Don't Forget to Remember

My parents said I shouldn't have problems with my memory, because I'm too young to forget. I didn't choose to forget, it just happened automatically. Sometimes I could remember a bit of what I did last week. My mother did everything she could to improve my memory, like books to help you remember things easily, medicine, etc. She did so much just to help me, but nothing seemed to work anymore. As I grew older, my forgetfulness became worse and I would have weird dreams each night. I would dream of experiences, and then have them again in reality. School didn't make it easier.

"Girl, you've got a memory of a dead goldfish!" One girl said.

"I don't even know who you are." I always said.

The memory was not very vivid, but I remember someone who wanted to help me. He was a sweet looking boy, who surprisingly, was jealous of my ability.

"Sometimes it's good to forget. Some moments aren't worth remembering, but I want to help you." he smiled.

"What's the point? I'll probably forget who you are tomorrow."

"Trust me, I'll make sure you won't forget."

We agreed to meet up at the park every day to try and improve my memory. I would tell him about my weird dreams each night and he said the only explanation was that I was psychic.

"Perhaps if you used those experiences in your dreams, it could help you remember the past." he explained.

"I'll try."

But one day, he never showed up. I waited hours and hours, until I forgot who I was waiting for. I was alone again. Memories continued to be deleted, one after the other. Why didn't I ask for his name? I stayed at the park for a bit longer, watching the leaves fall. A little girl ran up to me in curiosity.

"Where's your boyfriend? Every time I see you, you're always with him." the girl looked up with her bright eyes.

"B-Boyfriend?! I don't know what you're talking about."

"He's not your boyfriend...? Oh, then it must be your brother."

"I don't have any siblings."

Suddenly I remembered who my "boyfriend" was. It was that guy. He was so kind. I quickly got up and searched all over the park. Maybe he's running late, right? He couldn't have forgotten me so easily, right? After looking for him for an hour, I went back home. Where could he be? I opened the door and I saw my father reading the newspaper. He had an expression I never usually saw. Sadness. An emotion they didn't want to express around me, to keep me from always assuming it's my fault because of my condition.

"Um, Rose. I have something to tell you." he said hesitantly.

"What is it?"

My dad looked at my mom, and then at me.

"Your friend, Jackson.....Went missing this morning. We thought he was with you, but based on your expression, I don't think you saw him either, did you?"

"He never showed up at the park. It took me a while to remember."

"So he really is missing..."

"I'll look for him. He couldn't have gone far."

"But what if you forget where you are and you get lost?" my mother asked.

"I'll use Google Maps or just I'll call you." I reassured her.

Before they said anything else, I left the house in search of my friend, Jackson. So that was his name. I typed it into my phone so I wouldn't forget this time. As I walked down the street, my neighbor Lauren called out to me.

"Going on an adventure, huh? Mind if I tag along?" she asked.

"Sure."

"Man, not very talkative today, are ya?"

"I'm searching for Jackson. He went missing this morning."

We decided to look for him in the park once more. Next, we searched around the neighborhood. He was nowhere to be found. After searching for a few more hours, Lauren brought some of her friends to help search. With all these people, we could cover more ground. But we still couldn't find him. It was like he completely vanished. After searching a bit longer, everybody else headed back home. I went back to my house to get my bike. If Jackson wasn't here, he could be out of town. He must be. I sat down on a nearby bench and screamed in frustration. He was one of the only people who took time to try and help me...Why would he just vanish for no reason?

I counted to ten and started to search again. I'm glad I brought my phone with me, but I really need to save the battery when I really need it. It was getting too dark for me to see very well, so I laid down on the grass and went to sleep. I had a horrible nightmare, weirder than the dreams I've experienced before. He can't be dead. It's just a dream. I woke up, frantically looking all around me. But my dreams tell the future...I need to find him.

It was early in the morning, and the sun was still rising. But I was unable to rest any longer. The worry inside me increased as each hour passed. My stomach growled in protest as I rode my bike for a few miles. No, no, no. Not now. I gotta look for him. My stomach growled even louder and I looked for the nearest fast food restaurant. I ordered some chicken nuggets from Burger King, trying not to give into the temptation of purchasing a large strawberry milkshake. It was really hot outside, but I have to save my money.

During my next stop, I overheard voices in a dark alley. One of them sounded familiar. Was it Jackson? I peeked around the corner and saw a man with a knife near my friend's neck.

"Ya know, this could've been prevented if you just gave us the money." the man laughed psychotically.

"I need to help my friend, Rose. She needs this money more than you ever will!"

Jackson threw a punch at the man, but the man grabbed his arm and broke it. He winced in pain but smiled when he saw me. You couldn't forget the snapping sound, even with my condition.

"You're a feisty one, aren't ya? the man smiled.

I saw what he was about to do. I'm not allowing my friend to just die because of me. As the knife got closer I screamed at the man.

"LEAVE MY FRIEND ALONE!"

"Oh, was this the Rose you talked about, Jackson?" he whipped his head in my direction.

As the insane man was distracted, it gave my friend an opportunity to fight back. Jackson punched the knife out of his hands, making it slide across the concrete. But he didn't need the knife to kill him. The man punched him in the head, causing him to fall to the ground. As he grabbed the knife, Jackson turned to me.

"Now you better not forget these words, because these are very important: I'll always be here for you, no matter what happens to me." Jackson smiled.

"If you never met me, this wouldn't have happened to you. Why did you even decide to help me in the first place?"

"Because you're different. And that's a good thing. Now Rose, don't forget to remember me when I'm gone, ok?"

As he said those final words, the man stabbed him right in the chest.

"Don't forget to remember....." he whispered.

I screamed at the horrible sight of blood slowly oozing out of him. Why? Just why? Suddenly, I hear a voice behind me.

"Don't cry. Please. Didn't I tell you I will always be here for you, even as a ghost?" the voice said.

"Jackson?!" I turned my head behind me, immediately regretting it, after realizing my friend's killer was still here. He walked closer and closer, clutching the bloody knife in his hand. I hear people yelling behind me.

"There he is!" a police officer yelled.

"It appears that we are too late. Are you alright, miss?" another police officer asked.

The killer cursed under his breath, as the police handcuffed and shoved him in their car. I called my parents to pick me up. I thought about what Jackson said before he died. Don't forget to remember? What does that mean?

"It means that you shouldn't forget about me yet. I'm still helping you, you know." the same voice chuckled.

You can hear my thoughts?

"Yep. Now don't you forget it, Rose."