𝑺𝑶𝑳𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑪𝑬 [𝑯𝑨𝑹𝑹𝒀 𝑷𝑶𝑻𝑻𝑬𝑹/𝑻𝑾𝑰𝑳𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻]

𝐼'𝐿𝐿 𝐵𝐸 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝐴𝐶𝑇𝑅𝐸𝑆𝑆 𝑆𝑇𝐴𝑅𝑅𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝐼𝑁 𝐻𝐸𝑅 𝐵𝐴𝐷 𝐷𝑅𝐸𝐴𝑀𝑆

As the week went by, Eden spent every moment with Edward. Every moment she was allowed to anyways. Though he seemed familiar and they were friends, Eden couldn't help but think he was keeping something from her. Something important that is.

There was something so off about him, things that she noticed right from the start. Like how he would always be wearing jackets or hoodies, even when it was hot outside. Or how he preferred the room to be quite dim and he never ate anything in front of her. It was strange. She initially found it funny and amusing. But she was slowly starting to see there was something unnatural about him.

But not unnatural enough apparently that the receptionists and nurses thought much of it. In fact, Eden wouldn't have been surprised if one of them started a fan club for Edward quite soon.

Besides the few odd habits Edward had, Eden quite enjoyed his company. He was very quick to pick up on her cues, comforting when necessary but also taking a step back when she needed space. He brought her books, bought her clothes and made sure she had everything she needed.

He was also very smart, often keeping up with her banter and questions. There were times she would see moments of triumph in his eyes, as though a part of the real her was breaking through. Sometimes she would wonder if Edward liked her better as she was, or who she once was. Though Doctor Nadar had high hopes for her, Eden often wondered what life would be like if she never remembered who she was.

Secretly, a part of her wanted to stay as she was. She had no memory or recollection of who or what she was. But her dreams were a different story.

Eden would see flashes of faces she did not recognize in her nightmares, her heart aching for their presence and grief overruling her every whim. Were these people she once knew? People she was running away from? People she loved? She had no idea. She just knew her heart hurt so much to the point she couldn't even describe the pain. It was almost like she couldn't breathe.

She just knew there was darkness at night, slipping through the happiness she experienced.

And it terrified her.

The ache in her heart from the blackhole she slipped into in her nightmares held her down. Locked her up. Sometimes when she would wake up, that ache and desperation clung to her consciousness. She had no way to discern what was real and what was not. The agony of what she felt at night terrified her to truly unlock her memories...Because why, why would she want to remember those things?

She was happy in the clinic. She was happy with Doctor Nadar and with Edward. Despite them both wanting her to remember...Sometimes she wondered, why would she want to change anything at all?

———— ✦ ⁖ ✺ ⁖✦ ————

By the end of the weekend, Edward had offered to get them lunch from a local shop he had been eyeing. Eden agreed enthusiastically of course, but secretly wondered if he would finally eat in front of her.

As she waited for his return, she heard a small knock on her room door.

"That was fast--" Eden began, smiling as she expected Edward to come in as Carla, the afternoon receptionist, appeared instead.

Carla was quite young and beautiful. She was around 19 years old with lovely blond hair and green eyes. Not a typical "look" for the rural town, but definitely a beauty none the less. Eden knew Carla had been working to save up for her studies in the nearby city, working on the days she did not have classes.