Our Darkest Memories

1. A new life

4 weeks after forgetting

The sun shone high in the sky and around me kids were running and playing with a ball. In front of me, I heard a person giving orders to some kids in the camp.

"Don't forget to tell the gardeners to gather some fresh vegetables for dinner tonight!"

I watched Clancy Gray as he wiped the palm of his hand across his forehead. He turned around and frowned when he saw my face.
"Is staring at me a very interesting activity?"

The feeling of my cheeks becoming warm made me aware of my stupid blushing. He caught me. I was staring at him. There was just something so... mysterious about him. I found it intriguing.

That aura that he seemed to generate made me attracted to him and completely act like an idiot. He seemed to have that power over me since I first met him.

He grinned and took me in his arms.
Other people would have been ecstatic, knowing that the president's son showed them his affection. The idea of having a powerful and well-known person liking them gave them the idea that they were powerful as well.

For me, it felt different. In his arms, I felt safe and guarded. Like nothing could ever hurt me. And that feeling was special in these times.

If anyone knew how special the feeling of safety felt, it was Clancy. As the first person to go into a rehabilitation camp, he knows better than anyone how cruel the world has become, especially considering his dad was the one who sent him there.

He didn't talk about it much, but it was clear that it was a hard period in his life that hurt him. I had my suspicions that while he was in the camps, he was experimented on by all kinds of doctors. It must have felt horrible to feel like a lab rat at such a young age.

Eventually, though, he came out of the rehabilitation camp as the first child that was 'cured'. At least, that is what the world thinks. That's what I thought when I first met him.

However, I quickly realized that it wasn't true. As an Orange, Clancy managed to make his father believe he was cured manipulating his thoughts.

It was a quality that I admired. He managed to outsmart the current power holders and was now living a life filled with helping others.

He let go of me, and it felt hard to not show the small feeling of disappointment.

"So what is my task today?" I coughed.

"You will handle any newcomers. If there will be any."

The answer wasn't really a surprise. I had been doing the same task for the last two weeks.

Here, in East River, a secluded shelter for kids in danger built completely by Clancy and two others, everyone was handed tasks so that the camp manages to keep running. Usually, that meant contributing to the little community by cooking, cleaning, or in some cases guarding the camp.

As the person to completely manage East River, Clancy was the person to entrust me with doing more important tasks such as this one. As the person who handles newcomers, I'm either the one to welcome new kids and inform them how the camp works, or I am the one to deal with intruders.

It was an important task and one I felt honored to do.

"And you? What are you gonna do today?" I asked.

Again, I already knew the answer to that. He would probably maintain his contacts on the outside of the camp. That meant that I wouldn't get to see him all day.

He confirmed my suspicions. "I have some business to do, but I'll see you tonight at dinner."

I sighed out of frustration, but he pressed a little kiss on my forehead and then looked at me. I almost drowned in his brown eyes. In them, I saw affection? Greed? Satisfaction? I didn't recognize it.