A Single Rose On A Bed Full Of Thorns

Chapter 1: The History

If you ever questioned my past, then, this memory was my only answer.

I was a young girl, six or seven years old, I guess. I was standing on an open courtyard with many people milling around. I was holding onto someone's hand.

It was my mother and she held my hand so tight.

There was a soft murmured of the President's words on the speaker. I didn't understand what he was saying at that time, but somehow his last part of the speech was imprinted in my mind. I cannot forget it no matter how much I want it to.

"This is the year when everything is completely different. This is a year that we will make a change, a year of new land, and a year of happiness," the President finished his speech as the audience clapped and cheered.

Suddenly, a young boy, a couple years older than me, and a man that dressed with black suit and black glasses came to my mother and I. The man was leading the young boy to me.

I wish I know who was this young boy. Whenever I asked my mother, she explained nonsensically it was just another random boy.

The boy looked at me intently before he kissed my forehead and hugged me tightly. His eyes were misty.

"Be brave, Shirley," he said with a croaky voice. "Don't listen to them. Don't give them what they want."

Then, the man tore him away for me. I started bawling. 

The boy's face look ashen as the man pulled him away from us. They were walking away.

"No!" I yanked my hand from my mother and ran towards him.

My mother caught me before I could have gone far. I struggled and trying to push her away.

"No, no, no!" I shouted and kicked. "Let me go!"

The boy turned back and shouted, "I love you!"

Then, they were gone.

I doubt that boy was a random boy, mother. Random boys don't shout "I love you" while crying.

Unfortunately, that was the only thing that I remember when I was that young. Other than that, I didn't remember a single thing when I was any younger. I didn't know if I ever went to kindergarten, if I have a childhood friend, if I ever try riding a bike, or scrape my knee in the process.

I never even knew if I have a father.

It was weird to have empty memories, but it was weirder when I have a strong feeling that the memories were there.

I just can't recall it.

You see, I am a history freak, so I will freak out if my history was nothing but a piece of...nothing. There was just so many questions left unanswered. And what does he mean to never listen to them? 

If I ever ask my mother, she will worry. Her face will scrunch up like she was going to cry. She actually did cry later during the middle of the night.

As much as I don't like to see my mother cry, I still hated the fact that I have too many unanswered questions. This lead to curiosity.

And curiosity will lead me into trouble.

"Shirley!"

I blinked a few times and realized the tears. I blacked out again.

The class was already chattering as everybody were packing and leaving. The television in front of my class was blank. My history teacher, middle-age with receding red hairline, was pulling of the TV cables from the plug. The video of the speech must have ended.

It always happens. Every time I heard the President's speech, it triggers my childhood memory.

I pounded my fist on the table in frustration, oblivious to Mr. Scott, who was surprise that he stopped rolling cables on his hand.

"It happened again, doesn't it?"

I looked beside me and saw my friend, Scarlet Scarbrun, standing beside me with a darkened face.

Scarlet Scarbrun, with straight auburn dyed-hair and brown eyes that were full of adventure, was my closest friend I have in this school. She might seem tough with her towering height and muscular arms but she has a sweet heart. We had been friends since our second year of high school began.

I nodded solemnly at her question.

Her face darkened even more.

Scarlet, she also had a childhood memory linked to that President's speech. It was something that she didn't want to remember and something she never told me in detail about. There was some kind of agreement between us to never let the past come to the present. Let the past be past, they say.

I sighed and rubbed my eyes, my tears. That speech was just the beginning of a new term for that new President. I don't know why he was making Scarlet and I feel like this. So far of his long term, he never done anything traumatic to us. In fact, changes were absolutely absent as long as he was in power. Towns were still poor. Skirmishes still happened at the borders. Schools were so bland.

The only change he did was to establish the Taken program. And get richer.

Scarlet sighed and offered her hand to me. "Come on, let's get some lunch."

But, as I took her hand and she helped me up, the phone rang loud. 

It was Mr. Scott's phone on the teacher's table. 

With a bored face, he picked up the receiver. His face changed in a matter of seconds.

He suddenly dropped the phone and ran off in a hurry.

We looked at each other, confused.

"What was that?" Scarlet asked.

"Well, do you want to find out?"

Scarlet grinned. "Of course."

That was why we were such good friends. Adventure and curiosity were such a good mix. 

We hurriedly followed Mr. Scott.

I didn't realize until years later that if we hadn't went, it will had gone a very different way.