I am awakened by a few blood thirsty mosquitoes the next morning. There's that 'Good morning' for me again. I swatted them away, and roll over so the palms of my hands were laid flat on the floor. There I slowly push myself up to a sitting position, and stretched. My knuckles accidentally bump onto something behind me lightly, and I yelped. I almost forgot there was a wall behind me. I rub my eyes a bit, to get rid of some dirt and dust found around my eyelids.
As I look at my surroundings, slowly I re-collect where I was, and what happened. I look up, and see day light pouring through some of the beams and pillars above me. To my wall-less left, a wide field of view of the terrains outside welcomes me. Where I last saw Remember heading towards.
That reminded me of something - did Remember return?
I immediately fold and tuck my sleeping bag away. I rinsed my mouth out with a bit of water, ruffled my shirt and got my bag ready. Once these tasks were completed, I was now headed towards the stairs with a good kick start to my energy. Half of me was anticipating to see Remember, him standing there by the entrance once I hit the ground floor.
However, the second I reach the bottom floor I am welcomed by a surprise horde of flies and other scavengers. They were currently feasting on the dead body that Remember has killed the other day-that is until I showed up. I gasped, and wave them away quickly. The crows squawked and screeched at me, before continuing their feast. Once I was at a safer distance, did I turn back. I stare at the half eaten body, which was now swarming with flies laying eggs and crows. Maggots could be seen crawling beneath all that flesh and skin if I looked hard enough.
Strange. I then recalled back in the truck me and Remember were in, how I was constantly being attacked by a few mosquitos. he in the other hand, was not. Maybe mosquitos didn't sense any source of blood from the infected.
My mind retraces back even further. I shouldn't even be calling them 'the dead or 'living dead' in the first place. I sighed.
That's when a pale, clawed hand reaches out from the side and takes my shoulder. I release a scream, and turn instantly, only to see someone I'm already expected to meet; Remember.
"R-Remember!" I gawked, feeling a bit embarrassed of what I did just now. I shouldn't be surprise to see him, let alone by startled by this old habit of his. He was always the one to give a quiet almost unseen 'Hello'.
He only takes one good look at me, and turns away. The reminder of what happened yesterday was still fresh in his mind. And now it was my turn to remember it as well.
"H-Hey, Remember." I hesitated. "About yesterday..."
My hand lowers, gripping tightly along the bottom edges of my blouse. I had to say it.
"I'm sorry."
He doesn't respond. At first glance, it seemed as though he didn't hear me so I repeat it. "Remember, I'm sorry."
Still, not a word comes out from him. I could've sworn I spoken more loudly this time, yet-
"What do you mean?" He asked, turning back to face me with dumbfounded eyes. "What is 'sorry'?"
Now I know for sure he heard it, but just didn't...know what it mean?
How was I to explain this?
"Umm....i-it means that I feel sad, and regretful for what I did." I answered. "And I want to ask for you to forgive me."
"Oh, and 'forgive' means to accept what I did wrong." I also point out, to avoid making any more confused and lost as he is now. "And let us move on."
His eyes narrowed at me, which makes me nervous. My eyes are drawn to the floor. In the corner of my eyes, I can see him slowly come to realize what I had meant. "You're...sorry."
I nodded.
"That's it?"
"I-I also want you to forgive me," I added. "Please."
"That's it?"
I swallowed nervously. "Y-Yes."
What more did he want from me?
Remember takes another moment to think. Once he's finished though, he only faces away from me a few strands of hair covering his unseen eyes. He murmurs something to himself. And the next thing you know, he doesn't give me the response I had expected - not even close to what I hoped for.
"That's all you have to say to me?"
"H-huh?"
"You saying 'sorry' to me...you think this will fix it." He asks louder. "Is saying just this 1 word suppose to fix everything?"
"I-"
He flashes me a stare, eyes enraged with darkness. "I don't see anything from this word 'sorry'. I don't feel anything, nothing is happening. How does this word help solve anything?!"
He stomps on one foot, causing the ground to crack right beneath his right foot. The cracks stretch a little more then a foot, but it sure caused me to take one step back. I didn't know what to say to him now.
I can hear his heavy breathing now. "Humans...are such evil beings. They can hurt things, hurt others so much...yet easily fix things with just a simple 'sorry'?! How is this possible?"
"N-no, that's not true!" I say back quickly. "We can't always just say a simple 'sorry'! We also do other things to show that we're sorry too, like-"
"But you're telling me that you're 'sorry' and that's it."
I bite my lip. No, he got me there. I don't know what else I could possibly give him, especially at a time like this. With one last try, I speak up. "I-"
"I hate you."
I froze upon hearing that. It was those 3 words that came out from his mouth. It was aimed at me, hits me like a thousand needles, and all I am left here now, is to live with them. Remember hates me. He said it with no feeling, no hate or anger being put into the response. It sounded so empty, as empty as his face and expression most of the time yet - it hurts.
The outer corners of my eyes starts to burn. My nose begins to grow stuffy, as well as the inside of my throat. But I hold it back. At that moment, everything around me goes to a stop. I no longer hear the crows and flies busily eating in the corner. The winds becomes more rough, as if attempting to push me to my senses. The entire building itself seemed to dim, and grow dark. A cloud has run in between the sun and us, leaving only it's shadow to cast over us. The second it moves out, Remember is already turned away from me. His red scarf swaying under the winds command.
"I can kill you, if I wanted to." He stated. "But, I won't."
And these were most likely the last words I'll ever hear from him again. Remember proceeded to walk away now, leaving me in the dust.
"N-No.." I whimpered. "Wait, Remember-"
"Wait?" He mocked. "For a slow being such as yourself?"
I frowned. Okay, that crossed the line. "Hey, I'm not slow. I can still follow you well, as long as your not leaping and running. I can't leap that high like you do. But I can still follow you well by running like before, if you'd Remember-"
"Alright then, I'll only walk." He says and continues to walk away. With that, he turns and gives me an eye. "But you will still never catch up."
His hands clenches tightly. "And that is one of the many things that makes you and I different."
And with that, he goes off. I too, follow, accepting his challenge with open arms.
But unexpectedly, his walking starts to quicken. His legs move in a faster pace, as to the point where he could overpass speed walking. Yet somehow, he was still considered walking?
I find myself from walking, to jogging, and now I'm running through the building after him. Every step he took, is a about 5-10 running steps for me. I could already feel the wind start to whizz by me roughly, from the speed I'm going at.
No more then a few seconds were we out of the construction site. I noticed now that we were headed out a new and different exit. What I didn’t expect was that there would be a huge parking lot just by the building. And also that it would be jammed packed with thrown cars, trucks and trailers. Through the first half, I was constantly steering around car trunks, cautiously walking over their heads and most importantly - making sure that there were none of 'them' were nearby. Even so, Remember was getting farther and farther from me at the minute. I was starting to lose sight of him. Soon enough, it would be his footsteps that I had to follow, and keep an ear on. Walking through a deserted land of a wide parking lot filled with vehicles was not the situation I'd expected.
Once I get to a small opening, did I stop. I look around, seeing nothing but cars, briefcases some clothing and trash surrounding me. Now where did he go?
From the corner of my eye, I catch something. A figure with a long figure on it's back walks under a series of vehicles. I quickly rush over there, only to stop and met a new challenge.
A flipped car lays over a van and a trailer. It's hinges crushes the beige van's body, lying at a slight angle, with it's windows all shattered. between the two ground vehicles however, there left a gap, wide and tall enough for me to walk under it.
My first impression is to go through the gap, but I hesitated to do so. The blue car was swaying somewhat, not looking so steady the way it was positioned. If at the wrong time, it could fall and crush me the second I was completely or even partially under it.
I take a deep breath. If Remember was able to go though here, then I could too. His footsteps where growing farther, so I needed to hurry. With one hand shielding my head, I too bend over a bit, and walk under the car. I looked down to make sure the floor itself was stable.The ground has some grass and it wasn't too bumpy. There is no random piece of rock or anything for me to trip over, like those scenes in those horror movies; where you'd see a character trip over something.
I'm still in good shape when I reach the other side. But, not for long. The second I was out, the sunlight is the first thing that hits me. I look up and -'Bang!'
My forehead hits one of its side mirrors. A split second of pain is felt, and I cringed. My eyes started to water. I crouched down low, reach up with both my hands to cover the bump that would soon form there. It hurts.
"You're okay Rima. You're okay Rima....." I tell myself over and over again, as I slowly massaged the injured spot. Yep, a bump definitely was growing there.
Once the pounding subsided, I was strong enough to get back to my feet. But once I got up, something snaps. My foot steps over a twig by accident.
And that is the only sound I hear now. That, and the distant ringing noises of cicadas. I couldn't see Remember, no longer hear his footsteps. Now I was truly lost and alone.
"Remember?" I called out, but there was no response. Now I really was lost. This was almost like the time Professor Amy brought me in to see the laboratory. Except in this case, it was in a larger scale area, where no one could find me. And I could find no one.
My chest tightens. I can feel sweat form from the sides of my forehead. Alone and defensive-less in a place like this.
There was no way I'd stay here. Immediately I cry out, "Remember!" And broke into a run. The sounds of my running footsteps were as loud as the beating of my own heart. My bag grinds against the cold drenched shirt on my back, with every second my heel hits the ground.
"Remember!" I cry again, and run around the side of a black full size car. "Rem-"
That's when suddenly, a hand comes out and covers my mouth, another hand clutching my hip as it pulls me into the black vehicle. I was grabbed by someone, and I'm immediately thrown onto the back seat, by the pursuer. The figure is crouched over in the passenger seat, holding a gun in his hands. Before I can react, the figure in front of me has pulled the passenger door closed.
I desperately begin to kick and thrash frantically at the figure before me, aiming towards his head and neck, but it was no use. It was to dark inside the vehicle to actually see the person's face. All I could see was that the person was wearing a cap over it's head, and dark sunglasses that covered his eyes. Apart from that, there was nothing else I could tell from this guy other then the fact the he just kidnapped me!
He barely responds to my direct hits, nor does he speak. Instead, upon getting me into the vehicle, he no longer shows interest in me. Instead he looks to the left, staring straight out of the rear car window, ignoring my attacks. I then shoot my knee towards his right ear, while screaming at the top of my lungs. "Help-!"
However, he easily blocks my move with his arm, and grits his teeth. Now he turns to face me, and places one finger vertically on his lips.
"Shh!" The person hushed quietly. Meanwhile, I was now struggling to pry the other door above me with my hands. Somehow though, the door wouldn't open.
"That door's not gonna open." He speaks in a matter of fact tone. "It's jammed shut."
But I ignore him, and continue to push at the handle above me. I roll over so that my knees and elbows are resting on the old leathery seat, and continue to push. Sadly enough, it still wouldn't open. He was right.
I then turn back to him, who was currently blocking the right passenger door. He didn't appear to be much. Just a guy in a military suit, wearing a bag almost like mines, but with more slots on it. At first, I almost thought he could be another one of the soldiers from Professor Grant's outpost. That green "G" logo wasn't present on any part of his clothing though, so it'd be safe for me to assume he wasn't.
My eyes then catches the large gun he has strapped over his right shoulder. I return to looking at him, with a glare.
"W-Who are you...?"
Once again, he looks out the back window. There was a small crack on the window, no larger then the size of a fist, which allowed light from the outside to pass through into the vehicle. most of the light lands across his face, reflecting upon the shades of his aviators.
"I'm here to help." Are the words that falls out from his lips
I was puzzled by his response. "Help?"
He only nodded at the window, and with that pulls out his equipped weapon. It had a scope strapped over the main body, as well as a long barrel with some sort of muzzle at it's end. Almost immediately I was able to guess it, as no other then a sniper rifle.
At first glance, I'd sworn he was going to use it to kill me- right here, right now. But instead he holds up the black shining weapon, and starts positioning it on the flat surface, over the cargo area. two bipods are then folded and opened out, forming almost an upside down "V" shape in front of the lower receiver.
"Tch. This isn't going to render the recoil much." He mumbles to himself. "But it'll do."
I can see the bipods being pressed against the rear headrest, as he continues adjusting the angle properly. It takes at least a minute until he finally finishes, and slowly pokes the end of the barrel out through the shattered hole on the rear windscreen.
I gulped nervously. What was he planning to use that for?
"W-Who are you aiming that at?"
He peers through the scope once, then twice before giving an answer. "That one, over there." He pointed.
Hmm? I too, look out through the dust stained windows. In the distance, over the dozens of messed and mixed up piles of unused vehicles, I can see a lone figure standing there. It was hard to tell who it was- or whether it was even human or not.
"Here." He offers me to peer into the scope. and I do.
Once my left eye is fully aligned with the scope, I could see the figure nice and clearly now. That lone moving figure was no other then Remember.
I gasped. "It's-"
"Another one of then." The boy finishes, with a huff. He swats away a strand of hair, and takes back his place at the scoping.
I bit my lip nervously. "But..."
I've now returned to gazing though the window, at the distant figure of Remember, who was now prowling alone in the catastrophe. He'd walk right over cars and more cars, without hesitation and was nearing the end of the parking lot. That's when he stops.
"Bingo." The soldier smirks, and proceeds to load a bullet into the gun. I notice Remember, who was now standing quite still where he was, look at his surroundings as if he was the one who is lost. He seemed to be searching for someone. Could it be...?
I hesitated. "W-wait."
With a quiet "Chk!" sound, he closes the cartridge, and positions himself once more. He raises his right hand over the grip, and stretched his right and index fingers out at the ready. Here, he flexes his two fingers, in and out as if already pulling back the trigger.
Eyes wide open, I have already known what he was about to do. Right from the start I have, but I was too afraid to admit it to myself. this boy was going to shoot him. He was going to kill remember.
"S-Stop." I whimpered, but he doesn't hear it.
"I gotta kill him." He snaps. "Can't you see that it's one of them?!"
"Y-yes but..." I couldn't finish, the second a whole swarm of voices comes pouring into my ears. They were the voices of Remember. "But..."
"You didn't save a living being. You saved... A dead being."
"I'll make sure nothing will hurt you."
"I want a name.Can you give me a name?"
"My name from now on is Remember. Do you like that name Rima?"
"You're my friend Rima!"
That's when I see his fingers now grasped firmly over the trigger. This time, he was going to pull it for real. Before I could think, my emotions got the better of me.
"STOP!" I screamed with a hard shove, and knock the sniper rifle over. The bipod tilts to the left, directing the aim to shift as well the moment the trigger goes off. We both hear the bullet go off right on cue. And although I couldn't see it, I'd knew that for sure it would miss Remember.
The soldier was furious. "Why'd you do that for?!"
He proceeds to re-position, but not until I had a hold of it as well. with both arms, I grab at the weapon's main body. He tugs at it. "Let go of my gun!"
My hands refused to let go of his rifle. I myself, shake my head in refusal.
"Are you out of your god damn mind?!"
"I don't want you to kill him!" I cried.
"Why the hell shouldn't I?!" He cries back.
"B-Because..." I sobbed. "Because, he's my-"
But before I could finish, the whole lid of the car (Or what remains above us) tears off and a shadowy figure appears above us. Sunlight now pouring in, we both gaze up and see Remember.
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Uh oh, wonder who that could be! OAO Please leave a vote and comment~