Chapter 7:

Authors Note: How do you like it so far??? :) :) :) Well, now that Max is in the picture, I can concentrate on her character now as well. So don't be surprised if I change points of view between Logan and Max. Just warning you incase you get confused. I might do that sometimes, so just bear with me!

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Chapter 7: Lost Memories

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"What?" Logan asked in disbelief.

"Who are you?" Max demanded now sitting up and staring Logan in the face with cold eyes.

Logan quickly got up from his seat. Max, Max didn't know who he was? He knew that was a possibility but he never expected it to actually happen. What was he to do? Where would he go from here? Logan finally decided he would play it cool. After all, she had to remember who he was sooner or later right? But what if she didn't? What if

"I asked you a question, are you going to answer me or not?"

Logan turned around to face her, rubbing his hand over his face he took a deep breath. Then he began,

"My name is Logan Khale. You really don't remember me at all?"

Max answered in her smart allelic voice, "If I knew you, don't you think I would tell you dumb ass?"

Logan smiled and answered; "Well at least your attitude is still intact. What do

you remember first? I mean, right after you got back to Manticore?"

Max looked at him, "How did you know I went back to Manticore?"

Logan sat down beside Max, reaching to take her hand into his; she snatched it away and said, "Get away from me!"

Logan quickly got up from his seat. He walked to the doorway and paused.

Just as Logan was about to walk out the door something stirred inside of Max. She wasn't sure what it was. Max believed this Logan' person. She didn't know why, but she believed every word that he had said so far to her. There was something familiar about him. A sort of longing to be with him. She wasn't sure what it was. It was like she had seen him in another life or something. She stopped him before he walked out of the door,

"Listen, I don't remember you ok? For some reason I know that I have seen you somewhere. I don't know. It's like dayshavu you know? I just don't feel like talking right now ok?"

Logan nodded and without saying a word left the room. As Logan shut the door he held his breath. He didn't want Max to here him shed silent tears whether she remembered him or not.

Max started to get out of bed. But a piercing pang shot through her temple down the back of her neck to her barcode.

"Ha, damn it!"

She lay back down, lifting her fingers to rub around the disk that she expected to be there. She was surprised. It was gone. The tiny metal disk had been removed. She rubbed the area anyway's. Soon the pain had ceased to a minor thumping. She felt tired, but she didn't want to sleep. Why should she if she could go without it?

So Max got up slowly. Walking over to a night dresser and vanity that was along a wall in the room. One large mirror served as the vanity. Max looked at herself in the mirror. She had small yet noticeable circles underneath her dark eyes. Her hair looked a mess and she was still wearing her soldier uniform. Her mask was missing but she didn't really care. Max looked down at the dresser top. Running her hand over the smooth wood surface. She took in everything around her. Was this some test Manticore had cooked up? Was she meant to be here? Or had she really escaped?

Max looked into the mirror again. In the reflection she saw a window that was behind her. Walking over to it, she pulled back the maroon curtains and looked outside. A street, people, actual people. Real people! She knew this because she enhanced her sight and saw that none of them had been bugged', no wires or cables were attached to anyone. No bar codes had been printed on anyone's neck as hers had been. It was nighttime. Across the street she saw a garbage can full of flames, serving as warmth for a group of old homeless men.

She could smell the gasoline in the air. But also noticed people laughing below. A group of friends were talking and laughing. Then it hit her. There was a blank space in her life from between when she first actually came to this city and when she had been taken to the operating room at Manticore. A giant chunk of her life had been forgotten. She wasn't sure if she would ever remember it either. And as she thought of these people down below talking and laughing with their friends, completely unaware of Max's observation, she thought of something. Where were her friends?