Remember

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Remember me," a smooth, female voice whispered softly into my ear as I let out a gasp for air. My body cried in pain, stiff from something I couldn't remember doing as I looked around in a panic. I was in what appeared to a corn field with several stocks around me broken and leaning. "Wha...where," I muttered, slowly sitting up as I tried to remember what had happen. Nothing came to me, nothing was in my head as it seemed I had no memory of anything. Who was I, where was I, what was I; those were the questions running though my head as I slowly rose to my feet and looked over myself. My clothes were torn, my shirt having four large slashes through the front of it while my shorts seemed to be cut into ribbons near the bottom of them. Birds chirped over head, catching my attention as they flew towards was appeared to be a barn and a house a few hundred meters away. The house was two stories tall with a balcony on the front, similar to something on a plantation. Curiosity pulled me towards it as I wanted to know what was going on and where this farm was. I stumbled forward slightly when trying to walk, finding my legs were wobbly from whatever had happened before. They sky was clear, not a cloud in sight with the hot sun beaming down on the field like an oven. Sweat dropped of my face as I shuffled up past the edge of the field before a man came out of the house. He was dressed in work pants, overalls, boots, and a plaid shirt that was drenched in sweat. His face was red from the heat and his eyes focused on the barn until I collapsed to my knees with a loud grunt. I slowly got back to my feet as he quickly approached me, confused and somewhat concerned about why I was there. "You ok, feller," he asked in a countryside ascent as he looked me over, "what were you doin' out in mah fields". "I...I don't know," I muttered, looking at him, "I can't remember, where is here". "Farmland about three miles from Riverdale," he replied, gesturing for me to follow him, "let's get ya out of this here heat. It may be causing your memory loss". I nodded, still trying to figure out who I was, but nothing worked and the only person who'd be able to tell me would be someone I knew before my memory left me. "So, what they call ya," he asked, looking over his shoulder at me. "I can't remember," I replied, scratching my head, feeling it was tender around the back of it. "Well that aren't no good, is it," he replied, "you got that amnesia thing goin' on in ya head, aren't ya". "I guess, I don't really remember anything," I replied as we climbed the step. "How 'bout I call you John, or would another name meet more your fancy," he asked, leading me into the house. "That's fine, I just wish a remembered something," I replied, looking over the front room. It was quite large in comparison to the house, consisting of a large couch that quarter circled the TV that was in the corner on a stand. Several mounts covered the walls of different animals, some of which I couldn't recognize, and a large fire place in the center of the right wall. Five shelves lined the back wall, all find with different knickknacks, pictures, and book. The floors were made of a slick wood that looked glossy in the light and a fine carpet with some sort of country side pattern rest under the couch. "I'm assuming you're hungry, aren't ya," he asked, leading me through a doorway to the left of the front door next to the staircase into a dining room. "Yes," I replied, my stomach growling at the thought of food as we walked through another door into the kitchen that rested at the back side of the house. "Well, I hope you like potato salad cause that's all I got," he said, moving over to fridge and pulling out a bowl filled with potato salad. "I'm not picky," I replied softly as he set the bowl on the counter before get a loaf of bred from the bread box. "Good, never good to be picky," he commented, grabbing me a plate before filling it with food while I moved to the opposite side of the counter and sat down. I looked down at my hands, realizing there was dry blood and dirt covering them. "Where is your bathroom" I asked softly, getting back up and looking around. "It's that doorway right there, partner," he said without looking up, pointing at a door that was closed. "Thank you," I said softly, moving inside of it without showing a hint of panic that was building up inside for a moment. I flicked on the light, locked the door, and turned to the sink to clean off the filth. The water from the faucet was warm when I turned on the water, feeling nice on my weak hands as the blood washed away. I had no memory of where the blood came from or who's it was, only the feeling that something terrible happened before I lost my memory. It was a good five minutes before I left the bathroom with my hands cleaned and my mind racing. "You feelin' alright," he asked, seeming concerned about the time I spent in the bathroom. "I'm fine, just had a lot a dirt on my hands," I replied, sitting down at the counter while he place my plate in front of me. He nodded, making himself a plate as well while I slowly began eating. "So you aren't got any memories or nothing," he asked softly, trying to fully understand my predicament. "No, I can't remember anything before I woke up in your field," I replied softly, "could I get some water". "Well aren't that a damn shame," he replied as he moved to one of the cabinets and retrieved a glass. I nodded, watching him fill it in the sink before giving it to me. "Well 'suming you have no where you can go, you're more than welcome to stay in the barn. I'd let you have a room in the house, but family's on it way and they called claims on them rooms," he continued as I sipped the water. "That's fine, I feel like I've had worse before now," I replied, continuing to eat the potato salad. He nodded, pausing for a brief moment before putting away the bowl and quickly cleaning off his plate so he could head back outside. "If you'd like, you free to relax in that there living room until the evening. It's got plenty of book to read and a TV that works just dandy," he said, gesturing to the room before heading towards the back door, "If you need any thing, just let out a holler. I'll be working around the house". I nodded before he disappeared out the door, leaving me to what little thoughts I had hovering around in my head. "Remember me," the smooth female voice said within my head again, the only memory I had. "Remember who," I said softly, cleaning off the rest of the plate and taking it to the sink before heading into the living room. The rest of the day past slowly as I picked one of the books and slowly read through it until the farmer came back into the house. "Night falls approachin' so I was thinkin' we'd get ya settled into the barn for the night. It ain't much, but it's cozy," he said as I slowly got up from the couch, "I'd let ya stay in one of the guest room, but I got family comin' in tonight". "The barn sounds find," I said, following him out the door and off the porch, "it doesn't feel like my first time staying in one anyways". He nodded, leading me to it and opening the doors to reveal the true size of the inside. It was quite large with a second floor filled with barrels and boxes while the ground was covered in hay. A horse pen sat in the back with three horses inside who let out a neigh as we entered the barn. "You can sleep over here," he said as he lead me to a hammock that sat on the right side of the barn near several bales of hay, "I use to come out 'ere and sleep in the warm summer night air. That was a better time though". "What happened since then," I asked, looking over the hammock before turning my head towards him. "Money been tight and I ain't got no way of fixing it at the moment. This season's been a bit of a dry one, especially with the recent fires that keep poppin' up near 'ere," he replied before turning to the door, "I'll bring ya some food out in a little. You get comfortable if ya like". I nodded as I turned back to the hammock and climbed into it while he closed the barn door behind him. It wobbled under my weight for a moment before I got settled with a long moan. Something nagged at my brain, causing me to turn to look at the horses who were staring at me. One of them let out a loud neigh before stomping its hooves several times, triggering a memory. I was crouching next to a horse with a gun wound in its chest and another in the side of its head. There were tears in my eyes as I was saying something over it solemnly before the name of it came to mind. The horse was named Faith, the horse that had always been my main source of transportation for years. My throat felt tight by the memory as a tear slid down my cheek before I turned away from the horses. I remembered something, meaning that I would slowly regain what I had lost before I awoke in the field. Silence fell over the barn as my thoughts revolved around the brief memory I had. Something felt like it was missing, hidden away in the memory. The thought faded when the farmer walked back into the barn with a plate of food in his hand. "Good to see ya all comfortable out 'ere," he said as he walked up and handed me the plate, "don't worry about being the plate inside. I'll get it in the mornin'". I nodded, looking over the food that was on the plate. It seemed to be leftovers of a chicken dinner or something, but it was food none the less. I slowly cleaned off the plate after he left the barn, setting the plate on the ground when I was done. The sound of vehicles pulling up to the house became present several minutes later. Light slipped through the cracks in the door as I got out of the hammock. Voices came from the vehicles as the lights shut off, fading towards the house as the farmer called out to them. I moved to the door, peeking through the cracks to see about nine people moving from the two trucks to the house. They all looked related, sharing similar features and accents. The farmer gestured for them to come into the house before looking at the barn. His expression seemed indecisive, like he was debating on what to do to me. It made me nervous, pushing me from the door as I moved back to the hammock. I slowly climbed back into it, settling before trying to get some sleep. My dreams seemed sporadic, consisting of small snippets of events that had no correlation to one another. Each event felt real like they were memories of long ago, but had no significant meaning. There's was one, however that told me what I was. I was walking with someone who's face was blurred through a prison court yard. They lead me to a Canis who's face I can't remember and introduced me to them. During the introduction he mentioned I was a werewolf dragoniod hybrid. It was the last dream I had before wake to someone pressing something cold against my aim. I stirred slightly, opening my eyes to see the farmer with a shotgun pointed at me. "Get up," he snapped, stepping back before noticing another man with him with a rifle. "What's going on," I asked, slowly getting up with my hands up. "We're taken' you in. There's a pretty penny on your head and I need that there money," the farmer said, "it's nothing personal". "I don't understand," I muttered as he gestured for me to go to the door. "You're a criminal and there's a bounty on you," the other man snapped as I was pushed to the door. I swallowed nervously, doing as they said as we walked to the door. "Any funny business, I'll shot," the farmer said as I got to the door and slowly began opening it. "Ah, looks like I came just in time," a man said as I pushed open the door. He was tall and very pale with bright red eyes and a large toothy grin on his face. The suit he worn looked expensive and he had a large ruby ring on his right hand. "What the hell you doin' on my farm, city boy," the farmer snapped, pointing his shotgun at the man, "scram before I plow ya brains out". The man shook his head before lifting his hand in the air. "Dormio," the man said, his hand producing a strange symbol before casting towards the farmer. The shotgun fell from the farmer's hand as he collapsed, knocked unconscious. "What the fuck, you killed him," the man with the rifle growled as I moved to the side. "No, he's just asleep," the man said, gesturing his hand before repeating the act on the second man. The man did the same as the farmer, collapsing to the ground. I looked at the unconscious men before turning back to the suited man. "I can explain what I did later, come with me," he said, gesturing for me to follow as he turned away from the barn. "Who are you," I asked, following him closely as we moved down the drive. "The names Salem. I was sent to protect you," he said, looking back at me, "do you have any memory of who you are". "Only what I am," I replied, causing him to look ahead at the dirt road, "do you know who I am". "Your name is Hunter and you are wanted by the government for rebellious connections," he said without looking back, "I will tell you more later on, your memory needs time to come back". I nodded, my mind racing as I hear my name repeated several time by different voices. "Hunter, Remember me," the female voice I had hear in the field said before it all stopped. "Who sent you to get me," I asked, causing him to look over his shoulder. "A friend, someone who cares about your well being," he said, turning away as he fell silent. No one came to mind of who he could be talking about, but I would eventually remember. "Where are we going," I asked, noticing a pair of horses tied to a post a about 100 meters away. "Chazville, I have a safe house there," he replied, looking back at the farm, "those men will be awake soon, so we need to hurry". I nodded, not entirely sure where Chazville was. He gestured for me to climb onto on of the saddles as he untied the horses. "Stay close," he said, handing me the reins before climbing onto the other horse, "we'll be riding until daybreak". "Are we being pursued," I asked, watching him get settled before turning he horse to the road. "I don't know, but I'd rather get to the safe house and rest then be caught out in the open," he replied, tapping the horses ribs with his heel. It neighed, breaking into a gallop as I did the same.