Disarray

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-Two

Aden gazed up at the sky. Clouds hovered leisurely across the sky, as if searching for a patch of blue that might have escaped the large canopy of gray. With the dulled light of the sun, the forest looked supernatural, as if it was the makings of a dream. The blue-green hue the trees created seemed to be mingled with a thin layer of fog, for the sharpness of the sunlight was not present to define it.

          He had always liked cloudy days; they were a pleasant break from the growing warmth, and often provided rain, which he had always liked. Almost as if his thoughts had summoned it, it began to rain.

          Pristine drops fell from the deep, dark clouds, washing the world with the tears of the sky. Clear droplets splashed onto the foliage as they descended, creating tiny streams of water that closely followed the veins of the leaves.

          Aden watched, fascinated by the renewed beauty of the dampened nature. A flower kneeled toward the ground as it filled with raindrops, unable to support itself. Aden tipped it further, and the water flowed out. The stem straightened again, seemingly unaffected by the prior weight it bore.

He reluctantly stood, wanting to continue to gaze lazily at the drenched splendor of the forest. Unfortunately, he was unable.

Aden strode toward the sleeping hall, hoping that this day would fare well. He ran his hands through his soaked hair, attempting to rid it of excess water. His clothes were drenched, so he took a moment to change his garments.

Aden hurried up the steps to the upper floor, he was more eager to visit Rylan today, for with his recent remembrance, there was a good chance that his memories might progress further.

The guards allowed him to enter, and he closed the door softly behind him. Rylan sat on his bed, deep in thought. His head jerked up, startled.

“Hello, Aden.” He said, mildly agitated.

“What ails you?” Aden inquired. He had always been able to tell when Rylan was upset, even if he tried to hide it, which he was clearly not making an effort to do at the current moment.

          “I am bemused. Now that more memories had returned, I am becoming confused at what I have recently remembered, it seems like they were always there.”

          “What?” Aden eyed him strangely. “Why would it matter if you had forgotten previously something you currently remember?”

          “I do not know. It is strange. It seems like I’ve always known the memories in my mind, but I remember not remembering them.” Rylan replied, his words accurately expressing his frustration.

           “Are you feeling alright?”

          “I am fine… Though I probably sound daft, don’t I?”

          “Only slightly,” Aden replied with a chuckle. “So, what is it that you remember?”

          “It is complicated. As I stated before, I am unsure what memories are new anymore. I cannot decipher whether or not I knew this before. I remember not knowing any of my memoires, but the time at which I remembered them are becoming blurred.” He answered, sounding both annoyed and positive.

          “So you do not know what you remember because you forgot when you remembered it?”

          “Yes? It is convoluted…”