We Stand Together

I awoke to my head throbbing. I groaned, rubbing my eyes and then opening them. I was in a bright white room, with seemingly no doors or windows. But there had to be an opening of some kind, or else it would be impossible for me to be here. I figured it must be hidden. I pushed myself to my feet and winced. My muscles were very stiff and sore, as if I had gotten into a fight. I walked slowly over to one wall, and ran my hand over it, feeling for the tiniest of cracks. 

I began walking, moving my hand up and down over the wall. Nothing. I sat down, defeated, and tried to remember how I had gotten there. I frowned. I couldn’t recall anything that had happened before I woke up. I tried thinking back further. I had no memory of my childhood, my life, my family. Not even my name. The only thing that does come to mind is ‘united in the truth, we stand together’. Suddenly, I heard a crackle from above me. I looked up, but couldn’t see the speaker which had to be there, invisible to my eye. 

“Hello, Nathan,” a smooth female voice said. “Do you know why you are here?”

“Yes,” I lied, immediately suspicious. “I remember everything.”

“Is that so?” I heard muffled voices in the background. Then, the room began to fill with pink gas. Instinctively, I held my breath. I couldn’t breathe it in. I didn’t know what it was, and I definitely couldn’t trust these people. What were they doing to me?

“Congratulations. You’ve passed the test. You are now free to exit.” A door to my right opened. I jumped back, refusing to go through. They’d have to drag me. Unfortunately, it seemed they planned to do just that. A man stood there waiting for me. 

“Come on, then,” he said. He had a cheery British accent. “Off we go.” He lifted me to my feet easily, gently took my arm, and led me out of the white room and into what looked like a lab. 

“Now then,” he said. “Have a seat. I’ll get you some hot chocolate.”

“Hot ch- what am I, a child?” I scoffed, although I had no idea how old I was.

“Well, you wouldn’t prefer tea, would you?” I stayed silent. “That’s what I thought.” the man turned around. He poured hot water from a kettle into each of two cups, then put a tea bag in one and a mix in the other. He added milk to both, then handed me the hot chocolate. I put it on the table between us, not trusting it. 

“Nathan.” The man looked slightly uncomfortable. “I have been given the task of telling you your past. You see-” 

“I told you- or, them- in the room. I remember everything. Even if I didn’t, why would I trust you? You’re working for the people who want my memory gone.”

“Nathan, that pink smoke was just steam dyed pink. We told you we would spray it after the purple before you went in. The fact that you don’t remember that tells us that you don’t remember everything else. You can stop pretending now.” I stared.

“Nathan,” he began again. “You were convicted for the murder of three people. Your wife, daughter, and son.”

I was shocked. My eyes widened. I was suddenly glad I wasn’t holding the hot chocolate, because I would have dropped it. I could tell by the sincerity in his eyes that it was true- I had killed my whole family. Why? Why would I do something like that? Deep down, I knew I was stubborn, and tactical. If someone I loved had made me upset, would I really do something so harsh? I couldn’t believe it. 

“We’re here to help you get a second chance. You have no memory of the incident, or anything else about yourself. You can start over as a new person,” the man said, earnestly. I met his eyes. 

“Okay.” I agreed. The man nodded to me, and another door opened, again on the right. The man gestured to it. I walked through it on my own. The door closed behind me. I was in the lab area. I looked around, watching everyone work. I tried to decide who would be best to approach, when someone grabbed me by the arm and yanked me into a dark hallway, secluded from everyone else. Without thinking about it, I twisted away and prepared to fight, but the man that had grabbed me held his hands up. His eyes were fearful, his hair disheveled, and his white lab coat was stained. 

“Nathan, they’re lying,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw that they’d gotten you. You of all people.”

“Oh?” I said. 

“We’re spies. They’re corrupt. They want us gone so they can control the world. Here, take this. It will help you get your memory back.” I looked down at his hand. He held a small, green pill in his open palm, offering it to me. I looked back at the man’s face. He seemed to care about my well being, to really know me. He was also trusting me with this secret of his. 

“I didn’t really kill them then?” I asked. Something about his features seemed tight, as if there was something he wasn’t saying. Sure enough, his face melted into one of grief. 

“Irene and the kids… they were brainwashed. It was necessary for your mission.”

“And that makes it better?” I made a decision. “I don’t want to remember. I don’t want the pill. I’ll take your word for it.”

“Are you sure?” He seemed surprised. “You would lose all of your happy memories as well as your bad.” 

I hesitate another second, then say “It’s better if I don’t remember. I’m afraid they would say something and I’d beat them up and low our cover. Let them believe I trust them for now.”

The man nods. “I’m Levi, by the way. It feels weird that you don’t remember me; we’ve been friends since we were kids.”

I grin. “Sounds like we have some catching up to do then.” 

“Indeed. United in truth- oh, right-”

“We stand together,” I finish. “That’s the one thing I did remember.”

“Our motto. How practical. Good luck, friend,” Levi says, slipping back around the corner. I take a deep breath, and reemerge into the light, ready to face the people who took my memories of my past and made me forget everything I stand for. We stand together.