~~
He followed me out of the school, so I went around back to the playground. As we crossed the playground, he was about twenty paces behind me. There were a few other kids around, so I dawdled until they left, until it was just Zackery and me on the playground. I was on the monkey bars pretending to study. I did it often because I really liked it up there, I don't know why, I just did. He sat on a swing with a book, but I could feel his eyes on me. I quickly jumped down and ran over to Zackery, grabbing the chain of the swing.
"Why are you following me?" I yelled.
"What do you mean?" he asked calmly.
"You've been following me around and staring at me all day. Why?" he sighed and stared at me. "What?" I asked.
"You don't remember, do you?"
"Remember what? I don't remember anything before six months ago!"
"Two months." he whispered, "What happened to you during the other two months?"
"What do you mean?"
"I haven't seen you in eight months."
"Excuse me? Who are you? I have never seen you before today!"
"Syl was right, you did lose your memory."
"Who is Syl?"
"Our sister. I'm your brother, Zack."
"I don't have any siblings, get the $^(& away from me, and stop following me!" I yelled, pushing him away. I turned to go back across the playground.
"Wait!" he called, and for some reason I turned back to him.
"What?"
"You honestly don't remember? About where you grew up? Me, Max, Zane, Syl? Any of us?"
"No! Who are Max and Zane? More brothers?"
"A brother and a sister. You and Max were close; she would look up to you often. You don't know how you got the barcode tattoo on your neck?"
I put my hand to my neck. My hair covered the mark, my foster mother wanted me to cut it, but I felt the need to cover the tattoo. "What do you know about that?" I was practically shouting.
He turned and lifted his shaggy hair. "I have one too. So do Max, Zane, Syl Krit, Jondi, all of us!" he turned and looked at me again, I was amazed.
"Why can't I remember?" I asked in a low voice. "Where do I come from? How come I know so much about martial arts and I can run fast, and see in the dark."
"Maybe it's best if you don't remember." He said quietly. Then he turned and ran away, shouting, "I'll be back someday!"
""Wait!" I yelled, running after him, but he jumped the fence and took off before I could catch up.
The next day, he was not in school.
~~
He followed me out of the school, so I went around back to the playground. As we crossed the playground, he was about twenty paces behind me. There were a few other kids around, so I dawdled until they left, until it was just Zackery and me on the playground. I was on the monkey bars pretending to study. I did it often because I really liked it up there, I don't know why, I just did. He sat on a swing with a book, but I could feel his eyes on me. I quickly jumped down and ran over to Zackery, grabbing the chain of the swing.
"Why are you following me?" I yelled.
"What do you mean?" he asked calmly.
"You've been following me around and staring at me all day. Why?" he sighed and stared at me. "What?" I asked.
"You don't remember, do you?"
"Remember what? I don't remember anything before six months ago!"
"Two months." he whispered, "What happened to you during the other two months?"
"What do you mean?"
"I haven't seen you in eight months."
"Excuse me? Who are you? I have never seen you before today!"
"Syl was right, you did lose your memory."
"Who is Syl?"
"Our sister. I'm your brother, Zack."
"I don't have any siblings, get the $^(& away from me, and stop following me!" I yelled, pushing him away. I turned to go back across the playground.
"Wait!" he called, and for some reason I turned back to him.
"What?"
"You honestly don't remember? About where you grew up? Me, Max, Zane, Syl? Any of us?"
"No! Who are Max and Zane? More brothers?"
"A brother and a sister. You and Max were close; she would look up to you often. You don't know how you got the barcode tattoo on your neck?"
I put my hand to my neck. My hair covered the mark, my foster mother wanted me to cut it, but I felt the need to cover the tattoo. "What do you know about that?" I was practically shouting.
He turned and lifted his shaggy hair. "I have one too. So do Max, Zane, Syl Krit, Jondi, all of us!" he turned and looked at me again, I was amazed.
"Why can't I remember?" I asked in a low voice. "Where do I come from? How come I know so much about martial arts and I can run fast, and see in the dark."
"Maybe it's best if you don't remember." He said quietly. Then he turned and ran away, shouting, "I'll be back someday!"
""Wait!" I yelled, running after him, but he jumped the fence and took off before I could catch up.
The next day, he was not in school.
~~
