Suppressing All That's Left

Her name is Sasha Johnson, and she cannot remember her past. Of course, that’s what this prompt states. You expect her not to remember her past. What you want to know is why, and more importantly, why she doesn’t want to.

I remember Sasha’s past. Sasha began life as any child should, playing with her friends, going to school, learning life lessons. At 18, she graduated high school and went straight into college. There, she met Adam. Adam was the love of her life, and they dated all throughout college. Eventually, they both graduated, started working, bought a house, and started living together.

To say Sasha’s life was a happy one would be an understatement. She was living the dream. Adam proposed to her one Valentine’s Day, and, of course, she said yes. They got married and welcomed their first child, a beautiful, healthy baby boy, that same year.

So far so good, right?

Right.

For now.

You see, Adam’s father is a well known political figure, and he’s thwarted the plans of some very dangerous parties. And they want revenge.

Ah, the sweet life of an on-site construction engineer. Hard hats, loud men and even louder machines. It’s going to be a long day, and Adam already can’t wait to get home to his wife and son. Little Raymond’s turning one soon, and he’s the spitting image of his father. Adam’s looking forward to taking his son fishing one day, just like he and his father used to.

As Adam heads back to the site office, a worker, Danny or Shelby or something, approaches him.

“Hey, Adam,” the guy says.

“Hello. Is there something I can help you with?” Adam asks.

“Yes.” The worker, Thomas, Adam recalls, says. “Can we talk about it in the office, though?”

“Sure we can.”

Adam leads the way up the stairs, into the office. As soon as the door closes behind them, Adam feels a thick arm wrap around his neck and a needle force itself into his neck. He struggles, but it’s all for naught.

Adam wakes up in a dark room, shackled to a chair, a dim lightbulb shining on his wife and son, Sasha’s pale, terrified face shocking him awake. She is chained to a pillar with Raymond crying in her arms. Several men in black masks are surrounding them. One of them is on the phone with Adam’s father.

“Thirty million dollars by midnight, or we’ll kill the baby. One hour later, the wife. One hour later, your son.” The man hung up. He walked out of the room, leaving Adam and his family alone with the guards. Adam tried to reassure his wife, but was promptly shut up by one of the masked men. The room falls silent except for Raymond’s sobs and Sasha’s shushing noises.

And then.

Then there’s the sound of a gunshot outside the room. Fear fills Adam’s eyes, and he struggles helplessly against his bonds. Raymond starts wailing, and Sasha holds him to her chest, tears filling her eyes. The masked men start panicking, pointing their weapons at the door. It bursts open, and they start shooting. Bullets rake the wall, the sound of gunfire deafening. Adam’s chair falls onto its side, taking him with it, and his eyes meet Sasha’s. She’s wrapped around the baby, blood flowing from her body, tears flowing from her eyes.

Adam screams.

Sasha wakes up in a bright room. She looks at the nurse, and the nurse says words, and, her voice trembling, scared to know the answer, Sasha asks, Where are my husband and son?

The nurse puts a hand on Sasha’s. I’m so sorry, the nurse’s lips say. Your son didn’t make it. He died before the police could get him out of there.

Tears roll down Sasha’s cheeks, and sobs shake her body. And my husband? Where is he?

He’s… Alive.

Where is he? Sasha begs.

It’s complicated, the nurse says. That’s not important. What’s important is that you rest and recover. You’ve been through a lot recently and you need to take time to process it all.

Raymond’s loss hits Sasha like a brick, and she lets out a long, low cry of grief.

Over the next few days, Sasha spends her time recovering and grieving. One of those days, Adam’s father shows up. The lines on his face have deepened. He doesn’t say anything about Adam. No one talks about Adam.

Sasha leaves the hospital after ten days, or maybe it was two weeks. She doesn’t remember anymore. She visits Raymond’s grave, and she meets Adam there. He’s changed. He tells he that he’s been taking revenge for their child. He promises her that they’ll pay. Sasha tells him that she doesn’t want revenge. She lost her child, she doesn’t want to lose her husband as well. Adam laughs and says that she won’t lose him, but there’s one more person he has to take care of. He’ll see her soon.

Sasha never saw him again.

When Adam’s father came to her with the news of her husband’s death, Sasha broke down. Everything she loved was gone. She saw no reason to continue living.

“Sasha, what if I told you that there was a way for your life to go back to normal?”

“I don’t see anyway that my life could go back to normal.”

“What if there was a way for you to forget everything?”

“I’d take it.”

Sasha lost her memories the next day, and Adam’s father came up to me, asking me to take care of her. I took her far away from that town, and we settled in a big city, living a normal life. Sasha Johnson works as a accountant for a big company, just one more face in a city of faces. Just another person in the crowd. Nobody. Safe. All Adam’s father has left of his son’s family. His family.

So no, Sasha Johnson doesn’t remember her past. But one thing she does remember is that she doesn’t want to.

And as her mother, I intend to keep it that way.