The Mnemophobic

Chapter 17

Serenitys point of view

" Sooo?" she asked curiously expecting a happy answer.

" So what?"

She grabbed my shoulders and pulled me away from the gravel path I was following. " How is he?"

I mouthed the words I don't know slowly so she could understand which made her pout slightly. " Fine."

I graoned. " I don't know, ok?" I said rolling my eyes to her. " He's a nice person I guess."

" That was NOT the answer I was looking for."

" I just want these 6 months to pass by." I laughed on to lighten the environment. " Then I can attend your wedding to Chase." I teased.

She squinted her eyes. " I do not like him. I'm telling you, he's in to you! Marry him after 6 months."

" Yuck."

" Marry who?" He walked by towering over both of us.

We looked at eachother and laughed, leaving him stand there trying to figure out what was going on. " Remind me why I hang out with you two again?"

" You're a loner." Cara said folding her arms.

" No way." He put his arms around my shoulder. " I have a friend in this one."

As usual I froze at this gesture and twirled my way out of his arms after which he gave me a look.

" What? I have to go see Elaih. You kids have fun." I winked to hide the awkwardness and then fled from the scene. My friendship with Cara and Chase had grown stronger but with them individually, not as a group. I knocked on the hardwood door before opening it ever so slightly. " Elaih?"

" In here." I heard a voice from the balcony where two rocking chairs were placed facing the forest cover beyond the town. One of the advantages Village had because of it's elevated location was the heart stopping scenery. " Hi." I said with a huge smile carved on to my face.

" Sit down kid." He grinned.

The chair was as fluffy as a cloud, it made me want to drift off to sleep when I closed my eyes. I opened my eyes at the sound of him talking. " How are you? How are things?"

" Fine I guess." I shrugged.

" I see you're getting along with Cara and Chase well enough." He winked.

" Well you asked me to!" I exclaimed. " If you hadn't I'd probably still have a piece of mind." I teased.

He chuckled in a booming voice. " I had a friend, Martin I think it was, we roamed around completely lost in the Sahara till we came upon a tribe, we normally would have never blend in to them." He looked over to me. " But we had no choice, so we did, selfish I know, but mind you, those two nights with them were the most memorable. In 41 hours with them we said and did more than textbooks could have ever taught us. Basically we took what was in front of us as we got it and watched our decision work its magic."

" I get it." I said taking set the scrabble set that was on the side. "Get lost in a desert." I lauged.

" And discover something new!" He shouted as I laughed at his excitement. We started playing and time flew by. It was not till Clyde showed up on my caller ID did I realize it was time to leave. I bid Elaih farewell and stopped just at the door. " I miss her you know." I said slowly in an attempt to shield his ears from my words. A heavy arm came and rested on my shoulder from behind. " Trust me, I do too."

I walked off without looking back. It was late, around nine. I took a detour by the apartments I used to live in and the same alley where I fell prey to my memories. I stood realizing in that moment just how much had changed. My foster family skipped town after they lost the trial. I knew they couldn't bare the expense of whatever they had been charged with. I wondered if I saw them, would things play out differently? Or just as they did before. I started walking off when from the corner of my eye I saw the light on from Yuni's old bedroom. The whole scene just seemed too theatrical for it was the only light on in the building side. Were they back?

There was only one way to find out.

I gave in to curiousity and stepped inside the run down building, the steps to the front door had a foul smell of urine. I was careful not to touch anything I didn't need to. The building was silent, at this time it usually was, night shifts would begin at the shoe factory not to far from it. This area barely looked like it was apart of the majestic town, it withered away, just waiting to decay in it's own dead mass. It was a short cut to avoid the traffic at the City Centre. I creaked up the steps to the 2nd floor.

B -12

The door was open. I kicked it further trying to battle the fear within me at the same time. Still standing outside I scanned the area in view, there was nothing but depressing memories. I gripped my phone tightly and said a prayer before coming back in to the house I had seen so much hate in. Dust had settled in everywhere giving a shade of grey to the whole house. There was barely any light expect that which was coming from the corridor. These apartments were old fashioned, any family that chose to rent a place to stay was given a whole floor. The ceiling was extremely high that allowed the construction of sub-floors within one. Yuni's room was up the wooden steps on a staircase that looked to collapse at any given moment. I heart beated so loud I felt as if the sound could be heard from a mile away. I startled and jumped back after hearing the light to her room blow. I pushed myself against the wall and grabbed a broken dusty vase tightly in my hands as my one and only line of defence. " Hello?" I yelled.

My question was greeted with pin drop silence. I gather bits and pieces of the courage my phobia had left intact and slowly crept up the steps until I stood ourside her room. The window was broken as it was 10 years, a breeze came in that made the ripped curtains dance in the ounce of moonlight it got. To the side the matress layed nude on the ground with springs protuding out of it. To the other side the closet had been emptied and clothes scattered across the floor. Near the wall there were very rough looking boots. I searched for any sign of life but there was none. I stepped back resting my back at the railing of the stairs and let out a breath and subsequent tears.

Suddenly I heard my phone buzzed and glass break at the same time, I scanned the room again in hope to find a cat or something but instead I froze when I witnessed glass break underneath the very boots that were previously idle. Very slowy a shaped emerged from the darkness of the wall. My heart would give way any minute. I covered my mouth and looked on with eyes that were full of tears clouding my vision. The manly shape was visible and when I knew I should run I was just frozen, my feet glued to the ground. Just when I gasped the figure raced towards me. My muscles regained control of my legs but it was too late. The deadly tackle threw us both over the edge after I swung the vase in an unsuccessful attempt to defend myself. We fell accompanied by glass shards and came crashing on the wooden floor that caved in a degree. I remember pain, a prickling pain in my leg. I screamed when my eyes came to a glass piece sticking out of my leg. There was no sign of my attacker but this was no where near over.