“I didn’t fall off a stage, did I.”
Anna shakes her head. “No, Daniel erased your memories to protect you. He hoped they’d come back once you were safe.”
“Am I safe now?”
“No. But you will be as long as no one knows you remember anything. You’re not a threat to them right now. We only have one chance at this, which is why it’s critical we play it right.”
“But don’t you work for them? Why are you helping us?”
She blinks away sudden moisture in her eyes. “I’ve watched them torture and experiment on that boy for many years. I watched him withdraw and become a statue in order to survive. I should have stepped in earlier, but when your memories return you’ll know why it was impossible. I couldn’t take it anymore and did something so horrendous I still can’t sleep at night. It was terrible, but we agreed it was the only way he could escape. It was all he begged for. Then you came along.”
“Me?”
She wipes her eyes through a weak smile. “You reminded him that he’s still human and maybe there’s something worth fighting for. You turned his quest for survival into a reason to live. I’m here because he deserves that chance, and you deserve to help give it to him. You two need each other. Don’t ignore your dream. That’s your foundation.”
“You realize this all sounds ridiculous, right?” Even as I say it, a deep part of me hopes it’s not. My blood pounds harder the longer I stare at the familiar stranger. I want to know him, touch him, consume him like I do in my dreams. I want him to live and have everything Anna thinks he deserves.
“I’m sorry if I’ve overwhelmed you. I don’t expect you to trust me yet or believe what I’m telling you. All I’m asking is that you reserve judgment until your memories return.”
“So is this Daniel okay? I’m not fighting for a memory? He’s still alive?” I don’t like the way she pales and stares at her hands.
“He’s alive,” she says without looking at me.
“But?”
Anna wipes her eyes again and pushes herself up. “That’s all I can tell you right now. We have to get back before we raisesuspicions. Remember, not a word to anyone, or all of us will be in danger.”
Chapter 19: Memory
The memories don’t return. The nights continue their endless loop of powerful dreams about a stranger, but I have very little information to discuss with Anna during the day. I sense her agitation about our lack of progress, though I know she doesn’t blame me.
Besides, my frustration is worse. I’m the one failing, the mystical savior who can’t even remember what she’s supposed to be saving. What if something happens to this person before we can intervene? It’s not hard to read Anna enough to know he’s in trouble.
Anna enters with more urgency than usual today. She closes the door and offers a quick greeting before motioning for me to sit down. “I have a message for you,” she whispers, and passes me a scrap of paper.
I take it with a trembling hand. “Is this from…?”
She nods, and my heart pounds. Hot blood streaks through my veins as I trace the tattered note and fight for the strength to open it. It’s a strange feeling to hold a piece of a dream in your hand. Evidence you don’t recognize but should. After a long pause, I draw in a deep breath.
I stare at Anna in shock. “This is my handwriting.”
Anna nods again. “I’ve been trying to get reports to him about your progress whenever I can, and he gave me this hoping it might help. He added to it, though.”
“I sent this to him?” Tears gather in my eyes as I gaze at the neat printing. Underneath my: “Remember my heart as I remove my trigger,” he added, “Now, it’s my turn.”
My fingers brush the letters while the tears drip down my cheeks. One lands on the paper, puckering a small dot. Somehow, it seems right: our connection framed in tears.
“Please, let me help him now. I know we want to wait but—”
“Not until you remember.”
“I can’t just sit here waiting for nothing! What if the memories never come back? What if I never see him again because I can’t remember in time to save him?”
Anna motions for me to calm down, and I press my palms against my eyes.
“How can I love someone I don’t even know?”
“I’m not sure, but you do, so use it. Stop trying to ignore your dreams because they bring you pain, and focus on them instead. They’re a tool. Let them awaken the rest.” She leans forward. “Let’s start small. Do you remember what this note means? It must be some kind of coded message between the two of you.”