~♡~
Two large green orbs looked down at you when you finally opened you eyes to narrow slits. You allowed your head to roll to the side and you could make out another figure's face. You could barely make out Jim's round-shaped face and soft blue eyes, wide with shock. Once he saw you awaken, he leaned his head down with a concerned expression.
"Hey, are you all right?" He asked.
You blinked slowly a couple times before you could fully open your eyes and see the room. "Jim?" You breathed out tiredly. Your eyes moved to Stygian who sat on the other side of you. He licked your cheek, and your groaned in disgust, too tired to lift your hand and wipe your face. "What happened..?"
You barely lifted your head an inch when a painful ache throbbed in your forehead, causing you to fall back on something soft. You hissed and pressed a hard hand on your forehead. "Agh..."
You felt something move beneath you and it was until you realized your head was elevated by Jim's arm and your torso was lying of his legs. He slid his arm away so his hand supported the back of your head instead.
"Woah. Hey, careful now," he said cautiously and lifted you up slowly, his hand supporting your back now. You grimaced at the neverending pain behind your eyes.
Stygian stood beside you, watching you keenly in case you were to fall again. "Jim," you said when the pain slowly subsided, and turned to look back at him. "What happened to me?"
Jim held a serious expression before shrugging. "I-I don't know. I heard something fall in your room and came to check. You were on the floor shaking and choking for air. I went over, but...then you went still, as if you've died. I-I didn't know what to do, but a second later you woke up." His eyes were wide, still in shock that you woke up like a zombie.
You turned back around and gazed at the hard floor beneath you. Your eyebrows were furrowed deep in thought as you tried to remember the events that took place inside your mind. It all felt like a dream. Jim said you were trembling for a few seconds, then went still for a moment before waking up, meaning the event lasted longer than real time. Still, it was getting hard to remember. You knew something, though: your crash was no accident. Someone was following you and wanted you dead, and for what? Warning somebody? You shook your head in frustration as you tried to remember who you were going to warn when you heard your name being called. You looked back and saw Jim leaning towards you with a concerned look.
"What's wrong? Do you know what happened?" He asked.
You sighed and turned your body towards his. You decided to tell him a part of the truth.
"Jim." You looked him in the eyes, hoping he would believe you. You didn't fully trust him, but you couldn't leave him in the dust, wondering and worrying why you almost died." I haven't told you everything about me -for obvious reasons, but it was mainly because I don't who I am."
Jim frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?" The moonlight was bright, and it made his eyes twinkle like stars.
You told him everything from the beginning. You told him how you crashed onto this planet and woke up in a hospital with amnesia.
Jim nodded when you finished and slumped against the wall. "So, you don't remember anything at all? Not even where you're from?"
You shook your head, sadly. "No. And I'm afraid there's probably someone out there looking for me or waiting in a different planet, hoping I'd return."
Jim became silent as your mind wandered and tried to remember or induce memories about anything. You rested your elbow on a lifted knee and leaned your head against your hand. Your sleeve rolled down, revealing your compass tattoo; Jim noticed them and frowned.
"You have tattoos," he said, almost fascinated. But you believe he was actually surprised that you even had tattoos, given the fact that you are quite young to have any.
You looked at the tattoo on your wrist and lowered your knee to look at it. Quickly, you pulled the sleeve down and held your hand close to your chest.
"What? Why won't you let me see 'em?" Jim asked.
You hesitated and lowered your arm, but kept the tattoo covered. "I don't know. I was just as surprised when I saw them."
"Them? You have more?"
You mentally cursed yourself. But he had already caught a glimpse of it and he'd already suspect there'd be more. You took a deep breath and slowly pulled your sleeves to reveal the compass and miniature stars; and your steering wheel ."I don't know what they mean," you said, "but they feel special somehow like they mark memories. You know?"
You were about to lift your sleeve to show your skull tattoo, but something held you back. You could already imagine Jim's reaction if he saw it.
Horror? Fascination? Both?
Damn it! It was so damn hard not being able to tell someone what's on your mind because you're afraid of scaring them. Glancing at Jim, you began to think he seemed like a calm person. Could you trust him with something as crazy as your vision? We'll see.
You were pulled from your thoughts when Jim scooted closer and pointed to your left arm, a curious expression on his face, it almost looked like admiration. "I saw a steering wheel. Does that also have to do with sailing?"
"Um. Yeah, actually-"
Jim took your wrist gently with one hand and tilted his head sideways so he could see the description. "That's so cool that you have your own ship-I mean had. You're like the luckiest girl in the galaxy."
You frowned. "Am I? I don't even remember the places I sailed. Plus, it gets lonely up there when you have absolutely no one."
Jim seemed to notice the sad expression on your face and let go of your wrist. "Hey, whats wrong?"
You looked away. "Nothing. I just...I am just so overwhelmed by what's happening. I don't know where to look, what to search. I don't know anything!" You threw your hands up and dropped them back down. "It's all so frustrating, Jim. And the sad part is, is that while I fainted, I had a vision of my memories. At least I think-I hope- it was."
Jim was silent for a moment before speaking. "What did you see?"
You laughed half-heartedly. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. It will all sound like some fairytale or something."
Jim thought for a moment and then sat right next to you on the bed frame. He tried for a reassuring smile. "You can tell me. I won't make fun."
You scoffed. "That's not what I'm worried about. I just need someone to talk to about this. No offense, but it needs to be someone I can trust." You wrapped your arms around your knees and held them close, avoiding Jim's gaze. You whispered, "I'm just not ready."
Jim nodded, a pitiful grin on his face. Something about his expression calmed you. Maybe you can trust him? He seems to be caring as far as you know.
He looked at the dark sky past the window and back to you. "I remember, a few years ago I was doing some homework the day before it was due, but I didn't know how to do it, and I really wanted to go solar surfing."
You looked up and saw his head leaning against the bed, looking up, reminiscing. He had a pleasant smile on his lips like the thought amused him.
"Why are you telling me this?" You asked.
"Because I actually trust you. You seem trustworthy. And you were right. We should get to know each other because I never realized how in need of a friend you are."
"But I have Stygian."
"Okay. A human friend. Anyway, when it was time to turn it in, I forgot where I left it and I tried and tried so hard to remember and retraced my steps, but could never find it." He rolled his head towards you, an amused smiled on his lips. "Wanna know where it was?"
You smiled, enjoying the way he tried to take cheer you up. "Do tell, Mister Jim."
He smirked. "After some months, I decided to read some pirate stories, and when I opened a book, there it was: my astrology homework."
You chuckled. "That sounds like an obvious place where you'd hide it. How come you've never searched there before?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. I've never touched those books while I was searching for my homework. But I got an instinct that something was in that shelf of mine."
You giggled. "So, is there a moral to this story?" You gave him a crooked grin.
Jim scrunched his lips and looked up the ceiling in thought. He raised his eyebrows and said, "Always trust your instincts? And...don't spend a long time searching for that something. Sometimes...you just gotta let it come to you."
You raised your eyebrows in genuine surprise. "That's not bad advice. But how does this help me?"
"Because I think you should make your stay here worth your while." Jim stood up and held his hand out towards you and you looked up at his face. He was grinning warmly, and you took his hand and pushed yourself up. "And I don't want to let my only friend stress out too much."
You frowned incredulously. "What? You actually don't care that I haven't told you everything about me?"
"I do. But I also care that you should have someone to talk to when you need to. Not to mention, you have amnesia right? Who's to say what you saw were actually your memories."
"Well. They felt real and I saw myself in them as I was growing up--like a timeline!" You said.
Jim grinned and glanced at the window. "You should get some sleep. I'm no doctor, but I think with all that has happened to you, you should let it rest for now. You have work early tomorrow remember?"
You nodded and grinned sheepishly. "I should. Thanks. Perhaps...we can discuss this more tomorrow. It's a weekend, right?"
Jim smiled. "Yeah. I guess whenever you're free." Jim was about to leave just as you were going to walk past him and ended up sidestepping the same way. You both stood uncomfortably close to each other.
"Sorry..." you both muttered and suddenly looked into each other's eyes for a moment, but it felt longer. His eyes gazed into yours, his brows slowly furrowed in confusion, not understanding the anxious feeling in his chest.
Jim cleared his throat and took a dramatic twirl around you towards the door and turned back to face you. He smiled an awkward, crooked smile and pointed towards his room with his thumb.
"I should, uh...you know...go. I have -I mean, I should let you sleep," he stammered nervously as his cheeks turned red.
You nodded, your mind still fixated on the little event between you and Jim. "Yes. O-of course. See you tomorrow, Jim."
You waved him goodbye as he bid you good night and stepped back out the door and almost tripped.
You immediately called him back. He popped his head into the room, and you smiled. You told him your full name with the exception of a surname which you said was "Read".
Jim smiled wide, showing his perfect teeth. "Alright then, Read. Good night."
~♡~