Ready Aim Forget

Chapter Seventeen - Lilies For The Dead

I had meant to go to bed

But somehow fell into the lake.

The water cradled me in

And gently rocked me to sleep.

     We got to Aruma Town. It was dark outside and the clouds only made it more difficult to see the surroundings. There was light coming from small shops and houses. We heard crickets and dogs, cats and children, playing in the streets.

Lily hold unto my arm. I could feel her pulling me harder and harder, almost as if she wanted us to stay still. 'Sean, don't go so fast. Slower. Slower.' She said. Her voice turned from a normal tone to one of a whisper by the end of her saying. 'I... remember this.'

'What's that? Talk louder.' I replied.

'We didn't get to play too much, me and my brother. He was really good at Math, but I never really understood that. I liked dealing with nature, with life. I work... no, not anymore. I used to work at a drug store around here.'

'Is that so? Interesting. What else do you-' Here Lily pulled my arm so hard I had to stop walking. 'What's the matter? Are you feeling well?'

She looked straight into my eyes. 'That man is not my brother... He's an imposter.' I could tell she was being serious.

'Wh-why are you saying that? You heard what Ion Teodorescu said of him.'

'He also said he didn't see Jason for a long time. Maybe he thought Jason changed throughout the years, but no one grows grey and black hair while aging. My brother is around my age, and he also has blonde hair. It just doesn't make sense.'

'Maybe he dyed his hair.'

'And his eyebrows? Nobody does that.'

So the man I met was just pretending to be Jason Black? But what about the real one? If I remember correctly my first encounter with him, he told me he's a friend of Ana Rai, which... I hate to admit, might be Ariana. No, it can't be. She is still alive, still breathing. Ana Rai is dead. That's what that letter said. But what does that so called imposter have to do with any of this?

'You're right. It doesn't make sense.' I replied.

Her face turned pale. She resumed her walking, that soon enough turned to loping. I was released from her grip. I could not figure out why she was acting that way while trying to keep up with her. She wouldn't talk to me, no matter what I said. After a couple minutes we reach a small house. The lights weren't turned on. I saw Lily flip the door mat and take a key from under it.

'Is this your place? It looks... nice.' I said. She muttered something. I asked her to repeat.

'L-leave, Sean! Leave me be!' She suddenly shouted at me. 'Y-you did your job, congrats.'

'What? Lily, are you feeling ok?' I knew there was something wrong. She unlocked the door in two moves and locked it behind her in four more. I approached the door and struck it a few times. 'What's the meaning of this? Lily?'

'Go away!' I heard her feet sliding and a knock on the door. I guess she was leaning against it. 'I didn't want all this. It's too much, Sean... You just had to ruin everything.'

'I know, Lily. Trust me, I know. I went through the same thing with my amnesia. I wished to turn back time, so I would stop myself from remembering all the painful memories - but here I am, still breathing and going on with my business. Listen, it may be hard for you to deal with all the new information, but I want you to know you're not alone in this. I'm here for you.'