Chapter Eighteen

That night was the most rextful night Max had in the last few months, he was tired so he really wouldn't think to much of the plans for tomorrow. He sighed as he fell on the bed. Tonight, all he could think about was that he was that this plan. The one Michael had came up with could work. Infact, now that he could think about it. Why didn't they do this before? Save months of only getting memories here and there. Max sighed, he was getting close to Tess, to his son. With that clear thought running through his mind, Max closed his eyes and fell deep asleep.

Max finds himself in the woods, the dark night, the fog all around him. The only thing that allowed him to see was the bright stars above. Max knew immediately that he was dreaming and that he had been there before. When he was a child, he remembered being in this place. He turned around in aware, why now was he returning to a place he never thought about even once. A sound to the further side caused Max to freeze. He turned to the sound and saw a figure coming toward him. As the figure got close, Max knew immediately who it was, Zan.

"Surprise, Surprise" Zan said as he walked around Max, as if studing the man before him, "I never thought, you would ever come here again?"

Max was silent for a moment, looking at Zan in disbelief, was he really speaking to Zan, "What?...you are Zan"

"Yes...No" Zan shook his head, wearing a smirk, "I am you, the unconscious part of you Max. The part you try really hard to ignore."

Max and Zan battlestare each other for a minute and before Max could reply, Zan turned and began walking away. Max stood there for a moment then ran after Zan, he had many questions to ask. Max couldn't see Zan at all because of the fog, the guy was far away, but Max followed, going through trees, sticks, he even fell a couple of time. Then without any warning the fog began to clear, and Max found himself in the most beautiful place he had ever seen. A huge garden with flowers from earth and well as flowers that he had, of all different colors. The night sky shone as bright, one would think it was daylight. Then they were statues in different parts of the garden, it didn't take long for Max to realize that the statues where all women. He studied the one closest to him, the one he realized that looked a lot like Ava.

"She was beautiful, wasn't she?" Max turned to find Zan looking at the statue as well.

"Yeah" Max agreed turning back to the statue, "What is this place?"

"This place contents...your memories" Zan said calmly walking towards Max, stopping close to Max, "Surprised, but everything you want to remember Max is right here, In your mind."
"Then, why couldn't I remember anything?" Max asked, trying to understand what was going on. "I have wanted to for so long"
"Nay," Zan disagrees shaking his head, "You have not...but you have been here before"
"Yes, but I don't remember..." Max fell silent as the whole place began to change, the stars and lights going backwards. His head fazzy, Max turned to Zan with the intention of asking what was going on. Zan puts a finger on his lips, before pointing behind Max. Max turned around and froze, he knew what this was. A flashback.

Max watched as a younger version of himself walked into the garden. Young Max looked around the place in aware, with a smile. The young Max looked straight at Max without really seeing him, before walking around, looking at the statues one by one until, he walked to the statue of Ava. The boy stopped and looked up at her face, studing while enchanted.

"She is beautiful isn't she?" Zan asked, looking at the little boy, young Max nodded, "Do you want to know who she is, who you are?" Two nods this time, "Do you know who I am?"

Young Max turned to Zan, studing him for a moment, before another nod, "You are me" The boy whispered.

"Zan" Zan said with a satisfied smile looking at the little boy adorily, "Yes, and I will tell you a wonderful story, an adventure of your life, a pastlife. Do you understand what I mean?"

Young Max looked at the statue again then turned to Zan, "Is she in the story?"

Zan nodded, "She is the best part."

"Does it have a happy ending?" Young Max asked.

"I should hope so" Zan said silently after a moment, "So do you want to hear the story?"

Young Max nodded his head, "But not now, tomorrow, I have to go now and get ready for school"

Zan nodded with a smile, "Until tomorrow."

The younger version of Max disappeared, leaving only Zan and Max together.

"The next night, you didn't come back" Zan said looking at the older Max, "And I also knew why, I was you so whatever you saw I saw. and I also saw Liz. She occupied your mind after that first school day, an obssession she became. I couldn't get through to you until we saw Tess. I knew who she was immediately, she looked different but her soul was in her eyes, I could see who she was"

Max looked at Zan, a clear thought running in his mind. The first time, he had seen Tess, a little fantasy had appeared in his mind. And then the kiss between him and Tess.

"That was you?" Max asked harshly, looking at Zan closely.

Zan smiled at Max and shook his head, "No, we did. Max, I can't force you to do something. I only know what I know, what we should know. I only feel what I feel, what we feel. We are different, you know. If you where right, you where right about that. Zan, I have an entirely different personality that you, some characteristics are the same but we have had different lives...but you know what tires us as one Max?"

"What?" Max asked with intenst curiousity, after all granted what Zan, what the unconscious part of himself was saying was absolutely the truth. Zan and Max where as different as Peanutbutter and Jelly.

"The soul, the heart, the mind" Zan said with absolute conviction, "We have the same soul, the same heart and the same mind, basically Zan's Max and Max's Zan. Different names but same soul"

"I get it" Max said interupting him, he didn't want to hear anymore anologies, "Just tell me how to find Tess."

Zan looked at Max for a moment then turned to the statue again, "Not yet, because as of yet, Max. There are things you don't understand, about Zan and about Ava. It's obvious that Tess knew a lot more about the past than any of you know combined, I will not put Tess in the midst of danger until you know everything."

"You want me to remember a whole lifetime" Max asked in surprise, which was kind of ironic because that had been his idea from the beginning, but that was before this moment. The proposal seemed rather shocking at this moment, considering that he was talking to his conscious self. But after all that had happened, Max didn't think that was possible at all for him to remember everything in a short time. "How long will that take?"

"A week" Zan said quickly as if he had been expecting the question, "for the most important memories Max, then you I will help you find a way to Tess. Then you will make your choice between Liz and Tess."
"I can tell you right now" Max said even though his heart wasn't in the answer, it was the only one he knew, "I will choice Liz"

Zan raised his eyebrow, "Okay, sure...you forgot that I am the unconscious part of you"

Max was about to say something when a loud ringing sounded in his ear, he looked around and watched at the parts of the garden began to cripple and ripple until he was alone, no Zan in the middle of the woods. Fog in his eyes, he closed his eye in fastraution. This was a rather turn in events, he thought. Opening his eyes, and found himself in his bedroom. Max closed his eyes again, sighing, then turned to the phone, some plans had to be changed and soon.

"let me get this straight" Michael said sitting up in Max's room, trying to understand what Max was explaining and after explaining the "dream" a few times, Michael didn't really understand, "You and Zan...what...huh...I don't get..what..what"

Max sighed, why oh why out of all of his friends had he thought to call on Michael. Isabel was right in the next room and he hadn't even woken her up...no he had picked up the phone and called Michael.

"I told you Michael" Max said trying not to scream in fastruation.

Michael raised an eyebrow looking at Max trying not to laugh, "Explain again, you called me"

"Yeah" Max said in agreemen, throwing a pillow to Michael, it was about 2 am and Michael might as well get comfortable, this guy wasn't going anyway anytime soon. "Don't remind me"
"Okay so, you fall asleep..."Michael stopped and looked at Max to continue.

"I was...ah..in the woods, a forest I suppose and there he...I...he..I...Zan...yes, Zan was there" Max said, he couldn't get the fact that Zan had claimed that they were the same person, "And he said he was surprised to see me, and I knew it was Zan."

"But he said he wasn't?" Michael asked remembering that Max had said that the last time he told the cause of events.

Max shook his head, remembering Zan's words, "He said he was then he wasn't, that he was the unconscious part of me"

Michael nodded, "Right"

"He left and then...I followed, I was curious" Max said as an explanation, "And straight into this garden, the most beautiful place I had ever seen, Michael. And there were statues. Ten statues"

Michael rolled his eyes, turning off the lamb beside Max's bed before hitting the floor, "Get to the point, Max"

"I thought you wanted to understand?" Max asked throwing his head to the soft pillow, he sighed and contunued, "Zan said that he could help me with my memories and finding Tess."

Michael snapped out from his thought when silent befell the room. "Does this mean the contacting your mother thing is..."

"Not going to happen" Max said, he was rather glad that the this dangerous idea would not have to be put in action at all. He wasn't sure if he should tell anyone else about his little dream chat with Zan. Liz especially. A flash of Tess went through his mind, Tess sitting in class looking up to him with a smile. The first time he had ever seen her, Zan said he remembered her instantly. Max could remember something clicking in his head that day, and then the little fantasy happen to just show in his head. Max had been suspicious of her because the only person he had ever felt so strongly about was Liz. And then finding out that Tess was an alien, that had increased his suspcious rate way high and convinced himself that she had mindwarped him. God, the way every single person in their little group had treated her was harsh and never once had she complained.

Max thoughts about Tess turned back to reality, maybe all that time she had manipulating them. Because now Alex was dead...no he had to think things true and maybe his unconscious self was right. That he didn't really no the whole story.