Chapter 8

"You promised," Alma said.

I found myself standing in the field with the swing again. I was pushing Alma on the swing as I said, "I'll protect you, Alma. Always. I promise."

Darkness surrounded me.

"You lied," I heard Alma say. "You betrayed me."

I saw Alma screaming in pain, strapped into some kind of machine. She was crying for me to help her, but I just stood there, fighting the urge to rush to her aid.

I watched coldly as needles were injected into her skin. A scientist came towards her with a syringe in his hand, and she screamed, begging once more for my help.

"No," my voice was bitter.

Alma's eyes widened. She shouted in anger and tried to lash out at the scientist. The scientist laughed as he plunged the needle into Alma's arm.

Alma screamed. The scientist let go of the syringe and clutched his head in his hands. My head began to hurt, and my vision started to turn red. And suddenly...

I was back on the floor of the warehouse.

"You let them hurt me," Alma said.

I gasped. I didn't want to believe her, but somehow I knew it was true. Alma was approaching me slowly. I scooted across the floor in an attempt to keep my distance from her.

She screamed, as the entire building began to shudder. Rubble fell from the ceiling, and the whine of buckling metal could be heard.

I knew I had to get out of there quickly. I leapt up and sprinted towards a door, but as soon as I opened it, Alma stood on the other side of the doorway. I turned and fled from her. I looked desperately for another exit, but I noticed something out of place. Alma looked terrified, and she was crying.

"Please, Brother. Stop running away!" she sobbed.

I was stunned. Alma was crying? She stumbled forward and pulled me in a cold embrace, still sobbing.

Part of me was screaming at me to complete my mission and kill her. But for some reason, my other half wouldn't let me do it.

"Please! Don't let them get me!" she screamed. "I don't want to go back!"

I was to busy with an internal conflict to answer. More memories of my forgotten past were returning, waging war with my current memories. I remembered the horrible things they did to Alma, but I also knew how many people she had murdered.

"Why do you help them!" she cried, "After what they did to you, why?"

I was confused. What was she talking about?

"Don't you remember? They killed you!"

"What?" I excalaimed.

And then I let out a gasp. I remembered.