Memory Risk

Chapter 7

    "I was a cop...We interacted...I arrested you."

    "Arrested me? Why was I arrested," Jordan asked. "Did I have something to do with it?"

    "I think you should give that some more thought. I'm not sure you want all the details. I feel that you're better off in the situation you are now...I think you should keep this gift that they've given you."

    "Man, screw you," Jordan said before he walked back inside the main room.

    Aiden watched as Jordan walked away. He wondered if his words had the impact that he wanted them to. In Aiden's opinion, Jordan didn't need to step into the confession room. Jordan's amnesia kept the peace inside their detention area. Knowing what Jordan was capable of made Aiden nervous. He wanted to keep that side of Jordan in the past, and didn't want to relive that experience again.

    Stacie cooked dinner that night, and when the meal was prepared, it brought everyone to the table. The table was quiet due to the heavy thoughts everyone was lugging around. Everyone's intentions were in question. While everyone began to eat, Aiden thought it was the best time to vote on who would take their turn in the confession room that night.

    "Does anyone have anything to say about tonight's volunteer," asked Aiden. Everyone at the table looked around, but no one spoke up. "Three of you are left. Is anyone deciding to take a turn?" No one at the table responded. "Jordan, what are your thoughts? Are you staying away?"

    Jordan took a bite and stared out the window, into the backyard. He took his time to eat his food before answering Aiden's question. "There's a possibility. I haven't ruled it out. I'm not too fond of not knowing who I was. I don't enjoy being in the dark."

    "What about you Stacie," Aiden asked. "Have you given it some thought?"

    "Yeah she has," Trent responded, "and we are not going to do it right, honeybun? We like what we have, don't we?" Trent wrapped his arm around Stacie and pulled her close. They smiled at each other while rubbing the tips of their noses together.

    Aiden couldn't watch as they flirted with each other. Knowing Trent's past made him disgusted at the way he interacted with Stacie. Looking down at the table, Aiden quickly changed the subject to get his mind off of it. "Vivienne," he asked. "What about you?"

    "Am I going to take part in this joke? Is that what you're asking?"

    "Not exactly my question, but yeah, are you going to volunteer," Aiden replied.

    "This whole thing is some government lab experiment. We're just some damn guinea pigs living in a cage. A bunch of damn mice running around in a maze of our minds...Are they even our real thoughts? If they can take them away that easy, who's to say they can't give us someone else's memories. How do you know that what you think you know, is the truth?"

    "I've got a lifetime of memories in my head," Aiden answered. "Vivid memories...I'm sure that what's up here," Aiden tapped on his temple, "is mine."

    "I can hear them, in the walls," said Vivienne. "They talk to each other about us. Laughing at times...We're all just a joke...This is just a game...They're going to keep us in here until it drives us all crazy. That's when the men on the roof will drop in, and take us all out."

    "OK," Aiden responded. "I'm in favor of sending Vivienne. I think she is in the most need to remember who she was. This not knowing is not the best for her." Aiden raised his hand in the air to vote."

    "What about me," Maddy asked.

    "We are not going through that again," Aiden answered. "You've been twice Maddy. We can all assure you that you don't want to go."

    "How do I know that you're not playing a trick on me?"

    "Oh my God," Aiden said, taking his hand out of the air, and putting his head in his hands. "Are you serious? Maddy we've been around this table more than once. You can think what you want, but you've lost your turn. They're not going to let you in again. That's a fact. We can't lie about that...You're done." Aiden raised his hand back in the air. "I vote for Vivienne." He looked around the table and no one else was responding. Under the table, Aiden kicked Trent's food. When Aiden got Trent's attention, he gave him a look that put them on the same page.

    Following Aiden's lead, Trent raised his hand in the air. "Yeah, we do to. Ain't that right, honeybun? We're voting for Vivienne."

    Stacie and Jordan gave Trent a weird look, but Stacie was the only one to react. She followed Trent's lead without question, even though she didn't fully understand it. Aiden, Trent, and Stacie's vote gave Vivienne the numbers needed to become the volunteer. None of the others wanted to challenge, and the topic was official.

    "Alright," said Aiden. "It's decided. You're up next Vivienne...There's no harm in it, and it'll settle all the fear you've got floating around up there. Either way, they've already messed with your brain. The damage is done. They're just fixing what they broke"

    "Yeah," Vivienne answered. "We'll see...I'm mostly agreeing to this because I'm bored out of my mind. I need something to get my thoughts off of all of you."

    "That's sweet Vivienne," said Aiden. "We love you too."

    Once the decision was made, the dinner didn't last much longer. Jordan and Maddy went outside and swam in the pool. Trent and Stacie cuddled up on the couch, driving Aiden to hide in his room to block the view. Vivienne also returned to her room. She sat at her desk rocking back and forth with her arms folded. Her legs bounced up and down as she thought about what she was about to experience. She was happy to escape the unknown, but nervous about what kind of pain she was going to have returned to her.

    At the specified time, everyone brought their attention to the main room and waited with Vivienne. The more memories that returned in the room, the more vulnerable everyone became. They didn't understand how much strength they had in the unknown. Stacie, Maddy, and Jordan were calm about Vivienne entering the confession room. Trent and Aiden were nervous about what she might uncover. They didn't remember her, but they were afraid that maybe she knew of them. Both of the men had dirt on each other, but if Vivienne could reveal their secrets early, peace would be threatened. Their thoughts remained on Vivienne while the other three were able to enjoy each other's company.