Psuche
Prologue: In Memory
"...Simon?" A familiar voice stirred me from my stupor; it was Ashley. Was this before the- "You need me to close the shop for you, or do you want to gawk at the books a little bit longer?"
"Oh, s-sorry about that." I remember it being a humid night, before it began to rain; me and Ashley were the last ones to leave the Grimoire.
"You alright, Simon? You've been acting distant, lately; like you're in another world or something." Was that something she told me? I must be having difficulty remembering this; maybe if I could…
"I guess I've just been thinking a lot, as of late." I spoke with slight hesitance, "I feel so much more alive now, but I'm always wondering how much time I'll have before..."
"Before what?" I think of what to say, but how could I explain it to her without sounding crazy? "Before I die from brain damage, or possibly another failed treatment model." I can see how well that conversation would go.
"Never-mind, I'll tell you about it later." I locked up the store's metal shutters and followed Ashley to my car, before a thought occurred to me; "Hey Ashley… there's been something I've been meaning to talk to you about."
She turned around, her brown eyes staring attentively through her glasses; "Is there something wrong, Simon?"
"Oh no, nothing like that," Images of her last moments already come to my mind; blood seeping from her mouth and nose as she struggled to breath, before I lost consciousness, "It's just… if something ever happens to you or me, I want you to know that-"
I feel a rumbling in one of my pockets; I bring it out, only to see a name on the screen: David Munshi. "Who's David Munshi? Ashley asked me, giving off an inquisitive look on her face. Before I could answer her, I felt something warm trickle down the front of my scalp; I wiped off what was on my forehand, before I saw what was on my hand: blood, and it was my own.
"Oh no… not again."
"Simon, you're bleeding;" Her expression quickly changed, she was beginning to panic, "Simon? Simon!?" Her voice began to fade as my vision got blurry, feeling as if I was vanishing from existence. As everything began to go black, the sound of my phone still buzzing, all that I could think of was this: "Why is there never enough time?"