Bring Back the Memories

It’s true what they say on TV: waking up in a hospital surrounded by strangers is terrifying. Granted, I managed to play it cool like a comedian once said. It’s rude to just accuse people willy-nilly. It’s rude to just shout, “Who are you?”, in a hospital. It’s really not very nice, so I tried really hard not to do that. Instead, I pretended. I pretended and lied through my teeth. 

“Oh, Celeste, we’re so glad you’re awake,” someone gushed. I had a vague memory of him with a slash on his cheek, but there wasn’t a mark at the moment. Why was that something I remembered? Wait, not remembered. It wasn’t really remembered, but it was something else. 

“Oh, hey, love,” I managed to say, trying to sit up. Black spots danced around my vision.

“Don’t try to do that,” the man suggested. He was the only other one in the room. The more I looked at him, the more confused I got. Who was he? Why did I “remember” him with a scar on his face? Why couldn’t I remember anything before that very moment? What on earth was I doing in a hospital? I just wanted my memories back. What was that image? Why was I here?

“What happened,” I questioned, thinking that was a good place to begin. 

“Of course, you’d ask that. You’re always so to the point. Well, there was an accident, and you got hurt obviously. Sorry, I’m not very good at explaining things. Obviously, you got hurt since you’re in a hospital. There was just an accident. The doctor said you might have some memory loss, but—”

“No, no, I’m fine. I remember everything,” I lied. The man looked me over but seemed to believe me. He was admittedly cute with his short blonde hair and green eyes. He was tall, too. Perfect combination, the perfect man. So, why didn’t I remember him?

“Everything?”

“Yeah, of course.” He grinned, but it seemed forced. No, it was definitely forced. It was almost like a grimace. What was he hiding? Did it have anything to do with the scar I saw on his face?

“Well, I better go tell them you’re awake. I’ll be back, okay?” I nodded, trying to smile. He left, and that’s when I noticed the phone sitting on the nightstand. I turned it on and saw that the lock screensaver. It was a picture of the man and I sitting under a cherry blossom tree. On closer inspection, there wasn’t a ring on my finger. We must just be dating, I supposed. I started to examine the device, but one touch of my thumb and the thing unlocked. Just as I was about to scroll through the device, the door opened. 

“Ms. Samuels, it’s good to see you awake,” the doctor greeted. I managed to smile this time, but the man’s frown just seemed to deepen. “How do you feel?”

“I feel fine, doctor,” I answered. He went through a quick checklist, and I think I gave him the answers he wanted because he grinned at the end. 

“Well, there doesn’t seem to be any permanent damage. We’ll keep you here for another day or two for observation, but after that, you should be free to go,” he declared. 

“Thank you, doctor,” the man said and ushered the doctor out. As soon as the two of them stepped out, I grabbed my phone. It opened easily, and I wasted no time going through my photos and my texts. The man’s name was James, I learned. He was also the last person I texted. 

Come pick me up, it read. There wasn’t much else in the messages, but something was interesting in the photos. It wasn’t anything but a blur of a few buildings as if someone had taken it while sitting in a car. Must have been during the accident, I reasoned. It accounted for the blur. Now if I could just find out where that place was, maybe I could get my memories back. Maybe I could figure out why James was acting so weird. 

Speak of the devil, I thought as he walked into the room. He still wore his dazzling smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Something was definitely up with him. 

“Can I get you anything, Celeste,” he asked. 

“No, love, I think I’m okay,” I replied with a thick British accent. 

“Are you sure? I was thinking of getting you a coffee. You know, the one you really like. The place isn’t too far, I don’t think.” 

“Oh, yeah, that would be nice,” I answered. If he was gone, I’d have more time to look through the phone. He seemed so willing to go anyway. 

“I knew it would. Stay here, okay? I’ll be right back.”

“I don’t think I can go anywhere else,” I joked, but he was already out the door. I counted to thirty before grabbing and opening my phone. I had a new message. 

Where do you want to meet, it read. There wasn’t any contact listed. 

Who are you, I replied. 

What do you mean? It’s Detective George. You’re the one who texted me, came the reply. 

“A detective,” I muttered. Why on earth had I contacted a detective? Dread filled my chest. Something definitely wasn’t right. 

Yes, of course. Detective George. I’m in the hospital actually and can’t leave. 

So, you were right about that boy. He really did it? 

For a moment, I just drummed my fingers against the screen. What could I say that wouldn’t give away the fact that I couldn’t remember? As I thought about it, another image popped into my mind. James was standing over me with a scratch on his cheek. The image seemed a bit blurred, so it took me a moment to realize what was in his hand and why it was pointed at me. When it finally hit me, I wanted to run far, far away from James. I wanted to leave that hospital and skip to another town. I just wanted to put as much distance between me and James as possible. 

Yes, I typed frantically. Whatever you think he did, he did it. 

Whatever I think he did? You were the one who phoned in the tip. 

I cursed under my breath. He was right. I gave myself away. I weighed my options carefully, wondering what to do next. 

Here’s the truth: I can’t remember anything. I have no idea why I told you, but whatever it was, I was right. James is dangerous. 

No, duh, lady. The man’s got assault and rape charges against him. It’s a wonder he hasn’t been arrested. 

I shuddered as James walked into the room. I resisted the urge to quickly slip my phone behind my back. No, that wouldn’t do. I’d just be suspicious. 

“Here. I got your favorite,” James declared with a grin. I nodded, taking the cup from him. It wasn’t too hot, so I went ahead and took a sip. It tasted pretty good, not gonna lie.

“Thanks, love,” I said. He kept smiling, but his eyes scanned me like I was a puzzle he needed to solve. My heart grew cold. Still, I tried not to show it. I just quietly slipped my coffee, acting like this was normal. That’s exactly what I did for the next few days. I pretended like I knew everything. I pretended that nothing was wrong. I faked my way through everything. I texted the detective once or twice, but neither of us seemed to have any evidence to incriminate James. According to Detective George, no one who brought charges against James ever wanted to testify. There was no solid evidence. Of course, I deleted the correspondence after the fact, but whenever I texted Detective George, I was torn. It was obvious he wanted to help us. It was obvious I was doing the right thing. So, why did it feel so wrong? Why did I feel like I was actually betraying James?

One day, after I had deleted everything, an image flashed before my eyes. Like before, it wasn’t exactly a memory. It was James standing over me, like last time, but this time there were flashes of light in the background. What was that, I thought. 

“Are you okay, Celeste,” James questioned. 

“Yes, of course, love,” I managed to reply. He didn’t look like he believed me, but he didn’t ask any more questions. Good, I thought. If he had questioned me, I don’t think I could have lied to his face. 

When I was finally released from the hospital, James and I went out to eat. He reasoned that after all that hospital food, I should have a decent meal. The last thing I wanted to do was be alone with that creep, but I had to play it cool. I had to. So, I busied myself by mentally going over the latest weird image. A part of me was starting to realize what it was, but I wasn’t sure. 

“There’s a sort of festival in town, so I thought we’d go eat at one of the themed places nearby. We can go by some of the booths too,” James explained. I just nodded. We pulled up to a parking lot, and the second I stepped out, I could hear the lively music. I almost wished that I could remember that festival from before. I wanted to see it from a child’s eyes. The wonder of it all would have just been perfect. 

“I see that look. You want to look around. I’ll go order us some food, and you can get started,” James suggested. I blushed. How was it that this creep could be slightly considerate? How could he know my facial expressions so well?

“Okay. Sounds good,” I replied, trying very hard to sound nonchalant. He nodded and headed to one of the food booths. Meanwhile, I started to wander around. 

“Psst,” I heard someone say. I turned around, half expecting to see a vendor with an old vase in their hand. Instead, it was an older lady. The sign outside her booth said the fortune teller. She gestured me in, and without another thought, I followed. Maybe this lady could help me with my visions. She pulled me into the booth, grabbing my hand tight. 

“I sense it. What have you seen, child,” she urged. Was I right? “Your visions, child, you know what they are. Say it. Spit it out.”

“It’s impossible,” I muttered. 

“Nothing is impossible, child. Nothing. Now, I sense great danger. Focus and see. The danger is coming, but you must stop it. Hurry, child, you must.” She clasped my hands tight in her own, and her eyes conveyed such urgency that I couldn’t help but listen. I focused on those images that I had been given. The image of him with a scar, the image of him standing over me, the image of those lights in the background. Then, other images appeared, and for the first time, it was accompanied by audio. 

“You remember, don’t you,” he whispered in my ear. I was staring at a storefront. I focused on the words. The Little Diner, it read. Remember that, I told myself. 

“You say you remember everything, but when I ask you something, I know you don’t remember. You’re starting to. You see me. I can’t have that, Celeste. I just can’t,” he continued. The lights flashed in the background as the image faded to nothing. 

“Did you see it, child? Did you see the danger? Do you know what you must do” the woman inquired. I nodded, and my hands started to shake. As quickly as I could, I jerked away and reached for my phone. The woman smiled sadly, nodded, and gestured me to the back of the booth. I did what I needed to do before joining James at the restaurant. My soul eased slightly. Nevertheless, I didn’t want to be alone with James. You’re not alone, I had to remind myself. We were in a public restaurant. Nothing would happen to me. 

I faked my way through dinner. That’s what I was basically doing. I just faked my way through life. We laughed easily. It was as if I wasn’t eating with a monster. 

“Why don’t we take a walk,” James suggested once we were finished. I hid my shaking hands and nodded. Play it cool, I told myself. Play it cool. We walked through the streets in the fading light. We passed a few empty shops, and I kept my eye out for The Little Diner. When it came into sight, James started to slow but didn’t stop. He didn’t actually stop until we were in front of the store. I tried very hard to keep my breathing steady, but it was hard. I was face to face with a monster. I was face to face with someone who might kill me. James leaned in as if he were going to tell me a secret, but I already knew everything he was going to say. He gripped my hand in his as if this were really a lover’s secret. 

“You say you remember everything, but when I ask you something, I know you don’t remember. You’re starting to. You see me. I can’t have that, Celeste. I just can’t,” he said. Please, please, I pleaded. If there was a God, I was definitely praying. Then, I saw the lights. 

“James Smith, hands in the air. Back away from the woman,” a man cried. That must be the detective, I thought. James growled, tightening his grip on my hand, but did as he was told. 

Everything after was a bit of a blur. All I remembered was sitting on the hood of a car, and everyone bustled around. When I woke up in the hospital, all I wanted was my memories back, but now, maybe this was better.