was shut quickly.

"Quickly now, onto the couch." The elderly woman gestured, "I'll get you some blankets, dear."

She wasted no time hurrying to the soft-looking couch and wiggling onto it. The home was quaint and small- having to climb a miniature staircase from the entryway to the main room. The living room had two sofas, comfy chairs, and a fireplace. The coffee table was nearby.

It felt like a log cabin with wood textures and comforting brown walls. The lights of the home were a gentle orange.

The elderly woman, rushing as fast as she could through her old age, would gently throw blankets on the woman and bundle her up. She'd only seem to relax when she was done.

"How are you feeling?" She'd ask.

She frowned, "Cold." She muttered, "But the blankets already make me feel better." She nuzzled her cold nose into the sheets.

The elderly woman sighed with relief, "Thank Ullr..." She'd say with a hand against her chest, "I was worried you'd freeze to death."

Her long hair had to be tidied up and rested on the blankets. "Let me get you some hot chocolate." The elder would disappear into the kitchen.

As she waited for the woman to return, she would peer around her surroundings more. Paintings of elk silhouettes danced along frames, looking as though they were hoping from one painting to the next. It was quite cute.
Above the tall, grand windows sat a beam with a grand elk trophy attached to it. She admired how beautiful the animal was, regardless of its life ending long ago. Whoever created it did it with care, love, and warm hands.

She saw everything through kind glasses, though she felt like she didn't know herself. How could you be a stranger to oneself?

Just then, the elder came back with two steaming mugs. She'd set one on the coffee table and the other on a table next to the couch she sat on. "This'll warm you up much quicker than the blankets." She told her.

"Thank you." Her delicate voice rang out, looking at the brown liquid with curiosity.

"Oh, dear, my manners are lacking-" The older woman huffed suddenly, stealing her attention. "My name is Eil, dear. What's yours?"

She smiled at Eil, her face beaming from the kindness she was being given.

The woman opened her lips to say her name, but her mind... blanked. She felt as if she were rasping against a closed door, asking to be let back in, but she never remembered being in there in the first place.

Eil appeared concerned as the woman's smile fell. "I-" She'd breathe, "I don't know."

Of course, the elderly woman's concern only worsens. "You... don't remember your own name?" She'd whisper, "Oh, no. Do you remember anything at all?"

She squeezed her eyes shut, focusing as hard as she could on remembering anything. Earlier, when she thought of something, it popped into her mind without any evidence or reasoning. As she tried to force a memory- her head began to hurt.
Reopening her eyes, her frown deepened. "No." She whimpered, "While I remembered my favourite flowers are white lilies, I have no reasonings on why." She told Eil honestly, having no reason or desire to lie. "It hurts my head to try and remember..."

Eil took this information in before sighing, "That's alright." She clasped her hands, "Let's not dwell on it. I don't want you to hurt your head more."

Finally calmed down from the cold, although still a little chilled, she'd study the elderly woman some more.

Eil's grey hair was long but tied in a neat braid. Her face was wrinkly and showed clear signs of age, but her imperfections made her beautiful.

Delicately, the woman took her mug and gently blew on it. It smelled sweet- despite its dark appearance and hot nature. Taking a sip, she'd smile. It was really good. The drink's name was on the tip of her tongue, yet she couldn't remember.

Suddenly, the opening of the front door distracted the two.