Fallen Memories: Book Two

Fallen Memories - [6]

Fallen Memories - 6

    Black clouds rolled through the sky, promising a torrential downpour. The thought of standing out here in the middle of a feisty storm was extremely displeasing. In order to find cover for myself, I had to figure out exactly where I was, and why. I knew one thing and one thing only: I was trapped in yet another memory of Colton’s, my whereabouts unknown. Even the time period, I was unsure of.

    To gain a better understanding, I turned a full three-sixty, drinking in the scenery as much as my eyes allowed. A set of cobblestone steps led down a short hill, to a beach. To the right of me was a street lined with shops, houses and tall buildings. Some of the buildings had pipes extending out of their roofs, emitting gray, smouldering tendrils of smoke.

    Considering the modern appearance of the buildings, I suspected I was still in the twenty-first century. If not, I was in some big trouble. Before proceeding to enter one of the buildings at random, I squeezed my eyes shut and locked away the image of the landscape surrounding me. I memorized every intricate detail, every sound, even the smell. I locked away the sound of the waves smashing against the shore; a sound I had grown very accustomed to back home in Southport.

    I inhaled the salty, cool air. Felt it kissing the back of my neck, leaving tingles in its wake. The way it made the hair on my arms stand up as it brushed by, stirring a series of shivers from deep within. Even with my eyes closed, I could picture it exactly as it was. Colton’s memory or not, it was a part of me now. It would point me in the right direction, one way or another. I wanted to capture those memories that had been stolen from me, and I had to start somewhere.

    Footsteps tapped on the ground behind me. My eyes snapped open, expecting to see Cordelia or Colton, but it was just another fragment of the memory. A person who happened to be at this very spot, this very moment. Cordelia. The name struck up a beat of recognition. I rifled through the memories I had left, trying to place a face to the name. Wild, crazy black hair. Sharp eyes; eyes a strange turquoise color. Translucent skin. Absence of humanism.

    “The half-demon,” I whispered in awe to myself. Where was she? She had been a part of my dream too, and not only that, but she wasn’t a piece of my memory. She had been real, and I wondered just what she would do now if we happened to run into each other.

    A single raindrop spattered on my cheek. Looking up, I saw that, if possible, the already dark sky had darkened beyond belief. Slowly but surely, rain was beginning to fall. The memory played out like a movie, everything happening in a sequential order. I followed the flow of people, across the street. Some ran for their cars, others for awnings and bus shelters. I slipped into the flow of people that beelined for one of the buildings.

    In their hurry to get out of the rain, the couple in front of me allowed the door to slam shut before I was close enough to slip inside. Huffing in irritation, I reached out to grab the handle when  someone beat me to it.

    “Thank you,” I said, without thinking. I looked up and stifled a scream. “A-Adam?” I croaked, knowing full well he couldn’t actually hear me. Adam glanced up, a smile stretching across his face. His eyes locked with mine...and he nodded in greeting.

    “Ivy,” he said. “Nice to see a familiar face here.”

    “You can-?”

    He nodded slowly, reaching out to grab my shoulder. Fingers securely around my shoulder, he pulled me inside. The moment the doors banged shut behind us, rain whooshed down, pattering against the windows. It sounded like coins falling on the roof; a repetitive sound that echoed in the back of my mind. Questions swirled around in my head as I tried to get a grip on what was happening.